【An Alternative Life】Chapters 1-19 (Prison, Lesbians, Shopping Mall)

Author: yzsnxyf
Word Count: 28165
Synopsis: "This story tells of the protagonist, Xiao Jing, who helps her friend Cheng Xiaofei take the blame in an accident, and subsequently
undergoes various 'trials' in prison. A few months later, with the downfall of the Cheng family, Cheng Xiaofei and
her mother, Li Li, are framed and imprisoned in the same prison as Xiao Jing. In prison, Cheng Xiaofei becomes ruthless and repeatedly harms
Li Li. When Li Li is in despair, Xiao Jing helps her overcome her trauma. The long prison experience causes
a change in their sexual orientation, ultimately breaking free from traditional constraints. Soon after, they are released from prison after their convictions are overturned. Xiao Jing and Li Li
start by running a small shop, navigating the cutthroat world of business and receiving help from benefactors. Ultimately
, they build their own business empire."
The first few chapters mainly depict the protagonist's life in prison. Later, more characters will appear,
and the plot will become richer. We welcome your criticism and valuable suggestions. The first draft of this article is
approximately 300,000 words long. I hope the experts can provide timely corrections and valuable feedback to ensure the article has a proper
conclusion.
Chapter One: Unexpected Misfortune
My name is Xiao Jing. I was born into a working-class family in Y City, Liaoning Province. My mother was a textile worker in a textile factory, and my father
was a railway worker. My parents were unable to have children after marriage until my mother was 35 years old when I
was born. Due to family values, they had a younger brother three years later. My parents' salaries weren't low, especially my father's, whose monthly
income was quite considerable at the time. While not particularly wealthy, we certainly lived a comfortable life.
The year I entered high school, my father tragically passed away in an accident. This was
a devastating blow to our family. My mother was left alone to care for me and my three-year-old brother. As my father, this "big tree," withered
, our family's financial situation deteriorated. Meanwhile, my brother and I grew older, and
the pressure of tuition and living expenses increased. My mother worked overtime every day, but it was still difficult to make ends meet.
Although it was only junior high, there was still competition among the students. This competition made my already shy personality even
more insecure, leading me to develop a habit of always speaking softly with my head down.
Fortunately, my academic performance was quite good; I consistently ranked at the top of my class in exams,
earning the envy of my classmates and the favor of my teachers, and relieving my mother of a lot of worry. I even performed
exceptionally well in the high school entrance exam, scoring high enough to get into the city's top high school. In Y city, getting into a top high school meant having one foot
in the door of a prestigious school. However, even with government-funded admission, the tuition was astronomical for my family. Reality
forced me to calm down and choose a school that truly suited me.
In recent years, Y city has been very focused on education. Some schools with lower college entrance rates, in order to comply with policies and
build their reputation, have established special classes such as "Hongzhi Class" (a special class for high-achieving students), admitting students from disadvantaged families with excellent academic performance free of charge
. This ensures both high college entrance rates and solves the financial burden for these students.
Considering the current situation, this is the kind of school I should be considering.
My mother was overjoyed to receive my report card, but her expression dimmed slightly when the topic of tuition fees came up. Though
it was only for a moment, I noticed it. This solidified my decision to forgo the top-tier high school and enroll in the less competitive
Fourth Middle School.
I told my mother, "Mom, I don't want to go to the top high school anymore. There are so many high achievers there, the teachers won't pay much attention to me.
I think the Fourth Middle School is better; tuition and fees are free, I can live on campus and don't have to go home every day. I'm sure the school will focus on developing me
.
" My mother retorted, "That won't do! You need to understand that the learning environment is very important. A good learning environment
is a decisive factor in your studies. The whole class is full of underachievers and troublemakers. You'll be
corrupted by them. No, no, absolutely not! Don't worry about the tuition fees."
Seeing my mother's disagreement, I became anxious.
I said, "Mom, I've always listened to you since I was little. Please listen to me this time. The students in the elite class are all
good students, and the teachers are all top-level teachers. Besides, the pressure at No. 1 Middle School is much greater than at No. 4 Middle School. Most importantly
, my younger brother also needs to pay his tuition in a few days, and his expenses are even greater. How can you pay my tuition if you pay my tuition
? So, please listen to me this time."
Seeing my firm attitude, my mother compromised. After all, raising tuition fees for two people was no easy
task. Over the years, the family had accumulated a lot of debt, and there were always people coming to collect debts.
She said, "Alright, you're not a child anymore. I believe you can choose the right path."
After that, I filled in No. 4 Middle School in Y City as my first choice, and soon I received the admission notice.
The director of the school's academic affairs office even made a home visit and gave me a 5,000 yuan scholarship on the spot. He also promised that
my tuition and living expenses would be waived and that I would receive a scholarship every semester. After the school leaders left, I gave the money to my mother so
she could buy some stationery and clothes for my younger brother. She initially refused, but after my insistence, she reluctantly
accepted it.
The first day of school arrived, and the school sent a car to pick me up. I quickly packed my luggage,
said goodbye to my mother, and got on the bus. Fourth Middle School was a boarding school, and the academic pressure of high school was immense. Therefore,
besides going home once a month, I called to check in the rest of the time. Three years passed in the blink of an eye. My academic
performance remained among the best in the school, and I also performed exceptionally well in city-wide mock exams. The 5,000 yuan annual
scholarship during these three years significantly improved our family's living conditions, and we had basically paid off our debts.
After the college entrance examination, I scored 679 points, exceeding the national key university admission line. Other students in my class also achieved
excellent results, somewhat overturning the theory that only good schools produce good students. After much deliberation
, I applied to C Normal University for the Chinese Language and Literature major. Soon after, my admission notice arrived
, and I was accepted as I had hoped. Our excellent academic performance not only brought honor to the school but also served as
advertising, attracting more students. The school held a celebration for us and awarded each of us
a scholarship of 20,000 yuan on the spot, hoping that we would continue our efforts and one day contribute to the school's "Wall of Fame" and become
members of it.
The next three months were the most relaxed three months of my life. The scholarships I'd received over the years, plus this
20,000 yuan scholarship, had given my family some savings, making my university tuition no longer a problem.
My younger brother's grades were also excellent; he was admitted to the city's top high school, and our family's situation had truly improved
. During the summer vacation, I either stayed home like a couch potato or went shopping with my classmates.
But my shy personality remained unchanged; I even asked about prices very quietly, sometimes making my classmates and salespeople
very embarrassed.
Soon, the start of the new semester was approaching. Since the C City Teachers' College was more than 2,300 kilometers away from our city,
a train journey of over ten hours, I could only go home once a semester. This was my first time traveling so
far from home. On the day I left, my mother saw me off at the train station, constantly reminding me of this and that, worried that
something might happen to me. Only after my strong insistence did she not allow herself to enter the station to see me off. I boarded the train with my luggage,
settled into my seat, and as the train pulled away, watching my hometown recede into the distance, a strange
sadness welled up inside me. But the thought of the unknown life, the unknown city, and my future quickly washed
away this sadness.
The train arrived in City C, more than ten hours late. After exiting the station, I hailed a taxi and went to City C
Normal University. At the university, guided by upperclassmen, I signed in, paid my tuition, and went to my dormitory
. After a quick settling-in, I followed my roommates to the classroom. The university classrooms were completely
different from my middle school classrooms; they were all lecture halls, and the facilities were very complete, with computers and projectors
. Studying in such an environment was a real pleasure. The classroom was already full,
with people chatting amongst themselves. The unfamiliar classmates and environment made them seem unusually excited.
I, however, didn't like joining in the fun, so I found an empty seat, sat down, and started fiddling with my newly bought phone
.
Suddenly, a girl in a tracksuit with thick eyebrows and big eyes walked over and asked, "Is this place taken?"
I replied, "No."
The girl then sat down and extended her hand, saying, "My name is Cheng Xiaofei, I'm also a freshman in Chinese Language and Literature, please
take care of me.
" I extended my hand and said, "My name is Xiao Jing, please take care of me." Because I spoke very softly and kept my head down,
Cheng Xiaofei tilted her head and leaned close to my face, saying, "What's your name? I didn't hear you clearly." I said, "Xiao Jing." Cheng Xiaofei
said, "Oh, you're so pretty, such a slender and elegant lady." My face immediately turned red when I heard her say that. Cheng
Xiaofei looked at me and said, "Oh, still so shy." I smiled at her and then looked down at my phone again.
During our casual conversation, I learned that she was my roommate, but I hadn't run into her because I was in a hurry.
After that, we talked about everything and became best friends. We had very different personalities; I was very
shy, while she was very outgoing. Due to her excellent family background, she was well-off and generous. Although I
had some savings from high school scholarships and grants, my mother's health was deteriorating, and she could only
do simple jobs, resulting in a meager income. My younger brother was also in school, so our family's overall situation
was still very difficult. To avoid asking my family for money, I worked part-time every day after school,
eating only cheap meals at the cafeteria and rarely changing my clothes; life was very hard.
Although Cheng Xiaofei and I were close, we lived our own lives and never interacted. But one day, fate
played a cruel joke on us.
Cheng Xiaofei had a very outgoing personality, was naturally beautiful, and came from the same city, which gave her a wide network of connections. She
had many handsome boyfriends, and being wealthy, she frequented bars, KTVs, and other upscale places,
often associating with all sorts of people. Today was Cheng Xiaofei's birthday, and she was having a birthday
party at the KTV, which I naturally accepted as an invitation. I prefer quiet and dislike noisy occasions, but
I had to reluctantly agree out of politeness. After class in the afternoon, I went back to my dorm, put down my books, tidied up briefly
, and then followed Cheng Xiaofei downstairs to the campus gate. There, her new boyfriend was
waiting for her in a Honda. He greeted us warmly, saying, "Xiaofei, your classmates are all so
beautiful!"
He extended his hand to me and said, "Hello, my name is Li Qiang, I'm Xiaofei's boyfriend."
I shook his hand and said, "Hello, my name is Xiao Jing."
He then led us to the car, where Cheng Xiaofei and Li Qiang chatted passionately, completely unconcerned about the presence
of a stranger. Every now and then, Li Qiang would turn to me and ask questions, laughing it off. "Xiao Jing, where are you
from? How many people are in your family?" I just answered casually. Soon we arrived at our destination and
went into a KTV with a very grand storefront. Since it wasn't peak time, the KTV
wasn't as noisy as I had imagined; instead, it felt rather elegant. Guided by a waiter, we entered a
large private room. Opening the door, we saw quite a few people already seated inside—men and women, and many classmates.
Various dried fruits and bottles of alcohol were scattered on the table. Two boys were passionately belting out
songs into the screen through microphones. Once inside, everyone saw our main character and came over to greet
us. I went to chat with my classmates.
A little while later, a deliveryman brought over an enormous cake. Because it was so big, a 20-centimeter-long fruit knife was provided
. We ate and chatted, and soon everyone had drunk quite a bit. Under Cheng Xiaofei's repeated persuasion
, I reluctantly drank a small glass of some unknown liquor. It was my first time drinking alcohol, and the first sip felt
like my throat was on fire. I quickly snatched Cheng Xiaofei's drink and gulped it down. While coughing, I
fanned my mouth with my hand, asking what it was and how spicy it was. Cheng Xiaofei didn't answer, just laughed loudly from the side.
Soon after, I felt dizzy, and with several "singers" constantly yelling into the microphone, a
strong urge to vomit washed over me. I covered my mouth and ran out of the private room to the restroom, where I vomited. After vomiting,
I felt much more awake, but my head was still heavy. Because it was still early, the karaoke bar hadn't yet reached its peak business hours.
It was relatively quiet overall. I sat down on the sofa by the door, intending to close my eyes and relax, but unexpectedly
, I fell asleep. When I opened my eyes again, it was incredibly noisy. I groggily checked the time—oh no, it
was 9 o'clock! I had to hurry back to the dorm, or I'd be sleeping on the streets tonight! I rushed back to my room to find Cheng
Xiaofei. When I reached the door, the noise inside had stopped; I figured everyone had gone back. I pushed open the door, and
the scene before me stunned me. Cheng Xiaofei was crouching in the corner,
trembling uncontrollably, holding the fruit knife she used to cut the cake. On the ground lay a man covered in blood, barely alive. It wasn't hard to tell that this man was
her unfortunate new boyfriend, Li Qiang. This scene terrified me; I stood there frozen, at a loss for what to do.
Just then, Cheng Xiaofei rushed towards me like a madwoman, shoving the fruit knife at me, then ran outside,
shouting, "Help!" "Murder!" Still in shock, I didn't react for a moment. I thought
Cheng Xiaofei was just terrified, so I chased after her to comfort her. But as soon as I stepped outside, a group of waiters pinned
me to the ground. I realized then that I was the culprit. I struggled and screamed,
"It wasn't me! You've got the wrong person!" But they completely ignored me. At this moment, the karaoke bar owner arrived and
went into the private room. When he came out, his face was grave. He said, "Call the police and an ambulance immediately."
Several waiters used belts to tie my hands behind my back and forced me to squat down next to the sofa. Cheng Xiaofei, on the other hand, wore an
innocent expression. People kept comforting her, while I stared at her intently, but she wouldn't
look in my direction. About ten minutes later, the ambulance arrived first. Several doctors carried a stretcher into the private room
and immediately carried the injured man out. The man on the stretcher wasn't covered with a sheet; instead, he
was wearing an oxygen mask. I was overjoyed to see this; at least it proved he wasn't dead. If he were truly dead, it
would be impossible to clear his name, and there would be no way to prove it. Looking at Cheng Xiaofei, his face was ashen; his previous innocent expression
had vanished instantly. About five minutes later, the police arrived. They examined the scene and then called
the KTV owner, who pointed at Cheng Xiaofei and said he was a witness. I shouted, "No, she's the murderer!
" At that moment, a waiter roughly shoved my head down, saying, "Behave yourself." The police walked up to Cheng
Xiaofei and said a few words. Cheng Xiaofei then whispered something into the policeman's ear. The policeman's
expression changed slightly for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. I saw all of this. Then the policeman
came to my side and said, "Please come with us. We need to understand some things."
I was helped up, and the policeman said, "Untie her." The waiter reluctantly untied me,
afraid I would run away and ruin his heroic rescue. I frantically said to the policeman, "It really wasn't me, it really
wasn't me." The policeman just nodded slightly to indicate he understood. Then I got into the police
car with Cheng Xiaofei. I sat silently with my head down in the car, afraid to see Cheng Xiaofei's face, which I loathed. When we arrived at the police station
, the officer led us to the rest room, where we each poured a glass of water.
He said, "You must be terrified. Drink some water to calm your nerves." "Regardless of who did it, the important thing is that this person
isn't dead yet. As long as he's alive, things can be handled more leniently. Even if he's sentenced, it will be considered leniently." "
It's too late today, so you can rest in the duty room. We'll take your statements tomorrow, and we'll also notify your school and parents."
He then closed the door and left. He closed it, not locked it. I found this strange. One of us
was undoubtedly the perpetrator, yet the police weren't afraid we'd escape. Besides, a serious assault at a KTV isn't a minor case
. "Well, they should have immediately gathered people to interrogate him overnight. It would have been a meritorious deed, but this
guy who looked like a minor leader seemed afraid of the matter getting out, which was puzzling." After the police left, only
the two of us were left in the room. Cheng Xiaofei spoke first, "I'm sorry, I know I hurt you, but I had no choice.
Li Qiang touched me inappropriately, and in a fit of anger, I wanted to scare him with a knife. I didn't expect him to think I was joking and
didn't dodge. I couldn't stop myself and stabbed him. I was really scared just now, so I said it was you who did it."
After hearing this, I felt both angry and amused. If such a slander was unintentional, what could be considered intentional
?
I didn't pay attention to her because I knew that as long as that person wasn't dead, the truth would eventually come out.
A little while later, the phone rang. I saw it was my mother calling. I thought, "They've already notified the family?" I
answered the phone, and my mother said from inside, "Xiaojing, come back right away. I asked what happened, and your
brother is in trouble." I immediately became anxious and asked, "What happened?" My mother said, "Your brother kept
saying he had a headache recently, and we thought it was from the pressure of studying. But this morning, he suddenly fainted in class.
The teacher immediately took him to the hospital. After the examination..." My mother choked up at this point, and I quickly asked, "And then?"
My mother said, "They said there was something growing in his head, but the doctor said that if it was discovered early and removed in time, he should be able
to survive." Hearing this news was like being struck by lightning. It was truly a case of misfortunes never coming singly.
Then I said, "Then hurry up and get him treated!" My mother said, "The doctor said the surgery and subsequent
care will cost several hundred thousand yuan." Several hundred thousand yuan! That's an astronomical figure for us. Even
selling all our possessions wouldn't be enough. The doctor also said that our medical resources here are limited, and such
surgery could leave lasting effects, such as irreversible leg problems. To ensure a successful outcome, we need to go to a large hospital in the provincial capital. In other words, my brother might not 　　be able to live independently
for a considerable period of time , or even in the future. After talking to my mother for a few minutes, I 　　hung up the phone. I didn't mention what happened that night because I didn't want to add to 　　my mother's already immense burden. I just hoped that the truth would come out by tomorrow morning and the lawsuit could end as soon as possible. 　　At that moment, the police officer returned and said, "The man survived. He was just one centimeter away from damaging 　　his kidney. If that had happened, even God wouldn't have been able to help. Well, that's good news. Rest assured." 　　The news the police officer brought was great news for me, but for Cheng Xiaofei, it was news of his death. Strangely...

There was no tension on her face. She sat down next to me and said, "Xiaojing, I know I can't escape this time
. I should take responsibility for what I did, but I still beg you to help me get through this
."
I looked at her questioningly. "Don't rush, let me finish before you decide." Then Cheng Xiaofei told me
about her family background. Her family members were all provincial leaders, and Cheng Xiaofei herself was a true
"
second-generation official." But the officialdom is like a battlefield; sometimes the higher you climb, the harder you fall. Countless eyes are watching your
every move, and a slight misstep can lead to utter ruin. He added that because my father
had slightly outmaneuvered the Xu family in the election and political maneuvering, securing a position in the provincial party committee, the Xu family hadn't given up and
kept picking on my family, but lacked sufficient evidence, so the relationship had been very tense. Now that I'd gotten myself into such
a mess, the Xu family would definitely make a big deal out of it. If my father protected me, it would be creating an opportunity for the Xu family; if he
didn't, they would use various methods to force him to comply. Frankly speaking, they might accuse me of
crimes punishable by death or a suspended death sentence. They would definitely fight to the death, sacrificing the entire family for my life.
After listening to Cheng Xiaofei's explanation, I asked,
"How can I help you with this?"
Cheng Xiaofei said, "Don't rush. Didn't you just call and say your brother is sick and needs a lot of money?"
I said, "That's right, about several hundred thousand."
Cheng Xiaofei said, "I can handle this. Not just hundreds of thousands, but millions are no problem."
I sensed something in her words. Cheng Xiaofei continued, "You and your mother certainly don't want anything
to happen to your brother. We'll find the best specialists to treat him, and we'll
cover all medical and living expenses, plus a compensation payment. The condition is that you exchange your freedom for it."
I finally understood. She wanted me to take the blame. I was so angry I laughed and refused on the spot. Cheng Xiaofei seemed
a little disappointed, but she continued, "It's okay, you can consider it. Just give me your answer by tomorrow morning."
I thought a lot that night. The conditions she offered were indeed fair and tempting. Sacrificing me would save my brother's life,
reduce my mother's burden, and better medical care would increase the success rate of the surgery, giving my brother a bright
future. With a large compensation payment, my mother and brother should be financially secure. Even after I graduate from university
, finding a high-paying job won't be easy, and I'll have to take care of my younger brother and mother, which
might create a vicious cycle. Between the two outcomes, sacrificing one person to change the bigger picture is definitely the better option.
After much internal struggle, I finally woke Cheng Xiaofei up and asked, "If I agree,
what will happen to the hospital?" Cheng Xiaofei jumped up excitedly and said, "I have a way with the hospital. Ask
me carefully later." "You really agreed?" I nodded. "Okay, I'll call my parents right away and have them handle it." She
said a few words briefly and hung up. About an hour later, the phone rang and said the hospital had taken care
of it. Cheng Xiaofei breathed a sigh of relief and turned to me, saying, "It's all done. You can't go back on your word this time." "
Okay, I know, but you have to keep your promise." Cheng Xiaofei said, "That's easy to say."
In the early morning, the police were all at work. The police asked us to give our statements. I confessed that I had injured the man
because I had been drinking and saw that he had some malicious intentions. Combined with the excitement from the alcohol, I stabbed him when he was about to leave
. Afterwards, I saw Cheng Xiaofei was there and chased after her, hoping she wouldn't talk nonsense.
I had recited all of this according to what Cheng Xiaofei had taught me, but I didn't... I know how much trouble those words
caused me. After taking my statement, the police took me to a solitary detention cell, locked the door,
and left. Cheng Xiaofei recounted her near-fatal experience and was picked up by her parents shortly afterward. In
the detention cell, I was basically isolated from the world. Aside from meals, I only went to the toilet under police supervision.
Finally, one day my mother came. She looked much older than before. Without a word, she slapped
me several times, saying, "You unfilial brat, how could you do such a thing?" I didn't dodge or
speak; I just lowered my head and silently wept. After a while, she got tired and sat down on the floor, crying, "Your brother
is like this now, and you've caused such a huge mess. How are we supposed to live now?" Throughout the entire ordeal, I didn't say
a word, just kept my head down. A while later, two police officers helped my mother up and, to avoid further agitation
, took her back to her residence. I remained alone in the detention cell, crying for a long time. At this moment, Cheng Xiaofei arrived with
her parents. After speaking with the police, they called me into a quiet office. Her
father, with a deep accent, spoke first, "First of all, I want to apologize to you because our
failure in raising her has caused our daughter to suffer this undeserved misfortune." I didn't say anything, only that "we
just have different needs." Hearing this, Cheng Xiaofei's father seemed much more relaxed. "Alright, let's
get straight to the point. We'll cover all your brother's medical expenses, and then give you one million yuan in compensation. In return,
you'll serve your daughter's sentence in prison." I was astonished to hear "one million yuan." How much money was that? I
could never earn that much in my entire life. Cheng Xiaofei's family was truly remarkable. But I didn't
show any surprise; I just nodded. "Okay, that means you agree." Then, the woman who had entered the room without saying a word behind him
produced an agreement with various terms. I didn't bother to read it and just signed my name. After she
put away the agreement, I carefully examined the middle-aged woman standing next to Cheng Xian. Wow, she was so beautiful! She was charming,
with bright eyes and white teeth, fair skin, and an elegant and noble air. She possessed an indescribable aura. If
it weren't for her mature attire, I certainly wouldn't have guessed she was middle-aged. I thought that Cheng Xiaofei's father, being in this position,
must be her personal secretary. Then I asked, "How will you deliver these to my family?" He said, "We have a way to make sure they accept it gladly." Sure enough, a week later, Cheng Xiaofei's family 　　, citing the incident that happened at the KTV
where my daughter and I went , wanted to offer some compensation to our family. They even said they knew an expert who could cure the 　　illness without leaving any aftereffects. My mother, who had already endured so much, didn't think too much about it and just repeatedly thanked them.

I accepted it, and naturally felt relieved. We met a few more times afterward, and she even hired a lawyer for me.
I felt a strange sense of gratitude; it was a blessing in disguise.
Chapter Two: The Detention Center
A few days later, I was formally arrested. Several police officers came to the police station, read the arrest warrant to me,
handcuffed me, and escorted me to the C City Detention Center. The police car drove straight into the detention center's gate and
stopped in front of an administration building. It was already evening. Two female prison guards opened the car door, signaling me to get out. I was then escorted to the office
, where my fingerprints were taken and my photo was taken. They gave me an orange vest with "C City Detention Center" written on it and told me to put it on. Afterward,
I was taken to my cell. The cell wasn't far from the administration building; they were rows of small, connected bungalows. Each
building had a balcony surrounded by an iron cage, presumably for drying clothes. Coming to such a place was something
I never dreamed of. The policewoman opened the door and let me in. I cautiously went inside and saw two
large shared bunk beds, but there weren't many people there, only five. It wasn't like in the movies, where a whole group of people
were crammed together. I carefully observed the group; two were about my age, and
three were a little older. After the policewoman closed the door, I stood there, afraid to move. I
had seen on TV how newcomers were treated in detention centers. I knew I was doomed, waiting for their
attack. Just then, the girl who looked about my age came over and said, "Hello, don't be afraid. My
name is Li Shanshan. Everyone here is very nice. We were also transferred here from other rooms today. We're all in
the same boat, and meeting here is fate. No one will make things difficult for anyone here." Hearing this, I felt
much more relaxed. Afterwards, those people exchanged a few pleasantries with me, but this treatment was likely
arranged by Cheng Xiaofei's family. They had made prior arrangements with the detention center to give me a relatively "quiet and comfortable" cell.
Then Li Shanshan asked me, "What's your name? What did you do to get in here? My name is Xiao Jing. I accidentally
stabbed someone and am in the hospital." Li Shanshan asked, "How serious was it?" I said I was drunk and acted impulsively; it was quite serious,
I almost lost my life." Li Shanshan thought for a moment and said, "This should be considered serious assault; you'll probably get 10-20
years." My head spun. I thought I'd only be out in a few years; how could it be so long?
The price I paid was far too high. Li Shanshan jokingly said, "Don't worry, decades will pass in the blink of an eye." Although
it was a joke, I couldn't help but laugh. Several older women came over to talk to me, and
we quickly became acquainted. Through our conversations, I learned that each of them had a story,
and most had been forced into crime by circumstances. One of them, a middle-aged woman named He Liying, was a repeat offender
, this time for theft. She seemed quite experienced in detention centers and asked us, "Want to know
what you go through from the detention center to prison?" We all curiously gathered around her. She explained, "
Generally, when you commit a crime, you're first taken to the local police station, then arrested by the judicial authorities, and then sent to
the detention center. Here, we're only considered suspects. If things go smoothly, we can usually appear in court for trial within a month or two.
If the crime is confirmed, we become convicted criminals, and then the prison will come to take us in, and we
'll become real criminals." Once you arrive at prison, you'll go through more than a
dozen procedures, including showering, taking photos, getting a haircut, and changing into prison clothes . These procedures alone will be incredibly grueling. Afterward, you'll undergo three months of
training, also known as the initial inmate period. This usually involves learning prison rules and participating in some simple labor reforms.
After three months, your actual sentence will begin. You'll be assigned to different prison areas to perform different kinds of labor.
I won't go into details here, as I don't want to scare you. Although this is just a brief
description of prison, it's enough to terrify me.
Days passed like this. Soon after, Li Shanshan was taken away by the court and returned later,
holding the verdict. I asked her how it went, and she gave me the verdict, which stated that Li Shanshan was sentenced to 10 years in prison for theft and
robbery. I asked if she would appeal, and she said no, appealing wouldn't change anything. Then
she let out a long sigh and said, "I'm relieved." Clearly, 10 years is a terrifying number for anyone. Ten
years of youthful freedom will be spent behind high walls; who can accept that willingly? But thinking about the severe sentence I might face,
what could I do? The night passed in silence, time slowly slipped by, and half a month went by. The others
received their verdicts one after another, while some appealed and awaited a second trial. During this time, my lawyer spoke with me several times, hinting at the
possibility of a heavy sentence and hoping I could accept the possible outcome. For my family's sake, I
was already a lamb to the slaughter, with no other choice.
Finally, the day of the trial arrived. I got up early and was taken away by court personnel. Sitting in the car, my thoughts were in turmoil. In just a few
short months, I had gone from a top student to a criminal about to face trial. Perhaps school
was never meant for me; fate was cruel. The detention center wasn't far from the courthouse. Soon, the car arrived at
the courthouse's backyard, where two bailiffs escorted me out of the car and into a waiting room. Soon it was time for the court hearing,
and I was escorted to the defendant's dock. The courtroom wasn't large, unlike the grand ones seen on television; I guess
only extremely serious cases like that are used. Although small, it had a judge, a recorder, the plaintiff, and witnesses—everyone was
present. My mother wasn't in court because of my brother's surgery; this
was arranged by Cheng Xiaofei's family to avoid upsetting her and also to relieve my stress. I looked towards the plaintiff's seat and saw
Li Qiang's pale face; I knew the stab wound had caused him considerable harm. Cheng Xiaofei was naturally in the witness stand.
Soon the judge announced the start of the hearing. After answering a series of questions, the plaintiff and defendant spoke
, and my lawyer engaged in a heated debate with the crowd. About two hours later, the judge announced the verdict.
I knew the moment of truth had arrived. A judge read aloud from the paper… Suspect Xiao Jing, convicted of
intentional injury and threatening him to confess, due to the seriousness of the circumstances and the negative impact on society, is sentenced
to 20 years imprisonment and deprived of political rights for 10 years. This is hereby pronounced. If you disagree with the verdict, you may appeal to the court within 20 days.
I appealed to the higher court and filed for a second trial. The judge then struck the gavel and adjourned the court. The spectators gradually left,
but I stood there, stunned. Two prison guards handcuffed me and escorted me back to the lounge. On the
way back, I ran into the pretty woman who had signed the agreement with me. She nodded expressionlessly at me
and then left. I don't know how I got there; my mind was filled with thoughts of what I would
do in 20 years. Even though I was mentally prepared, it was still incredibly difficult to accept when it actually became a reality
.
In the lounge, a judge approached me and said, "This is your judgment. If you sign it, it will take effect immediately
. If you appeal, you don't need to sign." My lawyer was also beside me, gesturing for me not to sign, saying that an appeal might still
offer a reprieve. I thought about it and decided that it was all just a show anyway; everyone got something, so why make things worse? I signed
my name, the judge gave me the judgment, and then the guards took me back to the detention center.
When I returned, everyone's eyes were on my verdict. I didn't say anything, just tossed it to Li Shanshan
. Li Shanshan opened it, looked at it, and came to my side, saying, "I'm so sorry, I was really just joking." I gave a bitter
smile. The others didn't say anything either. I, like Li Shanshan, let out a long sigh and forced a smile, saying, "Finally, I'm
free." That night, we all went to bed early. For the next few days, I was conflicted,
filled with both fear of prison and a tiny bit of curiosity about it.
Chapter Three, Imprisonment
Finally, the day of the new arrivals arrived. The prison guards had notified us the night before that I wasn't
assigned to the same prison as the other four. They were all serving sentences of less than 10 years; even Li Shanshan, the longest, was barely above the limit.
Besides, some of them had already served two years in the detention center, so they only needed to serve eight more years in prison. I, on the other hand, was serving a long
sentence and needed to be assigned to a prison for serious offenders… The next day arrived quickly. The four of them were taken away at 6 a.m.
, leaving me alone in the room. A feeling of extreme loneliness washed over me, a feeling that was
unbearable. I hoped the prison would take me away quickly, to escape this place. A moment later, a prison guard opened the door and said, "
Come on, the prison has come to pick you up." I walked out of the room, taking one last look at the place I had spent the past few months in.
Several armed police officers got off the prison van, and a guard from the detention center showed them some documents. The prison guard said to
me, "Let's go." I slowly stood up, was handcuffed, and escorted to the prison van by two guards.
After the armed police carefully checked my documents, they gestured for me to get in. The door opened, and I sat down. Soon, the van started moving.
It sped along, and I kept looking out the window, knowing that such
opportunities might not come often again. The van passed through the bustling city and arrived in the suburbs. The further we drove, the more desolate the surroundings became. Finally,
a building appeared on a vast plain. As the van continued, I gradually saw that the building was
surrounded by high walls and electric fences. Yes, that was the end of this journey, the end of my freedom—XX Second Women's
Prison.
The van drove for a while longer until it arrived at the prison gate. The huge iron gate had several large red characters written on it
: XX Second Women's Prison. After the driver handed the gatekeeper his documents and pass, the gate slowly opened, and the van slowly
drove into the prison. I felt a mixture of fear and curiosity about prison. Looking out the window, I saw several three-story buildings in the distance
; those must be where I would live. As the prison van passed the exercise yard, it was the female inmates' morning
exercises. All the prisoners were dressed in identical blue prison uniforms, with short, shoulder-length hair, and even their shoes were the same
black women's work shoes. The only sounds on the exercise yard were the footsteps and the resounding chants of "One, two, one, two!" They
stood tall and straight, perfectly orderly. And look at me now, wearing a tracksuit, white sneakers, and a ponytail.
If I weren't in a prison van, I would definitely attract countless boys. But right now, I'm just a lamb to the slaughter.
Soon, I too will be wearing prison uniforms, sporting the same hairstyle, becoming one of them, lost in this blue
sea, an ordinary inmate in a women's prison.
The prison van slowly stopped in front of the administration building. Armed police escorted me off the van. A middle-aged female prison guard,
after checking my documents, gestured for me to walk towards the entrance of the administration building. Because of concerns that inmates might pose a threat to the guards,
prison regulations stipulate that inmates must walk in front of the guards.
"Left, straight ahead, so you can stop." I found this way of walking difficult to adapt to at first, and I always wanted to turn back and wait for the guard
to leave before following her.
Under the direction of the middle-aged prison guard, I walked to the door of an office. "Go in,"
I said hesitantly. Inside, there were two desks, each occupied by several young prison
guards. The middle-aged guard then sat down at the desk on the left and looked at me, saying, "My name is He Huan, and I'm the supervising warden of Ward 1.
You'll be his supervising warden from now on. Just call me Warden He." I nodded.
"Alright, come over here,"
the guard said. I walked over and gestured for him to sit down. I carefully sat down in the chair. At this moment, the middle-aged guard took out
a form and said, "Give me the judgment."
I handed him the judgment, and he opened it and copied the contents onto the paper
. Then he typed some things into the computer and finally brought the paper to me. "Check it.
If it's correct, sign and put your fingerprint on it."
I took the paper and saw a form that read, "C Second Women's Prison Inmate Registration Form." Below was
the content of the judgment, except that the name field had been changed to "Inmate: Xiao Jing." Seeing this, I suddenly had
a desire to change my mind, but I knew it was too late. I could only obediently sign my name and press my fingerprint.
"Okay, wait a moment, I'll go process your admission paperwork,"
He Huan said, taking the signed form and leaving the office. About five minutes later, she returned with another sheet of paper
, including a page from the household registration book. The guard handed me the blue sheet first. I took it and saw that it
stated, "Inmate Xiao Jing was admitted to C Second Women's Prison on April 25, 2012 to serve her sentence.
" "Sign this, one name and one fingerprint."
I signed my name, pressed my fingerprint, and handed it to the guard. After that, I printed some things on the computer, and a little while later,
a blue household registration booklet page came out of the printer. The officer threw the booklet at me and said, "Check it to see
if there are any errors."
I picked up my household registration page and looked at it. All the other options were unchanged, except the address had changed to C Second Women's Prison. "
Your household registration has been cancelled. You can reinstate it at the local public security department after you're released. "
I nodded hesitantly.
"Okay, now we'll record your electronic information."
She brought over an electronic fingerprint scanner and pointed a small camera at me.
"Record each of your ten fingers twice. When I tell you to release them, release them again. Understand?"
"Yes, I understand."
I placed my hand on the fingerprint scanner as instructed. Suddenly, she said, "Wait a minute.
The image you take now will look too different from your future appearance, and the system won't recognize it. Also, inmates must wear uniforms
and have the same hairstyle. So, since you have long hair, wait until you've changed before coming back for your image. I'll have someone take you there now."
A young female prison guard arrived shortly after. Warden He said, "Xiao Li, this is a new inmate in your ward. Go and
take her to change her clothes and get a haircut. Then come back for your image."
After the young guard explained, he said to me,
"Come with me."
I got up and followed his instructions to leave the office. At that moment, the female guard spoke up, "From now on, I'm
the supervisor of your ward. My name is Jiang Li; you can call me Guardian Li."
I nodded.
Guardian Li said, "Don't nod; you have to answer 'Yes,' understand?" "Yes,"
I replied. "Okay, we're here. Stop here." I stopped in front of a washroom. "Go in."
Inside, there were hundreds of lockers, each labeled with a name and number. The young guard searched for a while and
then said, "Come here and put all your personal belongings in this box." "Yes,"
I replied. The guard then roughly measured my height.
"What size shoes do you wear?"
I answered, "Size 36."
The guard then picked out a pair from a cabinet and tossed them to me .
"Try them on."
I picked up the shoes and examined them. These shoes looked very similar to the old-style Beijing cloth shoes sold in the market,
except they had no brand, rubber soles, and no heels. I usually saw older women and waitresses wearing them, and I obviously wouldn't buy these
kinds of shoes. I put them on, took a few steps, and felt that the heels were very soft
. Apart from the shoes being a bit thin, they were quite comfortable.
"The size is perfect," I told the guard.
"That's good." Then he tossed me another pair of the same kind. "These are for changing. If they get worn out, you can apply for a new pair."
"Got it,"
the guard said, glancing at me. I replied ,
"Yes" or "Understood."
I said, "Yes."
Then the guard took out a dozen stacks of prison uniforms from another cabinet. Each uniform had a white cloth strip on it.
The guard looked at the strips, picked out one, walked to my side, unfolded the pants, and held them up to me
.
"Hmm, this should fit. Try it on first."
I took the prison uniform and found that its quality and thickness were similar to the camouflage uniforms we wore during military training.
It wasn't comfortable to wear. I also saw the actual design of the uniform: the back of the shirt had separate blue and white vertical stripes on the shoulders, meaning half of the back was blue and white. There were two fake pockets on the chest, 　　with blue and white vertical stripes
along the edges . The pants had two blue and white horizontal stripes running from the waistband to the hem. This design was 　　a challenge to one's aesthetic sense; perhaps this was the first form of punishment for prisoners. I'm a person with normal aesthetic sense, 　　and I strongly disliked such clothing. But did I have a choice? No. I could only obediently 　　wear it. I opened the uniform, tore off the white cloth strip with the size written on it, and found two sets of underwear and two pairs of socks inside 　　. I put on the underwear first, then put on the uniform. Although the fabric wasn't very comfortable, it 　　fit fairly well. 　　"Come and sit down," the guard said. I went over and sat down in a barber's chair. 　　The guard draped a cloth around my neck, then loosened my ponytail and cut it off with a single snip of the scissors. This guard must have 　　cut countless prisoners' hair, as he was very skilled. In less than five minutes, I had a short, ear-length bob, with the front 　　ends trimmed to eyebrow level so my hair wouldn't obstruct my vision. 　　After the haircut, the guard made me stand up, looking me over with satisfaction at his new creation. Just 　　a moment ago, I was a sunny girl with a ponytail, wearing sportswear. But under his styling, 　　I now had short, ear-length hair, wore a blue prison uniform, and black women's work shoes. In just a few minutes, I was a completely different person. Prison 　　is such a terrifying place. For everyone who enters, absolute obedience is the only right thing to do; all other personal rights 　　are revoked. 　　Afterwards, I returned to my previous office. Several prison guards simultaneously turned their attention to me. One guard said, 　　"This young lady is really pretty," while another said, "What a pity," before going back to their own work. 　　Indeed, I was nothing special; in their eyes, I was just another inmate about to be managed by them 　　. I then went to a guard's desk. He looked at me and said, "Hmm, not bad, 　　you look quite spirited. Don't feel pressured. You might think you look ugly now, but the prisoners 　　are used to it. They won't care about you." 　　I replied, "Understood." 　　Okay, now for fingerprinting. 　　I pressed all ten fingers onto the fingerprint scanner as instructed. After a few beeps, the guard 　　pointed the camera at me. 　　"Look up, okay." Now stand by the wall over there for your ID photo. 　　"Xiao Li, put down the red backdrop over there." The guard named Xiao Li replied, "Okay 　　," and lowered the rolled-up red cloth. 　　"Alright, go ahead," 　　I said, walking towards the red cloth. 　　"Good, stand at attention, chest out, head up," Warden He said. 　　I did as she instructed. "Keep your expression natural, turn to the side, turn around, okay, click a few times, 　　okay, come back." The middle-aged prison guard made simple edits to the photo she had just taken of me on the computer, and a moment later the photo was printed out.

Here it is, a half-body photo. I took the photo and looked at it—good heavens! I don't look 19 at all in the photo;
I look like I'm 30. Today I truly understand what it means to be judged by one's appearance.
Nineteen is the prime of life, and girls my age are pursuing
their dreams and finding love on university campuses, while I'm here in this special campus—a prison—to atone for sins that aren't my own. At this
moment, Warden He took out a brown leather name tag holder from a drawer, took out the name tag inside, pasted my photo
in the appropriate position, wrote something on it, then put the card back in the name tag holder and handed it to me, saying,
"Wear this under the blue and white stripe on your right chest. This is your prison ID. You must wear it except when you're sleeping,
understand?"
I replied, "Yes." I took the card and saw that the entire left half was my photo, and the right half read: Name:
Xiao Jing, Number: 1-242-1. After briefly reading the contents, I wore it as instructed by the warden.
"1 represents the prison ward where you are serving your sentence, 242 is your cell, and 1 is bed number 1. That's all," said Warden He
. "
All the formalities are complete. Xiaoli, take her to the prison ward," Warden He replied. "Yes," I answered. Then, in a commanding
tone, he told me to go. Driven by the warden, I arrived at a five-story building with iron bars on the windows. The entrance to the building
was marked "Prison Ward 1." To enter the ward, I first had to pass through an electric iron gate. The warden entered a few numbers, and
the gate slowly opened to both sides. Once the gate was fully open, the warden didn't call me over but instead said something to me.
"Alright, I can only take you this far. The guards from your inmate ward will arrange for you to go to your cell.
Remember, once you're there, you must wait until this door is completely closed before you move. Then, walk to
the second door and loudly state your name, number, and request entry. Someone will come out to meet you. Specifically,
it will be 'Inmate XX, Number XX, Requesting Entry.' Understand? Yes." I replied, "Yes." "
Okay, now go in." I hesitated, afraid of facing the unknown ahead, but I had no
choice but to obey. I stepped through the iron gate. Turning left after entering, I found the second door
less than 5 meters away. There was a window on the wall; that must be the guard's duty room.
At that moment, the first electric door began to close, and with a clang, it slammed shut. I slowly
walked to the second iron door, following the instructions given by the guard.
"Report, inmate Xiao Jing, inmate number 1-242-1, requests admission." After I finished speaking,
the loudspeaker next to me suddenly sounded, granting me admission. A young guard then came out of the office,
unlocked the iron gate with a key, and gestured for me to enter. I walked through the gate, and after she locked it, she looked at my name tag
and said, "Go." I followed her instructions, went up the stairs, and arrived at cell number 242, opening the door.
"Go in," she said.
I entered the cell, and the three female inmates immediately stood up upon seeing the guard, pressing themselves against their beds and shouting in unison, "Greetings,
guard!" This startled me again. The guard said, "Li Weiwei, this is new. Take care of this
little sister and explain the prison rules to her." From now on, she'll be bed number one. It's too late tonight, so she'll stay here for now
. Tomorrow, we'll all go to the new inmate ward.
The inmate named Li Weiwei replied, "Yes."
"Now, let's begin with introductions," she said. "Li Weiwei, you start, are you..." Li Weiwei answered loudly, "Criminal Li
Weiwei, incarceration number 1-242-2, sentenced to 5 years imprisonment for theft, currently serving 2 years. Criminal He
Xiaohuan, incarceration number 1-242-3, sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for extortion, currently serving 3 years.
My name is Jia Qianqian, incarceration number 1-242-4, sentenced to life imprisonment for intentional homicide, currently serving 6
years." After the three female prisoners from Sanming finished introducing themselves, the guard said to me,
"Alright, it's your turn."
I said yes, loudly proclaiming my crimes. I was a little embarrassed, but I knew that here, only
obedience mattered. I stammered, "Criminal Xiao Jing, incarceration number 1-242-1, sentenced to
20 years imprisonment for aggravated assault, currently serving half a year in the detention center." After the introduction, the guard locked the door and left the cell,
leaving me standing awkwardly in the doorway. At that moment, Li Weiwei walked over and said, "Come in
, this is your home. Here's your bed." She led me to my bed. The atmosphere eased considerably, and I finally got a good look at the cell. The room was less than 10 square meters. 　　There were two bunk beds on each side
of the cell , four tables folded together in the middle of the aisle, a 　　bathroom in a corner near the entrance, and four metal lockers by the window. If it weren't for the iron door and windows, you wouldn't think this 　　was a prison. 　　Li Weiwei took a set of bedding from the locker marked 1-242-1 and handed it to me. I noticed 　　that the bedding was basically the same style as the prison uniforms, the same blue and white stripes. I took my bedding and quickly 　　made my bed. Li Weiwei said, "That won't do. Look at ours." I looked at the other beds 　　and saw that the bedding was folded into perfect squares, very neatly. 　　"Okay, you'll have to practice this slowly," 　　Li Weiwei said. "I'm the cell leader for this cell. You can come to me if you need anything." 　　She then handed me a booklet with a cover that read "Code of Conduct for Inmates." This booklet contained the rules that prisoners 　　must follow in prison, and I had to memorize it. The guards would check new inmates, and if I didn't memorize it well, I would lose 　　conduct points. 　　Let me explain about conduct points; this is the sole criterion for whether an inmate can get a sentence reduction. Each inmate starts with 　　100 points per month. If they violate the rules, points will be deducted. Only inmates who achieve a perfect score for a year are eligible for a sentence reduction. Applying 　　for a sentence reduction is important, but if too many points are deducted, the prison will apply to the court for a sentence increase. Since you are a serious offender, your conduct score is 　　crucial for your sentence reduction. Next is the code of conduct for daily life in prison. First and 　　foremost is when dealing with guards. When a guard asks any question, you must say "report," with your hands naturally at your sides, 　　chest out, and head held high, before answering. In short, you must say "report" before every conversation with a guard. 　　If you encounter a guard while walking, you must stop within 5 meters of them and wait until they have moved at least 5 meters away before proceeding.

Keep moving around. Remember these basics so you won't suffer in prison. Understand?
I was stunned by so many rules when suddenly asked a question, and I snapped out of it, "Yes, yes, I understand."
Okay, today is your first day in prison. Take your time to digest this. Tomorrow you'll be sent to the new inmates' unit for
training. I asked, "Sister Weiwei, what is the new inmates' unit?"
At this point, Li Weiwei said, "Prison inmates only have names and numbers, no older brothers or sisters. You can call me Li Weiwei,
or my number. If the guards hear you, you'll be warned or even have your conduct penalized. Understand
?" I replied, "Understood." Let me explain from the beginning. Because prison is completely different from the outside world,
inmates need a buffer period to adapt to prison life. This is the first stage you're about to experience:
the new inmates' unit. Our prison mainly admits serious offenders, so we receive new inmates every six months. In the new inmates' unit,
you'll learn how to walk, how to talk, how to respect leaders, how to do labor reform, etc. After three months, you'll
basically be able to fully adapt to the pace of prison life. After returning to this prison area, you will be assigned to one of the three reform
brigades, and then begin your prison reform phase. After Li Weiwei finished her introduction, she said, "Alright, it's getting
late, go to bed." I took off my clothes and got into bed, but the light remained on. I asked Li Weiwei, "Why
isn't this light off?" Li Weiwei replied, "The prison lights are always on; you're not allowed to turn them off. You'll have to get used to it."
After saying that, Li Weiwei went to sleep. I, however, couldn't fall asleep for a long time. I wished it was all a dream, that
I could wake up tomorrow morning and happily walk into my school and see my family. But this wasn't a dream. After a long day, I
fell asleep quickly.
Chapter Four: The Drill Competition
After class, the guard went to the podium and read out a notice: Starting tomorrow, indoor classes will be scheduled for the afternoon, and everyone
will receive outdoor drill training in the morning. After dinner, the female inmate who taught us knitting came again. By then, we
were quite skilled and our speed had reached the required standard. After looking at us, she said, "Alright, your finished products basically
meet the requirements. Now I'm going to give you your tasks. First, you can't
sit like this while working. Do you see the yellow lines forming squares on the ground? At first, I didn't
know what they were for. There are four squares on each person's desk. Today I learned their purpose.
This is to prevent the female inmates from whispering to each other while working, which would affect efficiency. So, we've designated work areas for the female inmates
, with each inmate about 1.5 meters apart in all directions. This way, when working, you can only see the back of the person in front of you
. To see left or right, you need to turn your head. If you speak softly, the other person won't hear you; if you speak loudly, the patrolling
inmates will notice. At best, you'll be reprimanded; at worst, you'll have points deducted from your conduct record—something no inmate wants to see."
"Alright, now take your stools and tools and sit in your assigned spots," the prisoner said. Reluctantly, we
took our tools and stools and sat down in our designated yellow-lined areas. Sure enough, it felt empty in front and behind;
we couldn't even touch the person in front of us with our legs stretched out. It's worth noting that these stools weren't the kind with a backrest,
but rather low stools no more than 30 centimeters high, requiring us to hunch over, which was very uncomfortable. These
stools were provided because the prison couldn't provide shelves for knitting tools like yarn; these
were placed in bamboo baskets on the floor. If the stools were too high, it would be difficult to reach them and would affect work efficiency.
After we sat down, the prisoner gave each of us a piece of paper with a densely packed square grid,
about 100 squares per sheet. The prisoner said that we should check off each finished product on this grid
; it was to record our workload. New inmates were required to complete
a quarter of a finished product per day for the first month. The second month's requirement was to complete half a sweater each day, and the third month's requirement was to complete a whole sweater each day.
Good heavens! I gasped when I heard that. Completing even one sleeve was the limit; how could anyone possibly finish such
a workload? Then I said, "Excuse me, what if I don't finish?" The inmate replied,
"If you don't finish, you'll lose one conduct point per sweater. So, you'd better not even think about it. Think about it: if
your conduct points drop below 60, you won't be able to apply for a sentence reduction this year. And sentence reduction quotas are limited; the higher your score,
the greater your chances of success. This prison has over 1000 inmates; with this kind of competition, working overtime is worthwhile
."
Also, this form isn't for you to fill out. Someone will come to collect your finished products every night at 10 PM and
will then mark them on. If you haven't finished, you can apply for overtime, and submit them the following evening
. Okay, that's enough. Let's begin today. I'll come to collect the finished products in a bit.
Given the sheer volume of work, this seating arrangement was completely unnecessary. We couldn't even finish the work;
there was no time for idle chatter. I glanced at my watch—7:30! Good heavens, we hadn't even started today! We quickly
got to work, and the room fell silent. Before we knew it, the 10:00 bedtime bell rang. Most of us still hadn't finished
. Then the inmates collecting our finished work came in and put it on a handcart. They started
ticking off our work on the forms. Since we hadn't even finished our sleeves, we had to apply for overtime. About an hour later
, everyone finished. We breathed a sigh of relief, quickly washed up, and went to bed. Because of the intense stress
and the excessive labor, I slept exceptionally well that night.
The wake-up call rang at 6:00 AM because the guards were coming to Kaifeng at 6:15. We had to
finish tidying up and washing within 15 minutes. Perhaps to accommodate this fast pace, the prison required female inmates to
have short, ear-length hair, as short hair saves a lot of styling time. At 6:15 sharp, the guards opened the gates and lifted
the lockdown. Except for the newly admitted inmates, all the other prisoners went to morning exercises, while we took our food buckets to the canteen to get our breakfast and enjoy
the privilege of eating first. At 7:00, the prisoners finished morning exercises and went to the canteen for their meals. At 7:30, they gradually went to their respective
workshops to begin their workday. At this time, the guards led us to the training ground and made us line up. As usual
, the drill was taught by inmates, but this time with guards supervising. This time
, the instructor was none other than Li Weiwei. Li Weiwei jogged to report today's lesson to the guards and then returned to the front of the line.
She stood at attention and said, "All teammates, listen to my commands: at ease, attention, half-face forward!" These simple commands were given in the large...
I had already learned military training, so I was perfectly capable of handling it. Some of the older inmates, however, struggled and
became clumsy, which occasionally drew laughter. "No laughing! Be serious!" the supervising officer shouted, and the noisy line instantly
fell silent. Then Li Weiwei said, "Hello everyone, my name is Li Weiwei, and I will be your drill instructor for the next few weeks.
First, I want to emphasize discipline. A country has its laws, a family has its rules, and a prison has its regulations. Since
you're in prison, you must abide by the prison rules. Today, I will mainly teach you the discipline of walking in prison, which
can be considered the standard. From now on, every morning will be your drill training time." It's worth mentioning that our
prison's morning exercises and drills have consistently received awards in national competitions for female prison inmates. Drills and walking posture
are a characteristic of our prison. You may have already noticed that inmates in this prison are not allowed to
walk freely; they must follow prescribed movements even when walking. Only through regular practice can they be effective in crucial moments
.
"Alright, enough said. I'll line you up by height first." Since there were 16 new prisoners this time
, they formed a small 4x4 formation. Because I'm 1.68 meters tall, I was placed in the first row. "Okay,
remember your positions. Now line up in a single file. We've disbanded the formation, so line up in a single file. Now listen to my commands
," Li Weiwei said, looking at me. "You're at the head of the line. When you're reinforcing the ranks, you need to clench your fist and raise your hand, understand?" "
After everyone has counted off, you need to run to me and report the number of prisoners. Specifically, report: 'Report,
16 female prisoners were expected, 16 are present.' Then return to the line, understand?" I nodded. "Understood." "
Okay, now listen to my commands. Everyone, right face! Right dress!" I immediately clenched my fist and raised my hand. "Now count off: 1, 2, 3, 4
...
16." After the count was completed, I ran to Li Weiwei and reported that 16 female prisoners were present, and 16 were present.
Then I ran back to the formation. I didn't make any mistakes here because I
still remembered some of what I learned during
military training, and I still had some impression of the jogging posture. As long as I stood at attention when I got to her and said what was required, I was fine. And it proved to be correct. Now we immediately changed to a 4x4 formation. We quickly found our positions.
There were some mistakes the first time, but we practiced many times until there were no problems at all. Only then did Li Weiwei begin
the next step. Now I'll teach you the standard walking posture for everyday life. See these
markings on the ground? These yellow lines are 40 centimeters apart, meaning each step should be 40 centimeters.
These yellow lines are the standard markings for you. Swing your arms forward and backward at 40 degrees each. Okay, now I'll
ask someone to demonstrate. Xiao Jing, step forward. Hearing I was chosen, I immediately replied, "Yes." "Now demonstrate
for them as I said." I replied, "Yes." I walked to the yellow lines, ready to start at the command. "Everyone watch carefully." Xiao Jing, "On
my command, march in step!" Hearing the command, I started walking according to the distance of the yellow lines. Li Weiwei called out the command,
"One, two, one, two!" I walked continuously according to the rhythm of her commands. Every now and then, Li Weiwei would call out to me, "Your steps
are too small, raise your arms higher, straighten your chest and lift your head!" While demonstrating to others, Li Weiwei was also correcting my posture.
Then Li Weiwei told me to stop and said, "You guys are doing well. The marching chants are very important. Some of you
may have participated in military training, but some of you might not. I need to explain this to everyone. When you march, the leader usually
shouts the chants, but sometimes you need to coordinate to create a powerful marching effect. That is, when
the leader shouts '1, 2, 3, 4,' you all need to shout along. First, shout the slow chant, then the
fast one. I think you should all be familiar with this, whether you participated in military training or not, so it shouldn't be difficult.
Okay, Xiao Jing, you continue demonstrating." This made me frown. I never shouted during military training before, and besides,
I usually blush when I speak loudly. Demonstrating in front of so many people was indeed a bit difficult for me
. I looked at Li Weiwei hoping for a reprieve, but she ignored me and instead urged me,
"Hurry up, don't dawdle!" I knew I couldn't escape this time, so I just gritted my teeth and went back to
the yellow line to wait for Li Weiwei's command.
"Okay, listen to my command!" Li Weiwei began giving the order. "March!" I started following her rhythm, "1211
21...1234." According to her instructions, I would be the one to shout next time, but with so many people, I was too
embarrassed to shout so loudly. I just quietly shouted "One, two, three, four," and then continued walking. Li Weiwei said, "
Haven't you eaten? Speak louder, don't be shy, they'll all be doing this later." I thought, "I'm already here.
In prison, no one is superior to anyone else. Being a lady or shy won't work in prison." So I waited for the next command.
"121, 121," Li Weiwei shouted, "1234," drawing out the sound and shouting "One, two, three, four" with all my might.
Then came another short, quick "One, two, three, four." The prisoners were all surprised;
no one expected that the polite and refined me would have such great energy. After walking back and forth a few times, Li Weiwei said, "Okay, halt!"
I immediately halted and shouted "One, two!" As you all saw, we're now practicing in groups of four. I was assigned
to the first group. Since it's the beginning, to avoid collisions, we're trying to maintain sufficient distance between each female inmate
. As we get more familiar, we'll increase to two groups, eventually 16 of us practicing together.
This process isn't long. Due to the forced training and the sheer volume of practice,
all 16 of us were practicing in the circle within two days. Aside from occasional collisions, we generally met the standards. By the second week
, all the female inmates had basically formed the habit, and their walking style met prison standards. By the third week, we
had completely forgotten our old way of walking; it had become second nature. And just like that, a month of the new inmate period has passed
. We do morning exercises, have academic classes in the afternoon, and knit sweaters in our cells at night. It's worth mentioning
that I can now knit about half a sweater in one night. The other three are doing similarly. We can usually
finish our tasks ahead of schedule. Although we can't move around, we can rest our hands. Because the daytime training is so tiring,
no one can see us when we close our eyes to rest. In my spare time, I would repeatedly read my verdict in my mind, hoping
that this would brainwash me, make me forget the past, and turn me into a true criminal. Afterwards, I would admonish myself...
All of this was to atone for the mistakes I had made. It proved to be very effective. At first, I resisted,
then I accepted it, then gradually my understanding of whether I had committed a crime became blurred, and finally I clearly confirmed that
I had indeed committed those crimes. My current reform was an act of atonement.
Entering the fourth week, we had mastered the general marching drills very well. At this point, Li Weiwei
asked the guard if we could practice marching. The guard indicated yes, and Li Weiwei came to the front of the line and said, "Today
we will begin learning to march, which is the most difficult part and also a key point in the inmate competition."
"Also, our province will be holding a provincial inmate marching competition next month, one of the events being a new inmate
marching contest. You will be taken to the provincial first women's prison for the competition, so from now on, your afternoon cultural
classes will be canceled, and the whole day will be dedicated to marching practice." "Do you all understand?" we answered in unison, "Yes, we understand
."
At this point, the guard spoke up, "According to prison regulations, prisoners are not officially allowed to change into winter
uniforms until November 1st. However, due to your special circumstances, the prison leadership has decided to allow you to change into your winter uniforms earlier. Now, line up
and come with me to the warehouse."
We lined up and followed the guard. I thought to myself, the winter prison uniforms should prioritize warmth, not be
as unsightly as the spring and autumn uniforms. But when we arrived at the warehouse and received our uniforms, my illusions were shattered. Aside from the color
changing to dark blue, the style of the winter uniforms remained unchanged. The shoes had changed from the current black suede flat women's work shoes
to blue, thick rubber women's work shoes, with the words "Chengdu Women's Prison" written in large red letters on the toes. The only change was
the addition of a hat. This hat resembled the cylindrical hats worn by criminals in zebra-striped outfits on TV
, except that instead of black and white stripes, it was blue and white vertical stripes. We changed into our uniforms one after another. When we asked if we could
go without the hat, we received the expected answer: we had to wear it.
The winter uniforms were much thicker than the spring and autumn uniforms, and felt very warm, although the material was still that same cheap and inferior material.
But then I thought, this is a prison, we're wearing prison uniforms, not a fashion show,
what's the point of such high quality and style? After changing into the prison uniforms, we lined up to go back to the parade ground. Only then did we realize how heavy the winter uniforms were; we
needed to get used to them. Back on the parade ground, we lined up again, and looking at each of us, we all seemed to have gained weight, our bodies had become much
rounder. At this moment, Li Weiwei walked to the front and said, "Everyone line up and come with me to the equipment room to get something." We followed her
to the equipment room, where some equipment was scattered haphazardly. As we were looking around,
Li Weiwei said, "Come over here, each of you take one and then go back to line up." I looked over curiously, and was shocked when
I saw what she was asking me to take. I had only ever seen something like it on TV—a wooden cross frame used to regulate soldiers
' movements. The place and the object of this was not a military camp or soldiers, but a prison
and prisoners. I picked one up at random and felt how heavy the frame was; carrying it around would definitely not be an easy
task. We took the frame back to the playground, and Li Weiwei brought a basket of large rubber bands. We lined up, and Li Weiwei
jumped a few times with the elastic bands, then said, "Xiao Jing, step forward." I replied, "Yes." I took the
wooden frame, which weighed at least 5 kilograms, to her side. Li Weiwei said, "Let me demonstrate how to wear this." She gestured for me to turn around, and
then first put two rubber bands around my waist and under my armpits. As soon as the rubber bands were on, I realized they were definitely not ordinary
rubber bands; the force made me feel like I was suffocating. Then she inserted the cross, and immediately I felt my back
involuntarily straighten up. Then Li Weiwei secured several elastic bands to my shoulders and waist. She then asked me
to move around. It was then that I realized the frame on my back was extremely sturdy; it wouldn't shift no matter how I moved. However,
I had no control over my upper body; I could only stand upright. Wearing it gave me a strong sense of constraint.
"Alright, everyone understand. Now, put on your frames properly. The rest of you, put on your frames as instructed," Li
Weiwei said. "Okay, now let's begin marching practice." At this point, we noticed two more wooden
poles on the parade ground, about 15 meters apart, with two thick red lines running through them. The first line was about 40 centimeters off the ground, and
the second line was about chest-high. Li Weiwei said, "Eight people in front, eight people behind, staggered." We
stood in accordance with her instructions. Okay, now I'll explain the purpose of this. Our prison requires inmates to lift
their feet 40 centimeters when marching. Upon hearing this, the girls were in an uproar. I thought, "Oh my god, 40 centimeters! Isn't that like performing
a military dance? Those people have been trained! What am I going to do?" Li Weiwei continued, "The second
rope is to regulate the height of your arm swings. Although you may be of different heights, regulating the same arm swing height
will achieve maximum uniformity." Okay, let's begin. Everyone lifted their feet, but they all wobbled
and some couldn't even reach the rope. At first, we held the position for one minute each time, then two, three, and finally
five.
This kind of training was simply torture for us inmates. After a morning of this, although the weather was a bit cold,
almost everyone's prison uniforms were soaked with sweat.
We had a simple lunch, and the afternoon was spent continuing the grueling training. After three weeks, almost everyone's marching had
basically met the requirements. Li Weiwei then had us stop the static training and start walking practice. We lined up,
ready to face the test of our three weeks' worth of results. Li Weiwei shouted, "Everyone, march in place! One, two, one, one,
two, one!" I started marching in place to the rhythm. "March in step!" "Marching in formation!" I kept
changing my posture as I listened to the commands. I was surprised to find that lifting my leg 40 centimeters felt surprisingly easy. But a problem
arose: while everyone's posture was perfect, it didn't work when we were in the formation. Either the person in front bumped
into the person behind, or the person on the left bumped into the person on the right.
Then Li Weiwei said, "Next, we'll train your coordination. Once you march in unison, that's good. Also, I won't
remind you when to switch to the goose step; it will all be done with commands." I will
walk with you at the very edge of the formation. First, it's marching in place, and I'll call out the commands. Then it's marching in step, and the commands are still one,
two, one. But after I call out one, two, three, four, you have to call out the commands again, one slightly faster and then one slower. After that, immediately
switch to the goose step. By then, we should have reached the reviewing stand. Except for the row closest to the reviewing stand, everyone else should be facing forward.
Looking towards the reviewing stand, we shouted slogans: "Women's prison, actively reform, strive for merit, start anew!" After leaving
the reviewing stand, I'll give you instructions, then resume marching in step. Understand? We answered in unison, "Understood
!" "Okay, now let's practice!" Everyone, march in place, one-two-one-one-two-one, start marching
! I followed the group and started marching in step, one-two-one, one-two-one, one-two-three-four. When it was my turn, I shouted,
"One-two-three-four, one-two-three-four!" Then I immediately switched to goose-step, looking to the left, and shouted with all my might, "Women's
prison, actively reform, strive for merit, start anew! One-two, march in step, one-two-one-one-two-one, halt! One-
two!" Good, especially Xiao Jing, who was very enthusiastic. The shouts were loud and clear. For the next two weeks
, we practiced the same routines, our chants becoming increasingly synchronized and louder. Due to the heavy training workload,
the large prison allowed us to continue knitting half a sweater a day, maintaining our original standard.
The competition day arrived quickly. Because manufacturers were pressing for orders, the prison only sent us, the
newly admitted inmates, to the competition. In the morning, we washed up and waited for the guards to open our bags. Soon, the guards opened the doors, and the 16 of us
were allowed to eat breakfast in the canteen for the first time. At this time, all the other inmates were doing morning exercises, so the canteen was practically our private meal.
Even more exciting was that today's meal included a meat dish and an egg for each of us—
the best we'd eaten since entering the detention center.
At 7 o'clock, the prison van that was supposed to take us arrived. The journey to the provincial capital would take several hours. To prevent any accidents,
we were all put in restraints. I'm used to handcuffs, but this was my first time wearing shackles. A policewoman walked up to me
and spread my legs. I did as she instructed. She took out a shackle about half a meter long and skillfully
put it on me. Because we were going out, the shackles were quite heavy. There was a loop made of rope in the middle of the shackle . This loop was to allow 　　the
prisoner to hold the chain with their hands, thus reducing the weight and preventing injury to the ankles.
After the police checked and confirmed the prison wouldn't open, they pulled up a rope and handed it to me. It felt incredibly heavy;
without the rope to lighten the load, my ankle would have been ruined. Soon everyone was properly dressed, and we
boarded the prison van one by one. The van slowly drove away from the prison. I never imagined that after a month,
I would actually be walking out of prison, albeit as a prisoner.
Along the way, I kept looking out the window, unwilling to miss this hard-won "outing," trying
to remember as much of the outside world as possible. Soon, the van slowly drove into the provincial capital's First Women's Prison, which was
much larger than the prison where I had been imprisoned. There was an administration building, flanked by six-story prison ward buildings; this size
could easily accommodate tens of thousands of prisoners. A short while later, the prison van stopped in front of the prison building. We were released from our guards on the van
, then lined up to get off. Several guards exchanged a few pleasantries before leading us to our cells.
The cells here were not as good as ours; they were eight-person rooms without desks or toilets. We
were assigned to two separate cells. Since it was quite late when we arrived, we were asked to quickly wash up and
go to bed. The wake-up call the next morning was still at 6:00 AM. We quickly washed up and tidied our belongings before going to the canteen for
breakfast. The food was very similar to what we had eaten, but the canteen was enormous. We noticed that it
wasn't just us there, but all the prisoners from the participating prisons. I looked to my left and was surprised to see
female prisoners from all the participating prisons sitting on the right side of the canteen, while the left side was filled with bald male prisoners. That's when we realized
that this competition was for the entire provincial prison system, including men's prisons.
To prepare for this competition and ensure perfect uniformity, the prison leadership specially called in a hairstylist to give us all
identical short haircuts, reaching our eyebrows and ears. After getting our breakfast
, we sat at the table marked "City C Second Women's Prison." After finishing, led by our team leader, we went to our assigned spots on the reviewing stand.
We lined up and stood in formation. The guard said to us, "This is your best chance to shine, and also a
chance to bring glory to our prison. If you get into the top three, you'll receive 3 points for conduct; second place, 6 points; first place, 10 points. These extra points
are crucial for your sentence reductions, understand?" We loudly replied, "Yes, we understand."
Soon, almost all the prison teams had entered, and the reviewing stand was full of people. At this moment
, the host walked onto the stage and began to speak. The autumn air was crisp and clear… We were welcoming the 13th Annual Prison Inmate
Drill Competition. Participating in this competition were… prisons… women's prisons…
After mentioning about ten prisons, the host began introducing the leaders. After the host finished reading the opening remarks, the leaders of the provincial prison began to speak, followed by
two inmates, one male and one female, taking an oath on the stage. Finally, the leaders of the conference announced the start of the competition.
Guided by the conference guides, we arrived at the competition registration area. The team leader went to sign in. Because
the competition events change every year, to enhance the viewing experience, they are generally not announced in advance; instead, they are
drawn by lot on-site. The guards drew two lots for prescribed movements. The first was an individual competition. Each team member
performed the movements according to the guards' instructions. The judges scored each inmate, and the scores were added together to form the total score. The highest scorer won. The prescribed
movements accounted for 40% of the total team score. We were then taken to the competition field. Several prison inmates
were already competing. The referee signaled for our turn next. Seeing them, I suddenly felt incredibly nervous. The judges and the audience
—and these audience members weren't prisoners, but specially invited guests—performing in such a setting was truly
nerve-wracking.
After the last inmate finished, the judges gave scores: posture 9 points, obedience 8 points, attitude 9 points
, for a total of 26 points. The inmate left the area somewhat disappointed. The referee signaled that we could go on stage immediately.
Even the team leader was unfamiliar with these rules and didn't understand what "attitude and obedience" meant. But there was no
time to lose; we had to bite the bullet and go for it. The team leader handed the list to the referee, who looked at the judges and signaled that we could begin. "
City C Second Women's Prison, Individual Gymnastics Team Competition, now begins!" Hearing this, my heart was in my throat. "Cai
Liuliu, please come to the stage." Cai Liuliu replied, "Yes," and entered the arena. At this moment, a prison guard arrived and said, "On
my command, at ease! Attention!" Cai Liuliu completed the maneuvers perfectly. "About turn! About turn! About turn! Pass
forward! Left turn!" After several high-level maneuvers, Cai Liuliu still completed the maneuvers perfectly. "Attention! March in place!"
"One, two, one, two, one," Cai Liuliu began marching in place, then in step. "One, two, one, two, one, one, two, three, four," Cai Liuliu
immediately switched to a goose-step and took a few steps. The referee announced the end of the competition and asked the judges to score. The judges gave her
a score of 10 for posture, 10 for obedience, and 7 for attitude. Such a perfect performance only earned her 7
points for attitude, leaving us somewhat confused. "Xiao Jing, please enter." Hearing this, I was initially surprised. It was
my turn so quickly! I quickly replied "Yes," and walked to the center of the court. Once there, I realized
how difficult it was for Cai Liuliu to complete this series of steps. The court was a quarter the size of a basketball court, and one person was standing in the middle,
being reviewed by hundreds of people. I dared not think further; if a mistake affected the entire team's score, it would be disastrous. The
area was incredibly quiet; I could even hear my own heartbeat. I waited with conflicting emotions, hoping the commander
would appear quickly so we could finish, yet also wishing he would arrive later so I could prepare a little longer. Finally, the commander appeared. On
my command, "Attention! At ease!" I immediately followed his instructions, achieving a successful start. "About turn! About turn! About turn! Pass
forward! Left turn! Halt! Squat!" I completed the second round quite well as well. "March in place,
one, two, one, one, two, one!" I started marching in place. Immediately, the instructor commanded, "March in step, one, two, one,
one, two, one!" I followed his rhythm. Suddenly, the instructor shouted, "One, two, three, four!" I realized we were switching to goose-stepping.
After the instructor finished shouting "One, two, three, four," I loudly shouted "One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four!" Then we switched to goose-stepping.
The referee didn't stop us; instead, he continued having me follow the instructor's commands. A moment later, the instructor shouted "Halt!" I immediately stopped
, stood still, and shouted "One, two!" The competition ended, and the judges scored us. I looked at
the judges, panting. Several judges took out their cards, and I surprisingly received 10 points for posture, 10 for obedience, and 10 for attitude—a total of 30 points
! I got full marks. I bowed to the judges and returned to the line. At that moment, the instructor gave me a thumbs-up.
At this point, the guard also understood what attitude meant and required everyone to shout the slogans like I did
. In the subsequent competitions, the other prisoners performed very well. I
won first place in the individual competition with a total score of 470. The second event was a team drill competition, which did not separate men and women. The guard drew lots and
got the No. 3 Men's Prison. Under the guidance of the guard's guide, we went to the team registration area.
By then, the male prisoners had already registered. We registered one after another. After everyone finished, the referee signaled the men's team to start. Under the commander's direction,
the men's team performed their movements very well, and their slogans resounded throughout the sky. After the men's team finished,
we went on stage. Since it was a team event, I wasn't too nervous; I just needed to perform the movements correctly. The commanding
guard came up to the stage and gave me the commands: "At ease! Attention! Forward! March! One, two, one, two, one, two, three, four! One, two, three,
four!" Although our women's team's slogans weren't as powerful as the men's, they still shook the entire audience. Finally, we
defeated the men's team by a margin of 10 points, 400 to 390.
The grand finale was the closing ceremony, the group review. This was a 60% event, and we
were scheduled to be the fifth to appear, following the first prison in the procession. Actually, the first four
were all men's prisons, and only the women's prisons started appearing from the fifth onwards; we were considered the first. Soon, the march began
, and the first group started walking towards the platform. A line of prisoners marched in orderly steps towards
the platform, and the chants of "One, two, one!" grew clearer. Then, the loudspeaker announced
that the inmates of the city's No. 1 prison were approaching. They marched in orderly steps towards us, and upon reaching the platform,
the chants of "One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four, one, two, three, four!" echoed through the air. All the prisoners changed their marching steps, the sound resounding through the sky: "Reform yourselves well
, start anew, reform yourselves, serve society!" Afterwards, wave after wave of groups completed the review. As
the group in front of us stood up, Li Wei... Wei ran to the side and said, "We're ready to go on stage! At ease! Attention!" I
nervously followed along. The fourth contingent marched towards the podium. Li Weiwei commanded, "March in place!" The rhythmic
clatter of footsteps echoed from beneath our feet. "One, two, one, two, one!" As the fourth contingent moved away from the podium, Li Weiwei shouted, "Forward!
" I followed the group towards the podium. "One, two, one, two, one!" The podium drew closer. Then the loudspeaker
announced that the approaching contingent was composed of inmates from C City Women's Prison. They
had demonstrated remarkable talent and achieved excellent results in this competition. We hoped they would continue their efforts in their future rehabilitation.
The podium was now right in front of us. Li Weiwei shouted, "One, two, three, four!" We immediately shouted back, "One, two, three, four! One, two, three, four!" The
sound echoed for a long time. Then we changed to a goose-step. I turned my head towards the podium. The judges looked at our exaggerated
height and unbelievable uniformity with astonishment. After passing the podium, we switched back to our starting
positions. Afterwards, eight women's prison contingents were reviewed in turn. Finally, the organizers announced the results: third
place went to Jicheng Women's Prison, second place to Hejian Men's Prison, and first place to C Women's First Prison. We
cheered upon hearing this, and the guards gave us a thumbs up. After the closing remarks, the organizers declared the event closed,
and we rushed back to the prison that night. Exhausted from the day's events, I fell asleep on the way back. When I woke up
, we were already downstairs at the prison administration building, where the guards removed our restraints. Then we went back to our dormitories to sleep.
The prison held an awards ceremony for us the next day, announcing that each of us would receive 10 points for conduct, which drew
envy and jealousy from others.
The competition was over, and nearly two months had passed since the new inmates' term ended. Since we hadn't been assigned to specific prison wards,
we still had to wait for the other inmates to finish their morning exercises before we did ours. The actual contingents were 7 x 749 people; those of us
in groups of 16 were not allowed to participate in morning exercises. With one month left in my inmate period,
the prison had increased our workload in labor and study because we had wasted a lot of time in the competition. Our daily
academic classes had been increased from four to five, and our evening labor time was moved to 6:30 PM to 10:30 PM. Our workload had
increased from half a sweater to one. The first thing I did every day when I got back to my cell was to start knitting, and my speed
was getting faster and faster.
Chapter Five: Formal Inmate Period
Gradually, my three-month inmate period was coming to an end. Knitting one sweater a day was no longer a big deal for me. The next
day, I returned to the Third Prison Area, back to my original cell, which was also the room number on my inmate number. Entering the room, I...
Upon seeing Li Weiwei, I called out, "Sister Weiwei!" Li Weiwei replied, "Yes, but I have to tell you that you're not allowed
to call me that here. You can call me Li Weiwei or 2424. But absolutely not 'Sister,'
or you'll lose all ten points of conduct points sooner or later." I replied, "Okay, I understand." Then Li Weiwei said,
"The guard just told me that you'll be serving your sentence in the third workshop with us from now on, doing morning exercises." I replied, "Understood."
Then Li Weiwei continued, "The third workshop is the sewing machine workshop, where you sew the semi-finished products from the first and second workshops into
finished products. It's also the workshop with the heaviest workload. Since they're all electric sewing machines, you must undergo training
before you can work. I'm your mentor here; mentor-apprentice relationships are allowed in prison. Tomorrow, you'll
sit next to me, understand?" I replied, "Yes, I understand."
The wake-up bell rang early the next morning. We quickly got dressed and washed up. Then the guards came to Kaifeng.
Today was my first real day of serving my sentence. I followed Li Weiwei and walked out in line.
All the prisoners were lining up on the playground. Li Weiwei led me to a guard. "Reporting, guard, this is a new
inmate. Today he officially enters the Third Prison Area, Workshop Three to serve his sentence." The guard asked me my name. I immediately replied
, "Reporting, inmate Xiao Jing, 19 years old, inmate number 3-242-1, sentenced to 20
years imprisonment for serious injury, currently serving 3 months. Requesting admission to the prison team." The guard granted admission and then said to Li Weiwei, "24,
24, go take him to your team. We're one person short of serving time." Li Weiwei answered yes, and I followed
her to the lined-up formation. I was placed in the middle, and Li Weiwei also went to her
position. Soon after, the loudspeaker announced, "All prison wards, run!" Everyone started running
, and I joined in. After about 10 minutes, we switched to marching. Having experienced a competition during my initial inmate period,
I was now very familiar with the formations and had no problems. Finally, we marched in formation. Suddenly, I recalled the
shocking scene I had witnessed when I first entered the prison, and three months later, I had become one of them
. The chant of "One, two, one, two, one, two, three, four!" echoed throughout the entire parade ground. Soon, someone started singing, and I couldn't help but join
in. Now, I was no different from the other inmates because I no longer rejected
life within the prison system and truly saw myself as a convicted criminal who deserved his punishment.
Breakfast started at 7:00 AM. Before breakfast, we lined up at the canteen entrance and sang "A Grateful Heart" together. After that
, we went in one by one to eat. Breakfast was rushed, with only 15 minutes. At 7:15 AM, I followed the line to the reform workshop
. People entered the workshop one by one, and each person had to call out their number. When it was my turn, I was number 47. Entering
the workshop, I imitated the other prisoners, raising my left hand and shouting "47!" Inside, I found the workshop to be very large,
with about 200 prisoners working. There were five rows of electric sewing machines, 20 machines
in each row, two people per machine. One person used the machine while the other helped move things or
fetch goods from workshop number 2. The sound of 100 sewing machines working simultaneously filled this not-so-small workshop with a slow, rhythmic clattering sound
. Each aisle had a prisoner supervising and a guard patrolling. I walked over to Li Weiwei's sewing machine. Li Weiwei said, "From now on, this will be our two 　　sewing machines.
The previous criminal has been released from prison. These next few days, you'll mainly be helping me out and learning how to use this. Now, fold and pack the finished products. There are three boxes below 　　, each containing different parts of the garment. Just hand them to me in a bit." I said, "Understood." 　　Okay, let's begin. Li Weiwei turned on the electric sewing machine, and it started whirring. I 　　handed her the parts of the garment; she took them without even looking at them, gestured a few times, and then started sewing. In no time, a 　　black and white striped dress was finished. "Okay, fold it up, put it in a plastic bag, and label it," she said, putting it 　　in the box labeled "Finished Products." I held the dress for a long time, thinking I'd probably never wear 　　a dress like this in my life. Afterward, I folded the dress as instructed, labeled it, and put it in the box. Then I handed the second dress 　　to Li Weiwei. In one morning, we finished a total of 20 dresses. When the bell rang, all the prisoners 　　stood up at the same time, lined up, and headed to the canteen. Since there were only 15 minutes for lunch, I hurriedly ate a meal, put down 　　my tray, lined up again at the door, and returned to the workshop. That's how the day went by. Being a porter is definitely not an easy 　　job; I was exhausted. I folded the clothes as instructed, labeled them, and 　　put them in the boxes. Then I handed the second item to Li Weiwei. In the morning, we completed 20 　　dresses. 　　When the bell rang, all the prisoners stood up at the same time, lined up, and headed to the canteen. Since there were only 15 minutes for lunch 　　, I hurriedly ate a meal, put down my tray, lined up again at the door, and returned to the workshop. That's how the day went by. 　　Being a porter is definitely not an easy job; I was exhausted.

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【An Alternative Life】Chapters 1-19 (Prison, Lesbians, Shopping Mall)

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