In the early 60s, in Bengbu, Anhui Province, an ordinary family photo froze the imprint of time. In the shot, a warm family of eight comes into view. A middle-aged couple, their faces are engraved with the traces of time, but their eyes reveal the satisfaction and expectation of life. Beside them, sat an elderly mother, with a wrinkled face but a kind smile. Five children surround them, each with a happy smile on their faces.
The male head of this family is named Zhang Yuesheng, and the female hostess is named Fang Zhongmou. They work in a local hospital, and although the income is not very good, they feel extremely happy in this loving and warm family. They work hard and strive to create a good environment for children to grow up. And the children are also very sensible, they respect their parents and care for each other, which fills the family with laughter.
However, the good times were short-lived. As the children grew up day by day, a big movement swept the country quietly. In this movement, both Zhang Yuesheng and Fang Zhongmou were affected. They were criticized, blamed and beaten for no reason. This sudden change left the two physically and mentally exhausted, but they still held on to the family strongly.
On the evening of the eighth day of the first lunar month in 1970, the whole family sat around for dinner. In that special era, the topic at the dinner table was always inseparable from the development of the current situation. Fang Zhongmou was a straightforward person, and she did not shy away from expressing her views on some things, and questioned some of the lines and guidelines at that time. Although her words are extreme, in this family, everyone talks behind closed doors, and outsiders don't know.
However, what Fang Zhongmou never dreamed of was that her husband Zhang Yuesheng and son Zhang Hongbing would report her. They denounced Fang Zhongmou's remarks to the Working Group, which led to her being subjected to even more severe criticism. When the working group became aware of it, it reported the matter to the next level, and eventually the matter was defined as a serious "reversal" incident. Soon, Fang Zhongmou was arrested and imprisoned, and her husband and son's "righteous extermination of relatives" also became a typical event of that era.
In prison, Fang Zhongmou was subjected to inhuman torture. She could not endure such humiliation and pain, but she still held on to her faith and dignity. However, in that particular era, the dignity and conviction of the individual seemed to be insignificant. In the end, after more than two months in prison, Fang Zhongmou was executed, and she died at the age of 44.
However, as time went on, more and more people began to re-examine the mistakes of that era. In 1980, Fang Zhongmou finally got Zhaoxue, and her reputation was restored. Her tomb has also been renovated and has become a sacred place to commemorate her resilience. And her husband and son have gradually come out of the shadows and started a new life.
Nowadays, whenever someone mentions the past events of that era, Fang Zhongmou's son Zhang Hongbing is always full of emotion, he said that he will never forgive his actions back then, but he also hopes that people can remember the lessons of that era and cherish the happy life of the present.
Zhang Hongbing