I have had a knot in my mind that I have had for many years, and I have never dared to ask or talk about it.
My name is Liao Ying. I hid from family planning since I was a child. I was sent to my aunt's house and registered as a registered permanent resident. I took my uncle's surname of Liao and later changed my name to Chen Ying when I moved to the city. Now that I am middle-aged, I live a leisurely life. I often dream at night about my former hometown, Liaojia Village.
Liaojia Village is located at the junction of three provinces. People outside say that this place is neglected, but the people in the village have their own way of living, with warm human feelings and small schemes that cannot be brought to the table. It is true that every household lowers its head but does not raise its head to see each other. It is true that each other helps each other during the busy farm work. It is also a common thing to hold small things while others are not paying attention.
When I was eight years old, I saw something huge happen with my own eyes. I was so frightened that I lost my mind. I fell seriously ill and most of my memories were blurred. My aunt and uncle sent me away overnight and away from the village. I walked away from home with incomplete and fuzzy memories, and slowly lived a smooth life.
But Chun Shu and Chun Lin have been trapped in that yellow sky and thick soil all their lives, trapped for their whole lives by the secret of that autumn night, and they have never come out.
