Chapter 31: Chapter 597: A True Story
The red-crowned crane, perhaps hearing the call of its companions, flapped its white wings and began running swiftly through the stream with its long legs.
Its wings flapped up and down, and as it gained speed, it gradually took off.
Its long neck stretched forward, and its slender legs trailed behind like a kite tail, creating a very graceful image.
"Wow, it can fly? There's no netting here, aren't you afraid they'll fly away?"
Fang Ye explained, "We clipped a couple of their flight feathers. They can fly a bit but not too far before they have to land. They're probably heading to the lake behind us to play; many cranes gather there.
The garden's scenery is just for show, with the surrounding trees acting as a natural barrier to limit the cranes' range.
Despite all the paintings showing cranes on pine trees, red-crowned cranes don't actually perch in trees. They thrive in open wetlands with abundant water and vegetation.
However, in the hot summer, many cranes prefer to stay in the forest where there's shade and cool streams, making it a pleasant place to stay."
The Crane Pavilion's environment was peaceful and leisurely, with many visitors resting on benches, enjoying the sight of these beautiful cranes.
There was also a cute girl in traditional Hanfu, with braided hair, holding a black-handled folding fan, gently fanning herself with a smile. A photographer was taking pictures of her.
The elegant and classical garden setting, combined with the graceful cranes in the background, made it a perfect spot for Hanfu photography.
The girl's folding fan depicted a scene of red-crowned cranes flying in the sky, with tassels hanging from the handle, giving it a classical charm.
Recently, the zoo had released a new line of crane-themed cultural products, including folding fans and stationery sets.
The sets featured crane-themed tape, notebooks, pencil cases, bookmarks, and pens, all meticulously designed and beautifully crafted, making them very popular among students!
For students, the allure of beautiful stationery is no less than the appeal of pretty lipsticks for girls.
Many students have a hobby of collecting pretty erasers, regardless of whether they use them all. Just owning them brings joy. Years later, they might find them all stuck together when cleaning up.
Parents might be reluctant to buy plush toys, but they're often willing to buy a stationery set for their kids. A set costs 98 yuan, which is reasonable.
Not only students but many adults also like them and buy them for personal use.
Fang Ye led the viewers through the Crane Pavilion, occasionally providing explanations.
Turning a corner, they exited the garden corridor and arrived at a small square.
Ahead was an expansive wetland lake, with water as clear as a flawless mirror, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds.
Several red-crowned cranes were flying in formation over the lake, their graceful movements mirrored in the water, calling out loudly as they flew.
Some cranes glided down from the sky, spreading their wings like fans, their slender legs extending like landing gear, necks stretched forward.
Landing on the ground, they flapped their wings a couple of times, then walked gracefully on tiptoe, like dancers.
Others were slowly wading in the shallow water, pecking at food, or lying in the water, dipping their beaks and then preening their feathers, cleaning themselves.
Seeing so many cranes moving freely in such a large area was quite spectacular.
"Wow, it's so beautiful! It's like a fairyland on earth!"
"A crane soaring into the sky brings poetic inspiration! No wonder our ancestors loved them so much!"
"It's like they stepped out of an ink painting!"
A viewer curiously asked, "Director, what's this sculpture?"
In the center of the square stood a white sculpture of a girl surrounded by three red-crowned cranes.
The girl extended her left hand, seemingly feeding a crane with a curved neck and open beak in front of her, while her right hand gently petted the neck of another crane behind her, her face beaming with a pure smile.
It was clear the girl loved the cranes, and the cranes were fond of her, showing a close bond between human and crane.
The zoo had many animal sculptures, like tigers at the Tiger Pavilion, lions at the Lion Pavilion, and a Chinese alligator at the entrance of the Reptile Pavilion.
But this was the first time they had a human sculpture!
Fang Ye looked at the sculpture of the girl and the cranes, his expression becoming more serious.
He took a deep breath, adjusted his emotions, and softly sang, "Walking past that little river, have you heard~ There was a girl, she once came here~
Have you heard this song?
The song is called 'A True Story,' and the lyrics tell the story of the statue's inspiration, the crane girl Xu Xiujun."
"Haven't heard it!"
"Haven't heard it +1!"
"Hmm, the Director's singing sounds familiar? I think I've heard it somewhere before!"
"The melody does sound familiar!"
"I know this song! My music teacher taught it in third grade, left a deep impression!"
"I remember the beginning of the song was scary, something about a girl falling into the water. It was a childhood nightmare! I cried the first time I heard it and never dared to listen again!"
"Really?"
"Xu Xiujun was our Northeast Forestry University alumna! She's our school's pride!"
Fang Ye said, "This song was very popular back in the day, spreading across the country. Not just because the singer performed it beautifully, but because it tells a true and poignant story.
Red-crowned cranes are wetland animals, and as their wetland habitats decrease, so does their wild population.
Fortunately, some people are protecting our cranes with their lives.
Xu Xiujun came from a family of crane caretakers; her parents were the first generation of crane guardians in China. At 17, Xu Xiujun began training red-crowned cranes at Zhalong Nature Reserve with her parents.
Later, Xu Xiujun paid her own way to further her studies at Northeast Forestry University, wanting to learn more about animal protection to better care for the cranes.
Due to her family's poverty, the school waived half her tuition, but she still couldn't afford her living expenses, surviving on pickles and steamed buns. She secretly sold her blood four times to support her studies.
Despite such harsh conditions, she completed two years of coursework in a year and a half, graduating with excellent grades in all ten major subjects."
The viewers listened to his calm narration, but their hearts were deeply moved: "Oh my god!"
"Such a heartbreaking story, I want to cry!"
"I feel so inadequate, we must strive harder!"
"This is the power of belief! I admire her so much!"
"What happened next?"
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