"Honey, I am approaching the airfield." The short message sent by Wu Yongming, a pilot who sacrificed his life in the Su-27 fighter crash, before the accident was made known to the public on April 7, 2013.
Over the past years, Wu Yongming has agreed with his wife that he would send her a short message before performing each mission and another one after completing the mission.
Wu Yongming, a native of Luoyang City of central China's Henan province and deputy chief of staff of an aviation regiment under the Air Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), finally "returned home" on April 5. His ashes are placed in the Luoyang Cemetery of Revolutionary Martyrs. Many people laid fresh flowers before his tomb to express their deep condolences on the death of the deceased warrior.
The interview with Han Xiaohang, wife of Wu Yongming, was held at the home of Wu Yongming's parents in the old urban area of Luoyang City on the morning of April 6.
"Last month, we planned to return home together to see our parents on the Tomb-Sweeping Day which falls on April 4, 2013. He said he was busy with his work at that time. Unexpectedly, he "came back". Seeing her husband in a photo, Han Xiaohang burst into a flood of tears.
Han Xiaohang is a native of Wuhu City of east China's Anhui province. 11 years ago, 25-year-old Wu Yongming made a business trip to Wuhu City, during which he met 20-year-old Han Xiaohang. They fell in love with each other and promised to get married in the future.
Two years later, hand in hand, they entered the marriage hall. As a pilot, Wu Yongming has come back to Luoyang City for four times only and reunited with his wife only for a few times since he left 17 years ago.
"Busy as he was, he was very romantic," said Han Xiaohang. Although they were thousands miles apart, they contacted with each other every day.
On her birthdays, he would order fresh flowers and a birthday cake on the Internet and have them sent to her on time.
Once, he said that he could not come back, but when she woke up, she found him standing in front of her, with a big bunch of lilies in his hands, and she was immediately moved to tears.
Their daughter has been growing up with the passing days. Han Xiaohang asked Wu Yongming when he could be transferred to civilian work or give up his career as a pilot so as to live a normal life. Every time Wu Yongming heard such questions, he would keep silent, and the discussion would come to a sudden end.
"I know he enjoyed flying airplanes and he could not be separated from airplanes," said Han Xiaohang. Many comrades-in-arms of Wu Yongming were transferred to other posts, but he stuck to his post as a pilot and kept flying frequently.
On her mobile phone, Han Xiaohang clicks open the Wechat app, with a background picture of her husband in flying suit standing in front of the plane. He would reply to every message she sent. Though not long, the replies are full of his affection for her.
"Honey, I am approaching the airfield." Han Xiaohang received the last message of his husband at 09:53, March 31, 2013. It is also a convention between them for years that before Wu's each task, Wu Yongming would send a notice to his wife and let her know he was safe after fulfilling the task.
"Honey, are you there?" Han Xiaohang didn't hear from her husband by 21:37 on the day the accident happened. She called him in deep worry, but no one answered. She didn't hear any news from his comrades-in-arms' relatives, either.
She dialed her husband's phone number again and again in a desperate hope to hear her husband's voice at that night until her phone is out of battery. She sent the last message to her husband at a little past 05:00 on the next morning, asking "Honey, are you there or not?"
At that time, she didn't realize this message would never be replied yet, and this farewell would be forever.
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