The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 315: Chapter 315: Interview on the Train

Han Xiaoqing smiled, then took a fountain pen from her shoulder bag. On the next line, she wrote, ”I’d love to!” and signed her name, Han Xiaoqing.

Qi Wenxuan, who had been a bit anxious, lit up when he saw the five words Han Xiaoqing had written. ”That’s wonderful! Xiao Jing, you’re my girlfriend now.”

The middle-aged man laughed heartily. ”That’s more like it, young man! You have to be proactive! Where are you two headed?”

Qi Wenxuan answered, ”We’re going to Yunnan!”

The middle-aged man was surprised. ”Hello, my name is Wei Jianjun. I’m a reporter for the Yunnan Province TV Station. You sound like you’re from Shencheng. Why would you be going to Yunnan during the Lunar New Year?”

When Han Xiaoqing heard he was a TV reporter, her eyes lit up. ”Actually, this is my sister and brother-in-law’s honeymoon trip. They decided that the first stop of their honeymoon would be the Malipo Martyr’s Cemetery, to pay respects to his fallen comrades.”

Wei Jianjun was taken aback by her words. ”A honeymoon... to a martyr’s cemetery?”

As a reporter, he had a keen nose for news, and he suddenly felt that this combination of words was incredibly impactful.

Wei Jianjun quickly pulled out a notebook and pen. ”Which one of them was a soldier?”

Han Xiaoqing replied, ”My brother-in-law! He participated in the Laoshan Campaign. Many of his comrades died there.”

A look of deep respect appeared on Wei Jianjun’s face. ”Your brother-in-law is a hero!”

Han Xiaoqing shook her head. ”My brother-in-law never considers himself a hero. But he’s always believed that his comrades resting eternally in the Southern Border are the true heroes.”

”So, can you tell me—was it your brother-in-law’s idea to go to the martyr’s cemetery for their honeymoon, or your sister’s?” Wei Jianjun asked hastily, then seemed to realize he might have been too blunt. ”I’m sorry. It’s just that I think this has great news potential. Please forgive me if I was being too forward.”

The originally lighthearted atmosphere turned solemn. Everyone’s thoughts turned to that war and the soldiers who fought to protect their homeland.

Han Xiaoqing shook her head. ”Mr. Wei, you weren’t being forward at all. Since you’ve asked, I’ll tell you. This is part of my sister and brother-in-law’s love story. There’s nothing that can’t be said.”

”It was my sister’s idea. My brother-in-law visits his fallen comrades, the ones he fought shoulder-to-shoulder with, every year. It wouldn’t make sense for him to stop just because he got married this year.”

”My sister has always encouraged my brother-in-law not to drown in his past sorrows. She says that as long as we remember the fallen, they are never truly gone. Because they live on in our hearts.”

”Now that they’re married, it’s even more important to visit his former comrades and tell them. Tell them that the motherland is safe, that the people are living happily, that their sacrifice had meaning and value. That their heroic deeds are destined to be passed down through the ages, etched into the long river of history.”

Wei Jianjun was deeply moved by Han Xiaoqing’s words, his fountain pen flying across the page of his notebook.

After he finished writing, he asked, ”Could... could I interview your sister and brother-in-law? I’m a reporter. My article could be published in the newspaper. That way, more people will see it, and more people will remember the soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice.”

Han Xiaoqing was taken aback. ”I’ll go ask.”

Han Xiaoqing was now a little worried she had been too talkative. ’What if my sister and brother-in-law aren’t willing?’

When Han Xiaorui and Ye Feng learned that a reporter from Yunnan wanted to interview them, they were momentarily stunned. ”Xiao Jing, that’s fantastic.”

Han Xiaoqing was taken aback. ”Sis, you’re really willing? You don’t think I overstepped?”

Han Xiaorui shook her head. ”Why would I think you overstepped? Everything we’re doing is to commemorate those fallen heroes. If this means more people will remember the heroes resting in the Southern Border, then of course your brother-in-law and I won’t refuse an interview. Right, Ye Feng?”

Ye Feng wasn’t one for the spotlight, but what Han Xiaorui said made sense. Besides, since the opportunity had presented itself, it must be fate.

”Your sister is right.” Ye Feng deferred to Han Xiaorui’s judgment on everything.

Wei Jianjun was thrilled to hear that Han Xiaorui and Ye Feng had agreed to the interview. He came over with his notebook and fountain pen to begin.

The interview lasted an hour, with Wei Jianjun asking most of the questions and Ye Feng providing the answers.

When he learned that Wu Jiao and Wu Yao were the sisters of a fallen comrade and that Ye Feng and Han Xiaorui had arranged jobs for them, Wei Jianjun was astounded.

He had served in the military himself and understood the bonds between soldiers all too well.

The camaraderie forged through life-and-death situations, in particular, was the rarest and purest in the world.

Soldiers who made it back from the battlefield alive would, for the most part, do whatever they could to take care of their fallen comrades’ families.

And Ye Feng had done just that!

After the interview, Wei Jianjun didn’t even bother to eat. He worked overtime, writing and endlessly revising his article.

Qi Wenxuan held Han Xiaoqing’s hand. ”I used to think that all I had to do was study hard to serve the country. At school, our teachers would tell us that if we go abroad and learn advanced technology, we must remember to follow the example of our predecessors and come back.”

”A lot of people chant the slogan about coming back to serve the country, but I know many who go abroad never return. The material comforts out there are far beyond what we have here.”

”But now I’ve found the reason why I must come back. A country that is large but not strong will always be bullied. Only when we are strong enough to command respect will the bullying stop, and only then can we reduce such sacrifices. In the future, when I’ve learned advanced skills, I will definitely come back.”

Han Xiaoqing smiled. ”I, Han Xiaoqing, really know how to pick them. You’re a man with ambition. My sister often says that no matter how good another country is, it’s still someone else’s country. Besides, our country isn’t bad at all; it’s just a little behind.”

”If one generation isn’t enough, it’ll take two, or three. Eventually, we’ll build our country up. You’re studying the sciences and you get such good grades. If you come back and dedicate yourself to this field, you’re sure to become a pillar of the nation. Just like top students who studied abroad, like Qian Xuesen and Deng Jiaxian. The conditions were harsh, but their achievements were immense. They are the backbone of our country. Those are the kind of people whose names are recorded in history, whose legacies last for centuries.”

Qi Wenxuan looked at Han Xiaoqing, her face radiant and her eyes full of determination, and made a silent vow. ”Xiao Jing, if I go into military-industrial research, the pay might not be high. It’ll be a spartan life, and I might not be able to give you the kind of life your sister has.”

”But my parents have set me up with property in Shencheng, so we should be free from worries about food and clothing. I won’t make you live too hard a life. Are you still willing to be with me?”

Han Xiaoqing smiled and said with a playful pout, ”As long as you’re working for the country and its people, you’re my hero. If we had advanced weapons back then, maybe fewer of my brother-in-law’s comrades would have died.”

”Do whatever you want to do. As long as you don’t betray the country, as long as you’re not a traitor, as long as you use your intelligence to build up our nation, I’ll be with you. I’d even be willing to support you on my salary. But if you ever dare to sell out the country, I’ll be the first to report you.”

Seeing Han Xiaoqing’s dead-serious expression, Qi Wenxuan found her incredibly endearing.

’She was the only one he would ever marry in this lifetime!’

On the train, they confessed their feelings, shared their heartfelt thoughts, and looked toward their future life together, making the bond between Han Xiaoqing and Qi Wenxuan grow even more intense and passionate.