Rebirth: Illuminating a Brilliant Life

Chapter 120 Longing and Perseverance Beyond the Three-Star Mound: The Profound Bond Between Su Xuan

Su Xuan went to work at Sanxingdui, and her daughter hadn't seen her for a long time. Every day, the little one would sit by the window, hugging the panda doll her mother had bought her, gazing into the distance, and muttering, "When is Mommy coming back?" Anyone who saw her like that would feel sorry for her.

At the Sanxingdui archaeological site, Su Xuan was engrossed in her work. Her hands moved gently among the ancient artifacts, carefully removing the dust of time, her eyes filled with focus and reverence.

With each new discovery, she would be as excited as a child, but then she would fall into deeper contemplation, pondering the historical codes hidden behind these artifacts.

That day, during a break, Su Xuan looked at a photo of her daughter on her phone, and her eyes welled up with tears. She knew she spent too little time with her daughter, but the responsibility and mission of her job prevented her from leaving easily. "Baby, once Mommy finishes her work here, I'll definitely spend more time with you," she said silently in her heart.

During her time at Sanxingdui, Su Xuan spent her days surrounded by soil and artifacts. Every morning, as the first rays of sunlight fell upon the Sanxingdui site, she would be in the archaeological shed, holding a brush and gently brushing away the loose soil from the artifacts, her eyes fixed on them, not missing a single detail. Her focused expression seemed to be conversing with an ancient civilization.

She often spends hours in the sweltering greenhouse for a tiny discovery, completely unaware that her clothes are soaked with sweat.

On one occasion, Su Xuan participated in the excavation of an important sacrificial pit, which yielded a large number of exquisite ivory artifacts. To ensure that these precious cultural relics were not damaged, she and her colleagues worked continuously for three days and three nights, barely closing their eyes. When they finally completed the initial cleaning and protection work, she collapsed to the ground, and the first thing that came to her mind was her daughter's lovely smiling face.

At the archaeological excavation site of Sanxingdui, Su Xuan and her team members are carefully extracting a uniquely shaped bronze artifact from the soil.

Her gaze was firm and focused, her movements gentle and precise, as if time itself stood still for this ancient mission. Her colleagues could feel her enthusiasm and dedication to her work, but only she knew that deep down, her longing for her daughter surged like a tidal wave.

One day, my daughter was playing in the community garden when she saw that other children were accompanied by their mothers. Some mothers were gently pushing their children on swings, while others were playing with balls with their children, filled with laughter and joy.

A wave of disappointment washed over the daughter. She silently retreated to a corner, tears welling in her eyes. Just then, a mischievous little boy ran over and shouted at her, "Did your mother abandon you? I've never seen her before!" The daughter's pent-up grievances instantly erupted, and she retorted loudly, "No way! My mother is doing amazing things at Sanxingdui!" But despite her words, her heart was filled with bitterness.

Meanwhile, Su Xuan was facing a key problem in her archaeological work. A bronze mask that had been unearthed had strange symbols on it, and the team had been discussing it for many days without any clues.

Su Xuan studied day and night, consulting a vast amount of material, knowing that this might be the key to uncovering a major secret of the Sanxingdui civilization. But her daughter's expectant eyes would constantly distract her, causing her to struggle painfully between perseverance and giving up.

Finally, through tireless efforts, Su Xuan achieved a breakthrough, deciphering the meaning of some of the symbols on the bronze mask, providing valuable clues for the study of Sanxingdui. With her work temporarily completed, she rushed home without stopping.

When she pushed open the door, her daughter was stunned at first, then her eyes burst with immense joy and grievance. She cried and shouted, "Mom, you're really back!" Su Xuan hugged her daughter tightly, tears streaming down her face. She whispered in her daughter's ear, "Baby, Mom will never leave you for so long again."

Su Xuan hugged her daughter tightly, tears welling up in her eyes. She whispered in her daughter's ear, "Baby, Mommy will never leave you for so long again."

In the days that followed, Su Xuan worked hard to balance work and family. She would prepare a nutritious breakfast for her daughter every morning, take her to school, and listen to her daughter chatter away about the interesting things that happened at school.

That evening, the mother and daughter snuggled together on the sofa. Su Xuan told her daughter about the mysterious bronze statues and strange sacrificial scenes of Sanxingdui. Her daughter's eyes sparkled with curiosity and longing.

However, the research on Sanxingdui is not yet over, and new questions and discoveries continue to emerge. Su Xuan often finds herself in a dilemma: on one hand, her daughter's longing for companionship, and on the other hand, the unsolved historical mysteries.

On one occasion, the team discovered some new artifacts that might be related to the sacrificial system of the ancient Shu civilization, and urgently needed her to return to assist in the research. Su Xuan hesitated; looking at her daughter's smiling face, she really couldn't bear to leave again.

But her daughter seemed to sense her mother's dilemma. She took Su Xuan's hand and said, "Mom, go do your work. I'll be good. Just like you work hard at Sanxingdui, I'll work hard at school too." Her daughter's understanding made Su Xuan both gratified and heartbroken.

Su Xuan returned to work on Sanxingdui, but this time she and her team developed a more efficient work plan to minimize the time spent outside.

During her breaks, she would video call her daughter, sharing snippets of their lives. Her daughter would show her new paintings on video, depicting her mother at Sanxingdui archaeological digs, with herself in the background. Su Xuan would also show her daughter photos of newly unearthed artifacts from Sanxingdui, telling her the possible stories behind these relics.

Finally, after another period of intense work, Su Xuan returned home with a wealth of achievements and a deeper sense of guilt and love for her daughter.

She decided to take some time off to travel with her daughter to places rich in history and culture, so that her daughter could feel her mother's love while also appreciating the charm of history and culture, making up for the regret of her long absence, and continuing their unique and profound mother-daughter relationship.

On a sunny weekend, Su Xuan took her daughter to the Sanxingdui Museum. Her daughter excitedly wandered through the various exhibition halls, her eyes filled with wonder and awe as she gazed at the mysterious artifacts that she had only ever heard about in her mother's stories and video calls.

Su Xuan followed behind her daughter, patiently answering her endless questions. Seeing her daughter's growing passion for archaeology, Su Xuan felt gratified.

When they reached the iconic bronze standing figure, the daughter suddenly stopped, turned around and said earnestly to Su Xuan, "Mom, when I grow up, I want to be like you and discover and protect these precious historical treasures."

Su Xuan was stunned. She squatted down, gazed at her daughter's innocent face, tears glistening in her eyes, but with an unwavering expression, she said, "Baby, as long as you love it, Mom will fully support you."

At this moment, sunlight streamed through the museum's glass dome, bathing the mother and daughter in a golden glow. It also illuminated their path as they walked hand in hand toward the future, leaving behind a series of solid and beautiful footprints amidst the warmth of family and the mission of preserving history and culture. May this legacy of love and ideals, like the Sanxingdui culture, flow far and wide, never to be forgotten.