Capítulo 32: Chapter 598: Dance of the Cranes
Fang Ye continued, "After her advanced studies, Xu Xiujun went to work at the Yancheng Nature Reserve.
When she set off for the wintering grounds of the red-crowned cranes, at the Yancheng Nature Reserve under construction, she took nothing but three crane eggs with her.
These were her gifts to the Yancheng Reserve—three crane eggs that she saw as three little cranes.
For the 5,000-kilometer journey, Xu Xiujun used a synthetic leather bag, a hot water bottle, half a pound of cotton wool, and a thermometer to care for the three crane eggs.
Artificially incubating red-crowned crane eggs is very challenging; even a slight temperature change can cause the incubation to fail.
When there was no hot water on the train, she kept the eggs warm by tucking them inside her clothes, using her body heat.
Thanks to Xu Xiujun's meticulous care day and night, all three crane eggs successfully hatched. It was the first time cranes were hatched in a low-latitude wintering ground. She named the three red-crowned cranes Longlong, Dandan, and Shasha.
In 1987, Xu Xiujun hurried from home to Yancheng, bringing two swans named Liming and Muren. As soon as she got off the train, she received the news that Dandan had died.
Dandan was her favorite crane, with a leg problem that made it hop when it walked. Xu Xiujun often took it outside to catch bugs and had a deep bond with it.
Not long after, Longlong died from ingesting parasites, vomiting blood during an injection. Xu Xiujun cried her heart out, holding Longlong in her arms.
On September 15th, the swans Muren and Liming were playing in the river and forgot to return home.
Xu Xiujun urgently went to find them, as she couldn't bear to lose them too. After searching for two days and nights, she heard Liming's call from the river. Without taking off her shoes or clothes, she went into the water to find them. The river wasn't deep, but it was difficult to navigate through the reeds. She then disappeared.
The next day, people found Xu Xiujun in the river; she had drowned. She was only 23 years old when she died."
The screen was flooded with comments like "Tears!" and "Salute!"
Fang Ye finished the story with a sigh, finding it hard to calm his emotions.
The statue was placed here because such a real and touching story can deeply move everyone who sees it, making them understand what wildlife conservationists do and what they sacrifice.
At this moment, the nearby broadcast started playing.
The statue's base had a detection device that, when someone read about Xu Xiujun's story for more than two minutes, would automatically play a song as a surprise.
A gentle female voice began to sing softly, as if a mother were telling a story to her child:
"Walking past that little river, have you heard~ There was a girl, she once came here~"
The melodious tune drifted over the clear, beautiful lake, spreading far and wide.
Visitors admiring the beautiful cranes couldn't help but turn their heads to look.
Many viewers, especially the younger ones, had never heard this song.
Some had heard it but didn't know the story behind it.
When Fang Ye sang a bit earlier, it didn't feel particularly special.
But now, after hearing Fang Ye's story and listening to the gentle yet sorrowful melody, a vivid picture appeared in their minds.
A young girl with a pure smile, walking by the summer reeds, with three red-crowned cranes flying around her, playing and frolicking, including one hopping along.
The girl deeply loved nature and vowed to dedicate her life to protecting these beautiful creatures, pouring her youth and passion into it.
The soft song continued:
"Walking past this reed slope, have you heard~ There was a girl, she left behind a song~"
The cranes she meticulously cared for died one after another due to illness, leaving the girl with red, swollen eyes and a more melancholic expression, but her resolve grew stronger.
One day, the playful swans didn't return for a long time.
The girl went into the reeds to find them and also disappeared.
At night, the reeds were filled with calls of "Juanzi, Juanzi."
Some sensitive and sentimental viewers found their eyes welling up with tears as they listened to this part of the story.
Fang Ye glanced at the few red-crowned cranes gliding over the lake and used a charm skill.
The cranes, initially planning to fly away, changed direction and landed near him, seemingly attracted by the gentle song.
After landing, they stood on their slender legs, opened their long beaks to the sky, and stretched their necks back in a graceful arc.
The gentle female voice suddenly became more powerful:
"Why do the clouds silently weep? Why do the winds softly whisper?"
The most beautiful flower wilts at its brightest moment, breaking hearts and bringing tears.
As viewers listened to the poignant song and thought of the girl who drowned, tears quietly streamed down their cheeks.
A truly great song can touch the soul and resonate with the heart.
Seeing the cranes dance to the song left viewers in awe, wiping their tears and finding it hard to believe their eyes!
"What's going on? Can they understand the song?"
"Is it really the spirit of the cranes? Is this just a coincidence?"
"Damn, I got goosebumps!"
"Such a beautiful song, such a beautiful dance!"
"We must continue to protect these beautiful creatures!"
The cranes spread their wings upward, slightly bent their legs, and stretched their necks forward.
Like graceful fairies in flowing robes, they danced lightly and beautifully, their bodies tilting forward, their skirts trailing behind.
The movements of the cranes' feet, the curvature of their necks, and the rhythm of their wing flaps were all different, yet harmoniously synchronized.
Against the backdrop of the blue sky and the beautiful lake, accompanied by the sorrowful song, they danced gracefully under Xu Xiujun's statue.
"Oh~ oh~" they called out loudly, as if expressing their attachment and longing for the girl who once protected them!
In the distance, other cranes preening or drinking water also raised their heads and joined in the loud calls, echoing each other.
The gentle song seemed to carry the sound of cranes flapping their wings, the wind whistling, and blowing over the reeds.
"Woo woo woo woo woo, oh oh oh oh oh~ A flock of red-crowned cranes, gently, gently flying over~"
The cranes spun, flapped their wings, leaped, and stretched their necks.
When the song ended, Fang Ye canceled the charm skill, and the cranes, looking a bit confused, flapped their wings and flew back towards the lake.
Viewers, initially thinking it was a coincidence, began to waver in their thoughts.
They came when the song started and left when it ended, as if they were dancing specifically for the girl.
"It's truly amazing!"
"There are always things in this world that we can't understand!"
Fang Ye, of course, wouldn't explain. He let it remain a beautiful misunderstanding.
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