Siheyuan: Hang Jia Dongxu, smash Banggeng to death!

The third day after the decree was issued.

An unprecedented storm swept across the entire land of China.

Beijing, 3 a.m.

Zhao Degui, a grain merchant in the south of the city, was awakened by a series of urgent knocks on the door. Before he could even put on his clothes, two soldiers rushed into his bedroom.

He huddled under the covers, his voice trembling: "What are you going to do? I'm a law-abiding citizen."

The soldier did not answer, dragged him off the bed, tied his hands behind his back, and forced him out of the room.

In the courtyard, his wife, holding their child, cried out, "Sir, what crime have we committed?"

The officer in charge turned around and said, "Your grain is being sold for seven cents a pound, which violates the law."

Zhao Degui's face turned pale instantly, and his legs went weak as he knelt on the ground: "I'll change it! I'll lower the price! I'll lower it completely!"

But it was too late. He was crammed into a truck and squeezed together with dozens of grain merchants, all dressed in pajamas, as the truck drove into the night toward the military court.

the same day.

Qian Wanguan, a grain trading tycoon at the Shiliupu Wharf in Shanghai, was working on his abacus in his accounting room when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside.

Before he could hide the ledger properly, the door was kicked open.

The army marched in, followed by a troop of soldiers.

Qian Wanguan forced himself to remain calm: "Who are you? Who let you in?"

The army unfurled an arrest warrant and read aloud: "Qian Wanguan, hoarding and speculating, driving up grain prices, is hereby arrested according to law."

His face instantly turned pale, and the abacus in his hand fell to the ground with a "thud," the beads rolling all over the floor.

Qian Wanguan took two steps back, his voice trembling: "You can't arrest me. I'm sworn brothers with Huang Jinrong of the Green Gang, I and..."

Dajun interrupted him: "Who you swore brotherhood with above is none of our business."

With a wave of his hand, the soldiers stepped forward, pinned him to the table, tied his hands behind his back, and took him away.

Guangzhou, Wuhan, Tianjin, Chongqing, Shenyang, Guizhou, Sichuan... Overnight, grain merchants from all over the country fell like autumn leaves.

The warehouses piled high with grain were sealed off, the account books were moved away box by box, and the managers, their hands covered in gold rings, were put onto the same trucks heading in unknown directions.

In the streets and alleys, ordinary people opened their windows and watched as those once arrogant grain merchants were dragged away, whispering among themselves.

An elderly woman selling vegetables stood at the intersection, watching a truck carrying grain merchants drive by, and said to the person next to her:

"They should have been arrested long ago. Last year, a bushel of rice cost three silver dollars, and my husband almost starved to death."

The person next to him sighed, "Finally, someone's taking care of things."

"Our good days have come. Commander Lin is a good leader who cares about us ordinary people."

Sijiucheng Vegetable Market.

Just a week ago, Yi Zhonghai and Jia Zhangshi were dealt with, and today they are going to be executed again.

The first group brought in consisted of seventeen grain merchants, dressed in prison clothes, with disheveled hair, and tied to wooden stakes.

A large, fat grain merchant knelt on the ground, shouting hoarsely, "I was forced! Someone forced me to raise prices! Let me go, and I'll confess everything!"

Nobody paid him any attention.

The tall, thin grain merchant kept his head down and didn't say a word, while the short grain merchant kept crying, his crotch was soaked.

Even the once high and mighty landlords now bowed their heads.

The executioner walked to the center of the platform, unfurled a notice, and read it aloud in a loud voice: "Investigation of Zhao Degui, Qian Wanguan, Sun Youcai, Li Mancang, Zhou Guangfa, Wu Shouyi... Zheng Daye and seventeen others."

Hoarding and speculation, driving up grain prices, led to widespread starvation and widespread suffering among the people.

The crime is irrefutable, the evidence is sufficient, and the death penalty is imposed in accordance with the law, to be carried out immediately.

As soon as he finished speaking, a cheer erupted from the crowd.

An old man waved his fist and shouted, "Good riddance! These vampires should have been killed long ago!"

Dozens of young people also shouted, "Kill! Kill!"

A woman holding a child was crying, but it was tears of joy. She looked down at the child in her arms and said:

"Bao'er, look, those bad guys are going to be executed. We'll be able to eat our fill from now on. Commander Lin is a really good person."

"I want to offer Commander Lin a longevity plaque."

The executioner raised his hand, and the cheers gradually subsided.

Seventeen soldiers raised their guns and aimed them at the backs of the seven grain merchants.

A grain merchant suddenly raised his head and, with all his might, shouted one last thing: "Injustice...!"

Gunshots rang out.

The seventeen gunshots rang out almost simultaneously, and seventeen bodies fell forward at the same time.

The crowd quieted down for a moment, then became lively again.

Some people clapped, some shouted "Bravo!", some covered the children's eyes, and some lowered their heads and muttered something.

The second and third batches of grain merchants were brought in one after another. They were all pale-faced, some were limp as mud, and some could no longer stand.

Gunshots rang out one after another.

The entrance to the market was packed with people, and more were still pouring in.

The execution lasted for the entire morning.

When the last grain merchant fell, the square was already packed with people.

The executioner put away the notice and announced: "From this day forward, anyone who hoards goods and drives up grain prices will be severely punished without exception, blah blah blah..."

A deafening cheer erupted from the crowd.

That afternoon, newspapers across the country published the news.

Newsboys in Beiping ran through the streets holding up extra editions: "Extra! Extra! Grain merchants brought to justice, grain prices fall!"

The headlines of Shanghai newspapers read: "The Chinese Independent Brigade strikes hard, the end is near for unscrupulous grain merchants."

People in Guangzhou, Wuhan, Tianjin, Chongqing, Shenyang... spread the word, and the topic was discussed everywhere—in teahouses, restaurants, and on the streets.

Some people applauded, while others lamented that the world had finally changed.

Some people silently memorized the notices on the wall, taking every word of the new regulations to heart.

Rice price.

The price dropped to 2.5 cents on the second day and to 2 cents on the third day.

Grain merchants who hadn't yet been arrested began moving their grain out of their warehouses and selling it at reduced prices.

Money is never as important as life.

A long queue formed in front of the grain store. Some people were carrying bags of rice, some were carrying baskets, and some were pushing carts. Everyone had a smile on their face.

The line moved slowly forward. An old man bought some rice, turned around, and smiled at the people behind him, saying, "This time it's really cheap."

The young man behind him laughed too: "That's right, long live Commander Lin!"

"Long live Commander Lin!!"

Everyone shouted happily.

The little girl named Xiaofang has been sent to an orphanage.

She was assigned a small bed with clean sheets, received a new cotton-padded coat that fit her well, and had white flour steamed buns to eat.

There are hundreds, even thousands, of children like her.

For the first time, Xiaofang showed a happy smile; it was as if she had a new home again.

……