Chapter 172: Xu Damao on the Execution Ground

In Si Jiu Cheng, at the entrance of the No. 95 Siheyuan, Xu Xiaoyun and Xu Xiaoling were standing on small stools, pasting "Double Happiness" characters onto the door lintel.

The setting sun stretched their shadows long, and the red paper glowed with a festive, warm light in the sunset's afterglow.

Yan Bugui strolled over with his hands behind his back, squinted for a long while, and suddenly leaned in to ask: "Little Yun, is your mother holding a banquet for this wedding? We've been old neighbors for so many years, we should have a lively celebration, right?"

Xu Xiaoyun wiped the sweat from her temple and said: "My mother said, six tables in the courtyard, four tables for relatives, and two tables for people in the courtyard; but if you want to eat at the banquet, every household must send two people to help."

"Only six tables?" Yan Bugui smacked his lips. "I heard your stepfather is quite well-off, why not invite the whole courtyard?"

"I can't make that decision." Xu Xiaoyun turned her face away and continued to smooth out the characters.

At this moment, inside the Yan family's room, Yan Jiecheng was clutching a cricket in a grass-stick pottery jar.

The insect was listless, its legs twitching incessantly.

"Xu Damao, you coward!" He cursed through gritted teeth, stabbing the dying cricket fiercely with a grass stick.

These past few days, he had come to hate Xu Damao to the core.

The Big Ocean that Xu Damao promised to give had yet to be delivered, and the man himself had vanished; he had already made three wasted trips to that courtyard. His original plans had all fallen through.

"You're courting death!" Yan Bugui rushed in and slapped the back of his head, snatched the cricket jar, and brought it close to the light to look carefully.

Discovering that the "Little General" had already broken one of its hind legs and was limping at the bottom of the jar, he felt such heartache that the corners of his mouth twitched.

"You little brat, there will be no steamed corn bun for you tonight!" Yan Bugui scolded.

At the same time, in another blue-brick courtyard in Si Jiu Cheng, a chill permeated the air.

Xu Damao was curled up on a straw mat, shivering from the cold, his cotton-padded jacket already filthy beyond recognition.

He hadn't been given food for three days, receiving only a bowl of clear water each day; he was now so thin that his cheekbones protruded and his eye sockets were deeply sunken.

The condition of the others in the same room was even worse; among those who had arrived before him, three had already been carried away wrapped in straw mats.

Xu Damao struggled to stand up, but his legs were as soft as noodles; he slowly crawled to the iron window, gripped the icy bars, and shouted outward: "Sir... please give me something to eat... when I get out, I'll have my Siqiang give you one hundred Big Ocean! He is not short of money."

The hunchbacked old man delivering water passed by with a wooden bucket, looked at him with turbid eyes, shook his head, and walked away with a hunched back.

"It's true!" Xu Damao's throat was hoarse. "You go to Xinjiekou Baihuashenchu Hutong Number 5, find Hu Yunbin, he has more money than he can spend!"

A hoarse sneer suddenly came from the corner: "You've already entered this place, and you still want to get out? Stop dreaming!"

"Why..." Xu Damao leaned against the wall, his fingers unconsciously picking at the wall surface, and flakes of yellow plaster fell down with a rustle.

"Just because of the big hat of murder they've pinned on you!" From the inner room came the clanking sound of chains dragging as someone walked.

As the twilight deepened, the hunchbacked old man came to deliver water.

When he handed the broken bowl to Xu Damao, he was surprised to find that there was half a bowl of rice grains settled at the bottom!

He looked up and met the hunchbacked old man's face, which was covered in deep gullies.

"I don't want your Big Ocean, I just saw that you are young, so I agreed to pass a message for you!"

"My name is Xu Damao, my Siqiang is named Hu Yunbin." Xu Damao fell to his knees with a thud, his forehead knocking heavily against the edge of the earthen kang.

When he looked up again, the hunchbacked old man had already disappeared from the doorway.

He looked at the rice soup in the pottery bowl, and tears dripped into the empty bowl. He picked up the bowl and drank it in one gulp. Hope was rekindled in his heart.

On the stone table under the locust tree in the courtyard of Baihua Alley Number 5, two bowls of tea were set out, and the hunchbacked old man told Xu Damao's situation in full detail.

Hu Yunbin fingered his prayer beads and asked: "Which yamen is in charge of your courtyard?"

"That really can't be said!" The hunchbacked old man lowered his voice. "I only heard someone mention that the kid wanted to kill his stepfather!"

Hu Yunbin took out ten Big Ocean and handed them over: "After the person is rescued, there will be a further reward."

The hunchbacked old man hesitated for a moment, but still tucked the Big Ocean into his pocket, then stood up and walked away with a limp.

Wang Donglai in the East Wing was taking a nap and was pushed awake by Hu Yunbin.

"Who does Damao want to kill?"

"He, he wants to kill whom, how would I know?"

"You tell me honestly, otherwise I won't take you to earn money next time!"

"He did mention something about his mother wanting to remarry." Wang Donglai rubbed his eyes. "He also asked me to help get a Nambu Pistol."

Ma Chun, sitting nearby, also sat up, took a sip of water, and interjected: "Ever since that kid was kicked out by his mother, he's been sullen all day. I reckon he just wanted to stop his mother from remarrying..."

Hu Yunbin spoke up: "We don't even know where he's being held, how can we save him?"

"The one who tied the bell must be the one to untie it. Since he wants to kill his stepfather, why not find his mother? A mother can't just ignore her own flesh and blood, right?" Ma Chun said.

"Makes sense!" Hu Yunbin slapped his thigh.

In front of the Siheyuan, Yan Bugui saw a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses and dressed in decent clothes, and hurriedly bowed to welcome him: "Who are you looking for?"

"Does Xu Damao live here?"

"He does, but I haven't seen him for a long time." Yan Bugui rubbed his hands.

"Is anyone home at his place today?"

"His mother is in!"

Hu Yunbin handed over a pack of cigarettes: "Please lead the way."

In the East Wing, Cui Xiu was sewing a wedding quilt with Xu Xiaoyun.

Hearing the knock, Cui Xiu opened the door and was stunned, saying: "You are?"

"I am Damao's Siqiang." Hu Yunbin slipped into the room and, seeing Yan Bugui walk away, said in a low voice: "Apologies for the intrusion, but it is truly an urgent matter. Damao has been locked up in a secret place and has been starving for several days; if we don't go save him, I'm afraid it will cost him his life!"

The needle and thread in Cui Xiu's hands dropped with a clatter.

Although her son was lawless, stealing money and wanting to make his own decisions, he was, after all, born of her own flesh; hearing that her son was suffering, her tears immediately welled up: "That wretch! He really doesn't give me any peace! But how can we save him?"

"I heard it's because he wanted to assassinate your fiancé. You might as well look for him; perhaps he has a way!"

"What?" Cui Xiu stood up abruptly, then collapsed back onto the edge of the kang. "This wicked obstacle is determined not to let me live! Is there no end to this? First stealing money from home, then going to kill someone, what am I supposed to do..."

Seeing Cui Xiu crying, Hu Yunbin was at a loss for a moment and said: "Damao's mother, the most urgent thing is to quickly find your fiancé and plead for mercy, otherwise this..." Hu Yunbin reminded her.

Upon hearing this, Cui Xiu immediately wiped away her tears, put on her coat, and ran out: "Damao's Siqiang, I won't keep you, I'm going to find him right now!"

Hu Yunbin hurriedly followed Cui Xiu out.

Cui Xiu sat on the rickshaw, thinking about how to bring it up with Luo Jiangtao.

The rickshaw passed through the alley, its bell ringing with a clatter.

"Hurry up!" Cui Xiu urged.

In the detention center, Xu Damao was still picking at the wall plaster; he had already picked the plaster off an entire wall.

The wooden door creaked open, and a middle-aged man walked in carrying a wooden tray, distributing a bowl of white rice to each of the seven people, with a slice of glistening fatty meat placed on top of the rice.

"Eat up quickly; once you're done, it's time to head out."

Xu Damao suddenly looked up: "What the hell do you mean?"

"Execution by firing squad!" The middle-aged man coldly spat out the two words and slammed the door shut with a clang.

Not long after, the seven people were escorted onto a truck.

Xu Damao asked a skin-and-bones middle-aged man beside him, trembling: "Are we really going to be shot?"

"What do you think!" The middle-aged man helplessly closed his eyes.

In the suburbs, in front of a small grove of trees, seven pits had been dug.

The seven people stood before the pits, facing a row of soldiers holding Zhongzheng Rifles.