Feeling Sun Fugui's heartfelt support, Xia Qingmai's mood instantly improved.
Facing Sun Fugui's full support, Xia Qingmai also looked forward to going to Xiajiawan on Saturday.
No matter what she has to face, she will definitely stick to what she needs to stick to.
It doesn’t matter who says it!
…
Saturday is the ninth day of August. The closer we get to the Mid-Autumn Festival, the cooler it will be in the morning and evening.
Because Xiajiawan is closer to the county seat and can be reached by bicycle in half an hour, Xia Qingmai's family did not go out until nine o'clock.
Yesterday afternoon, their family had gone to see Qin Shengli and learned that he had a meeting to hold this morning and would not be able to leave until about ten o'clock, so they decided to go to Xiajiawan separately.
Xia Qingmai wanted to see what the people in Xiajiawan would do with her second uncle's pension when they saw that she had no one to support her.
Because they had notified Third Uncle and the others in advance that they would go to worship Second Uncle first and then visit Grandma, so when Xia Qingmai and the others arrived here, they brought the specially bought apples and pears, as well as those brought by Sun Fugui. The liquor went directly to the second uncle’s grave.
Xiajiawan does not have mountains like Shihai Brigade. A tributary of the Huaihe River turns a corner here and rushes out into a large fertile plain.
Because the land is fertile and it is close to the county seat, Xiajiawan is a well-known wealthy town in Yu'an County.
The cemetery is a little far away from where the residents of Xiajiawan live, behind a forest near the next town.
The rustling poplar trees seemed to know that someone was coming to visit their relatives.
The hymn that rises in the wind praises the place deep in the cemetery where heroes have returned one by one to their families for decades.
"Behind the grave of my second uncle are the anti-war martyrs of Xiajiawan in the early years. Since decades ago, Xiajiawan has had a tradition of having two sons in the family, one of whom went to the battlefield."
"Ten people go and one returns. In other words, there are martyrs in every household in Xiajiawan."
"However, most of these cemeteries are filled with cenotaphs. Most of the heroes have their bones buried in other places. They have not returned home. Very few of them can bring back one or two personal belongings."
"When I was a kid, my second uncle would take me here every time he came back. He told me that if one day he died, he would be buried here. He wanted to stay with the ancestors of the family, so that he would be buried underground. It can also tell them that our country has slowly caught up."
“When I was little, I was most afraid of passing cemeteries, but I’m not afraid here.”
"Because I know that if these heroic spirits are still here, they will definitely protect us, future generations."
"Anyone could harm us, but not them."
"Because we are the future that they sacrifice their lives to protect."
Xia Qingmai didn't know why she was talking about this. When she came to her senses again, tears had already wet her cheeks.
Feeling the worried eyes beside him, Xia Qingmai shook his head and said, "I'm fine, I just remembered some past events."
Those words I just uttered were out of emotion, but what about the tears?
She was not the original owner and didn't like to cry, but just now the tears fell unconsciously.
Is it the original owner or her?
No matter how Sun Fugui looked at it, he felt that his daughter-in-law was not fine, but at the moment he was holding the child in one hand and carrying something in the other, so there was no way he could hug his daughter-in-law immediately to comfort her.
Of course, the main reason is that as a veteran, he cannot do the act of hugging his wife in front of so many martyrs.
After clearing his throat, Sun Fugui looked at his daughter in his arms and said, "Shuyu, can you come down and stand with your brother? Dad is going to give something to your uncle."
As soon as Sun Shuyu heard what his father said, he immediately twisted his body and got out of his arms, and obediently walked to stand next to his brother.
Sun Shuyan, who was a little scared just now but was no longer scared when he saw his sister approaching, quickly reached out and grabbed her.
The brother and sister looked at each other and smiled. The sun shone on them through the gaps in the poplar forest, as if the heroes were watching their proud smiles.
There seemed to be sounds of their showing off in the wind.
'look! My blood was not shed in vain! Our children now have clothes to wear and will go to school in the future. They have straightened up their backs. '
'Brothers, we are worth it! '
…
The wind blew through the hair, like a mother caressing her child.
Xia Qingmai parked his bicycle, then walked to Sun Fugui and placed the sacrifices with him.
After waiting for the sacrifices to be placed, Sun Fugui consciously went to see the child, leaving Xia Qingmai alone in front of the tombstone.
Xia Qingmai muttered to the tombstone for a while, then pretended to be sad and closed her eyes, saying a few words in her heart.
If people really have a next life, then she hopes that the original owner and the second uncle can be a real father and daughter in the next life.
Good family and good health.
After making a wish that he didn't know would come true, Xia Qingmai opened his eyes and looked at the tombstone and spoke again, "Second uncle, I'm getting married. I'm a soldier under your old comrade's command. You must have heard. Pass him, his name is Sun Fugui."
Almost at the moment Xia Qingmai said these words, Sun Fugui, who was only three steps away, came to Xia Qingmai's side.
"Second uncle, I am Sun Fugui, the former platoon leader of the 1st Battalion, 1st Company and 1st Platoon of the *** Army Artillery Regiment."
He said this, but in his heart Sun Fugui added: "But because I have to complete the secret mission assigned by the organization, I am actually discharged from the army at the level of a full company."
After muttering this in his heart, Sun Fugui secretly glanced at Xia Qingmai.
Seeing Xia Qingmai staring at the tombstone without noticing him, Sun Fugui continued in his heart: "Second uncle, Shu Yan and Shu Yu are actually not my children, but the children of my comrades in arms."
"He is a hero just like you!"
After muttering a few words in his heart, Sun Fugui quickly spoke out: "Second uncle, I will be good to Qingmai, love her, and let her live a good life."
In fact, Sun Fugui had many things he wanted to say to his second uncle, but his wife was here and he did not dare to say some things.
He closed his mouth, opened the bottle and poured wine.
There is always a wine glass, a pair of chopsticks and an empty plate placed in front of the tombstone.
Perhaps the people who live nearby know that there are heroes here, and even those in the family who are having a hard time will not come to take the things in front of the tombstone.
After the wine was filled, Sun Fugui said to the tombstone again: "Second uncle, you drink, and my son-in-law respects you."
Xia Qingmai also spoke up after Sun Fugui finished his words: "Second uncle, I plan to do something today. If it is done, no one in the entire Xiawan Town will forget you."
After hearing Xia Qingmai's words, Sun Fugui looked up at her, his eyes full of support for her.
…
When I was in the cemetery, I didn't feel that time passed too fast. When I came out and looked at my watch, I found that it was already past ten o'clock.
Worried that Uncle San and the others were impatient, Xia Qingmai and Sun Fugui did not dare to delay. One person picked up the child and put it in the front, while the other picked up the child in the back. They got on their bicycles and rushed to Xia Hongmin's house.
About five minutes later, Xia Qingmai and his family stopped their bicycles in front of Xia Hongmin's house.
Xia Hongmin's house was very lively today. Although he was the third eldest brother in the family, because his eldest brother's family went to the county and his second brother left early to join the army, he, the third eldest brother, did what other eldest sons should do, to provide for themselves in old age.
Xia Qingmai's grandmother now lives with her third uncle's family.
The third uncle's homestead is large, and a share originally belonged to his two brothers.
A row of five large blue brick tile-roofed houses faces south, with three tile-roofed houses also made of blue bricks on each side.
Further west is the house of Xia Qingmai's fourth uncle's family, the same blue brick house.
The two brothers' home has a total of nearly twenty large tile-roofed houses. It is a rare wealthy family in Xiajiawan.
At this moment, Xia Qingmai was holding the hands of the two children and had just walked into the main room of the third uncle's house when a slightly sharp voice came out from above.
