1970s: Hot wife accompanies the army, cold-faced rough man is not easy to tease

Chapter 289 Anonymous Patriots

After Lu Youyou finished telling her story, the reception room remained silent for a long time.

Yu Yi and his companions were quite worldly-wise, but this...

Since the resumption of government-sponsored overseas study in 79, many students have come out one after another, but there has never been one like Lu Youyou.

It's not that no one does odd jobs to earn money, but this is the only one who "became rich overnight." He then used his newfound wealth to buy three priceless treasures and said he would donate them to the country free of charge.

"Comrade Lu, are you sure you want to donate anonymously without compensation?" Yu Yi asked again to confirm.

Lu Youyou nodded: "I'm sure. I hope the organization can keep this a secret."

For a moment, only heavy breathing could be heard in the room.

If these three bronze statues are indeed the animal heads looted from the Yuanmingyuan by the Eight-Nation Alliance, their value is immeasurable.

Lu Youyou donated without batting an eye, without seeking fame or fortune. Such awareness and dedication deserve our utmost respect.

I initially thought this young woman was just a research genius who needed special attention, but I never expected such a pleasant surprise.

Yu Yi grasped Lu Youyou's hands and shook them vigorously: "We will arrange for someone to transport her back to China as soon as possible. Regardless of the test results, on behalf of the consulate staff, I would like to thank you for your contribution. Thank you!"

"Comrade Lu, thank you!"

"Comrade Lu, thank you for your selfless dedication!"

The other two also stood up and solemnly expressed their gratitude.

The next day, Zhao Xiang personally escorted Lu Youyou back, and his eyes were completely different from before.

Lu Youyou felt that she had seen this kind of gaze not long ago; the eyes were shining with golden light, and they looked at her as if she were a golden doll.

"Comrade Lu, as I said before, feel free to call us if you need anything, anything at all."

Before leaving, Zhao Xiang emphasized it again, as he had a premonition that such unexpected events might occur again in the future.

"I know. Thank you for your help."

"Of course, it's about serving the people!" Zhao Xiang took an envelope out of his briefcase. "This is this month's allowance, I'm giving it to you in advance."

Lu Youyou politely declined: "You know I don't lack money."

"One thing at a time, what's yours will be yours."

"Let's leave the foreign exchange to those who need it more."

If she didn't have the money, she would definitely accept the allowance. There's still over $200,000 in her account, so there's no need to waste the country's hard-earned foreign exchange.

The teacher in charge of the group wanted to donate the only $60 she had to the consulate, but Zhao Xiang refused to accept it. This hardly exemplifies her noble character.

She won't pretend to be capable when she's in real trouble; when she has the capacity, she's willing to dedicate herself to helping others.

In the end, the few hundred dollars were never given out, and Lu Youyou never received her allowance again until she returned to China after completing her studies.

Song Yunqing stayed in the dormitory and didn't go out. When she saw Lu Youyou return, she immediately went to greet her: "You left a note last night saying you were going out. I was worried something might have happened to you. You're finally back!"

Now that the national treasure has been handed over, there's no need to keep it a secret anymore, so Lu Youyou said, "I've handed the bronze statue over to the embassy."

Song Yunqing gasped unexpectedly: "It's a real treasure!"

Lu Youyou told her about the history of the bronze animal heads from the Old Summer Palace, and Song Yunqing finally understood.

She had heard stories of the Eight-Nation Alliance's invasion of China from her grandfather, but she didn't know the specifics, such as the details of the bronze animal heads.

"So, I've unwittingly participated in the rescue of national treasures?!"

Lu Youyou couldn't help but chuckle; the little girl's Chinese vocabulary was as adorable as ever.

"Yes, Miss Song Yunqing has made outstanding contributions to the national treasure rescue operation. On behalf of the people of our motherland, I express my heartfelt gratitude to you!" Song Yunqing's face flushed instantly. She had never done such a big deal in her entire life; it was truly, truly...

She didn't know what to say again, and in her haste, she blurted out a long string of English words. Her heart was pounding as fast as she spoke!

"Sister Lu, can I tell my family?" Song Yunqing couldn't wait to share with her grandfather.

Mr. Song is a calligrapher, painter, and collector who is most interested in Chinese cultural relics. He would be very happy to know about this.

“Sure, say what you want to say.” Lu Youyou had no objections.

The items have already been handed over, so there's no need to worry about any unexpected events. Song Yunqing wanted to tell her family that everything was perfectly fine.

Lu Youyou thought the matter would just pass, but a few days later Song Yunqing extended another invitation to her.

"My grandfather has invited you to visit his old house during your vacation. He has many Chinese antiques there and would like you to come and see them."

Previously, she had invited Lu Youyou to her own home, and now she had also invited the Song family's old residence. After thinking about it, Lu Youyou agreed.

Why not go and admire national treasures up close?

*
Capital
Gu Qingye was revising the training plan in his office. He was to lead a reinforced regiment in this year's military exercise, and the burden on his shoulders was heavy.

Ring ring ring——

"Hello, this is Gu Qingye."

"Yes, I'll be there right away."

The call was from his supervisor, asking him to come over now.

Gu Qingye locked the training plan, strode away, and headed straight for the leader's office on the fifth floor.

"report!"

As soon as Gu Qingye appeared, all three pairs of eyes turned to him.

The leader's smile was quite obvious: "Qingye is here. Come in quickly. These comrades from the State Administration of Cultural Heritage have come specifically to see you."

"Hello, I am Gu Qingye."

Gu Qingye saluted and accepted the scrutiny of these people without hesitation.

He had never dealt with the cultural relics bureau before and didn't know why they wanted to see him.

"Comrade Gu, hello. I am Zhou Tianqi, deputy director of the Cultural Relics Bureau. We have come here specifically to deliver the commendation and medal for Comrade Lu Youyou."

As soon as Zhou Tianqi finished speaking, he noticed that the man in front of him had changed his aura. Gu Qingye suddenly became like a cheetah, his eyes sharp as arrows.

What's wrong with my partner?

It's no wonder Gu Qingye was nervous. According to his professional habits, anything involving commendations and medals meant bloodshed and sacrifice. He couldn't understand how Lu Youyou, who was just studying abroad, could encounter danger.

Zhou Tianqi's hair stood on end, and he immediately said, "Comrade Gu, don't misunderstand, it's a good thing, it's a good thing!"

He immediately spread out the medal on the table, along with a copy of the People's Daily.

The newspaper, dated a week ago, featured a front-page headline about a patriot who wished to remain anonymous donating three bronze animal heads from the Old Summer Palace to the State Administration of Cultural Heritage. This marked the first time the animal heads had returned to their homeland since the Old Summer Palace was looted in 1860.

A thought flashed through Gu Qingye's mind: Could the so-called "patriot who wishes to remain anonymous" be Lu Youyou?!

"Comrade Lu accidentally discovered and purchased the three bronze animal heads in the United States and donated them to the country free of charge. At his request, he kept the matter confidential from the outside world, so we can only ask Comrade Gu to accept the organization's commendation for Comrade Lu on his behalf."

Gu Qingye remembered this report. The return of the bronze animal heads had caused a great stir in China and had even been featured on "News Broadcast" a week ago. But he never imagined that the person involved in this matter would be Lu Youyou.

Can I know the specific process?

Based on pictures and words alone, he couldn't imagine what Lu Youyou had gone through. Gu Qingye had only one thought at this moment: he had to know Lu Youyou's current situation and whether this incident would affect her personal safety.