Explore Chapter 26 of 'Moment in Peking' with the original Chinese text, English translation, detailed Chinese vocabulary explanations, and audio of the Chinese original. Listen and improve your reading skills.
Hongyu was an adopted daughter of the Yao family. Her father had been a close friend of Yao Si'an and had entrusted her to the Yaos on his deathbed. Hongyu was petite and delicate, with features as beautiful as a painting, but she was extremely sensitive and had been sickly since childhood. She grew up with Afei, sharing an innocent and deep bond. During Afei's studies in England, Hongyu missed him day and night, and her illness worsened. After Afei returned, he inadvertently became close to his cousin Baofen, leading Hongyu to mistakenly believe that he had fallen for someone else. Her heart was filled with sorrow, but she had no one to confide in and could only weep alone.
One evening at dusk, Hongyu wandered in the garden, recalling the past with Afei, and tears streamed down her face. She walked to the pond, gazed at her reflection in the water, felt that life was meaningless, and plunged into the water. When the maidservant discovered her, it was too late to save her. Mulan rushed over upon hearing the news, hugged Hongyu's body, and wept bitterly. Yao Si'an sighed, "This child Hongyu has had such a bitter fate." Afei was filled with remorse, but there was no turning back. Hongyu's death became an eternal pain for the Yao family.
Hongyu's funeral was simple but solemn. Yao Si'an personally chose her burial site, beside the ancestral graves of the Yao family. Afei made a vow at Hongyu's grave that he would never marry. But as time passed, Afei eventually did marry, though he always kept Hongyu in his heart. Whenever Mulan thought of Hongyu, she was filled with emotion, feeling that life was unpredictable and fate played cruel tricks.
After Hongyu's death, the entire Yao household was immersed in grief. News came from the army that Tiren was about to retire and return home. Yao Si'an felt somewhat comforted, but thinking of Hongyu's premature death, he could not help but feel deeply saddened. Mulan, on the other hand, cherished the people around her even more and became more considerate toward Sunya. She often thought of the days she had spent with Hongyu, those joyous moments that had now become memories.