Principal Chen had just returned from the sniper base to his dormitory. Before he could rest, several instructors came to ask him a few questions. When the phone rang, Principal Chen was still communicating with the instructors.
Without looking at the call, Principal Chen knew who the caller was.
He picked up and asked with a smile, “Ye girl, you’re out today?”
Principal Chen had no relatives, and because of his identity, he had disconnected from his former comrades. Similarly, Regiment Commander Liu only contacted Principal Chen during the day after he was discharged from the army. The same was true for Political Commissar Yan. Therefore, the only one who would call him on a Friday night was Ye Jian.
Ye Jian could only contact Principal Chen when she was out. Otherwise, she was isolated from the world. She almost never went out.
Ye Jian was rushing here and there during the May holiday, so she didn’t greet Principal Chen properly, although he understood her busy life and didn’t put it to heart.
Hearing the familiar voice, Ye Jian’s eyebrows curled brightly, “Uncle Chen, I will come over this Saturday night and give you a huge surprise.”
“You’re in Yunnan Province now?” Her brisk and bright voice infected Principal Chen, making him smile brightly in front of the other sniper base instructors, “It sounds like a good surprise.”
“Of course, I told you it’s going to be a huge surprise, of course, it’s a good surprise. Do you have anything to do on Saturday night? If not, I will book your time on Saturday night and Monday morning.”
“What else do I have to do? What time are you coming over on Saturday? Do you want me to send someone to pick you up?” Principal Chen was very happy with Ye Jian’s arrival, and his face that was full of wrinkles with the vicissitudes of life, showed a smile.
Father Fu asked Ye Jian to make a phone call to Principal Chen, who had helped her so much as if he was her father. There was a kind smile in his eyes throughout their journey.
A daughter was a child who knew how to be grateful. Such children were kind and responsible.
After confirming the time and chatting for a while, Ye Jian hung up the phone. Her father will be meeting Uncle Chen tomorrow. The thought made Ye Jian so happy that her joy had diluted the sadness of visiting Martyr Sun Xueqing in the Martyrs Park tomorrow.
When Father Fu saw his daughter happy, he was also very happy.
On Saturday morning, around 5 o’clock in the morning, Ye Jian and Father Fu went to a flower shop that had already opened to buy some flowers. When Ye Jian took five stocks of white chrysanthemums, she heard Father Fu’s little muffled voice, saying, “Take the yellow chrysanthemums, your mother loves yellow chrysanthemums, and take some red roses. Once your mother asked me when I was going to give her a bouquet of red roses? She said because it represents love. But… I left for the army before I was able to send it.”
Ye Jian’s heart trembled. They hadn’t even gone to the cemetery yet, but her father was already sad.
In the end, they bought four stocks of white chrysanthemums, two to put in front of the monument and another two to put in front of Uncle Gen’s tomb. They also bought another bouquet of yellow chrysanthemums, a bouquet of red roses, and a bouquet of carnations… The last one was the flowers she dedicated to her mother.
The father and daughter, both in military uniforms, went to the Martyrs Park with seven bouquets of flowers.
At about 6 o’clock, they presented a bouquet of white chrysanthemums in front of the stele in Martyrs Park. The stele was engraved with eight vigorous and powerful golden characters, “Revolutionary martyrs immortal.” The two bouquets of white chrysanthemums were placed there, and the father and daughter raised their hands to salute to the monument.
Those soldiers who were buried there were all martyrs who sacrificed for the country. The two father and daughter saluted in their military uniforms to show respect for the martyrs.
“Let’s go.” Father Fu put down his arm, holding the white chrysanthemums and Ye Jian. They walked around the monument and headed up the mountain.
