Pengcheng Women's Prison had long known that reporters would come to interview the prison's most severely punished prisoners, so Lin Shuyue's arrival was within their expectations. After seeing Lin Shuyue's stack of questionnaires, the women's prison guard was obviously stunned, but after seeing the content, she still took it.
"Reporter Lin, I will distribute this questionnaire in the evening when everyone is resting and reading newspapers. Come and get it at 8 o'clock."
"Thank you, Officer Du." Lin Shuyue thanked the prison guard who received her.
Officer Du shook her head: "No need to thank me, we also hope to have domestic violence legislation."
As prison guards, they feel more deeply about domestic violence. As a woman, Officer Du fully supports this questionnaire.
Lin Shuyue came out of prison and went to the shopping mall near the newspaper office, where Li Weisheng and Huang Qiang were distributing questionnaires.
As the largest and most famous shopping mall in Pengcheng, there were many people here even on a hot afternoon. Lin Shuyue approached them with three bottles of iced drinks in her hand and gave one bottle to each of them.
Li Weisheng and Huang Qiang's hair was wet with sweat. They took the water from Lin Shuyue and drank it gulp by gulp. Afterwards, the three of them found a shady place to chat.
Huang Qiang closed the lid of the drink he had drunk half a bottle of in one go and wiped the sweat off his forehead. "We went to several places this afternoon, all of which had a lot of traffic. We did 30 or 40 questionnaires, both men and women did it, and the results are not ideal."
Li Weisheng answered from the side: "I interviewed ten men, and four of them admitted that they had beaten their wives or daughters, and two admitted that they were victims of domestic violence when they were children."
What kind of ratio is this? There are four in ten, so if you enlarge the ratio, there are 40 in 100 and 400 in 1000.
Huang Qiang took a deep breath and said, "I just flipped through the questionnaire while taking a break. Among the 100 questionnaires, 40 said they had experienced domestic violence, and 70-80 said they had witnessed domestic violence. Almost all women who had been subjected to domestic violence had never sought help from the relevant authorities. I asked them why. They said that even if they reported the matter to the relevant authorities, they would only mediate the matter on the grounds of family conflict."
"This is especially true for conflicts between couples. Before marriage, if a man hits a woman, the woman can sue him for intentional injury. But after marriage, if a man hits a woman, in the eyes of these mediators, it is a family matter, and mediation is also based on the excuse of persuading reconciliation. It is completely useless. The man will continue to hit her and even more severely."
Lin Shuyue looked at the people coming and going in the mall. She knew that even if domestic violence was legislated, it would not stop such violent people, but it would at least be a deterrent and a weapon for women to seek help, right?
It was getting dark, and Lin Shuyue arrived at the women's prison before eight o'clock. Officer Du from the women's prison handed her the questionnaire.
Lin Shuyue returned to the newspaper office with the information. Huang Qiang and Li Weisheng were summarizing the data they had sent out and received back today. Lin Shuyue sat down at her workstation.
There are four prison areas in Pengcheng Women's Prison, each of which can accommodate two hundred people. Lin Shuyue gave Officer Du two hundred questionnaires. Officer Du was obviously not idle this afternoon. She summarized the incarceration situation of all the inmates in the prison. Among the 689 people serving sentences in Pengcheng Women's Prison, 45% had experienced domestic violence, and 37% of the crimes were directly or indirectly related to domestic violence.
This data is nothing short of shocking. Huang Qiang just came over to Lin Shuyue to get the stapler and took a breath after seeing it.
Li Mingfang had already gone back after get off work in the afternoon, and she brought back data on domestic violence suffered by women in their village.
The four of them worked overtime, and Wang Mingzheng did not go home. He brought his son Wang Jiaxing back to work overtime.
Wang Jiaxing is fifteen years old this year and is still in his rebellious period. If Lin Shuyue had come out one day later after her secret visit to the Internet addiction school, Wang Jiaxing would have had to go to the Internet addiction school for reform.
After that, Wang Jiaxing came to the newspaper office. Since then, Wang Jiaxing has had a special liking for Lin Shuyue. Every time he came to the newspaper office and saw Lin Shuyue there, he would chat with her for a while.
Today was no exception, but after seeing Lin Shuyue was busy, he obediently went to his father's office. The Internet addiction school incident really scared him. He is now studying more seriously and doesn't play computer as much as before. They conducted a baseline test this time, and his academic performance is very good. Wang Mingzheng rewarded him with a game console, and he is having a good time playing.
That night, Lin Shuyue and her friends were busy until eleven o'clock before they returned home.
This report was signed by Lin Shuyue, Huang Qiang, Li Weisheng and Li Mingfang.
After a debate, Lin Shuyue and the other three decided to title the report: "A set of data tells you the harm caused by domestic violence."
Still the front page headlines.
Lin Shuyue went home alone, and Li Mingfang was sent back by Li Weisheng who was going the same way.
When she got home, Lou Fengqin was still awake. Hearing that Lin Shuyue was coming back to stay tonight, she prepared a midnight snack in advance. As soon as Lin Shuyue came back, she started cooking. Bai Pingping was also awake and came over with Bai Wenhua to eat.
Lin Shuyang and Zeng Xiaoyi naturally couldn't miss this opportunity to have a snack, so they sat under the grape trellis again.
The grapes in her home had produced a lot of fruit, but after these days of continuous picking, there were not many left. Lin Shuyue picked the few remaining bunches and washed them, and Bai Pingping took out the iced watermelon from the refrigerator. While Lou Fengqin and Bai Wenhua were busy in the kitchen, the children sat under the grape tree and ate fruit and chatted.
Bai Pingping is studying hard in a cram school. She has decided to join Lin Shuyang's school next semester. No one cares whether her grades are good or not. As long as she can make it, it will be a great joy.
Lin Shuyue asked Zeng Xiaoyi about what was strange about the hotpot dinner. Zeng Xiaoyi knew that Lin Shuyue would ask, so she said, "I saw my parents, my brother and my sister."
Lin Shuyue was stunned. Zeng Xiaoyi had lived in her house for more than four months, and her parents had only come to see her once, hoping that she would marry the man with two children in their clothing market. After Zeng Xiaoyi clearly expressed her unwillingness, they never came to see Zeng Xiaoyi again.
They never cared about Zeng Xiaoyi's life or death.
Lin Shuyue looked at her: "Do you want to go see them?"
Zeng Xiaoyi shook her head. "I don't want to go back. I'm actually quite confused. If they don't like me because I'm a girl, then why do they dote on my sister so much since she's also a girl? Xiao Ling also has everything Xiao Cong has, but I don't have it."
"Sister Yue, I've been wondering if I'm not their child, just like Sister Pingping." Zeng Xiaoyi knew that her idea was ridiculous, but after Bai Pingping's incident, this idea took root in her heart and grew. Occasionally, when she was free, this matter occupied all her thoughts.
Lin Shuyue didn't know how to comfort her. Zeng Xiaoyi's thoughts were what every child who was not favored by their parents had.
But in Guangdong and Guangdong, there are many dolls with straps. She looked at Zeng Xiaoyi and asked, "Do you look like them?"
Zeng Xiaoyi thought about it, shook her head, and then laughed at herself: "Yes, I look more like my second aunt."
Lin Shuyue patted her shoulder, and everything was said without words.
Lou Fengqin brought out the noodles, which were rice noodles with leeks and lean meat, and were very delicious.
After eating and washing, Lin Shuyue went back to her room to rest. Lou Fengqin also packed up and went to sleep with Bai Wenhua. She and Bai Wenhua had already obtained a marriage certificate and were already husband and wife.
Lin Shuyue slept very soundly. When she woke up the next morning, it was already past nine o'clock. She and Bai Pingping were eating the breakfast left by Lou Fengqin when there was a knock on the door. Lin Shuyue went to open it. A young wife in her twenties was standing outside, holding a bucket in her hand, and a skinny but neat child was following her.
"You are Ah Yue, right? I just moved to the house across from you a few days ago. My name is Feng Sumei. The faucet in our house is broken, so I came to your house to borrow a bucket of water."
Lin Shuyue heard from Lou Fengqin and the others that the small house opposite her house was rented out, so she stepped aside to let them in.
"Come in, come in." Lin Shuyue moved aside to let her in, and pulled her son with her. Her son smiled at Lin Shuyue shyly.
Feng Sumei was a little reserved. She didn't say anything more. She took the water and left with her son.
Lin Shuyue returned to the kitchen, and Bai Pingping said, "She is quite pitiful."
Lin Shuyue looked at her. Bai Pingping was at home all day and had almost found out everything about Feng Sumei: "Her husband is in his thirties and almost forty years old, working on a construction site. Her mother-in-law is in her sixties and doesn't even take care of the children at home. She just wakes up, eats, and then sleeps. She has to do the housework and handicrafts by herself, which is very tiring."
After Bai Pingping said this casually, she started talking to Lin Shuyue about other things. The atmosphere between the two sisters was very harmonious.
After dinner, the two sisters went out together. After Lin Shuyue sent Bai Pingping to the supermarket entrance to meet Bai Wenhua and Lou Fengqin, she drove to the newspaper office. When she passed by the newsstand outside the village, she got off the car to buy a newspaper.
The owner of the newsstand knew her, so she was not in a hurry to leave. She bought a bottle of water and stood in front of the newsstand to chat.
"Auntie, is the Pengcheng Metropolitan News selling well today?"
It was already past the busiest time in the morning, and the newsstand owner was bored. Someone approached her, and it turned out to be a regular customer, so she started chatting with Lin Shuyue.
"Sales are pretty good. Recently, everyone who comes to buy a newspaper will bring a copy of Pengcheng Metropolitan Daily. It's much better than the previous ones. Especially this morning's report, which many people are discussing." The proprietress gestured to Lin Shuyue to read the newspaper.
Lin Shuyue glanced at the bold and black title and asked, "What are they discussing?"
"Discussing the issue of domestic violence. If you ask me, it would be great if domestic violence could really be included in the criminal law. I'm in my forties now, and I've seen a lot of cases of men beating women, both adults and children. Some people are really bad guys, beating their wives and children to death, and when you call the police, the police always try to smooth things over, thinking that it's someone else's family affair and not easy to intervene. No matter how severely they beat their wives and children, they don't get any punishment." The proprietress sighed.
Lin Shuyue also said: "Yes, it would be great if there could be legislation. At least it would be a protection for those who suffer from domestic violence." Lin Shuyue said.
"Yes, the current law does not protect women."
Lin Shuyue chatted with her for a few more sentences, and then left when she saw someone coming to buy magazines.
As soon as she entered the newspaper office, the phone in the office kept ringing. Xiao He, the front desk clerk, handed Lin Shuyue another stack of letters. This time, there were letters from Huang Qiang, Li Weisheng and Li Mingfang.
Lin Shuyue sat down at her workstation and opened the letter. All the people who wrote in had read the newspaper this morning. Most of them were women, and they all agreed with the domestic violence legislation. Only a few of them were like maggots in the toilet, thinking that the data Lin Shuyue gave were fake and did not support the domestic violence legislation. In their opinion, there was no such thing as domestic violence.
In their view, husband and wife fighting and educating children are family affairs. Since ancient times, it has been said that even an honest judge cannot judge family affairs, and that family scandals should not be made public. In their letter, they accused Lin Shuyue of provoking other people's family relationships. Her heart is despicable.
Lin Shuyue was too lazy to roll her eyes. To such a stinking man, any extra look would be an insult to her. She only responded to the letters from women who supported the legislation and told about their own experiences of domestic violence.
On Penguin, the secretary of the Women's Federation also sent Lin Shuyue several thumbs-up emojis.
This matter seemed to be very successful, but her ability had already reached this point, and she was powerless to do anything more. Her hopes now lay entirely with the Women's Federation.
Just when Lin Shuyue placed all her hopes on the Women's Federation, Chairman Zheng of the Women's Federation took the plan and questionnaire that Lin Shuyue had handed to her yesterday, as well as this morning's newspaper, and took the company's car to Yangcheng.
The 10th National Women's Congress will be held in October. If possible, Chairman Zheng hopes that the domestic violence legislation will be brought to the Standing Committee meeting, and Chairman Wei, the chairman of the Provincial Women's Federation who asked her to come, obviously thinks so. Even if the world is hasty, as long as you want to do it, there is nothing you can't do!
Chairman Zheng is full of confidence in this regard.
•••••
Time passed day by day, and the Mid-Autumn Festival arrived in the blink of an eye.
Mid-Autumn Festival is a major festival that is given special attention across the country. The day before Mid-Autumn Festival, Lin Shuyue received a Mid-Autumn Festival gift from the newspaper.
Two grapefruits, a box of oranges in a gift box, and two boxes of mooncakes.
Colleagues also gave mooncakes to each other. Lin Shuyue's mooncakes were bought at the system mall, which was said to be a time-honored mooncake from another world. She spent 100 points to buy 30 boxes, each box containing four fillings.
Classic five-nut, lotus paste, red bean paste and barbecued pork.
Lin Shuyue went to the Public Security Bureau, called He Yuling out, gave her more than ten boxes of mooncakes in one breath, and asked her to divide them herself. Before He Yuling could react, Lin Shuyue had already driven away.
When she got home, there were a lot of mooncakes at home. Some were mailed from all over the country. Most of them were sent by members of the search team that Bai Wenhua had formed before.
Lou Fengqin looked at the nearly ten boxes of mooncakes in Lin Shuyue's car and felt her eyes go dark: "There are so many mooncakes, how long will it take to finish them all?"
"Eat slowly for three meals a day." Lin Shuyue brought the mooncakes to the living room.
Today's meal was especially early, and Lin Shuxing and Luo Zhengjun also came back.
Today is Lin Shuyang's first campus activity after being found, and Zeng Xiaoyi will also be singing at the party, so the whole family will go to support her.
After dinner, two cars just picked up all the family members.
The entrance of Experimental Middle School was very busy tonight. Teachers and students from the Student Union stood in two rows, and parents of students walked into the school in groups of three or five.
This was a rare school open evening for Pengcheng Experimental Middle School. Almost all families with children who wanted to perform on stage came.
Lin Shuyue saw Zhou Bingrong at the school gate. He had been studying at the Experimental Middle School for three years and had long been a member of the student union. He was very happy to see Lin Shuyue and her family. After saying hello to the classmates next to him, he personally led the way for Lin Shuyue.
Bai Pingping was not used to this kind of crowded atmosphere. She wore a mask, but her delicate eyebrows and eyes still attracted many people's attention.
The party was held in the school playground, where the stage had already been set up. According to Zhou Bingrong, in order to express the school's importance to this matter, even the stage lighting technicians were professional.
Lin Shuyue's family was arranged by Zhou Bingrong to sit in the front row, and the person maintaining order in the front row happened to be Lin Shuyang and Zeng Xiaoyi's homeroom teacher, Teacher Chen. Lou Fengqin approached them naturally and generously to start a conversation.
Teacher Chen knew about Lin Shuyang's situation. He paid close attention to him and Zeng Xiaoyi. Especially after they studied hard and achieved good results, Teacher Chen liked them even more.
Lou Fengqin asked about their performance in school, and also asked about Zhou Bingrong and Ah Hao. Zhou Bingrong listened on the side and felt warm in his heart.
His parents never called the teacher to ask about his study and life in school. They always cared about his academic performance. If his academic performance was not good, he would be greeted with endless criticism and his mother's disappointed eyes with sighs.
At 6:40, dusk fell, a teacher walked to the center of the stage with a microphone, tested the sound, said a few words of welcome, and then quickly left.
At exactly seven o'clock, two students, a boy and a girl, came on stage. They held a program, said words welcoming the Mid-Autumn Festival, and then announced the start of the show.
Pengcheng Experimental Middle School has many students and classes. When Zeng Xiaoyi came on stage, it was already half past eight and the show was almost over. Lin Shuyue and others in the audience were all very excited. Lin Shuyang, Zhou Bingrong and Ah Hao had finished the class chores and came to Lin Shuyue and the others.
Zeng Xiaoyi was wearing a light yellow dress that Lin Shuxing had specially bought for her, and white sneakers, with her long hair hanging softly behind her.
After she came on stage, she bowed to the audience, and then introduced her class, name, and the song she was going to sing in a trembling voice. She sang the high-pitched song she was good at - "Heavenly Road".
The music soon started and the light shone on her head. She took a deep breath, listened to the beat quietly, and entered into the song accurately.
Her voice was ethereal. Even though she had no professional training, you couldn't hear any breathing. When it came to the high notes, she sang them without much effort.
At this moment, the originally noisy playground became quiet. Zeng Xiaoyi stood on the stage, immersed in the music with all her heart and soul. The nervousness she had at the beginning of the performance had disappeared at this moment.
At this moment, Zeng Xiaoyi seemed to be glowing all over, not because of the lighting technician, but because of the light that emanated from her soul to her body.
Lin Shuyue raised the camera in front of her countless times and took picture after picture of her.
When the song ended, applause resounded through the sky. Zeng Xiaoyi subconsciously glanced at where Lin Shuyue and the others were. Lin Shuyue, together with Lin Shuyang and the others, raised their hands and waved at her. Zeng Xiaoyi said thank you and then walked briskly off the stage.
After the performance, they couldn't leave yet. They had to be scored by the school judges and could only go back after receiving awards.
After Zeng Xiaoyi, there were three more programs, the last of which was a violin solo. After the performance, two teachers walked onto the stage and performed a crosstalk, which made all the audience burst into laughter.
The two hosts walked up to the stage, gave their closing remarks, and read out the judges' scores. Zeng Xiaoyi's solo "Heavenly Road" deservedly won first place. She smiled very happily holding the certificate, and Lin Shuyue took another photo of her.
The event was over and Lin Shuyue and her friends were about to go back. Lin Shuyue drove home. Her car was full of children, all of whom were chattering and congratulating Zeng Xiaoyi.
Bai Pingping looked at her with envy from time to time. She also liked singing and dancing, but her love was no longer pure after passing by Wangjiang Villa.
Zeng Xiaoyi was already very familiar with her. She quietly held Bai Pingping's hand, and the two of them leaned against each other, like two injured little animals keeping each other warm.
They were not in a hurry to go home. Because Zeng Xiaoyi won first place in the singing competition and to celebrate the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, they decided to have a midnight snack outside tonight.
Bai Wenhua found a food stall and everyone ordered seafood porridge, grilled oysters, boiled oysters, and barbecued snails and had a delicious meal.
After returning home, Lin Shuyue sent Mid-Autumn Festival greetings to her frequent Penguin friends on time. After waiting for a reply, she chatted with the acquaintances for a few minutes and then went to bed.
In the middle of the night, Lin Shuyue was awakened by the ringing of her cell phone. She got up from the bed with dazed eyes. The person calling was Jiang Xinxin, whom Lin Shuyue hadn't contacted for a long time.
All of a sudden, all sleepiness disappeared. She sat up from the bed and pressed the answer button. The voice on the other end of the phone was extremely noisy. Lin Shuyue called twice, and then Jiang Xinxin's voice came through.
"Sister, are you asleep? I'm drunk. Can you come to the 0 Degree Bar to pick me up?"
After Jiang Xinxin finished talking to Lin Shuyue, she turned to her people and said, "Brother Lu, my sister will come to pick me up soon, so you don't have to send me off."
Lin Shuyue didn't hang up the phone, but she got up from the bed, opened the wardrobe, put on her clothes, and hurried to the Zero Degree Bar.
When Lin Shuyue arrived at the Zero Degree Bar, Jiang Xinxin was standing on the side of the road, with a few people who looked like gangsters or small leaders standing beside her. Lin Shuyue parked the car on the side of the road and rolled down the window. Jiang Xinxin waved to the group of people, then giggled and staggered into the passenger seat of Lin Shuyue's car.
After the car drove away for a distance, Jiang Xinxin took off the wig and calmly apologized to Lin Shuyue: "I'm sorry, Yue, for dragging you down with me."