In the 1990s, China's economic reform was surging, and society was exploring and moving forward in the midst of changes. During this period, many social problems also emerged, especially in rural areas. Against the backdrop of relatively weak legal regulation and social awareness, many innocent women, especially those who are young and inexperienced in society, fall prey to traffickers. Gao Yanmin's story is a tragedy that happened in this context.
In the autumn of 1993, 17-year-old Gao Yanmin left her home in Xiangcheng, Henan Province, to look for work in Baoding, Hebei Province, hoping to help ease the family's financial burden. She had two younger brothers to support, and as the eldest daughter in the family, she had to give up the opportunity to continue her education and join society.
On the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival, Yanmin received a call from home and learned that her mother was sick, so she hurriedly took the train home. When she was changing trains in Shijiazhuang, two seemingly kind women took the initiative to talk to her. They lied that they were also from Xiangcheng County, and their fake care and enthusiasm made the simple Yanmin unguarded.
The two women bought a drink for Yanmin, which was drugged. By the time Yanmin woke up, she was already in a strange place and had been sold to a big black man. Her pleas could not touch the man's heart, and she was abused for days.
Two days later, the big black man sold her to an old man for 2,700 yuan. The old man took her over the mountains and mountains, and finally arrived in a remote mountain village in Quyang County, Hebei Province. Living conditions here are harsh and isolated, and Yanmin's fate seems to have been completely sealed.
Here, Yanmin's "husband" controlled and abused her for several years. She has tried to escape several times and attempted suicide several times, but has been recovered each time. In such a desperate situation, she even took pesticides for a time, but was eventually treated in time.
Once, while fetching water from a spring well, she met an old woman in her 70s. The old woman's words made Yan Min's heart more and more sad: "I heard that the Japanese devils came a few years ago, and I don't know if they are gone now?" This made Yan Min realize that even if she escaped from this village, she might not be able to free herself from this endless misery.
Through a series of efforts, Yanmin's father-in-law finally bought her out of the traffickers. Although she had a mixed appreciation for the old man, the weight of life and the hopelessness of the future kept her heart full of pain.
A few years later, Yan Min and her husband got the opportunity to return to Xiangcheng County. Although she returned to her homeland, she found herself unable to escape the shadows of her past. Her children were also discriminated against at school because of what she had experienced, which deepened her pain. In the eyes of the outside world and endless troubles, she chose to be as patient and silent as possible, hoping only to protect her family from more harm.
Gao Yanmin's story is one of thousands of forgotten voices. Behind the rapid economic development, we should not ignore the pain and helplessness of those who are struggling at the bottom of society. Her experience warns us that the progress of society should not only be the growth of numbers, but also the progress of civilization and humanity. We need to pay more attention to and protect those who are disadvantaged, so that justice is no longer late, and every corner is full of warmth and light. Yanmin's silence is not only helpless, but also a deep questioning of this society. Her story is poignant and poignant, reminding us to value the dignity and worth of every life.