A Young Woman's Heart

A man's romance is always associated with war.

Mo Xueyao couldn't help but imagine what it would be like if she were born in that era.

She certainly couldn't have undergone such advanced surgery; perhaps she would have died on the battlefield as a man.

Just like the countless ordinary people who rushed to the front and sacrificed their lives.

No one is born willing to die.

They did this simply so that those behind them could have a better tomorrow.

She bowed deeply and placed the flowers down.

These flowers will be collected later, the plastic bags will be handed over to the waste disposal center for recycling, and the flowers will be used as fertilizer, scattered under the vigorous pine and cypress trees here.

This year, there seemed to be far fewer students with playful and carefree attitudes during the tomb-sweeping ceremony for the second-year high school students.

Even Gao Yuan's face was filled with solemn respect.

It made him seem unlike himself.

After presenting the flowers, Mo Xueyao and Hua Yinyin stood aside, gazing into the distance.

"Phew..." Hua Yinyin subconsciously took Mo Xueyao's arm. "Thanks to their sacrifice, we have what we have today. Why weren't they afraid back then?"

"Hmm... I guess... there are some things that someone has to do, right?" Mo Xueyao turned her head slightly, her sky-blue eyes reflecting the light in the rain.

……

Chapter Twenty-Seven: A Memorial

Clear raindrops fell one by one, tapping on the dark surface of the umbrella.

The young woman with purple hair turned her head slightly and used her umbrella to shield the pretty girl squatting in front of the tomb and the stone tablet that seemed unchanged for another thousand years.

The rain was falling softly, like the sorrowful tears of the sky.

The people of Z country happen to choose this time of year to worship their ancestors, and the gloomy weather only adds to the sadness.

Why not choose summer?

At the very least, the sky was mostly clear and sunny back then. Even if it rained, it would only sweep away the heat and bring coolness.

Perhaps this day was chosen simply so that the living would remember the deceased, and that they would think of him every time it rains like this.

As long as someone remembers them, that person is not truly dead...

This is not the deceased's dying wish, but rather the hope of the living who are separated from him by death.

Not far away, an old man holding flowers squatted in front of his lover's grave. He didn't shed tears, but just smiled and murmured about recent events.

He carried a large, square radio in his hand, from which came the radio broadcast, albeit with some static, adding a touch of life to the otherwise desolate cemetery.

"81192 received, 81192 received. I am unable to return. You shall continue forward! You shall continue forward!"

"These were the last words of pilot Wang Wei before the crash. He had already ejected as instructed. All departments are continuing search and rescue operations in the area. As long as there is a glimmer of hope, we will never give up."

"Sizzle sizzle sizzle... National security... sizzle... sizzle sizzle..."

The static from the radio drowned out the broadcast and mingled with the sound of rain.

Many people came to sweep the tombs, but everyone remained silent, like the passing spirits.

“Sigh…” Zuo Ziya squatted down next to Tian Tingchan and gently stroked her hair. “If only I had been in Hangzhou at that time, I could have prevented this from happening.”

"..." Tian Tingchan gently shook her head. Her face was already wet and turned icy cold when the wind blew, as if it were about to freeze. "Even if she didn't do it that time... she would do it again in the future... she has done it several times already."

"Maybe I won't try again after that one time?"

“It’s hard for a person to be strong.” Tian Tingchan lowered her head and stared at the name of the deceased on the tombstone. “Unless there is something to hold onto, one will try to live on.”

"Um……"

“She once told me that she had thought about hanging herself at home so that her parents could see her dying.” Tian Tingchan forced a grim smile. “But in the end, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Even if she died, she didn’t want to hurt her parents—even though she was already covered in wounds.”

"Later, her parents even disowned her..."

“But she should have a clear conscience and no regrets.” Tian Tingchan reached out and gently stroked the wet tombstone. She pursed her lips, her Adam's apple trembling as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she said nothing. Instead, she let out a soft sigh.

The flowers were gently placed in front of the tombstone, and the two turned and left.

Tian Tingchan couldn't help but turn around. Zuo Ziya took a few steps before realizing that she hadn't followed, so she came back and covered her with an umbrella.

However, the rain had already fallen on her face, mingling with her tears.

"If I die, will Sister Ziya come to see me?"

"What's wrong? Don't bottle up your feelings. There's still a long road ahead."

"I mean... in case."

"It will definitely happen, but I hope that time will never come."

Tian Tingchan forced a smile, and her figure gradually disappeared into the distance, following Zuo Ziya.

The purple sedan was parked outside the cemetery. The two got in together. The misty rain made it difficult to see the world outside the car window. They could only feel that the car was slowly moving, but it felt as if they hadn't gone far.

The gloomy sky blurred everything. Tian Tingchan fell asleep on Zuo Ziya's shoulder, her expression a mixture of a smile and a cry, and it was unknown who she was dreaming of.

……

"Click!" That was the sound of the camera shutter.

It was noon, and the tomb sweeping was over. The remaining time could be used as a spring outing. The students were free to move around in this area, so Mo Xueyao and her friends gathered together to take pictures.

The photographer was Yu Shu, a first-year high school student, who used a digital camera that she had applied for through the art club. She was assigned by Qiu Yi to be a 'special photographer' for Class 2 on this trip.

"Come down to the monument!" Wang Jiale shouted excitedly. "The rain has almost stopped, we can take pictures now!"

"Is it alright to go to the monument?" Mo Xueyao asked hesitantly.

"What's the big deal? Other people take pictures too."

“As long as someone remembers them, they are still alive. Taking pictures is a way to remember them, right, Xiao Yaoyao?” Hua Yinyin put her left hand on Mo Xueyao’s shoulder, wrapped her arms around her neck, and almost pressed herself against her.

It's like a piece of chewing gum; you can't shake it off no matter what you do.

So the girls stood under the monument. Yu Shu put the tripod in front of them, set the timer for taking pictures, and then quickly ran over to Mo Xueyao and the others.

Wang Jiale made the shape of rabbit ears with both hands, and Hua Yinyin followed suit, except that she put the 'ears' on either side of Mo Xueyao's head.

Li Wanyan stood on the flower bed behind Mo Xueyao and put one hand on her shoulder.

Lu Chengyuan squatted down in front of Mo Xueyao, raised her head and touched Mo Xueyao's chin, tickling her until she felt a little itchy.

As soon as Yu Shu ran over, she was hugged by Mo Zhuyou—while Mo Zhuyou was being held by her older sister.

The digital camera flashed red, and then with a 'click,' it captured the moment.

Logically speaking, a martyrs' cemetery should be a solemn place, but wasn't the effort of our predecessors all for the sake of happiness and joy for future generations?

So it's more accurate to say that children's lively and energetic nature is what they're happy to see.

The sun peeked out, casting a few beams of pale golden light through the clouds.

The solemnity and grief of the memorial service were swept away, and even the sky and clouds seemed to become joyful.

The girls chattered like larks, while the boys talked animatedly about the current international situation.

"Do you think Wang Wei successfully parachuted or not?" Zhou Yong asked, leaning against a stone tablet.

Gao Yuan seemed quite optimistic: "It should have been successful, right? They parachuted and landed on the sea, so there shouldn't be any problems."

"It's only troublesome when you land on the sea!" Liu Xiaowei clicked his tongue. "Gao Yuan, your skills are really bad. Do you even know how difficult sea search and rescue is? Even if you jumped in and survived, you definitely wouldn't be able to hold on if you weren't found for several days."

"Sigh, it seems there's little hope." Zhou Yong sighed, a slight smirk appearing on his left lip. "Our country is still too weak..."

“Maybe they’ve already been rescued? Is it just for the country’s strategic needs that they’re temporarily ‘mysteriously disappearing’?” Gao Yuan suggested another idea.

"Oh my, Gao Yuan, so you can think about profound things too?" Liu Xiaowei said with a lewd smile.

"Damn, I'm just too lazy to use my brain, okay?" He rolled his eyes. "Will we ever get to that point...?"

“We can catch up with them now, but other countries will also progress. Doesn’t technology develop?” Liu Xiaowei was pessimistic. “It would be good enough if we could narrow the gap.”

"I hope that day will come, in my lifetime, when we can be more assertive, instead of always being bullied at our doorstep..." Gao Yuan sighed.

"It would be a disgrace not to avenge this wrong, and there will definitely be another opportunity!" Gao Yuan stroked his round chin. "Speaking of which, when the war starts and we are needed to participate, will you go?"

“Yes, I have to go!” Zhou Yong answered decisively. “I can’t wait to go now. Those news reports are making me so angry.”

"Forget it, forget it, I'll definitely be the one leading the way," Liu Xiaowei said confidently. "Anyway, all crows are black, none of them are good."

"Damn, you're still receiving government poverty subsidies, isn't that a bit inappropriate to say?"

"This is just a means to maintain stability..." Liu Xiaowei was not very appreciative. "Let's sort things out internally first. The country didn't do anything for us during the previous wave of layoffs."

“It’s an inevitable stage…” Zhou Yong muttered.

"Actually, there's nothing wrong with being a traitor. In the past, traitors also protected many of their fellow villagers and friends."

"You're all talk and no action. When the fighting starts, you'll be the first one shoved into a cannonball and shot out!" Gao Yuan said disdainfully.

This is just a naive discussion among high school students. Perhaps in a few years, their thinking will undergo a radical change.

Just like during the Republic of China era, many young people who said they wanted to serve their country and save the people ended up becoming traitors and lackeys; many who were hesitant in their youth, or even completely pessimistic before the war started, chose to defend the country and the people after the war began...

Humans are complex.

Before something happens, even your own thoughts are unreliable.

"Lunch is ready—come and get your Qingming dumplings!!" Li Hongran shouted. He was standing in the pavilion next to him, with several other boys carrying large baskets beside him. "Class 2 of Grade 11—come and eat!"

"Are we having Qingming dumplings today?" Mo Xueyao asked with great interest, leaving her companion behind and running over. Every year during the Qingming Festival, she looked forward to eating these dumplings. Many people don't like the taste of green leaves mixed in, but Mo Xueyao liked them very much because they had a rich grassy aroma and weren't bitter at all.

"Three for each person, line up one by one!" Li Hongran shouted to the students who were rushing over from behind.

There are three types of Qingming dumplings, each with a different flavor: red bean paste, green vegetables, and meat filling.

"Ah, I like red bean paste the most, Yinyin, do you want meat or vegetable filling? I'll trade with you."

"If Xiaoyao wants to change, I'll definitely change! But I require Xiaoyao to take a small bite out of every single one she gives me!"

"What kind of weird hobby is this of yours..."