War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 2042 Finale: A Spring Night's Dream
On a midsummer night in 1997, in Taibei Military Dependents' Village, a woman with gray hair but an elegant demeanor sat in front of the television in the small living room on the second floor of Changming Pharmacy, holding a cigarette with a filter tip between her fingers, staring blankly at the live broadcast on the television.

Every now and then, she would look at the memorial tablet in the shrine, where her close friend Tang Yingluo was enshrined.

"On behalf of the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison, I am taking over the barracks. You may step down, and we will take over."

"That's great, they're home."

"Will it be like this when we go home, Andy?" the now-no-longer-young Mika murmured.

In the empty living room, the only companion for the old man was a large, equally aged, colorful parrot.

Unfortunately, this parrot wasted half a century and never learned a single useful phrase.

"Andy, I...I miss home, I want to go home." Meixiang stared blankly at the live broadcast on TV.

"Raise the national flag of the People's Republic of China and the regional flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region."

"Look forward!"

With a powerful and confident shout, the red flag on the television screen rose slowly and forcefully.

"I've been having a lot of dreams lately."

Meixiang continued talking to herself, "I dreamt of Canhua, I dreamt that he and that girl Qiushi were performing for us."

At this point, Meixiang smiled with great satisfaction, "I even dreamed about it. In my dream, there was another person. He kept taking pictures of us and even called us cousins. But I couldn't see his face clearly. I only remember that he was a silly boy with a pure heart."

We took so many photos back then! Time flies so fast; in the blink of an eye, we've all grown old.

Meixiang stood up shakily, took out a few incense sticks, lit them, and placed them in front of her friend's memorial tablet. "When I left back then, I had a dream, and I've been dreaming about it day and night ever since. I dreamt that we were riding in a car, walking down that wide street, and participating in the founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China."

I dreamt of people singing and dancing on the street, and of vendors handing out candy, fruit, and cigarettes to everyone.

I dreamt of Brother Tang, I dreamt of the Guan family's patriarch, and I also dreamt of the Xu family's brothers and...

Meixiang wiped away the cloudy tears that had welled up in her eyes. "We promised Canhua we would go back soon. We've let that silly boy down. He's waited for us his whole life."

"Grandma, you're homesick again."

Just then, a man who looked to be in his forties came up and helped Meixiang sit down again.

"yes"

Meixiang sighed, "I'm wondering if your parents are doing well. Wanggui, tell me, what's the situation on the mainland now?"

"Grandma, I haven't been back for over ten years either."

"You miss home too, don't you?" Mika sighed.

“There are many more people who miss home than I do. My junior brother and I either faked our deaths or came here with the infamy of betraying our master and ancestors, all so that more people can go home and return to their roots.”

"look"

Meixiang pointed to the live broadcast on the TV and said, "The country is strong now, they have already gone home, and we will be soon too."

"Yes, we'll be there soon. Grandma, would you like some sesame seed cakes? I'll have my wife go and light the stove right now."

"I want to eat it."

Meixiang wiped away her tears again and again, "Wanggui, sing me a song, just sing Dingjun Mountain, I've been looking forward to hearing your parents sing this opera day and night."

"Okay, I'll go get my junior brother right now, and the two of us will sing for you together."

"well"

Meixiang answered absentmindedly, her aged eyes fixed on the live broadcast on TV with envy.

Soon after, the aroma of crispy sesame cakes wafted from the kitchen downstairs, and shortly after that, in the small living room upstairs, two middle-aged men began to sing "Dingjun Mountain" with measured steps.

That night was July 1, 1997. In her dream that night, Mika saw those familiar people again, and even saw the back of the person holding a camera.

"Cousin, you're having another nightmare."

At Clara's farm, Wei Ran served a plate of homemade sesame cakes to his cousin Mei Xiang, who seemed to have just woken up, and Tang Andy.

"Your cousin's here." Meixiang, now radiant again, wiped away her tears. "Why are you here again? You shouldn't be wasting your time..."

"Cousin, Cousin Meixiang, Cousin Andy."

Wei Ran lit cigarettes for the two of them, then handed them two newspapers that still smelled of ink. "You're going home. Today, you're going home."

Tang Doudou and her boyfriend went home first today. I returned the bookstore to them; they weren't planning to stay there. Instead, they took my RV, saying they wanted to see the sights.

"Clang!"

Meixiang slammed the gold cigarette holder and the Zhonghua cigarette she was holding onto the table. After a moment of stunned silence, the data stream, along with Tang Andy beside her, picked up the newspaper from the table.

A moment later, they were already in tears of joy.

"Canhua"

Wei Ran looked at Tao Canhua sitting next to him and said, "Let's sing a song called 'Dingjun Mountain'."

"It's time to sing a song about Dingjun Mountain, it's time to sing a song about Dingjun Mountain!"

Tao Canhua said excitedly, "Qiushi, get everyone moving!"

"Coming!" Qiu Shi responded crisply, and a stage gradually appeared in the ranch, built by the data streams themselves.

"Cousin, let me play a piece called Guangling San for you."

Wei Ran said, "Back then, I made a promise to you, and I also made a promise to Canhua."

"Okay, okay, we're listening." Meixiang tried again and again to wipe away the tears that had been accumulating on her face for far too long, but she couldn't stop them at all.

In the outpouring of tears that had been hidden behind strength and forbearance, in this dream world that belonged only to Wei Ran and Data Flow, a song called Guangling San, which contained too many stories of nameless heroes, also rang out.

"We're going home"

“Yes, we’re home.” Tang Andy squeezed Meixiang’s hand tightly.

"I want to eat Master Meng's sesame seed cakes, I want to eat the fried cakes sold in the 'three no-man's-land' (a place where no one can go), I want to go dancing in the Seventh Heaven, I want to go..."

Meixiang finally let go of all her strength, "I want... I want to go see Shang Wukuai's play again."

“I’ll take you there,” Wei Ran said.

"you"

Meixiang gave a bright yet regretful smile, "Go in my place, go and see the complete China."

"it is good"

Wei Ran nodded. "I will go and see this complete, prosperous and powerful China on your behalf. I will be your photographer and your eyes."

"This time it's not a dream, is it?" Mika asked cautiously.

"No, this time it's not a dream."

Wei Ran sighed, "My cousin's dream, which she had been longing for day and night, has come true."

"It's not a dream, it's good that it's not a dream."

Meixiang stared blankly at the stage not far away and the opera troupe who were trying on makeup. "I hope it's not a dream. I'm really scared. I'm scared that I'll suddenly wake up and find that it's all just a dream, all for nothing."

"This time it's not like that."

Wei Ran patiently comforted her, "This time it really isn't a dream. You're home, cousin, you're home."

"It's not a dream, it's good that it's not a dream."

Meixiang subconsciously gripped Tang Andy's hand tightly beside her. At the same moment Wei Ran finished playing Guangling San, the stage in the distance began to beat drums and gongs, singing the Dingjun Mountain scene that had been waited for and anticipated for far too long.

end

Those who live in dreams, those who dedicate their lives to creating dreams for every ordinary person, firmly believe that the motherland will eventually be unified and will eventually return to the top of the world.

I dedicate this humble work to all the unsung heroes and internationalist fighters against fascism, and to all the ordinary people who strive, fight, and study hard to achieve the reunification, prosperity, and strength of our motherland.