Wen Xishu said softly:
"Don't be afraid, trust me. Now, let's keep going."
Nini wanted to persuade Wen Xishu further, but he had already started walking forward, his gait leaving no room for refusal.
Finally, they arrived at a slightly open area - it's more a hardened mud ground than a square.
Shacks surrounded the area in a circle, with crooked wooden stakes in the middle. Several dirty dogs were tied to the stakes, panting as they lay on the ground.
Nini stopped and pointed to the largest shack opposite the square.
"They're there," she said in a soft voice, "those... people who bullied me. And those who hung out with me, they're all there."
Wen Xishu followed her pointing finger.
The shack was larger than the others, made of entire sheets of metal, with a dim lamp hanging at the entrance. Under the lamp sat a few people, their faces unclear, only the red glow of their cigarette ends visible, occasionally flickering.
