Su's Funeral Company.
Su Chen received a call from his landlady.
"Why did you suddenly want to go to Pingzhuang Public Cemetery? Did something happen to you?"
Su Chen asked in surprise.
On the other end of the line, his landlady seemed somewhat taken aback.
"You little brat, are you hoping something happened to me? You work in funerals, yet you don't even know what happened at Pingzhuang Public Cemetery?"
"I've been busy out of town these past two days. What happened at Pingzhuang Public Cemetery?"
Su Chen hurriedly pressed for details.
That was where Chu Guozhong was buried. In Dragon Country's traditional beliefs, nothing was more important than allowing the dead to rest in peace.
What could possibly happen at a cemetery?
Then his landlady explained.
"No wonder you haven't been around these past two days—you went out of town. This has already blown up online. It was exposed yesterday. I don't know whether you saw that popular article from before, 'A Great Figure in an Ordinary County: Old Man Chu of Qingyang County Donates All three million yuan in Relocation Funds Before His Death!'"
"Yes, I know."
Su Chen frowned slightly. He had read that article too. It had been written by a reporter about Chu Guozhong.
It had also mentioned his three filial children.
It seemed to have been quite popular at the time.
"That Old Man Chu—do you know who he was?"
"A veteran?"
"Huh? I thought you didn't know?"
"I guessed."
"Good guess! But you definitely don't know the story behind him! Yesterday, a reporter from a veterans' newspaper published a report. After several days of investigation and interviews, he uncovered this old hero's past! During the War of Resistance Against Japan, this old hero suffered more than a hundred wounds all over his body, several of them life-threatening. Over more than ten years of war, he participated in nearly a thousand battles of every scale! He even earned a First-Class Merit Citation during a counteroffensive! More than twenty medals, large and small! This low-key old man had hidden all those military medals away in a little box. Even his children had no idea what a great hero their father had been!
"The old hero lived quietly his entire life, and even when he passed on, he chose only an ordinary public cemetery plot! I cried when I saw it. I heard that this combat hero's grave is being moved to the Martyrs' Mausoleum today! Come with me to Pingzhuang Public Cemetery. Let's pay tribute to the old hero together!"
There were no customers at the moment.
Su Chen had no reason to refuse, so he agreed.
He knew Chu Guozhong was a veteran.
But he had not known that Chu Guozhong had once risked life and limb for Dragon Country on the battlefield, earning such illustrious military achievements!
What an incredibly low-key hero!
Very soon, his landlady, Lin Yu, arrived at his company.
Lin Yu, who usually dressed boldly and sexily, was much more properly dressed today.
She had driven her own BMW sports car over.
"Su Chen, get in your big sister's car!"
She tossed him the BMW keys and had him drive her there.
Su Chen raised an eyebrow and teased her.
"So you want me to be your chauffeur?"
"If that's how you insist on seeing it, I won't deny it!"
Lin Yu chuckled.
Before long, the two drove toward Pingzhuang Public Cemetery.
Pingzhuang Public Cemetery.
A long line stretched out, with several thousand people waiting in it!
After Chu Guozhong's story was exposed, his identity as a hero could no longer be hidden. More and more people had begun coming voluntarily to pay their respects to this great hero.
Even people from distant provinces and cities had traveled thousands of miles to come.
The two could only get out of the car and slowly follow the crowd into Pingzhuang Public Cemetery step by step.
Before Chu Guozhong's grave.
Three ceremonial soldiers held military medals, an urn, and a certificate recognizing him as a martyr!
The ceremonial soldier in the middle stepped forward and solemnly handed the urn to Chu Guozhong's three children!
Beside them, the person in charge of relocating Chu Guozhong's grave faced everyone and announced loudly.
"Following verification by multiple parties, we have confirmed that Comrade Chu Guozhong, buried here, was a combat hero! During the War of Resistance Against Japan, he participated in 1,035 battles and received one Third-Class Merit Medal and twelve Second-Class Merit Medals. His achievements in battle were extraordinary! Before his passing, he also donated all his property to impoverished schools, helping countless poor children gain the chance to attend school!
"The hero wished to remain low-key, but we must not forget him!
"We will now welcome the grave of hero Chu Guozhong back to the Martyrs' Mausoleum!!"
As soon as the words fell,
Countless people present burst into tears.
Chu Guozhong's former relatives and friends in particular were moved to tears by what they heard.
They had never imagined that Chu Guozhong, who had once lived beside them, possessed such a glorious past.
Heroes were right beside them!
Chu Guozhong's grave was about to be welcomed back to the Martyrs' Mausoleum.
No one doubted whether Chu Guozhong was qualified for it. Those more than twenty gleaming military medals were proof enough!
An urn covered in red silk was held in Chu Anfu's hands as he personally carried it toward the Hongqi Car that would transport it, under everyone's watchful eyes!
As the crowd stood in collective salute, the hero's urn, military medals, and martyr certification were carried into the Hongqi Car one after another.
As they watched the Hongqi Car gradually drive away, the atmosphere was solemn.
Many people were moved to tears.
Salute to the veteran!
Salute to the hero!!
Among the crowd, Su Chen noticed that some residents of Huayi Town had come as well.
The two teachers, Xiao Lin and Xiao Ai, had brought the children. Each child wore a small white flower on their chest and stood not far away, filled with gratitude and respect!
Invisibly, the spirit of Chu Guozhong, a hero of the War of Resistance Against Japan, had spread to these children.
How fortunate they were to live in this country!
To have countless heroes like Chu Guozhong,
And countless pioneers like Tang Ying, who had gone without hesitation to teach and put down roots in impoverished mountain regions!
A nation with hope could not be without heroes;
A country with a future could not be without pioneers!
Please remember: the day before National Day is Heroes' Memorial Day.
Before you continue