Jiang Yan held it in her hand and hastily smoothed out the wrinkles, afraid of damaging it.

  She reached in and pulled out the letter, then opened it.

  "Close friend:"

  Jiang Yan, I hope you never get to see this letter, because if you do, it's likely that we'll be separated by the heavens and the earth. Next year, you'll have to go watch Erhai Lake alone, don't blame me for breaking my promise!

  Also, remember to get two photos taken for me, the photos must have you in them, and it's best if my little uncle is also in them. He's always busy, so he might not be able to make it, but just keep asking him until he agrees to go with you. I'm really hoping that you two will be together forever, don't forget! Originally, I wanted to be your bridesmaid, but now it seems like that won't work out. If I were to actually be your bridesmaid, I'm afraid you'd be scared to death on your wedding day.

  I'm about to leave, but the class monitor suddenly asked me to write something. I don't know what to say. All I can say is that I'm thrilled to have a friend like you in my short 21 years of life. My writing skills are not as good as yours, and you know I'm better at advanced math as an engineering student. Just one sentence: I wish you happiness wherever you are, whether near or far, but it must be greater than mine.

  Don't be sad for me for too long, don't cry for too long, and don't regret it for too long. If I really made the sacrifice, then it would be glorious, I am a hero, you should smile.

  The class leader gave me a word limit, so I'll talk about something else. At first, I was actually quite uncomfortable, thinking that the people here were fierce and the environment wasn't good, and the food was hard to eat. But as I got along with them for longer, I grew to love this place, its people, and every inch of land even more. This is probably what I learned from my time in the army. In these two years, I've been doing pretty well, don't mention it, but Xinjiang naan bread is actually quite delicious, I think it's better than mantou, if you have a chance, you should try some, just be careful not to chip your teeth!

  Jiang Yan, you've always been a great girl, the only bad thing is that you're a bit poor at judging people, and actually fell for someone like my little uncle. He's really not good enough for you. You, who are far away in a foreign land, must shine brightly! You are the most promising one among our trio.

  Finally, Jiang Yan thought to herself, "I'd better not tell him those unmentionable little thoughts of mine, or he'll have to live with guilt for the rest of his life. This is my own business after all, I shouldn't trouble him. I still wish for him to be happy and content for the rest of his life."

  Beautiful woman Tang Man

  One Spring

  Every word, every sentence, she read with eyes that ached, as if a knife was scraping against her eyelids, tears streaming down uncontrollably, each drop falling onto the thin page.

  Jiangyan held the paper and photos in her arms, with tears blurring her vision, as if she saw again that girl wearing a military uniform, with short hair, smiling at her, smiling so brightly that even the wind and snow became a backdrop.

  Apart from that photo, Jiang Yan seemed to have never seen Tang Man wearing a formal military uniform before. Even when she suddenly ran back that time, she was only wrapped in a military coat on the outside.

  This is also one of Jiang Yan's regrets, an irreparable regret.

  *

  The day our family went to pick her up, except for Jiang Yao who was sitting in confinement after childbirth, everyone else went, all wearing black clothes.

  The old man and the old lady also went. Originally, the old lady had leg disease and was inconvenient all along, but she still insisted on going, just to atone for her own sins.

  In fact, as for Tang Man, she had never hated the two old people, nor was it because they were Ruan Jiangjin's relatives.

  The two old men had resented her because of the damage to Ruan Jiangjin's future, but they had never treated her harshly, and compared to the beginning, it could only be said that they were just cold-shouldering her.

  At least, our family gave her a home, a home that others can't even think of.

  They all bowed first, and Ruan Jiangjin took over, with a national flag still covering her ashes box.

  His hand trembled slightly and almost dropped it.

  Such a lively person is now lying in a square box, with an unspeakable sorrow in his heart.

  On her tombstone, chrysanthemums were placed in full bloom. The white ones were from Ruan Jiang's ribbon, and the yellow ones were prepared by her comrades-in-arms for her.

  Ruan Jiangjin stretched out his hand and gently swept across her tombstone, on which there was still a photo of hers, with that pair of fox-like eyes looking exceptionally beautiful.

  She was a child he brought out from the mountains, and in fact, Tang Man never knew why Ruan Jiangjin chose her.

  Among those children, she was actually not the most pitiful. At least compared to others, she didn't have a missing arm or broken leg.

  Ruan Jiangjin, why did he choose her? Even he himself had almost forgotten after all these years.

  It all started with his reason for going to that mountainous region.

  Before meeting Jiang Yao, he wasn't inexperienced in love affairs, but had gone through a passionate and intense romance.

  When he was young, his first love was a teacher who went to teach in a mountainous area.

  In the same year, he also applied for a transfer to that mountainous area. The old man just thought he was young and needed experience, so he agreed.

  The two had originally agreed that they would get married once she was transferred back to the city.

  But at that time, heaven did not comply with people's wishes. A mountain disaster took away not only Tang Man's parents but also his first love.

  And his first love was coincidentally Tang Man's language teacher at that time.

  He had seen Tang Man's child in a classroom, where she came to ask questions with her homework.

  Even later when Ruan Jiangjin thought about it, he felt that it was quite a coincidence. So among the crowd, he picked Tang Man, that dirt-faced, pitiful Tang Man.

  In the early years, he couldn't accept the fact that his first love had passed away, so he stayed in that poor mountainous area for a long time. Others thought he was trying to prove himself, but he also held onto his own obsession and refused to let go.

  Later, because Tang Man spread some bad messages about him, the old man insisted on calling him back. He went to the border and stayed there for several years again.

  It wasn't until he took a break that year and met Jiang Yao that he gradually learned to walk out of the pain.

  He spent most of his time in the military camp and didn't accompany that child much. More than a decade has passed, and Ruan Jiangjin will feel that time really flies fast.

  That little girl with a humble appearance has now become a national heroine who sacrificed her life for the country.

  But sometimes Ruan Jiangjin also wonders if he had instilled too many of his own ideas in Tang Man, leading her to choose the same path as him.

  Just like the old man had cultivated him since he was young, giving him too many constraints, so that he had always lived cautiously.

  He lived for thirty years and did three things against the Ruan family.

  The first thing was that he insisted on staying in the mountainous area, the second thing was that he ignored the rumors and stayed with Tang Man at the beginning, and the third thing was that he married Jiang Yao despite opposition.

  These three things are the most rebellious and satisfying things he has ever done.

  But if he could do it all over again, he thought, he wouldn't have taken Tangman out of those mountains.

  Worked through the night to add more, now exhausted

  (End of chapter)