White Olive Tree

Epilogue

Chapter 69 [Epilogue]

"White Olive Tree"
【Preface】
First edition
Preface by author Song Ran
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This book was originally titled "The Floating Century of the Eastern Kingdom", which originated from my trip to the Eastern Kingdom six years ago.  It was conceived six years ago, written four years ago, and is now available today. I would like to thank the planner and editor Mr. Luo Junfeng for his persistence.
The title of the book was changed from "The Floating Century of the Eastern Kingdom" to "The White Olive Tree" for two reasons: First, I thought that although I tried my best to travel to various cities in the Eastern Kingdom and record the various social situations during the war, what I saw and recorded was only "The floating world" is far less grand than the real world; secondly, because of my husband, Captain Li.

One year on the way from Garo to Hapo, he and I saw white olive trees in the desert.  The specific situation has been written in the book and will not be repeated here.
It has taken me four years to write, but it is not a meticulous work. It is just because life takes up too much time, and because I have never been able to observe calmly. I always look for information before picking up the pen. The memories of each scene are clearly presented, and my heart is sentimental, so my writing is slow.  .
War is never an easy topic.  I have tried my best to minimize subjective feelings in this article, and only want to present the most ordinary and objective record to readers.  Even so, war is not something to be taken lightly.
It remains the greatest tragedy in human history.  It's a pity that such tragedies happen again and again.
I studied history in college, but the wars in the books and the pain recorded in words are far less painful than what I saw with my own eyes.  Before going to Dongguo, I could probably speak from a historical perspective, saying that war is the only way to go when social contradictions accumulate to a certain extent and cannot be reconciled, and that war and bloodshed are necessary processes for human development.
As a result, innocent people became victims under the rolling wheels of history.
But even if you give me 11,000 reasons, I still can't understand why humans want to kill their own kind.  Even more unforgivable.
There is a question that I always ask myself: does our world lack compassion, lack of enough kindness and love.  Whenever I see people getting hurt, I feel pain, but I don’t understand why some people don’t feel pain.
After staying on the battlefield for a long time, I began to wonder whether rationality and civilization are just illusions; whether there are no so-called reasonable solutions to all human problems, but only extremes, confrontation and hatred, and the only way to resort to killing; whether history will always fall into a trap.  In a strange cycle of reincarnation, disorder always defeats the system, and barbarism always defeats civilization. 
And is the ultimate dream of human peace just the white olive trees in the desert?
Gorgeous, beautiful, pure and grand.
Once you see it once, you will never forget it and pursue it all your life.
But it happens to be illusory, ethereal, far away in the sky, and elusive.
Even, it doesn't exist at all.
It's just a fleeting mirage, just the ultimate fantasy when people are stuck in the mire.
I was confused and couldn't find the direction, but I was always pulled back to the right path.
Because later I discovered that the world may be dark or lightless, but individual kindness is like a shining pearl on the beach. Even if it is stung by the gravel when looking for it, once you hold it in the palm of your hand, it shines with gentle and beautiful light.  Will make you smile without regrets.
Such individuals are like the Cook soldiers codenamed B, G, L, M, K, S, and A that I wrote about in the book.
They are tenacious, kind, and persistent; they have the gentlest and most sunny smiles, and they have the most persevering and unyielding faces; they endure pain and fear that ordinary people cannot bear, like tiny matches, in this disappointing world  Burning with the hottest light.
Perhaps human beings are such a type of animal. Among them, there is both good and evil, great and cruel.
After seeing the deepest darkness, the most ferocious evil, and the ugliest horror, I am still glad that I have seen light, kindness, and the most beautiful soul.
Yes, I am still grateful. I have seen that white olive grove with my own eyes.
Song Ran
October 7, 202X
Yu Jiangcheng
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【Preface 2】