I listened to my sister's words today.

Along the way, whenever passersby saw the old man, they would greet him enthusiastically: "Hey, old man! You're back!"

"Congratulations! It's been a long time!"

"Old man, you still look so strong!"

Even after so many years, the old man is still remembered, like a steady rock, rooted in this land, giving people a strong sense of security.

Yun Yiruo followed the old man timidly, her small figure almost hidden behind his broad body.

He held the old man's hand tightly, lowered his head, and looked like a socially anxious little rabbit.

The gazes of the crowd made her feel uneasy, and even a single extra glance made her want to hide in the ground.

At the end of the alley, the bustling main street appears, with heavy traffic, noisy and lively atmosphere, and the sounds of hawkers and horns coming one after another.

The old man looked down at Yun Yiruo, and noticing her curious look, he couldn't help but slow down his pace and asked gently, "What do you want to see?"

Yun Yiruo shook her head, but her eyes looked around unconsciously.

The old man could see her curiosity and touched her hand with a smile: "Go buy something warm first."

At the entrance of a roadside convenience store, the old man took out a few banknotes, greeted the owner familiarly, and bought a cup of hot soy milk.

When he handed the soy milk to Yun Yiruo, he patted her little hand and said, "It's cold in the morning. Drink some to warm you up."

Yun Yiruo held the soy milk in her hands, her face slightly flushed by the heat. She blinked and asked, "Uncle, is this the place you used to come to?"

The old man answered as he walked, his eyes cast towards a used bookstall not far away, his tone tinged with nostalgia: "Yeah, this street wasn't so lively before."

"Back then, the stalls were all covered with tarpaulin tents, and they didn't sell much."

Yun Yiruo nodded, not quite understanding, drank some soy milk, and then asked again, "Uncle, was this house like this before?"

"Uncle, are there still rickshaws like that now?"

"Uncle, was the road here a dirt road before?"

Along the way, Yun Yiruo chirped like a curious little sparrow, and the old man patiently answered her questions, telling her little stories one after another.

How did this street get its name?

What? The owner of that shop is from a medicinal herb business...

Hearing this, Yun Yiru was amazed, her eyes were like two sparkling stars, and she even forgot to drink the soy milk in her hand.

As they walked, they came to the entrance of an underground passage.

The old man held her hand and walked towards the elevator.

When the elevator rose to the ground, Yun Yiru was stunned by the crowd in front of him.

"Wow, so many people!" Pulling the old man's sleeve.

"Uncle, can we really see it today?"

"of course."

The old man raised his eyebrows, his voice full of confidence.

"What uncle said will never be invalidated."

I walked around the long line and headed towards the side door of the security checkpoint. But as soon as I reached the door, I was stopped by two soldiers.

Yun Yiruo was a little nervous and secretly clenched the old man's hand, but saw that the old man was calm and took out a small red notebook from his pocket and handed it to him.

After seeing the ID, the two soldiers saluted in unison and then returned the notebook.

Yun Yiruo was extremely curious. While holding the soy milk, she jumped up and wanted to see the notebook: "Uncle is so awesome! I want to see this red notebook too!"

The old man laughed heartily and handed her the notebook: "Not amazing."

Yun Yiruo took it and carefully opened it. The first thing she saw was a photo of the old man when he was young.

At that time, he had a firm brow and sharp eyes, and was incredibly handsome.

His eyes widened: "Uncle, is this you when you were young? So handsome!"

But when her eyes fell on the "Military Rank" column, she was completely stunned: "Wow! Uncle is 'Dajiang'!"

"But isn't the highest ranked 'Upper-chan'?"

The old man coughed lightly when he heard this, and couldn't help but correct her with a smile: "It's 'jiang', not 'jiang'."

Although his tone was relaxed, there was a hint of nostalgia and calmness in his eyes.

Without further explanation, he just patted Yun Yiru's head and said, "Let's go. It's about to start."

Yun Yiruo looked up at the old man's back and wondered if he would look even more handsome in his military uniform...

When you come to a corner, you will have a wide view and can take in the entire flag-raising platform.

The air was thick with the coolness of the early morning, and the faint murmurs of conversation and expectation could be heard all around.

The old man walked with steady steps, saying as he walked: "The flag bearer will come out from that place later." Pointing to the middle archway of Tiananmen Square not far away, his eyes revealed a bit of pride and solemnity.

At this moment, the lights on the Tiananmen Gate Tower suddenly went out.

The square suddenly became quiet and everyone held their breath, as if everything was frozen in that moment.

A moment later, a majestic and powerful drumbeat sounded, and the musicians of the PLA Orchestra lined up in an orderly manner and walked steadily towards the south side of the base of the flagpole.

They were dressed in neat military uniforms, and the badges on their chests gleamed brightly in the morning light.

The bugler had already taken his position, standing solemnly on the front porch of the tower, with the bugle in his hand slightly raised, waiting for the solemn moment.

At the sound of the command, the honor guards marched out from the central archway of the Tiananmen Gate. Their steps were resounding and their movements were in perfect unison, as if they were marching as one, their momentum overwhelming.

From the middle archway to the south side, they marched in unison, with the formation spread out in an eight-shaped formation, facing the rising sun and shining with golden light.

Then the flag guard appeared.

The flag bearers held their guns tightly, their eyes were sharp, and their steps were firm and powerful.

The entire column marched 150 steps from under the city wall to the south side of the Jinshui Bridge, and then changed to a goose-stepping march with uniform strides, and every step seemed to be stepping on the heartbeat of the earth.

The uniform marching echoed in the square, as if knocking on everyone's chest.

After arriving at the flag raising and lowering area, the flag guard team changed their pace from marching to marching in unison, and stood in rows on both sides of the flagpole base.

They stood as straight as pine trees, like statues. On the south side of the pedestal, three team leaders stared resolutely ahead, while the flag-raising team walked onto the pedestal with steady steps.

A loud command resounded throughout the square, and the orchestra immediately played the prelude to the national anthem.

A majestic melody echoed in the early morning air, and the national flag slowly rose, reflecting the rising sun in the east.

Unfolding in the morning breeze, fluttering in the wind.

In the square, almost everyone held their breath, their eyes following the rising national flag, their faces filled with respect and pride.

The old man gently raised his right hand and saluted straight.

Gazing at the red flag, it seems as if I have traveled through the dust of time and recalled those passionate years.

At this time, the audience sang the national anthem in unison. The sound came from all directions and shook people's hearts.

At that moment, the noisy square instantly turned into a solemn ocean, with only singing and the sound of the wind echoing.

The honor guard then began to enter the venue. They stood tall and straight, marched in step, and the weapons in their hands reflected a cold light in the sunlight.

Everyone's movements seemed to be carefully crafted, and as they moved, they seemed to carry an irresistible force.

The whole scene was solemn and awe-inspiring.

When the last note fell, the sun had completely jumped out of the horizon.

The red flags in the square fluttered in the wind, reflecting everyone's face, leaving an extremely profound picture.

The old man still stood there, gazing at the national flag, with a slight smile on his face, as if to say, "This is our motherland."