"You could go see him first. If he can pass you a note, things will probably be much easier." Liu Daqiang knew quite a bit.
"Okay, then I'll go find him first." Liu Zi decided that they would take the train to Jinzhong City first.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Liu Daqiang asked.
"No need. Zheng Dong is from Shanxi Province, and he knows the way well if he accompanies me." Liu Zi had already arranged everything, and the letters of appeal from both units had arrived. She planned to set off in the next couple of days.
Two days later, Liu Zi and Zheng Dong arrived in Jinzhong City in the evening.
They found a relatively large hotel and decided to rest for one night.
They went to the municipal government early the next morning, and because they had a letter of introduction, Mayor Wang quickly made time to meet with them.
Knowing that the other party was very busy, Liu Zi kept it brief and showed them everything she had prepared.
Mayor Wang looked around while Liu Zi spoke.
Upon hearing about the current state of the martyrs' cemetery, Mayor Wang expressed his shame, saying that they had not done a good enough job.
Liu Zi said emotionally, "Martyr Zhang Gen's last wish was to be buried in his hometown. He probably never imagined that his son would die on the battlefield of Vietnam!"
Mayor Wang ultimately made the final decision, agreeing to the matter in principle. Aunt Zhang was an extraordinary military family member, a hero's mother, and a model of caring for the young.
He immediately called the leaders of the relevant department and instructed them to handle the matter as a special case, and to arrange for them to keep the letter of introduction and letter of appeal brought by Liu Zi on file, so that Zhang Da Niang could be buried with Zhang Genlie in the martyrs' cemetery after her death.
Liu Zi was surprised that things went so smoothly, with Mayor Wang personally getting involved.
The municipal civil affairs department specially dispatched a car and personnel to take Liu Zi and Zheng Dong to the local competent department.
As this was the first case of a husband and wife being buried together, relevant government departments held a special meeting with the martyrs' cemetery management unit to arrange the relevant procedures, as well as the date and location.
When Liu Zi presented the relevant documents for martyrs Zhang Gen and Zhang Qiang, as well as letters of introduction from various parties, everyone present understood the reason for this exception.
Two martyrs from one family—that's a remarkable thing anywhere.
Despite the poor living conditions in the countryside and being all alone, Aunt Zhang, as a survivor, still made sure to help the hungry children.
Several of the female comrades present began to wipe away tears after seeing the document.
With the deeply moved crowd working together and Mayor Wang's approval, the matter was quickly settled.
Next year on Qingming Festival, martyr Zhang Gen will be moved to the martyrs' cemetery first.
After everything was arranged, Liu Zi prepared to leave.
Before leaving, Liu Zi handed 50,000 yuan to the director of the martyrs' cemetery in front of everyone who came to see her off.
She hopes the money can be used for the renovation and reconstruction of the martyrs' cemetery; this is just a small token of her appreciation.
The director was taken aback; this was the largest single donation they had received since the martyrs' cemetery was built.
Liu Zi's move surprised the leaders, and the kindergarten director hurriedly waved his hand and said, "No, no, Miss Liu, we appreciate your kindness, but this is too much money."
“Director, I know that 50,000 yuan is just a drop in the bucket when it comes to repairing the entire martyrs’ cemetery, but it’s a small token of my appreciation. Please don’t think it’s too little,” Liu Zi insisted.
The headmaster didn't dare to make the decision himself, so he looked at his superior standing to the side.
The leader thought for a moment, then stepped forward and said, “Ms. Liu, on behalf of the county party committee and the county government, I thank you for your generous donation. We will set up a special account for this money, and every penny of it will be spent on the construction of the martyrs' cemetery.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Zi smiled and nodded. To be honest, it was already quite good for a county-level martyrs' cemetery to have done this much.
The government is also short of funds, and it will take time to allocate funds. With this money, some parts of the cemetery can be renovated immediately.
Liu Zi took Zheng Dong back to Beijing without stopping, and immediately told Aunt Zhang about it.
Aunt Zhang's eyes immediately welled up with tears.
"Can I really be buried in the martyrs' cemetery with Zhang Gen?"
"Yes, the mayor of Jinzhong has given his word and agreed to your request. I just came back from the county, and they received a lot of documents from me. The relocation of the grave can officially begin tomorrow, Qingming Festival." Liu Zi smiled and reassured Aunt Zhang.
"That's wonderful, that's wonderful, Zizi, thank you so much." Aunt Zhang sighed, feeling that she hadn't done anything to deserve such trouble.
"Auntie, we're family, this is all I should do." Liu Zi not only thanked Aunt Zhang for protecting Lingzi back then, but also for taking care of the family over the past year.
She was often away on business trips, so Aunt Zhang took on all the responsibilities, leaving her with no worries at all.
Even her parents said that Aunt Zhang treated the two children no differently than their own grandmother.
"Yes, yes, we're family, we're family." Aunt Zhang's tears still fell.
Only she knows how much suffering she has endured since her husband and son left.
On the surface, she was a respected military family member, but in private, many people ridiculed her for bringing bad luck to her husband and children.
When she first came to Beijing, she only intended to accompany Lingzi back for a visit. Unexpectedly, after hearing about her experiences, Liu Zi did not look down on her at all and took the initiative to ask her to stay, even offering her living expenses.
She had an incredibly comfortable year.
After returning from her last trip back to her hometown, she realized that she had unknowingly come to regard this place as her home.
"Please don't cry anymore. When Lingzi and the others come back, they'll think I bullied you! Today is a good day. I'll call Mom and Dad, and we'll go out to eat as a family," Liu Zi said happily.
"The two children will be so happy to know." With one worry resolved, Aunt Zhang smiled through her tears.
"Where should we eat?" Liu Zi thought about how many new restaurants had recently opened.
"Let's eat mutton! Lingzi was talking about the lamb chops you bought last time the other day!" Aunt Zhang was thinking only of her children.
"They have so many things they want to eat! Never mind them for now, today we'll listen to you, Auntie. Whatever you say we'll eat, we'll eat!" Liu Zi complained about her two daughters without leaving any room for negotiation.
"Alright, since you're listening to me, then I'll treat you to dinner tonight," Aunt Zhang suddenly said seriously.
"Auntie, I have money." Liu Zi was surprised.
"I know you have money, but I just wanted to thank you. I feel really bad that you did all this for me," Aunt Zhang said earnestly.
Liu Zi scratched her head. "Since that's the case, let's go eat mutton hot pot!"
She knew a long-established restaurant where the soup was fragrant, the meat tender, and the prices reasonable.
The family enjoyed a delicious hot pot dinner, and Mr. and Mrs. Liu even shared a couple of drinks with the exceptionally happy Mrs. Zhang.
Everyone knew about her heartache, and Liu Zi solved it directly. Aunt Zhang looked much more energetic.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
