The Forgotten Crimes

In July 1971, then-President of the United States, Richard Nixon, accepted an invitation from Zhou Enlai, the Premier of the State Council of China, announcing a historic visit to the cities of Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shanghai from February 21 to 28, 1972. And Shanghai would be both the first city he would arrive in and the last he would leave. As the new year of 1972 dawned, the entire Shanghai government was immersed in the frenetic preparations for this momentous reception. Amidst the whirlwind of activities and the bustling efforts to showcase the best of Shanghai, a tragic fate was about to befall a young woman, casting a ripple through the grand narrative of these significant events. It was a cold and misty morning in early January when the unimaginable happened. In a small patch of a vegetable garden in the remote rural Yangsi Town, a team of 14 farmers were harvesting a batch of precious cabbages, a new variety meticulously developed by the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences. The air was crisp, filled with the promise of labor and the quietude of early winter morning. The farmers, armed with their machetes, stepped into the expanse of green, each taking charge of a row of the carefully tended cabbage beds. Farmer Liu Meidi, 19, found her place at the eighth row, her hands steady and her movements practiced. With a deft motion, she sliced through the base of each cabbage, the crisp sound of separation echoing softly in the air. She gathered the heavy heads of cabbage into her arms, their leaves glistening with the remnants of the morning's dew, a vibrant contrast to the earth-stained fabric of her clothes. Around her, the field was a patchwork of greens, from the pale hue of new growth to the deep, rich tones of maturity. Yangsi Town fell under the jurisdiction of Chuansha County, where Shanghai Disneyland stands today. Nestled at the confluence of the Chuanyang River, a tributary of the mighty Huangpu River that divided Shanghai into two halves in the east and west, the town is crisscrossed with a dense network of waterways, boasting abundant water resources that create an ideal environment for vegetable cultivation. At first, the farming work proceeded smoothly, the sound of slicing and the soft thuds of cabbages falling into baskets marking the time. Yet, as Liu neared a cabbage that lay a mere few steps from the road, a sense of unease began to prick at her concentration. The leaves of this particular cabbage were wrapped tightly around its heart, an unusual sight that beckoned a closer inspection. Upon a more detailed look, the farmer found that the snug embrace was not a natural occurrence but rather the result of hemp twine meticulously tied around it. She halted her harvesting, the machete pausing in mid-air, and gestured for her fellow members, Zhang Jinbao and Wang Longmei, to come closer. "Look at this, isn't it odd? This cabbage has been tightly tied up with hemp twine!" she exclaimed, her voice laced with curiosity and a hint of concern. "Who knows? There might be treasures of gold and silver hidden inside!" Zhang speculated, with a chuckle born of the whimsy of the situation. "Let's open it up and see."Wang suggested, driven by a blend of intrigue. The suggestion hung in the air, as they stood around the peculiar cabbage, poised on the brink of uncovering what secrets lay beneath its tightly bound leaves. With a mix of anticipation and trepidation, Liu carefully sliced through the hemp twine, her hands steady yet uncertain of what her actions would unveil. As the twine gave way, the outer leaves, aged and slightly wilted from their long vigil concealing the unknown, fell open like the curtains of a stage, revealing the first clue of the mystery hidden within: a tuft of black hair. A shiver of apprehension coursed through Liu as she wondered, "What is this?!" Her curiosity now tinged with a hint of fear, she cautiously used her knife to peel back the leaves enshrouding the black hair. Each movement was deliberate, as if by taking care, she could somehow prepare herself for what she was about to discover. Then, as the final layer of leaves parted under her gentle persuasion, the shocking truth lay bare before her eyes - a woman's head, its black hair measuring half a foot in length, was encased within the cabbage, staring back at her with an eerie silence. “Ahh!!” Screams pierced the air, a stark, dissonant chorus against the serene backdrop of the countryside, as the farmers scattered in every direction, driven by instinctual fear. Amidst the pandemonium, the team leader Shi Jinying was the first to regain her composure. She called for order, her voice cutting through the cacophony, "Don't panic! Stay where you are!" The director, Wang Xingfa, arrived swiftly. After inspecting the head, he said, "Don't touch it, and keep back. Cover it with something, and I will report this." After Wang left, Shi fetched a large vegetable basket made of wire mesh and placed it over the head, then covered it with a burlap sack.