On July 27, the 73rd anniversary of the victory in the war against the United States and aiding the DPRK, the Memorial Square for the Martyrs' Mausoleum in Shenyang was solemn. More than 300 representatives from all sectors of society gathered here to participate in the "Mountains remember their heroes and fires sustain" memorial service. At the end of the ceremony, everyone walked into the mausoleum martyrs memorial, seeking the heroes' footprints and appreciating the spirit of the martyrs.

In the exhibition hall, several special martyr relics attracted the attention of the crowd: a medal engraved with the "Sign of Xu Yuzhong," a rusty button, and a small round mirror that had long lost its luster. Li Qingze, a docent from the 00s, walked up to the display cabinet and introduced people to:“These three relics belong to the martyr Xu Yuzhong. Born in Qing County, Hebei Province, in 1921, he enlisted in the army in 1948 and died on the battlefield in Korea in May 1951 at the age of 30.”

“This mirror... Is there a picture on the back?”A female student asked softly. Li Qingze nodded:“Yeah. On the back of the mirror was a black-and-white photograph of a girl dressed in a flag dress, with bowed eyes and a beautiful and serene beauty. On the back of the photo, there is also a small faded pen word - 'Wait for you to come back'.”

The crowd in front of the exhibition cabinet fell silent, and they stared at the little round mirror. The picture of the forever young girl with a gentle smile appears to be telling of a loving agreement dating back more than 70 years.

Xu Yuzhong was born in 1921 in the village of Zhaogang in Qing County, Hebei Province, in a poor farming family. With the desire to volunteer in the army, he also had a girl in his heart who loved to wear the flag. In 1948, Xu Yuzhong responded to the call to join the army. As she parted from her hometown, the girl slipped a picture of herself into his hand and solemnly wrote on the back of the photo an agreement to "wait for your return." Xu Yuzhong treasured the photos in a small round mirror. No one knows how much he missed the photo during the night of the bombardment; No one knew that the girl at home looked forward to it day after day, year after year.

In November 1949, a congratulatory letter was sent to Xu's family - "In the Qinling battle, he chased the enemy bravely, did not fear difficulties, accomplished his task, and won three-class decorations." That was the only message Xu Yuzhong had left to his family. Later, Xu Yujing, the eldest brother, heard that his brother's army had passed near his hometown, and hurried off: "Third, my mother misses you. Go home and see." With hot tears in his eyes, Xu Yuzhong bowed deeply in the direction of his hometown: "Ma's sorry. I'll come back to see you when I finish my mission..."

After the outbreak of the war against the United States and aiding the DPRK, Xu Yuzhong joined the 543rd regiment of the 181st Division of the 60th Volunteer Army to fight in the DPRk and served as deputy commander. In May 1951, he was seriously wounded during a battle when he braved enemy artillery fire. Lying in a pool of blood, Xu Yuzhong said only "goodbye to the afterlife" and died bravely, according to his comrades.

When the news came, the family only knew that he had died on the battlefield in North Korea, but did not know where he was buried. When my mother was dying, she kept thinking, "If he had a letter to come back, he would bury him next to me..." Later, the Xu family revised the family tree. Although Xu Yuzhong had no children and the place of his death was unknown, his nephew Xu Tonghai solemnly wrote the names of the three brothers. Xu Tonghai firmly believed that the Three Burdens would eventually return to the land where he had been born and raised.

In the spring of 2016, the remains of a third group of volunteer soldiers in South Korea returned to their homeland. Thirty-six coffins covered with the five-star red flag were solemnly laid at the Shenyang Memorial Park for the Martyrs of the Resistance Against the United States and Aid to the DPRK. The staff opened the coffin number 506, and in addition to the seals and buttons, the small round mirror bearing endless thoughts was recreated. The girl in the photo still smiles and the four words "Wait for you to come back" on the back are clearly recognisable.

A search for the martyr's family was launched. The clues to the relics point to "Zhaogong Village" in Qing County, but the name of the place no longer exists within the current Qing County jurisdiction. In early 2019, volunteers involved in the search for relatives judged by local historical records that "Zhaogong Village" had been reclassified from Qing County to Cangshan County in 1949. The staff went around to Chang County and finally found Xu Tonghai, Xu Yuzhong's nephew. After comparing DNA information, the identity of the martyr was finally confirmed.

On September 29 of the same year, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs held a recognition ceremony at the Shenyang Martyrs' Mausoleum for the Resistance Against the United States and the DPRK. Xu Tonghai arrived from his hometown in Hebei Province and solemnly laid a lump of yellow earth from his home town, a handful of dates, and a handfull of peanuts in front of the famous wall. "Triple ate dates and peanuts from his hometown to join the army." Xu Tonghai choked up, "Now that Sanbo is back, let's try the taste of home again!"

After Li Qingze's telling, people stood for a long time and did not want to leave. The story also leaves an unsolved mystery: Who was that girl? The volunteers searched many places but have so far found no clues. Is she still alive? Does she remember that appointment...

A relic, a loyal soul, carries a sense of homeland that travels through time and space. Li Yaguang, director of the management center of the Shenyang Martyrs' Cemetery for the Fight Against the US and Aid the DPRK, said:“The relics of these martyrs not only left the mark of the bloody battlefield, but also filled with their boundless desire and love for peace. The martyrs have returned, and the world is as you hoped.”(Looking ahead to a new era)