The classroom was very quiet, with only the sound of the teacher lecturing slowly and steadily. The students were taking notes with focused expressions.
"What's wrong with you today?" Ji Yue looked at Su Qingyun and finally couldn't help asking her.
As soon as he arrived this morning, he keenly noticed that Su Qingyun was in a bad mood. In previous classes, she would write, draw, and do some calculations. Although she didn't listen much in class, she was not idle either. But from this morning until now, she has been in a daze, glancing out the window from time to time, looking restless and lost.
What's wrong with her?
"Huh?" Su Qingyun came back to his senses and looked at Ji Yue who was worried. "Nothing, I just didn't sleep well last night."
She had something on her mind and barely slept the entire night before.
Su Qingyun glanced at the wall clock. It was already half past three. She pursed her lips. It was almost time, almost time, that moment was coming.
Ji Yue frowned and looked at her, but didn't ask any further.
Su Qingyun watched the time without blinking. Finally, a few minutes after four in the afternoon, when classes were in progress in all the classrooms of the town middle school, the only radio on campus suddenly sounded, interrupting the teachers' lectures.
"Teachers and students of the school, please suspend the class. Please suspend the class. We are now reporting a major news." The heavy voice of the principal of the town middle school sounded.
Su Qingyun closed his eyes and came.
All the teachers and students fell silent, listening to the principal reading out every word on the radio. Upon closer listening, one could detect that his voice was choked with sobs.
"At 4:00 PM this afternoon, following a notification from the National Radio Station, various departments nationwide jointly issued a 'Letter to the Whole Party, the Whole Army, and the People of All Ethnic Groups Nationwide,' solemnly announcing the passing of our great leader in Beijing at 12:10 AM, Beijing time, on September 9, 1976, at the age of 83. Heaven and earth mourn his passing, and all things lament."
"We will always cherish the memory and praise the great achievements he made during his revolutionary career, which will forever be recorded in history. He dedicated his entire life to the Chinese people. He is a great patriot and national hero. His glory will forever illuminate our way forward. History and the people will always remember him!"
The principal spoke the 200-word notice on the radio in a halting manner, choking up several times and losing his voice, making it almost impossible to form a complete sentence.
The principal forced himself to repeat it three times.
The huge campus was so silent that even the sound of wind blowing through fallen leaves could be heard. All the teachers and students in the school stood still, their mechanical brains struggling to function, and they were unable to react to what was said on the radio.
The scorching sun outside the window suddenly retreated into the clouds, and the sky suddenly darkened, just like everyone's heart at this moment was covered with a layer of gloom.
How could this happen? How could he pass away so suddenly? Shouldn't a great man like him live a hundred years? He should be like the sun in the sky, shining forever on them!
No one reacted for a long time. After an unknown amount of time, a slight sobbing sound was suddenly heard. Then the sound became louder and louder, and more and more people cried. Soon, the whole campus was filled with heartbreaking cries. The grief and shock in the cries were obvious.
Su Qingyun sat in the midst of the crying, her eyes gradually becoming moist, and she shed tears. Although she had been mentally prepared, at this moment, she still empathized with everyone of this era and felt sad for the passing of a great man.
For her in her previous life, this might just be a major event in history. She had not experienced it personally, so she would not know what it would feel like to be in this situation.
Su Qingyun finally understood that even if the butterfly flapped its wings, the course of history would continue to move forward, and she could not change any direction.
The huge rock in the torrent of history finally hit her, the butterfly that suddenly broke in. The strong tremor made her feel weightless, and even her soul was numb from head to toe.
Ji Yue's eyes were also red. He turned his head to look at the stunned Su Qingyun, and suddenly had a strange feeling in his heart. He didn't know why, but he always felt that Qingyun seemed to have expected something.
No, no, no, it's impossible. Who can predict matters of life and death? Ji Yue felt that his guess was a bit too ridiculous, and soon, this idea disappeared without a trace.
This scene at the town middle school is happening all over the country at this moment, and the whole country is crying.
With such a major incident happening, the school was closed. Su Qingyun and Xia Qiu were walking on their way home when the town government's car broadcast the sad news through the streets and alleys. The sound of crying could be heard everywhere.
The two returned to the village in silence without saying a word.
It was the busy farming season, and people should have just gotten off work at this time, but there was not a single person in the village. A heavy atmosphere enveloped the entire village, making it hard to breathe.
Su Qingyun understood that the news had also spread to the village.
When she returned home, she saw her family sitting at the table in a daze. There was food on the table, but no one moved. Everyone was crying silently.
Seeing Su Qingyun come in, Wu Guixiang raised her tear-swollen eyes and said reluctantly, "Bao, you're back? Come and have dinner."
The family seemed to have just come to their senses. They quickly wiped their tears, picked up their chopsticks, and held up their bowls, but the sadness was still clearly visible on their faces.
"Let's eat, everyone." Wu Guixiang greeted everyone weakly.
Everyone started to move mechanically and silently, eating their meals. No one spoke, and a dull atmosphere spread in the house.
"Wuwu..." Zhang Xinlan whimpered as she ate. She lowered her head, tears already falling into the rice. She put the bowl on the table and couldn't hold it back any longer. She burst into tears. "Tell me, why did God take away the best man in the world?"
Zhang Xinlan is not well educated and she doesn't understand matters of family or national importance. She only knows that if it weren't for that person, they wouldn't have their current life and everything they have now. Such a good person should live for thousands of years. How could God be so blind?
Her crying triggered a chain reaction, and everyone started crying again. In the house, there were waves of heartbreaking crying, and it was impossible to eat.
Su Qingyun looked at everyone's sad faces and her nose felt sore. If she hadn't come to this era, young people living in a peaceful and prosperous era decades later might not be able to imagine the admiration that people of this era had for great men.
The passing of this great man has affected so many people. He was not only the leader of this country, but also the most respected person in the hearts of countless people. When he left, he also took away a bit of their soul.
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