One night passed without incident. The next day, Zhou Di, accompanied by two children, took the bus back to Zhouzhuang village. Despite the scrutiny of the Wasoku soldiers stationed as sentinels along the way, they managed to reach Zhouzhuang village safely. However, as soon as they entered the village, Zhou Di immediately sensed something was wrong. The once peaceful and vibrant village was now eerily silent, devoid of any signs of life. Even the barking of dogs had vanished. Every household was tightly shut, with no one moving around the village. Zhou Di immediately had a sense of foreboding. So he pulled two children close to him and ran toward Zhou Jieliang's home hurriedly. Upon arrival, they found the door firmly closed, Zhou Jieliang shouted while he knocked on the door:
"Dad, Mom, I'm here."
To their surprise, not only did Zhou Jieliang's family's door open, but other households nearby also began to creak open. When they saw there were Zhou Di and Zhou Jieliang, the villagers started to come out with worry and sorrow. Zhou Jieliang's father rushed forward to embrace his son, tears streaming down his face:
"Oh, my child, you're alive. Thank Heaven, you're alive." Then, noticing Zhou Di standing nearby, he added in a choked voice, "Xiao Di (the nickname of Zhou Di), go home in a hurry, go home. Many people have died. Even Jieliang's mother..."
His words trailed off, overwhelmed by grief. Zhou Di patted Zhou Jieliang's father on the shoulder and then quickly carried Yang Zichun back home. Upon entering the house, he saw a woman holding a baby, feeding it rice soup as tears streamed down her face. When she noticed Zhou Di, she rushed over and cried out:
"Xiao Di, thank goodness you're back. Please, go see your grandpa first."
Zhou Di quickly set Yang Zichun down and hurried to his grandfather, who was lying weakly on the bed, his breathing shallow and labored. Fighting back his own tears, Zhou Di called out with his voice trembling:
"Grandpa, grandpa, it is me, Xiao Di. I'm home now."
His grandfather's eyes flickered slightly at the sound of his voice but he was too weak to respond. Yet, Zhou Di saw a faint glimmer in his eyes. The old man's gaze seemed to convey a deep yearning to speak. Leaning closer, Zhou Di urged him gently:
"Grandpa, what is it? What do you want to say? Grandpa, tell me, Please!"
The frail old man's lips mover faintly, but his voice was too weak to be heard. Zhou Di leaned closer and repeated anxiously:
"What? Child? What child?"
That woman hurried over, holding the baby tightly in her arms. She handed the baby to Zhou Di and said:
"Xiao Di, look, your son."
Stunned, Zhou Di instinctively took the baby into his arms, his heart flooding with both surprise and joy. He looked at the tiny face, overwhelmed by the realization.
"My son?" he murmured incredulously with tears streaming down. He continued to ask unconsciously, "Where are Grandma and Chunhua? Aren't they home?"
The room fell silent, the woman's eyes filled with sorrow. Zhou Di's heart sank as he awaited her reply.
The woman wiped away her tears and said:
"They're gone. Those damned Wasoku soldiers came there to kill and loot."
Her voice broke as she began to sob again. Upon hearing this, Zhou Di stood frozen, his mind reeling. After a moment of shock, he burst into tears, clutching his son tightly to his chest. The baby, sensing the distress, also began to cry. Through her tears, the woman continued:
"Chunhua gave birth to the baby less than two days ago. She was still in her postpartum recovery period when the Wasoku soldiers suddenly came here. Your grandfather managed to escape with the baby in his arms, but your grandmother and Chunhua weren't fast enough. Those damned Wasoku soldiers tried to assault Chunhua. Your grandmother tried to stop them but she was stabbed to death with a bayonet. Unable to bear the humiliation, Chunhua took her own life by biting her tongue. That's how it happened. Those cursed Wasoku bastards wouldn't even spare her...." Her voice trembled with rage and sorrow, "Your grandfather was so grief-stricken that he tried to rush down the mountain to confront them at that time, but thankfully, he was stopped by us. However, he collapsed from the shock and never woke up." Taking the baby from Zhou Di's arm, she gently comforted the crying baby, saying, "Xiao Di, you don't know how many people have been killed by those damned Wasoku bastards. Apart from your grandma and Chunhua, only Xianlong and his son survived in Dexiang's family. And my father-in-law, your Dehua grandfather, was also killed. Now Xianlong has become the village patriarch. He asked us to take care of your grandfather and your son until you came back."
With that, the woman held the child close, tears streaming down her face again and continued feeding him rice soup. Zhou Di was already heartbroken, but he hadn't noticed the growing crowd that had gathered in the courtyard. The new patriarch, Zhou Xianlong, stepped forward approached and placed a comforting hand on Zhou Di's shoulder, saying:
"Xiao Di, don't cry anymore. Your grandpa wouldn't want to hear you cry like this. He must feel some relief knowing you've come back safely. You don't know how many families in our clan have been destroyed this time. The coffins of everyone who died, including your grandmother and Chunhua, have been placed in the ancestral hall. You should go to kowtow there!"
Zhou Di wiped his tears, nodded and walked towards the ancestral all with Yang Zichun by his side. The somber crowd followed them in silence, their faces etched with sorrow. As they reached the hall, Zhou Di was confronted with a heartbreaking scene. Rows of coffins filled the space and and several bodies, still covered with straw mats, lay on the ground. Nearby, some carpenters from the family clan, their eyes red from weeping, worked on building more coffins. Upon noticing Zhou Di's arrival, they put down their tools and joined them. Zhou Di knelt in front of the ancestral hall, wailing loudly as he kowtowed three times, his grief echoing through the room. Yang Zichun also knelt beside him, imitating Zhou Di and paying his respects. After rising to his feet, Zhou Di turned to Zhou Xianlong, his face streaked with tears and sobbed:
"Ge, could you please arrange a coffin for my grandpa? I don't think...I fear....he's going to make it." Zhou Di said hesitantly, his voice trembling.
"Don't worry." Zhou Xianlong reassured him, "Your grandpa is our elder. We'll make sure everything is properly arranged for him."
"Thank you, Ge, for making trouble to the family clan with this."
"Don't mention this. We are in one family."
Zhou Di expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the clan for taking care of his grandfather and son. However, the ancestral hall remained heavy with the sounds of mournful cries. That night, his grandfather passed away. Dressed in mourning attire, Zhou Di oversaw the burial of his grandfather, grandmother and wife in the family cemetery. After the ceremonies, Zhou Xianlong asked him:
"Xiao Di, what are you going to do? Will you go back to the city or stay here? And who is this child?"
Zhou Di replied:
"This is my adopted son. I think it is best for me to go back to the city. As you know I have a shop there, though the owner isn't me. While I don't know where the owner is now, it is my duty to keep the business running as usual in the owner's absence. Besides, staying here ... I don't know what to do but grieve and weep."
"I understand. It is a principle of our family that every member must honor his/her promise. You have promised the owner to manage the business no matter whether the owner is there or not. Maybe the owner will come back someday, maybe not, but your should fulfil your responsibilities in the meantime. By the way, do you have given your baby a name yet?"
"Yes, Zhou Aichen."
"Why don't you use the character 'jie' with our family name?"
Zhou Di shook his head and replied:
"This is the name I've chosen for him. If he wants to use 'jie' when he grows up in the future, let him change it himself."
"But I will still record it in the family genealogy, just like your name."
"I see, Ge. This is our tradition. Does our family genealogy have been destroyed?"
"No, but it is in disarray. It's worthless to those Wasoku bastard. But don't worry, I am able to sort it out slowly. Just you and I can remember our family genealogy because I have to remember these and you are interested in these. It's important to keep that knowledge alive."
Zhou Di smiled and said:
"If you need any help, just let me know. It is my duty to assist you."
Zhou Xianlong patted him on the shoulder and said:
"I see. By the way, do you plan to take Aichen with you to the city? If you prefer, he can stay here. All of us can take care of him, especially with the women around to take care of him."
"Thank you, Ge. I think it is better for me to take him with me. Right now, everything is in chaos, and I feel more at ease with him by my side."
"That's understandable. You should ask the aunt about how to care for a baby." Zhou Di nodded and Zhou Xianlong added, "Jieliang's father expressed his gratitude to you for bringing Jieliang back safely. But he doesn't want Jieliang to return to the city. It's only him and his son alive in his family now so they don't want to be separated."
"I understand. He is right."
After staying in Zhouzhuang village for seven days, Zhou Di prepared to leave. He wore a baby carrier with Zhou Aichen on his chest and a backpack containing some cornmeal and sweet potatoes. Holding Yang Zichun's hand, he also carried a bracelet he had found in a bamboo bed, a precious keepsake to Ding Chunhua.
Upon returning to Yucheng City, Zhou Di first went to the jurisdiction's office to update his information and register Zhou Aichen's name. He also removed Zhou Jieliang's name from the records. However, since he hadn't recieved his Citizen ID yet, he paid an extra 10 silver yuan for expedited processing. With the updated information provided in his form, he proceeded to the ration station to collect his government-issued rations: a small amount of flour, rice and cornmeal. Upon inspection, the flour and the cornmeal were acceptable but there was an excessive amount of sand mixed with the rice. Based on his current situation, he was only entitled to receive one and a half portions of rations twice a month from the government. As for other necessities like vegetables, eggs and meals, people had to pay for them out of their own pocket.
In addition, the currency exchange system required the people to convert their money into Wasoku yuan and cents. The exchange rate was supposed to be one copper yuan for one cent and 100 copper yuan for one yuan. However, the Wasoku government had issued a special order for occupied territories, changing the rate to one copper yuan for one cent and 1000 copper yuan for one yuan. This drastic devaluation of the currency significantly reduced the amount of cash available to the people in the Midlands. With no other option, Zhou Di went to the bank with his own bankbook to exchange it with a new one. However, he went to the bank with his own bankbook to exchange it for a new one. However, he decided to keep the bankbook given to him by Yang Chen. In truth, he had no idea how much money was in that account and had never spent a single coin. He only knew it could be exchanged this bankbook for silver yuan in the Yang family's territory. As Zhou Di looked at the significantly reduced balance in his new bankbook, he sighed helplessly. Around him, he noticed some people in the bank were already crying bitterly while others had lost all their savings entirely. Since this was the case, Zhou Di decided to reopen his shop as soon as possible. However, in such a chaotic and uncertain world, he couldn't help but wonder: who would be willing to buy jade carvings and jewelry? The future appeared grim and uncertain.
Upon arriving at his shop, Zhou Di was surprised to see Hu Zhenghan squatting in front of the door, looking dishevelled. Concerned, he quickly approached and asked:
"Hu Zhenghan, what are you doing here? How did you end up like this? Come in quickly."
Hu Zhenghan stood up and explained:
"Sir, if you didn't have come back, those damned Wasoku soldiers would have either taken me away or killed me. Do you what happens after curfew starts at 8pm? Anyone without a Citizen IDs or caught wandering outside is either arrested or killed. Whether someone lives or dies depends entirely on those soldiers' mood."
Zhou Di asked:
"Why didn't you apply for Citizen ID?"
"I don't have any address here. I have been searching for an empty house to register with, but it seems all the vacant house have been seized by the Wasoku authorities. Plus, I don't have the money to pay for an ID."
"You can use this shop's address to apply for the ID. As for the money I can help you."
"Thank you, sir. Actually I told me about this address before but they said here is registered as a shop. If I want to use it to apply for an ID, I need either written permission from the owner or for the owner to accompany me to the jurisdiction's office."
Zhou Di smiled and replied:
"Alright, I will go with you to apply for an ID tomorrow. But why didn't you try to escape to the west or south?"
"Forget it! I encountered the Wasoku troops on my way to home. They killed everyone they saw, so I had no choice but to jump into a lake and stay in the water for an entire day and night until the Wasoku soldiers left. When I finally got ashore, I realized that I had lost all of my belongings, including my money and the ornaments I was carrying. I thought all of them had fallen into the lake so I had to dive into the water again and searched for them for hours but I found nothing. I didn't know whether to flee west or return north to my hometown. While hesitating, I met a man from the north who told me that the Wasoku soldiers had been burning, killing ed and looting wherever they went. It is said that the Wasoku government issued an order allowing soldiers to do as they please for three days wherever they go. Some Wasoku officers still have a shred of conscience and restrain their subordinates, but others are butchers themselves. At that moment, I was overwhelmed by fear of running into the Wasoku troops again and had no idea where to go without money. Additionally, there are Wasoku soldiers everywhere now. After much thinking about it, I thought Yucheng was the nearest place to me so I decided to come back, hoping you were here. Unfortunately you were not here except of the note on the door. So I decided to wait for you and hold on to the last hope that you could come back soon."
"You can stay here as long as you want. We will reopen our shop tomorrow. Then I'll accompany you to apply for your ID."
"Thank you, sir." Hu Zhenghan said gratefully and then asked, "By the way, who are these children?"
"This child is from my family clan, named Zhou Chun. His father was my best friend but now his parents are missing. I have adopted him as my son. And this is my own son, named Zhou Aichen. But ... my wife was also killed..."
Zhou Di's voice faltered, tears welling up in his eyes. Unable to continue, he looked away, but Hu zhenghan understood what had happened immediately. Without needing further explanation, Hu zhenghan sighed and said angrily:
"Those damn Wasoku people should deserve to be eradicated.be killed. Actually I don't know what has happened to my own family now. After I get my ID, I'll try to earn some money and go back home. Now I don't care about life or death anymore." Pausing a while, he added, "By the way, sir, Wasoku people came here looking for you yesterday."
"Wasoku people?" Zhou Di asked, frowning, "Why did they look for me?"
"I don't know. They said you should go to the original Cultural Relics Bureau and meet someone named Guan Yunkai as soon as you come back."
As they spoke, the two men began tidying up the mess in the shop, preparing to reopen for business the next day.