Chapter 261
The Sheng family's tearoom faced the pavilion perfectly.
Old Madam Sheng's face was full of excitement: Look, Yan'er smiled. Our Yan'er actually knows how to smile. Who said he was a block of wood? He can smile. How could someone who smiles be a block of wood? Thank heavens...
Xu Lu wiped away her tears and said, Yan'er is completely different in front of Miss Rong. Miss Rong must be Yan'er's destined match. Why don't the Sheng family prepare a bit and propose marriage to the Rong family?
Sheng Dian's face immediately darkened: Miss Rong is a great benefactor to the Sheng family. Your action would be biting the hand that feeds us, understand?
It's a bit too much for you to say that. No matter what, Yan'er is still our biological son, Xu Lu said. If it's as the master said, Yan'er will return to normal in his zodiac year. Even so, is he still not good enough for Miss Rong?
Sheng Dian fell silent for a moment.
Naturally, he isn't good enough, Old Madam Sheng spoke up. Miss Rong is a gold medalist in the global physics competition, a genius admitted early to Huaqing University, and a key research project leader at the Aerospace Institute... What does Yan'er have? He only has the Sheng family. His title is the eldest young master of the Sheng family, but without the Sheng family, he is nothing. He needs to have his own career, his own field, before he can be qualified to stand beside Miss Rong.
The old lady delivered a strong wave of opinions, then suddenly froze.
She used to pray to the Bodhisattva every day, just hoping that Yan'er could be like a normal person. But now, she was actually starting to fantasize about Yan'er having his own career... She was really going crazy.
The moonlight was cold and clear, and the night slowly passed.
Rong Yu had a good night's sleep at the Sheng family home.
After breakfast in the morning, they had to head to the archaeological center. Old Madam Sheng wanted to go, but Sheng Dian stopped her: When you were young, you loved attending various state banquets and grand occasions, and you were often on TV. Too many people in the capital recognize you. It's better if you don't go to that kind of place and cause trouble. Just let Yuan'er tag along.
Sheng Ciyuan immediately said, With eldest brother following me, you guys can rest assured.
Sheng Dian drove, personally escorting the group over.
Min Jianshen was waiting at the main entrance of the archaeological center: Because they are remains, they are kept underground after being transported back to the country. Put on these clothes first and follow me in.
Rong Yu and her group put on protective suits and followed Min Jianshen, slowly descending the metal stairs.
Under the dim lights, the walls of the corridor were mottled with bullet holes. Rusted guns and shattered steel helmets lay quietly in glass display cases. Walking into the special identification room, thirteen remains covered with the national flag were neatly arranged on a constant-temperature platform. The air was filled with the scent of dust and time, so heavy that it made it hard to breathe.
As soon as she entered this space, Rong Yu's mood instantly hit rock bottom, filled with an inexplicable sense of grief and indignation.
She held her son's hand and said softly, Yingbao, I originally didn't want you to come, but you really should see your father once. Don't be too sad, keep a calm mind.
Old Master Ji's voice trembled slightly: I know, don't worry about me.
Rong Yu noticed that since entering this place, Sheng Qingyan's mood had become a bit restless.
She could understand.
But, she didn't know how to handle it either.
She gently held his fingers, giving him strength, hoping that he could find his origin here...
Now we will begin confirming the list of martyrs, Min Jianshen picked up a booklet and said. The soldiers who escorted this group of overseas students back to the country that year totaled thirty-eight, and thirteen remains have been recovered... According to preserved historical data and analysis of the remains' characteristics, the first one from the left is the captain of the third squad of the Navy's special escort team that escorted the third batch of overseas students back, Chen Zhiyuan.
His white-gloved hand carefully turned over the carbonized identification tag. This is the ID found in the volcanic soil layer. There should be no dispute about the identity of the first remains.
The staff beside him immediately recorded it.
Rong Yu's nose tingled with sorrow.
Memories of the past instantly flooded back, and her tears rolled down in large drops.
On the cruise ship back home, Chen Zhiyuan had said that what he missed the most was the chirping of cicadas in his hometown. He even planned to go back and catch cicada pupae after this mission ended, to bring them over for them to taste.
However, he drove a small escort boat and blocked a torpedo for the cruise ship.
He died a heroic death at the age of twenty-three.
Don't cry.
Sheng Qingyan's hoarse voice sounded.
He clumsily raised his hand and wiped away Rong Yu's tears.
Rong Yu suppressed her emotions and listened carefully as Min Jianshen continued to confirm the identities of the martyrs: The second from the left is...
At this moment, her gaze was suddenly attracted by an object on the chest of the seventh set of remains.
It was a pocket watch half-buried in the uniform fibers. The watch chain was rusted and broken, but the intertwined peony pattern on the gilded cover was still clearly visible under the light.
Rong Yu uncontrollably reached out her hand, her fingers touching that pocket watch.
Stop. A young archaeological team member shouted sternly. Do not touch the remains! This is a great disrespect to the heroic spirits!
As soon as the words fell, Old Master Ji suddenly began to tremble violently. The old man's wrinkled hand took out a pocket watch from his inner jacket pocket, the intertwined peony pattern showing the exact same texture under the light.
The gazes of everyone present instantly swept over.
Min Jianshen's gaze was heavy, and he spoke slowly: These remains belong to Ji Zheng, the commander of the Navy's special escort team temporarily established during the Republic of China era.
He is my father. Old Master Ji's voice choked with sobs. This pocket watch is a token of love between my parents. My mother's pocket watch is still here, but my father's has already...
The old man's hand gently stroked the pocket watch, stroking the remaining gold threads on the epaulets of the remains. Those were marks that had not faded even after being buried underground for over seventy years; they were the glory belonging to a warrior.
Dad... Old Master Ji's tears flowed freely. The students you escorted back then all returned home safely. The Zhang family's child became a bridge expert, the Zhao family's child built the first tractor, and my mother became one of China's first-generation mathematicians. There are many, many others who devoted themselves to building the nation, making our China stronger day by day, finally standing at the pinnacle of the world...
It was unknown who raised their hand first, but the staff wearing white coats in the entire identification room stood at attention and saluted one by one.
Rong Yu gently stroked her son's back, afraid that he would faint from being too emotional.
She wasn't paying attention for a moment.
Sheng Qingyan, who was beside her, strode forward and walked to the very front.
The archaeologists thought he was also a descendant of the martyr Ji Zheng, so they didn't do much to stop him.
He first picked up that rust-spotted pocket watch.
Immediately after, he looked at the remains lying there. His glass-like eyes seemed to be injected with something, surging wildly.
His hand suddenly grasped the hand of the remains.
This pair of hands! That pair of hands! Grasping tightly pair by pair, letting go, and grasping tightly again...
No! You can't do this! Min Jianshen hurriedly went to stop him. You can't touch them, it will damage the remains. Rong Yu, quickly hold him back...
Before he could finish his sentence.
Suddenly.
Sheng Qingyan let out a sound and spat out a mouthful of black blood.
Sheng Ciyuan was shocked: Eldest brother! What's wrong with you, eldest brother!