Tomboy's Past (I)

That year, Zhong Lichun was ten years old. She had been born in a Middle Eastern country. Her parents were both from the Shudi region and had gone to that country to make a living when they were young. After all, at that time, the country was still an oil-rich power and one of the few extremely wealthy countries in the world.

Zhong Lichun's parents had opened a Chinese restaurant in Baghdad. Because their cooking was excellent, the restaurant did very well. Although they were living in a foreign land, the family was still getting by quite comfortably.

However, that happy life was completely shattered by the war more than a decade ago. The coalition of Western powers unilaterally declared war on that country, plunging the entire nation into the shadow of war. As Chinese people trying to make a living abroad, they did not care who was right or wrong in the war. What they cared about most, of course, was their own safety. Whether they could return home alive became their greatest concern.

After spending a large sum of money and using every connection he had, Zhong Lichun's Father finally found a way out. They could cross the border into a neighboring country first, then take a plane home.

With a way out, the Zhong Lichun's family packed their things and prepared to flee Baghdad overnight. Everything went fairly smoothly. Their contact brought them to an evacuation point, where the people who, like them, had paid to escape were put onto a bus. The bus was headed for the border between the two countries.

Unfortunately, fate was cruel. Not long after the bus set off, it was hijacked by a group of armed men. These terrorists belonged to Al-Qaeda. As anti-government militants, they had no humanity.

After being hijacked, the bus was driven to a half-abandoned village. Everyone was then divided into groups and locked up in several dilapidated houses. Zhong Lichun was still young at the time, so all she could do was hide behind her parents and stare fearfully at the vicious-looking men holding guns. She did not know what would happen to her in the future, much less what awaited her.

For the next three days, they remained locked up. They had no idea what was happening outside. They were given water and food only once a day, and even then, the portions were extremely small. Zhong Lichun's parents left most of the food and water for their daughter. Under the dual torment of fear and hunger, Zhong Lichun's Father suffered an asthma attack. His condition worsened with each passing day.

On the fourth day after they were captured, Zhong Lichun and her parents were taken out of the house and brought to a room with a camera. A masked man ordered the family to state their identities and nationalities to the camera, then beg their country to pay a ransom for them.

With guns pointed at their heads, the family could only obey. After the recording was finished, the three of them were locked back in the shabby room. Clearly, their captors were waiting for the outcome.

The day after the video was recorded, Zhong Lichun's Father's asthma struck again, and this time it was severe. Seeing her father's face turn purple, ten-year-old Zhong Lichun desperately pounded on the locked door and begged the people who had captured them to save him.

After she had pounded on it for a long time, the door was finally pushed open. Two armed men entered impatiently. Zhong Lichun and her mother pleaded desperately with them to return their luggage, because it contained the medicine for her father's asthma. Unfortunately, the two men completely ignored their pleas. One of them walked over to Zhong Lichun's Father and examined him, even kicking him twice. The two men then spoke quietly for a few moments before shutting the door and leaving without paying the family any further attention.

Watching the two men leave so coldly, Zhong Lichun and her mother were filled with despair. All they could do was helplessly watch as her father curled up in agony in the corner, his breathing growing more and more labored.

In Zhong Lichun's memory, that night was unbearably difficult, so difficult that she was unwilling to think about it. Just before dawn, the door was pushed open again, and two more men entered. Without a word, they hoisted Zhong Lichun's Father up and carried him away. Zhong Lichun's Mother begged them desperately, even wrapping her arms around one man's leg. In the end, all she got for it was a blow to the head with a rifle butt.

That was the last time Zhong Lichun saw her father. She was still young and did not understand what had happened. Her mother told her that her father had been taken away for treatment and that they would see him again soon. Zhong Lichun only remembered that her mother's face was covered in tears as she comforted her.

Two days later, they were taken out of the room and forced onto a truck. By then, there were only about half as many people aboard as there had been at the beginning, and almost all of them were women and children.

The truck drove for a very, very long time. Zhong Lichun could no longer remember how many days had passed. In any case, it was only after several days and nights that the vehicle finally stopped. Once again, they had arrived at a village.

As before, she and her mother were locked up. This time, however, her mother was not kept in the same place as her. Zhong Lichun was confined with the other children.

Another day or two later, all the girls among the children were taken out of the room and gathered in a dim house. There, Zhong Lichun endured the most painful experience of her life. At the time, she did not know what had happened to her. It was only many years later that she realized she had undergone female circumcision. For a girl, the mental and physical torment was simply beyond description.

Two months later, the children were taken out again. This time, it was not only the girls—the boys were taken out as well. The boys were gathered together and began receiving completely improper military training. People were assigned to teach them how to shoot, how to use various weapons, and how to kill.

The girls, meanwhile, were ordered to wash clothes and cook, maintain and oil the firearms, and serve those vicious-looking men like slaves.

It was also because Zhong Lichun had begun working that she finally saw her mother again after more than three months. Compared with three months before, her mother had become extremely haggard. Her mother's face was sallow and emaciated, and her eyes were vacant. Although they flickered when she saw Zhong Lichun, she did not dare approach her, nor did she even dare look directly at her.

Zhong Lichun ran desperately toward her mother, calling out, "Mom!" But before she could reach her, someone stopped her. A storm of punches and kicks followed. If her mother had not knelt on the ground and pleaded desperately, Zhong Lichun might have been beaten to death that time.

Covered in wounds, Zhong Lichun lay on the ground sobbing repeatedly. Her mother, meanwhile, was dragged by the hair into a room. Zhong Lichun did not know what happened to her mother, because as soon as she was dragged away, Zhong Lichun was ordered to return to work.

After that, Zhong Lichun could occasionally see her mother. Every time, however, her mother would helplessly shake her head and signal for her not to come closer, so she would not suffer unnecessary abuse. Young Zhong Lichun could only watch her haggard mother from a distance. For her then, being able to see her mother from afar was already a great happiness.