After reading this, Zhou Haiyang's tears couldn't help but flow down, and his eyes were completely blurred.

While sobbing, he struggled to read:

…

When I went around to the bottom of the cliff and found Lin Nan, she was already covered in blood and flesh.

With tears in my eyes, I packed up Lin Nan's body. I carried her on my back and walked for more than a month, finally crossing Huanglian Mountain and returning to my motherland.

After I came back, I wanted to write to you several times, but every time I picked up the pen, I couldn't help but think of Lin Nan.

Thinking of the time when we joined the army together and came to the army from Ningcheng, and the days when we were together, I couldn't stop crying.

Forgive me! Ocean, it is not until today that I have the courage to write you this letter.

…

Lin Nan’s comrade-in-arms Zhuang Yan

…

When Zhou Haiyang finished reading this letter, whether it was because of his own tears or the tears left by Lin Nan's comrade-in-arms on the letter paper, all the handwriting was almost unreadable.

The sudden bad news made Zhou Haiyang, who was in grief, once again open the memory gate of him and Lin Nan.

All traces flow out uncontrollably and without any cover-up...

Time brought him to a morning in the summer of 1971.

In the parking lot of Ningcheng City Long-distance Bus Station, a long-distance bus is starting.

"Uncle driver, just wait! He will definitely come."

A girl with two pigtails, a delicate face, wearing a white short-sleeved shirt, grass green military trousers, and a pair of black buckled cloth shoes.

She glanced at the empty seat next to her and begged. This was the third time she asked the driver.

"Can't wait any longer! It's already five minutes past the departure time. If he can't catch this bus, he can take the next one..."

After saying that, the car slowly drove towards the exit of the parking lot.

The girl sat on the seat by the window, her eyes filled with tears, and she looked out the window anxiously.

…

At this moment, at the exit gate of the parking lot, Zhou Haiyang was wearing a short-sleeved crew-neck sweatshirt, dark blue trousers, and a pair of grass-green rubber shoes.

He had a bag on his shoulder, a grass-green satchel on his chest, and a luggage bag in both hands. He bent his waist and quickly got in under the fence.

When the guard in the parking lot saw this, he yelled: "Hey! Stop!"

Zhou Haiyang ignored the doorman, rushed into the parking lot, and ran towards the oncoming car.

As he ran, he shook the luggage in his hands and shouted loudly: "Wait for me! Uncle driver, wait..."

At this time, another staff member in the parking lot quickly surrounded Zhou Haiyang and stopped Zhou Haiyang with his hand: "What's the matter with you?!"

Zhou Haiyang was out of breath and begged: "Uncle, I'm sorry, I am an educated youth who goes to the mountains and countryside. I was delayed on the way. I have a ticket..."

Hearing Zhou Haiyang's voice, the girl sitting in the car suddenly stood up from her seat: "Ocean, it's the ocean..."

Tears suddenly burst out of her eyes: "Uncle the driver, stop the car, stop the car, he is an educated youth who went to Yongfeng County with me to go to the mountains and countryside to jump in the queue.

Open the door! Let him get in the car! The seat next to me is his."

At this moment, a boy in the seat behind the girl saw this and immediately stood up: "Uncle driver, let him get on the bus. We are all educated youths who jumped in line together..."

Other passengers in the car also asked the driver for help.

Seeing this, the driver stopped the car. He opened the door and shouted to Zhou Haiyang under the car: "Get in the car quickly!"

The girl wiped her face carelessly with the back of her hand: "Thank you, uncle driver, thank you classmates, thank you uncles and aunties."

Zhou Haiyang's face was covered with sweat, and he got into the car panting: "Thank you, uncle driver."

Then, he smiled at the girl again.

"We agreed to go to Yuanping together, where have you been? Why are you here now?" The girl glared at Zhou Haiyang angrily, her face full of resentment and blame.

"Sorry, I went to the train station to say goodbye to the classmates who were going to Yunnan to jump in line.

I had calculated the time and made it in time, but I didn't expect the train to leave half an hour late..."

"No way! If the train is an hour late, will you wait until the train leaves?" the girl exclaimed.

"My classmates have been together for six years. I don't know when we will see each other again after this parting. I have endless things to say..."

"I thought you changed your mind again and followed them to Yunnan..."

Zhou Haiyang smiled honestly and said, "How can we do that? It's all agreed upon..."

At this time, a boy in the back seat of the girl stood up and stretched out his hand: "Hello, I am from Ningcheng No. 1 Middle School, my name is Liu Yan, please meet me.

What a coincidence! You also went to Yuanping Educated Youth Point in Yongfeng County to jump in line, right?!"

"Yes! We are from Ningcheng No. 2 Middle School. My name is Zhou Haiyang. She is my classmate. Her name is Lin Nan. Nice to meet you."

…

When I first came to Genpei, it happened to be the annual rice "double rush" season, and the first farm work I did was to harvest, plow the fields, and transplant rice seedlings.

The rice fields in Yuanping are all located halfway up the mountain. They are terraced fields in layers. The biggest difference in time between layers is two meters high. The width of the field ridges is generally between 20 and 30 centimeters.

The largest planting area does not exceed one acre, and most of them are fragmented fields such as "belt mounds" and "three fields with a leap of frog" that can only be planted with one or two rows.

Walking on the field ridge is like walking on a rope, it's scary.

If you are not careful, you may slip into the puddle or fall into the next terrace.

"Oh my God! How are you going to walk on such a narrow road?" Lin Nan, who was walking in front of Zhou Haiyang, was walking on a field ridge for the first time that day and was stunned!

As soon as she took the first step, she couldn't take the second step.

No matter what, I dare not lift that foot up, for fear of falling if I lift it up.

She stood there for almost ten minutes. If she didn't leave, Zhou Haiyang wouldn't be able to leave.

Zhou Haiyang couldn't walk, and the dozen or so people behind him couldn't move.

Finally, Lin Nan was so anxious that she cried.

Zhou Haiyang was also worried about her, but he didn't know how to help her...

He could only say to Lin Nan from behind: "Don't be afraid! Raise your head! Look forward!"

After a while, Lin Nan was seen crying, slowly bending down, arching her legs, sticking her butt up, and lying on the field ridge with both hands.

Zhou Haiyang was stunned on the spot!

Seeing Lin Nan's limbs slowly moving forward step by step, he couldn't help but feel distressed.

After a while, Lin Nan stretched out a hand and gestured to Zhou Haiyang behind him: "Haiyang, give me your hand and hold me."

Seeing this, Zhou Haiyang smiled bitterly and said: "The most important thing when walking on the ridge is the center of gravity. You can't hold hands. If the two people's center of gravity is unstable, it will be harder to walk."

Lin Nan was reluctant and almost cried.

Zhou Haiyang sighed and stretched out one hand to hold her.

Unexpectedly, as soon as Lin Nan stood up and took the first step, he staggered and dragged Zhou Haiyang into the muddy field.

The two of them were covered in mud and water, and Zhou Haiyang was sitting in the mud field, looking embarrassed.

Lin Nan pointed at Zhou Haiyang and laughed loudly: "Didn't you mean the center of gravity? The distance between us was too big just now, so the center of gravity was unstable. You should stay close to me, so that the center of gravity will be stable."

Zhou Haiyang couldn't laugh or cry: "Just let me hold you."

Unexpectedly, Zhou Haiyang's unintentional words, which the listener meant, made Lin Nan always remember...

One night before Lin Nan joined the army, the moon was bright in the sky.

Lin Nan asked Zhou Haiyang to accompany her on another terrace walk.

When the two came to the terraces, Lin Nan said to Zhou Haiyang: "Do you still remember the first time we walked on the terraces?"

"Remember!"

"Do you still remember what you said at that time?"

"What did I say? I said a lot. What are you referring to..." Zhou Haiyang said truthfully.

"You said you would hold me and walk across the field..."

"I, I didn't mean that, I meant..."

"I don't care. Anyway, you can't keep your word. I'm leaving tomorrow. Can't I satisfy this requirement?"

…

Under the moonlight, Zhou Haiyang held Lin Nan's upper body with one hand and supported her legs with the other hand, walking step by step on the rickety field ridge.

Lin Nan's arms hugged Zhou Haiyang's neck tightly, and his two beautiful eyes looked at Zhou Haiyang with tears in his eyes.

Zhou Haiyang's heart was beating fast, his eyes were evasive, and he didn't know where to look.
To be continued...