Speaking of the dispute, I still feel baffled. It was not until today when I read the newspaper that I learned they came to my house because of the rent for the village's public land. The irony is that I only had a verbal agreement in 2009 to rent four acres of land from the village to use as an herbal medicine experimental base. Later, due to poor health, I returned the land to the village by the end of the year and paid the rent to the village chief. His reason for attacking people is really far-fetched.
After being helped up, Hongfeng swayed unsteadily, almost falling down.
According to Jiang Yan's account, the land she once rented has since been actually used by her mother. However, regarding her relationship with her mother, "we live so close that we can hear each other's dogs bark, yet we have no contact till death." Hongfeng expressed his current relationship with his mother-in-law this way. In Hongfeng's view, the land he once rented is no longer in use, and the rent has been fully paid. Logically, it should no longer have any connection with him.
Yesterday afternoon, the reporter saw Hongfeng, who was still lying on the hospital bed at Huize County People's Hospital. He currently has difficulty moving and needs his wife Jiang Yan's help for even the smallest tasks.
Jiang Yan, Hongfeng's wife, was diagnosed with a serious illness in 2005. She underwent treatment in Shenyang for more than three years until returning to Huize in the second half of 2008. "The doctor said I needed rest, and coming back to my hometown also made sense because it's where I grew up, and the conditions here are good for recovery."
When the reporter visited Hongfeng's home, the courtyard was quite large. According to Jiang Yan: "If strangers intended to hide in the yard, we wouldn't discover them for a day or two." For this reason, Hongfeng installed surveillance cameras at home. These cameras completely recorded everything that happened on January 22nd, the Chinese New Year's Eve.
"I came to Yunnan mainly to take care of my wife," Hongfeng said. Following the doctor's advice, they eventually returned to Yunnan. In the first year they settled in Yunnan, Hongfeng’s wife had an oral agreement with the village secretary Lu Changgui to rent land. After paying one year's rent, the land was never used due to family reasons.
"They think Jiang Yan's mother is using this land, so they believe Jiang Yan should be the one to reclaim it, which is why they targeted us." Since the beating on New Year's Eve, Hongfeng feels that this might be the only explanation for why he was attacked.
Born in 1959, Hongfeng is a representative figure of avant-garde literature. He and Su Tong, Ma Yuan, Yu Hua, Ge Fei, etc., are known as the five tigers of contemporary literature. In 1995, the Shenyang Municipal Culture Bureau introduced Hongfeng from Jilin according to the talent introduction policy. It is understood that the condition at the time was: the Shenyang municipal government would spend 180,000 yuan to buy Hongfeng a house. Hongfeng did not need to work in an office... Later, due to institutional reform, Hongfeng's salary was suspended, and in November 2006, he staged the sensational "Hongfeng begging on the street" incident in Shenyang.
At 16:43, Jiang Yan appeared in the footage walking out of the house. "I received a call from their daughter asking me to come out and discuss the land rental issue," Jiang Yan said. At the entrance of their house, Jiang Yan began talking with them. During this period, the footage shows people continuing to arrive... At 16:45, Hongfeng appeared in the footage walking out of the house. As soon as Hongfeng reached the entrance, the footage quickly showed a scene of grabbing, and just a moment later, the conflict escalated, causing chaos in the footage.
● Parties involved say
Yesterday, the reporter saw this video recording. According to the surveillance footage, before 16:41 on the day of the incident, the footage was still calm. Starting at 16:41:36, according to the footage, two young women walked towards Hongfeng's house. Soon after, multiple men appeared in the footage.
The surveillance clearly showed numerous people surrounding Hongfeng, punching and kicking him, causing him to fall several times and struggle to stand up again. By 16:48, after Hongfeng fell for the last time, the group dispersed.
Hongfeng and his wife were full of grievances:
● News Information
Dispute caused by the change of rented land ownership
Yesterday, Hongfeng expressed gratitude on Weibo to those who cared about him and provided some clarification on the matter.
The reporter witnessed the surveillance footage:
On January 22, 2012, the lunar New Year's Eve, around 5 pm, Jiang Yan, the wife of writer Hongfeng who lived in seclusion in Yunnan, was inside arranging tables and chairs with Wu Dangjia, a villager delivering the New Year's Eve dinner. During this time, the village secretary of Mawu Village in Jinzhong Town, Huize County, Yunnan Province, Lü Changgui, along with his daughter, son-in-law, and nearly 20 others rushed into the yard. Jiang Yan said they first beat her, then brutally assaulted Hongfeng who came downstairs, leaving him unconscious and sent to the hospital. The diagnosis report from Huize County People's Hospital read: chest soft tissue contusion, fractures of the left 10th, 11th, and 12th ribs... Local police have already intervened in investigating the matter.
After settling in a remote Yunnan mountain village, Mawu Village Secretary Lü Changgui once greatly appreciated Hongfeng. In the spring of 2009, considering that the primary school students in the village had to walk a long distance to school, Hongfeng participated in planning a road for the children together with Lü Changgui and others. At that time, Hongfeng pushed a tricycle loaded with stones and worked as a volunteer. Later, the young villagers posted pictures of him volunteering online, drawing media attention, and the construction of the road for the children in Mawu Village became a widely praised story.
@Hongfeng: Thank you for your concern and support. Because of this care and support, I feel warm and no longer afraid. Today is the tenth day of my hospitalization. I have passed the dangerous stage, stopped vomiting, but my blood pressure remains unstable, and the rib and sternum fractures make speaking, moving, and breathing still difficult. However, my mental state and emotions are still good. Let me reiterate, due to my mobility issues, this Weibo post was dictated by me and written by my family members.
A group of people punched and kicked Hongfeng.
Currently, judicial authorities have intervened, and everything is proceeding according to procedure. Please join me, whether you are familiar or unfamiliar friends, in waiting for the final result. Thank you.
"Since being beaten, I still feel utterly confused," Hongfeng told the reporter. To this day, he still does not understand why they resorted to violence against him.
After the "begging" incident, Hongfeng lay low for two years before deciding to move far away to Yunnan. He chose his wife Jiang Yan's hometown: Mawu Village, Jinzhong Town, Huize County, Yunnan Province. At the time, the relevant departments of Huize County attached great importance to Hongfeng's arrival, visiting him multiple times and giving much attention to his living conditions. Jiang Yan had previously suffered from cancer cells, but her condition improved after treatment.