Time: May 1997.
Weather: Overcast
Case: 'Cycle 2546'
[I was trapped on June 1, 1997, repeating the same day 2546 times, 61104 hours... I can never escape...]
[Forever.]
...
...
I am a criminal.
Of course, you can also call me Chen Dong.
I was born in June 1987, during a summer in the countryside.
June in the rural areas is always busy, the air is filled with wheat stubble, and large fields are planted with golden wheat ears, our source of survival. When the summer breeze blows, the wheat ears turn into golden waves, swaying with the wind.
A shout rang out.
"Your wife gave birth!"
A man straightened up from the wheat field, his head poking out, wearing a straw hat, his dark face looking slightly puzzled.
Who gave birth?
Chen Hua thought for a moment, then his eyes widened. Realizing what had happened, he ignored the wheat and ran straight home.
The sharp wheat stubble pierced his skin, and the scorching sunlight peeled his skin.
The villagers harvesting wheat around him all laughed at him.
My mother said my father was always like this, rash and careless. That day, when he returned home, I was already born. He was covered in wheat stubble and wanted to hold me. Fortunately, my sister, though young, reminded the midwife, preventing him from succeeding.
Whenever my mother thought of this, she would argue with him for a few words.
Dad would not retort, just scratch his head and grin sheepishly, then pat me and my sister, saying:
"We should be magnanimous, not arguing with her!"
Upon hearing this, my mother would become furious and yank his ear, showing her fierce side.
"Magnanimous, magnanimous!"
"Since being with you, I've been magnanimous my whole life. When will someone else be magnanimous for once?"
Upon hearing those words, my father would say no more, just squat by the door, smoking a cigarette.
My father is a very easygoing person, what is commonly known as an honest man.
Honest men are good; they have no ill intentions, have a conscience, and are law-abiding.
But...
They are also easily bullied.
When someone comes to borrow something, my dad usually agrees, but most of the time, they never return it. Whenever this happens, my father thinks that maybe they have run into some trouble; let's give it a few days, and they'll return it.
Thus, after waiting a few more days, they still haven't returned it.
So, my father would go to their house to ask for it back.
At this point, things get ridiculous.
It is as if the one asking to pay back is the borrower, and the debtor becomes the boss.
I don't understand why this happens; clearly, if you borrow something, you should return it, it's common sense. But when it comes to returning, it's like tearing the flesh off someone!
During such times, my mother would admonish my sister and me:
"You two must not be like your father in the future!"
What's like that?
Being only seven years old, I didn't understand.
But I thought... my dad was a normal person.
He's kind to others, never takes advantage, and even goes to others' houses to reclaim borrowed items.
This is what a normal person should be like. Why doesn't my mother want me to be a normal person?
I didn't understand, but I had a sweet tongue.
I told my mother:
"Mom, I'll listen to you, I absolutely won't be like Dad!"
"When I grow up, I'll let you live in a big house, buy you pretty clothes, let you eat cake every day!"
Every time she heard such unrealistic words, my mother would smile.
"Alright, Mom will wait for you!"
My mother is not very cunning either.
She's sharp-tongued but soft-hearted. Whoever in the neighborhood has trouble, she will help.
Though she argues with my dad daily, she's never talked about divorce.
Her greatest wish is to watch my sister and me grow up peacefully and, when old, snuggle with my dad, buried in the wheat field of our home.
My father is the same. When coaxing his wife, he'd say:
"When the kids grow up."
"I'll take you out of the village, and we'll take a plane to Upper City to have fun!"
Mom is easy to satisfy. Hearing this, her anger would dissipate halfway.
Dad would coax her a bit more, and her temper would vanish.
Days passed like this, one by one.
Although dull, they were also blissful.
Until...
That day, the appearance of a notice.
Made my dad realize, perhaps there's a real chance to let Mom board a plane!
...
...
The village was going to be relocated.
The authorities wanted to build a factory here.
I didn't know what relocation meant, but it should be a good thing.
They said, after relocation, we could move into big houses, and it would allow my mom and sister to wear new clothes.
This was a good thing.
But...
"The village chief wants to buy our land...."
"How much?"
"One thousand yuan."
Dad and Mom's conversation was so simple. After they finished speaking, they fell into silence.
After a moment, Mom suddenly spoke.
"You've been a doormat all your life, and just when things are looking up, do you still want to be a doormat!?"
"You may be okay with your daughter and son living here forever, but I'm not!"
Dad smoked, said nothing.
The village chief came to buy the land.
Before the official notice, they came to buy!
Before, Dad wondered, since all our land was land nobody wanted, why would he want to buy it?
With the announcement of the relocation notice, they stopped concealing their intentions completely.
After a long time, Dad put out his cigarette, looked determined.
He told Mom.
"Not selling!"
Says he won't sell, then he won't sell.
Dad thought, this is our land, the money is ours.
Why should we give it to someone else?
So...
Not selling, no matter what, not selling!
"I'll get two dogs for protection."
Dad thought for a moment, then headed out.
Not long after, the door was knocked on.
"Knock knock knock!"
I thought it was Dad returning after shopping, but the moment the door opened...
"Bam!"
A tremendous force slammed the door open, and without time to dodge, I was hit to the side.
Two men walked in.
I lay on the ground, not knowing what happened, my mind blank.
I watched as my mother and sister went out to argue with the two men.
I watched as they tried to make my mother sign something, she refused, and they knocked her unconscious, dragging my sister into the house, desperate screams echoing.
I wanted to go forward, to stop it.
But it was useless; my weak body's resistance was met with brutality, leaving me bewildered and helpless in the surroundings.
I tried to crawl forward, but as I raised my hand, I saw sticky, bright red liquid flowing on the ground.
Looking along the liquid, I saw my mother lying on the floor.
Blood continually flowing from her head.
I froze, hearing a roaring sound in my ears, crawling and trembling, holding my mother's face with my hands.
Listening to my sister's screams, my eyes were full of confusion and helplessness, lips trembling.
"Mom..."
"Wake up... please wake up."
...
When my father returned home, he only saw the door slammed open, the whole man frozen in place.
He seemed like a wooden figure, slowly stepping into the house.
In the yard was me curled up in the corner, holding my mother's head, eyes dull, gazing fearfully, like a vegetable.
Father only felt the air around him solidify, gradually suffocating.
He dragged his trembling legs, using all his strength to step over the threshold and into the house.
My sister lay on the bed inside the house.
Her hair disheveled,
emotions void, lying as if dead, eyes hollow, numb.
"Bam!"
Chen Hua's face turned pale, collapsing to the ground.
...
...
Scenarios from the past repeatedly surfaced in my mind.
It feels like being trapped in a cycle; every time I close my eyes, it repeats in my mind.
I was trapped on June 1, 1997, repeating the same day 2546 times, 61104 hours...
But today...
I escaped.
June 4, 11 PM.
Inside the detention center.
"Clink~"
The crisp sound of iron chains rang out.
Wearing prison clothes, Chen Dong's once dull eyes suddenly cleared a little, looking down at his shackled hands.
These are handcuffs.
Around is the police station, if all goes as expected, in a few days, I will be sent to trial.
It seems like I am going to die.
(Case Closed)