Chapter 263
The ward was completely silent.
The Sheng family exchanged glances.
Ever since Sheng Qingyan was four years old, he had subconsciously begun collecting those historical artifacts. A photograph, a piece of clothing, a scroll... These were all the objects that sustained Sheng Qingyan's life. Relying on these things, he built a massive historical world in his heart, absorbing nutrients from within it.
He never allowed anyone to touch those things.
Those in the Sheng family who were a bit distant from him, such as his young uncle Sheng Yun, did not even have the right to enter the collection room, let alone the servants.
Even the dusting and cleaning of the collection room were done entirely by Sheng Qingyan himself.
He was incredibly careful, treating those artifacts as precious treasures.
In the past, Old Madam Sheng disliked her eldest grandson being obsessed with these things every day, because being too immersed in the historical world caused his autism to worsen.
Now, when her eldest grandson proposed donating all his precious treasures, she subconsciously felt a bit reluctant.
What if one day her eldest grandson relapsed? These artifacts were his life-saving medicine.
"Yan'er, are you serious?" Xu Lu's face was full of disbelief. "Are you sure you want to donate them all?"
Sheng Qingyan spoke slowly, "Museums have temperature and humidity-controlled display cabinets, and molecular-level restoration technology. Only experts can perfectly replicate that history, a history that proves even in this nation's darkest moments, there were still people willing to protect knowledge and civilization with their lives."
"Well said!"
Sheng Dian was overjoyed. These words, spoken so clearly and logically, were enough to prove that his eldest son was indeed no different from a normal person.
Rong Yu watched him quietly.
Although he had recovered a piece of his soul, he had not regained the memories of his past life.
Because she had expectations.
So, it was inevitable that she felt a bit disappointed.
However, didn't this fit scientific logic better?
If everyone in this world remembered their relatives from their past lives after reincarnating, wouldn't it be total chaos?
From another perspective, perhaps this was for the best.
He would no longer remember his biological mother being held down tightly in the muddy water by the Japanese invaders, her hair scattered like broken duckweed. Her fingers had dug into the mud of the riverbank, yet she never called out his or his comrades' names. It wasn't until the last bubble disappeared from the water's surface that the enemy smirked and released their foot...
He would no longer remember his squad leader, at the dawn when they ran out of ammunition and food, stuffing a blood-stained party ID into his arms. To protect him and his comrades, the squad leader had carried a satchel charge and charged into the enemy camp, while he carried his unconscious comrade on his back, breaking through the encirclement over a ground littered with severed limbs...
He would no longer remember when over a dozen young lives rushed toward the machine gun nest arm in arm, those familiar figures disappearing one by one in the hail of bullets, until finally, he was pushed into a bomb crater, his face covered in blood...
He had awakened from nightmares countless times.
He had slashed his wrists with a military knife countless times.
He often sat in the dark night until dawn...
But history had not given him the right to break down. There were always new teammates, always losses, always healing, always walking on an endless revolutionary path...
Rong Yu smiled and gently wiped the corner of her eye.
He had lost his painful memories.
He now had a family that loved him.
She so hoped—
That those heroic souls who never got to hear the horn of victory could experience this peaceful, bustling world.
That those young faces forever frozen in black-and-white photos could reincarnate into this beautiful land they had exchanged their lives for.
"Miss Rong, what's wrong?"
Old Madam Sheng noticed her emotional state and, temporarily ignoring her eldest grandson, quickly handed her a tissue.
Rong Yu shook her head and said, "I'm fine."
To be able to reunite in this prosperous era.
How could this not be a gift from God?
She looked at Sheng Qingyan, "Let's get to know each other again. My name is Rong Yu."
Sheng Qingyan sat up, "My name is Sheng Qingyan."
He was very proper and exceptionally serious.
Rong Yu suddenly wanted to laugh.
So when he and she first met, he was this aloof. Compared to the person who was super clingy every time they met later, it was like night and day.
Sheng Qingyan watched her smile.
A massive surge of unfamiliar emotion inexplicably rose and fermented in his chest, completely beyond his control... It was as if a few small sprouts had instantly grown into a towering tree, its lush branches and leaves forcefully occupying his entire heart.
"Buzz, buzz!"
Old Master Ji's phone began to vibrate.
"Hello, are you a descendant of Ji Zheng? Ji Zheng's remains have been... Please come to the Capital Martyrs' Square tomorrow at 3:00 PM to attend the posthumous award ceremony."
Old Master Ji immediately replied, "Alright."
He instantly called all his grandsons. For such a major event, the entire Ji family had to be present.
Rong Yu took one last look at Sheng Qingyan, "Goodbye."
In her era, goodbye most likely meant never seeing each other again.
But in this prosperous era, goodbye simply meant see you again. She looked forward to their next meeting.
Old Madam Sheng stood up to see them out and strongly invited the two of them to come as guests to the Sheng family again next time.
Rong Yu smiled and agreed.
Ji Mohan's car was waiting at the hospital entrance. He respectfully carried the bags for the two elders and drove to Ji Yanting's large flat in the capital.
By nightfall, all the descendants of the Ji family had arrived.
Ji Zhiyuan, Ji Yanting, Ji Mohan, Ji Jingchuan, Ji Zhouye, and the youngest generation's Duoduo.
Old Master Ji said, "This flat is still a bit too small. Yuan, didn't you buy a few villas in the capital a few years ago? Get someone to tidy up the largest one, and have the garden designed too. When your great-grandmother comes to the capital to attend university in a while, she'll have a place to stay."
Ji Zhiyuan couldn't help but ask, "If great-grandmother comes to the capital for university, are you going to move in too, Old Master?"
"Of course." Old Master Ji looked entirely justified. "If a child doesn't follow their mother, then tell me, who should they follow?"
Ji Zhiyuan rubbed his forehead.
A seventy-eight-year-old child, only the Old Master was thick-skinned enough to say such a thing out loud.
Old Master Ji, afraid of being rejected by his own mother, hurriedly spoke up, "Yan has a studio in the capital, Mo is at the materials institute here, and later Chuan and Ye will also apply for universities in the capital. It's perfect for us to look out for each other, right, Mom?"
Duoduo felt wronged, "What about me, Great-Grandpa? Are you going to leave me all alone in Haicheng?"
"You silly girl, how are you alone?" Old Master Ji gently tapped her nose. "You have a father, and now you have a mother too. You are the happiest child in our Ji family."
For the past few generations of the Ji family, they were either orphans or raised by single parents. Every one of them grew up soaked in bitterness.
Duoduo had suffered for a few years, but now she finally had both her parents.
Duoduo pursed her lips and smiled.
Actually, her family treated her very well, and her aunt treated her even better, but it still wasn't the same as having a mother.
A mother is a mother, an existence in this world that no one else can replace.
The next day.
Everyone in the Ji family changed into solemn black attire and drove to the Capital Martyrs' Square.
At six o'clock in the morning at the Martyrs' Square, the white marble monument loomed in the morning light, like an unsheathed sword.
Thirty-six honor guards were slowly approaching, carrying a coffin draped in the national flag. The sunlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating the mottled dents on the coffin.
The Ji family group converged with the other relatives.
However, for many of the martyrs, no descendants could be traced at all. They had never married and left no children behind...
The families walked inside, and the posthumous awarding ceremony officially began.
On the street across from the Martyrs' Square sat a parked car. The driver, Sheng Yun, the youngest uncle of the Sheng family, looked at the person in the passenger seat and said, "Yan'er, these martyrs belong to a period of history you were once obsessed with. If you wish to attend the ceremony, with the Sheng family's status in the capital, you'd only need to say the word to get inside."
Sheng Qingyan clutched his chest.
He didn't understand why his heart was pounding so violently, as if resonating with something unseen.
He sat there for a long moment until his racing heart gradually settled. In a quiet voice, he said, "Uncle, let's go to the military district."
His life was only just beginning at twenty-four, far later than anyone else's. He needed to spend more time to bridge the gap and catch up.