Arriving in the county seat, Han Chen immediately went to the bus station to buy a ticket. However, there were no buses running to the provincial capital that afternoon, so Han Chen had no choice but to go to the transport depot to see if there were any other truckers going there. Coincidentally, two other truck drivers were also going to the provincial capital, so Han Chen took their truck. The fare was a little more expensive than buying a ticket at the bus station, costing three yuan, but now was not the time to worry about the price.
Mingwu watched Han Chen get on the car. After the truck drove away, he drove the tractor back to the village. After returning to the village, he stopped at the door of Liu's house and told Liu's father that Han Chen had got on the car, and then continued to drive the tractor to the brigade headquarters.
The truck was a little faster than the car and arrived at the provincial capital at around five o'clock. After arriving at the provincial capital, Han Chen went to the train station to buy a ticket. There happened to be a train to Beijing departing at seven o'clock in the evening, but there were no seated tickets, so Han Chen could only buy a standing ticket.
After buying the ticket, Han Chen ate something hastily at the train station. He had no appetite at all and didn't know what the food in his mouth tasted like or whether he was full. He just stuffed the food into his mouth mechanically. For him, food only helped him to increase his mental and physical strength.
When the time came, Han Chen boarded the train carrying his sack and found an empty spot to stand. At night, Han Chen sat on his sack, and Xuemei even stuffed a thin quilt inside it, fearing that Han Chen would be cold on the train.
But Han Chen had no desire to sleep at all. He was still immersed in the sorrow of Lin Hongzhi's sacrifice, and his mind was thinking about everything he had done with Lin Hongzhi since childhood.
Han Chen and Lin Hongzhi are of similar age, so they went to school and graduated together since childhood. After Lin Hongzhi graduated from high school, he joined the army and the two met less often, but they still kept in touch and often exchanged letters.
Han Chen's relationship with Lin Hongzhi is closer than that with other people in the Lin family. In his heart, Han Chen regards Lin Hongzhi as his own biological brother, although due to the boy's desire to win, he has never called him brother.
Lin Hongzhi was a chubby and strong boy when he was young, while Han Chen was pretty and looked like a girl since she was young, and she often bullied little boys.
Every time Lin Hongzhi joined Han Chen in a fight, they would always go home together, regardless of winning or losing. After Han Chen's father died, Lin Hongzhi secretly brought some candy that his older brothers and sisters had hidden for Han Chen, saying that his father, Lin Jianye, would be his father from now on.
Later, when Lin Jianye was on vacation, Lin Hongzhi told Lin Jianye about this matter, and dragged Han Chen to Lin Jianye, saying that Lin Jianye was willing to be his father and he should not be sad about this matter in the future.
Since he was a child, Lin Hongzhi always looked naive and silly in front of Han Chen, but Han Chen knew that he was only like this in front of his family and people he trusted, and in fact he was not stupid at all.
Han Chen arrived at Beijing Railway Station on the morning of the 12th day of the first lunar month. After arriving, he didn't even have time to have breakfast and immediately took the bus to the Lin family.
When Han Chen arrived at the Lin family with a dusty look on his face, the gate of the courtyard was open. A coffin was placed inside the courtyard. There was no one in the courtyard and the door of the living room was also open. As soon as Han Chen entered, he saw everyone talking to an old military uniform.
Juan was the first to discover Han Chen. He pulled Han Chen in and said, "Xiaochen, it's a good thing you came back in time. Hongzhi will be buried this afternoon. Come and say goodbye to him!"
The Lin family members and several people in military uniforms made way for Han Chen to walk to the military uniform placed on the table.
Han Chen looked at the old military uniform on the table, and then looked at the Lin family. Lin Songguo looked not in good spirits. Juan supported him while he himself was using a crutch.
Compared to when they came back last year, Lin Jianye and his wife looked five or six years older, and the white hair in their hair was more prominent. Everyone in the Lin family had uncontrollable grief on their faces. Lin Ziying also came back, and the Lin Jin brothers knelt on the mat in front of the table, very silent. They also knew that they would never see their uncle again.
Han Chen then looked at the old military uniform on the table. Without anyone telling him, he understood that Lin Hongzhi's body would probably not be found, and they could only build a cenotaph for it.
Han Chen looked at the old military uniform on the table silently, and spoke to Lin Hongzhi in his heart. After he finished speaking to Lin Hongzhi, Han Chen turned around and said, "I'm done!"
Lin Songguo nodded and said to Yu Qing, "Xiao Yu, go to the room and bring Lele out. Let her say goodbye to Hongzhi!"
Lin Ziying looked at Han Chen's confused expression and said, "Lele is Hongzhi's daughter. She was only one week old. When Zeng Yu heard about Hongzhi's sacrifice, she gave birth prematurely in a panic."
After Lin Ziying finished speaking, Yu Qing came over, supporting a pretty woman who was holding a child in her arms. Yu Qing supported the woman holding the child and bowed three times towards the table.
The child who was originally sleeping soundly started crying loudly after the worship. When everyone heard Lele crying, they couldn't help but shed tears as well.
Yu Qing wiped her tears and said in a hoarse voice: "Xiaoyu, don't cry, you are in confinement!" After saying that, Yu Qing helped Zeng Yu back to the room.
Lin Songguo sighed as he looked at the backs of Yu Qing and the other man. Then he said to Lin Jianye, "Jianye, the sun is out. Let's take Hongzhi to the Martyrs' Cemetery! Let him rest in peace soon!"
Lin Jianye nodded sadly. He then picked up the old military uniform, cap, and shoes on the table and walked into the yard. Lin Hongwen and several other soldiers lifted the coffin lid. Lin Jianjun carefully placed the items in his hands into the coffin, then carefully arranged them. Finally, he took a look at the old military uniform and shouted, "Close the coffin!"
Then, Lin Hongwen and Han Chen each took one foot, and together with two other comrades in military uniforms, they lifted the coffin and walked out together with the soldier comrade leading the way. Behind them, except for Zeng Yu's mother and daughter, and the old woman who was temporarily hired by the Lin family to take care of Zeng Yu, everyone else followed behind the coffin.
It was quiet along the way and no one spoke. After arriving at the Martyrs' Cemetery, Han Chen and others slowly placed the coffin and started digging. Lin Jianye also joined in. Finally, it was Lin Songguo who made the decision to bury the last handful of soil in Lin Hongzhi's coffin. After everyone buried the coffin, they placed the stone tablet they carried in front of the grave.
After everything was done, everyone stood in front of Lin Hongzhi's tombstone for a while, until snowflakes began to fall from the sky. Lin Songguo bent down and touched the tombstone in front of him, then slowly stood up and said to the people behind him, "Let's go back! Don't let Hongzhi worry!"
After Lin Songguo finished speaking, he said to the four military comrades, "Thank you, four comrades, for coming to see our Hongzhi off for the last time. Our whole family is very happy that Hongzhi has comrades like you!"
The four military comrades saluted and bowed to the Lin family. One of them said, "Comrade Lin Hongzhi is an outstanding soldier. We are proud of him!"
After the soldier comrade finished speaking, he said goodbye to the Lin family and left with the other three soldier comrades!
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