"Peace and ordinary life return to the mountains and rivers!
May you gaze upon it as you wished!
Children, sleep soundly in your dreams!
Just as you loved them so..."
As the emotions intensified, the scene returned to the stage.
Chen Rong stood on the stage, surrounded by the remnants of a ravaged holographic projection, looking up.
The ravaged land beneath her feet was rapidly being revitalized!
A rosy glow poured down from the heavens, illuminating the earth and making it shine brilliantly!
The projection seemed to shuttle through time, the images flowing rapidly.
High-speed trains sped past in the morning sun, possessing an aura of pioneering everything, forging ahead!
Children played and laughed, their smiles innocent and pure!
The bustling night view of the city, with its dazzling lights!
Rockets adorned with the national flag accelerated from slow to fast, soaring straight into the clouds!
All of this was a pioneering endeavor!
The descendants, carrying the wishes of their ancestors, had forged such a prosperous era!
Finally, this world is as you wished!
"And I will dream the reunion you dreamed,
And wish the eternity you wished,
Walk the long road you walked,
Loving you so!
I will also see the world you have not seen,
Write the poems you have not written,
The moon in the sky, the thought in my heart,
You will forever be by my side..."
As the final stanza began, numerous aircraft appeared on the large screen.
Upon seeing this, everyone could no longer hold back their tears, which began to fall like rain!
The scene was all too familiar.
It was the scene of the volunteer soldiers returning home not long ago.
Soldiers, carrying boxes draped with the bright red national flag, were welcomed home with the highest honors.
Moved!
Remembering!
Revering!
Countless emotions converged.
Everyone rose from their seats,
Whether it was the live audience or those watching the Spring Festival Gala broadcast.
This prosperous era was exchanged for the blood of the ancestors.
As descendants, we must protect this land!
Protect the wishes of our ancestors!
"I will meet you for a lifetime of clarity,
Like your youthful face..."
The music gradually faded.
The majestic singing suddenly transformed into an incredibly gentle hum.
It was like a spring breeze soothing the excited hearts of the audience.
As everything returned to tranquility, the projection on the stage also disappeared.
Only on the big screen, the streak of red flag fluttered in the wind under the sun.
The applause in the venue roared!
It was endless!
Chen Rong wiped away the tear stains on her face.
She bowed deeply to the audience.
Then, she slowly descended on a lift.
There was still one song left before the countdown to the New Year.
And according to tradition,
A specific song would be played.
"Happy New Year."
This was a classic old song written by a producer of the older generation.
Every year, the Spring Festival Gala would end with a chorus from everyone present.
After this song was sung,
The atmosphere in the venue became joyful once more!
"Dear friends, are you ready? Let's count down together!"
"Ten!"
"Nine!"
"..."
"One!"
The moment the final bell struck!
Brilliant fireworks were set off simultaneously in many places!
They used their own ways to show their ancestors that
This was a prosperous era!
...
Chen Family Village.
Chen Jing sat on the sofa, hugging her knees.
The moment the bell struck,
She wiped away the tear stains on her face, got up from the sofa, opened the door, and rushed out.
Her mother, watching her retreating figure, opened her mouth to speak but finally stood up and followed.
Chen Jing ran out of the house and along the country road.
Although it was winter, the weather was excellent that day, and the road was visible under the moonlight.
In the sky, colorful fireworks and the sound of explosions created a lively scene.
However, Chen Jing had no mind to admire the brilliant fireworks.
She passed through several small paths and finally arrived in front of a grave.
Panting heavily, she stared blankly at the small hill without a tombstone.
Then she sat down on the steps beside it.
"Dad, another year has passed, and I'm eighteen now."
She picked up a branch from the ground and, with her head lowered, poked at the soil casually.
"I haven't spoken to you in so many years, not even seen you once. You're a truly neglectful father..." A bitter smile played on her lips.
She had never known who her father was since she was a child.
At the age of seven, when she was in elementary school, her mother, with teary eyes, pulled her home from the classroom.
When she saw the uncle and the urn on the table, she didn't understand what was happening. She only heard her mother insist on burying him next to their home, not in a martyrs' cemetery.
Chen Jing later learned from her mother's explanation that she actually had a father, and he was a police officer. Her father had been on missions outside the home since she was one year old and had never returned.
Over the years, her mother had also remained silent about her father's affairs. When she was little, she told Chen Jing that her father was a hero.
On the day she saw her father's urn, Chen Jing also heard the uncle say that her father was a hero and gave her a photo of her father.
In the photo, her father looked very young, with a warm smile. It was the first time she had ever seen what her father looked like since she could remember.
However, she was a bit puzzled why the uncle said he was a police officer, but he wasn't wearing a uniform.
And if her father was a hero, why did he not even have a memorial tablet after his death?
Later on,
Chen Jing gradually came to understand what kind of hero her father truly was.
"Dad, I heard a song today. I want to play it for you." Da Feng Novel Network.
Chen Jing took out her phone and searched online for the song "Ru Yuan." After the Spring Festival Gala, the platform had already released the recorded version of the song online.
"You are the distant road,
A lamp in the misty mountains,
I am a child, walking in your eyes..."
Under the night sky,
The music began to play.
Chen Jing's mother finally caught up.
She saw her daughter sitting by her husband's grave, playing "Ru Yuan."
Tears instantly streamed down her face.
But she said nothing, standing there quietly.
After the entire song finished,
Chen Jing got up from the ground.
She brushed the dust off her clothes.
Then she took out a student ID from her pocket.
The cover of the card was printed with the school's name and a badge. Under the moonlight, the badge reflected light, and the words "Police" could be faintly seen. The back of the student ID contained the photo the uncle had given her back then, which was also her only photo of her father.
Chen Jing gazed at her father's grave and suddenly stood at attention, giving him a very standard salute.
"Dad, I will walk the path you walked and continue to be this hero in your stead!"
Her voice was choked with tears, yet filled with determination!
Her mother, unable to hold back any longer, her legs buckled, and she collapsed onto the ground, weeping uncontrollably.
She supported her daughter, just as she had supported her husband before.
But that didn't mean her heart didn't ache!
...
ps: Original singer of "Ru Yuan": Faye Wong, Lyrics: Tang Tian, Music: Qian Lei