012
On every Sunday mornings, the followers of Christianity gather to worship in the "Last Gate," while the rest of the individuals engage in a thorough cleaning of public spaces. Although cleaning is not a difficult task, the challenge lies in only two individuals being responsible for maintaining all public areas. Those two individuals are Yu Guoliang and Lian Pu, who work harmoniously despite the lack of specific task assignments.
Yu Guoliang and Lian Pu pull out weeds as the cold February wind cuts across their cheeks like scissors, yet they do not feel the chill. Occasionally, the weeds prick their hands, leaving scattered red marks on their palms, but Lian Pu does not seem to mind. After the worship service, the group exits in a line, passing by the weed-filled area. Lude keeps his gaze straight ahead, while Lian Pu does not lift his head.
Yu Guoliang approaches Lian Pu and lightly taps his elbow, "What were you silently reciting just now?"
Lian Pu glances at him, then towards the direction where the group is leaving, chuckles softly and replies, "God loves all, may the Lord bless you."
Yu Guoliang chuckles as well, looks up at the sky, and remarks, "The Qing Dynasty has already fallen, the Cultural Revolution has passed, believing in gods and Buddhas, if you continue to believe in them, you will truly lose."
Lian Pu nods and asks, "So what do you believe in?"
"Me? I probably believe in someone who loves you as life itself, and you are the same to them," Yu Guoliang responds as he twists a clump of weeds into a circle.
Lian Pu looks at him, and the two share a smile.
They both may be individuals similar to Oscar Wilde.
The resilience of Lian Pu's physique faltered under the cold wind and icy water, which ignited the evening. However, the heat could not deter his inner turmoil in the confessional room.
As Tuesday rolled in once again, Lian Pu had spent half a year in this courtyard, shedding a few pounds, appearing more haggard, yet with a more upright posture. He marked another line on the wall of the bed with his fingernail, a gesture interrupted by a piece of toffee from Lude.
The electric shock, both physically and mentally, persisted until autumn, fortunately, the confessional room's balance became their daily unspoken declaration. Entranced in this dark and oppressive quagmire, Lian Pu never considered the consequences, enveloped by a profound self-awareness of love that fortified his will, moving resolutely forward.
During this time, Lian Pu never stepped foot in the "chemical treatment room" again, yet his health remained unchanged.
In the blink of an eye, Lude had entered the "treatment facility" for eight months. Two left, while three more entered. The small dark room had become their daily meditation spot, where even the most unpleasant visual images did not shatter their perceptions of each other. Countless sentences adorned the pages of the reading room, in English, German, and Chinese. Should a keen individual connect all the phrases, they would discover a lengthy confessional poem.
The treatment centre later introduced what is known as "hypnosis therapy," which was essentially just another way of injecting unidentified liquids.
The day before Lude's birthday, Lian Pu was brought into the courtroom of the courtyard. He was not the first person among them to be pushed into the trial room, nor was he the first to come out of the trial room to receive punishment. However, Lian Pu was the first person to question the judge in the trial room. His English was impeccable, his pronunciation was clear.
"I believe in gods and Buddhas, so why do I need God to judge me?"
"Judge, if the standard of judgment is merely a matter of sexual orientation, doesn't it seem absurd for you to sit there?"
"If loving each other is a mistake, should the law be amended?"
"Who determines the standards by which you judge me, and by what authority do you execute them?"
"How do you judge ignorance and discrimination more terrifying than AIDS?"
…
The judge refrained from striking the gavel, yet Lian Pu was escorted out of the courtroom for undergoing "hypnotherapy". An unknown liquid was injected into his forearm, as the therapist simultaneously hypnotized him. The unidentified liquid injected into Lian Pu was still in the experimental testing phase, categorised as a mixture of sedatives and emetic agents, with no substantial testing conducted on animals.
In his dream, there was a stage illuminated by a beam of light, where he portrayed Yu Ji and performed a segment of the Cantonese opera "Farewell My Concubine". Whether it was Farewell My Concubine or Farewell My Concubine, it was ultimately his Farewell My Concubine.
The "hypnotherapy" left Lian Pu in a state of unconsciousness. On the third day of his coma, with no other options left, he was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. Lude tied a golden bead red string around Lian Pu's wrist, with the golden bead embedded with a "Xing" character. And before dawn, Lude Xing, with bloodshot eyes, gestured explosively to the crowd.
When sun is rising, the first minority group organization "ACTION" in Hong Kong, established in 1985, held a protest on the island, calling for the decriminalization of homosexuality and advocating for the popularization of AIDS science.
"ACTION" represents a minority in the societal context, following the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which protect groups worldwide from lack of respect and discrimination based on race, colour, gender, language, religion, nationality, or social background.
When all minority groups come together within a certain threshold, their voices will undoubtedly resonate loudly. This organised and purposeful protest caught the island off guard, yet received support from many foreigners in Hong Kong.
Simultaneously, law enforcement on the island mobilised to raid the "Gender Reversal Therapy Centre" on Chung Ying St., sealing it off for illegal operation and detaining all individuals involved. This gray industry hidden beneath gender therapy is known as prostitution, claiming to help male homosexual groups rediscover their desire for female bodies as a treatment excuse, operating clandestinely in the building and entering Chung Ying Street's entertainment centre for illegal sexual dating activities.
Three months ago, Lude and other partners undergoing gender correction therapy here backed up all evidence and delivered it through a special channel out of the building, transferring it to the relevant authorities.
A week later, all the equipment and documents in the building were transferred to the police station, and seal stickers were placed at the entrance. When Lian Pu woke up in the ICU, Lude stood at the highest point of Sha Tau Kok, overlooking the building. It was the beginning of 1990 when they had been in love for over a year, singing the most romantic love poems in the most oppressive place, managing to keep it a secret from everyone.
That year, the World Health Organization officially removed homosexuality from the list of diseases.
In that same year, Lude moved out from Xing's house.
In 1991, Hong Kong decriminalised homosexual behaviour. That year, Lian Pu resumed his studies, completed his education, and returned with Lude to the Bai Family White in Chung Ying St. The two knelt in front of Lian Bing's spirit tablet.
Without losing integrity, without losing sincerity, we cherish and value it.
On July 1, 1997, Hong Kong was handed back to China, and the PRC decriminalised homosexual behaviour. Lian Pu bought a bouquet of bauhinia flowers and gave them to Lude, saying, "Welcome home."
After that, they shifted their focus to the mainland and settled in City A.
At the end of 1999, a message arrived from the UK, informing Lude that his sperm had successfully fertilised the chosen egg, and the embryo was developing well.
In the early autumn of the new millennium, Lude and Lian Pu went to the UK to await the birth of their child.
A week later, their child was born, named Xing Xiuzé, with Lude as the father and Lian Pu as the dad.
To this day, their child is growing up healthy, and their love remains strong.
They are just an ordinary family among many others.
From the legendary 60s to the technological innovation of the 21st century, their love story is truly legendary.
—— END ——