As if accompanying an old friend who was about to pass away, Ma Zhongguo gently stroked the old donkey's neck and gently ran his fingers along the string of sideburns on the donkey's neck.

And in a sense, this old donkey is indeed his old friend, and even a relative who has been with him for more than ten years. In this bitter mountain, no one has been with Ma Zhongguo longer than this donkey. This old donkey, who has also helped the lame Ma Zhongguo countless times in the past ten years, is his means of transportation.

Ma Zhongguo's emotions were very engaged, and he didn't notice Lin Ping and Ah Suo coming over at all.

It wasn't until Lin Ping walked behind Ma Zhongguo that the old donkey's eyes moved to look at Lin Ping and then shook his head slightly, that Ma Zhongguo realized from the old donkey's movements that someone was coming behind him.

Ma Zhongguo turned his head, his eyes were red, and there were tear stains in the corners of his eyes, as soon as he saw that it was Lin Ping and Ah Suo coming, Ma Zhongguo quickly wiped his eyes with his hand, and then said with a smile: "Teacher Lin, why are you here?" ”

Lin Ping smiled slightly and said, "No ......"

Then he looked at the old donkey lying on his side and said, "I'll go to the town to find a veterinarian." ”

Ma Zhongguo grabbed Lin Ping and said, "No need." It's almost there, it's like people are getting old, the limit has arrived, Yangshou has arrived, and it's useless. ”

The old donkey lying on the ground just looked at his old master, Ma Zhongguo, as if he wanted to spend the last of his life looking at his old master, so that he could remember his appearance deeply.

Ma Zhongguo gently stroked the old donkey's neck, and then said to himself: "When I bought it, it was already seven years old, and people say that one year of a donkey is equal to seven years of a person, so when I bought it, it was even older than me." At the time, the people who sold it said that it had a little problem and might not live long, but because it was cheap, I didn't care. It has survived until now, until the new school is built, and I am very satisfied. ”

Governor Ma Zhong breathed a sigh of relief: "It's like it knows its mission and has completed the task given to it by God." ”

Then, Ma Zhongguo said with some self-reproach: "Blame me, I haven't used it for a long time, if I can use it, it can live a little longer." The machine will rust if it is not used, and people will get sick when they are idle, and this old donkey, he is the same, if he is not used, his body will be lazy, and his heart will be dissatisfied, and he will be easily depressed and sick. ”

Ma Zhongguo said to himself a little, this is all his memories with the old donkey, and it can't be said to be hypocritical, but because the old donkey has become a very important part of Ma Zhongguo's life in the past ten years.

It is said that lonely people pay more attention to feelings, and Ma Zhongguo has been lonely in Kushan for decades, sending away batches of students, but there is no one to talk to every late night. When Lin Ping didn't come, the old horse would always light a dry tobacco and then go to the donkey shed to talk to the old donkey.

"Old donkey, if only you could speak. Ma Zhongguo even said this before, but unfortunately the old donkey couldn't speak.

Ma Zhongguo was talking slowly there, Lin Ping and Ah were listening next to him, listening carefully, not at all disgusted with Ma Zhongguo's chatter and verbosity.

This is Lin Ping's respect for Ma Zhongguo, and also for the old donkey, and for Ma Zhongguo and the old donkey in this life.

Ma Zhongguo recalled the years between him and the old donkey, and his feelings for the old donkey were all in this chattering word, which made people sigh.

The old donkey has spirituality, and seems to understand Ma Zhongguo's words, knowing that Ma Zhongguo is telling the story of the two of them, and he slowly left a tear.

At this time, Zhang Yipeng suddenly came in, and said with a big grin: "Lao Lin, I heard that you are in this chicken shed, you said that it is almost class, you don't eat breakfast, why are you nesting in this chicken shed?

Then Zhang Yipeng saw Ma Zhongguo, Lin Ping and Ah Suo three people around the old donkey lying horizontally, Zhang Yipeng looked at Ma Zhongguo who was grieving and wiping tears, and then looked at Lin Ping with a serious face and Ah Suo who was leaning on Ma Zhongguo with his head down, and subconsciously asked: "This donkey is dead?"

The atmosphere in the chicken shed quieted down, and Zhang Yipeng realized that he had said the wrong thing, and then said: "That, I'm sorry, I'm fast." ”

Zhang Yipeng patted his mouth with his hand and continued: "You guys go on, I'll take care of it." ”

After Zhang Yipeng went out, the three of them were silent and did not speak.

At this time, Ah Suo moved his foot forward and gently touched the old donkey's ears, and the old donkey's eyes moved slightly to look at Ah Suo.

Ah Suo touched the old donkey's ears and said with a smile: "Grandpa Ma, it turns out that the ears of the old donkey are so comfortable, even more comfortable than the touch of a little rabbit." ”

Ma Zhongguo smiled with tears, touched the old donkey with one hand, and touched Asuo's head with the other hand without speaking.

The old donkey's eyes rolled around, looked at Asuo, then at Lin Ping, and finally stared at his old master Ma Zhongguo, and suddenly struggled with all his strength, and kicked his front legs desperately twice, as if he wanted to stand up again, and then let out a final hissing in his throat, and then fell to the ground with a slightly raised body "bang".

The old donkey was no longer motionless, his eyes slowly closed, and a tear slipped from the corner of his eye to Ma Zhongguo's hand caressing its neck.

And Ma Zhongguo also closed his eyes, but tears couldn't stop pouring out.

Lin Ping's eyes were also moistened by Ma Zhongguo's infection, he remembered that morning, he was lying on the donkey cart, and when he opened his eyes, he saw the back of Ma Zhongguo sitting in front and the old donkey who was diligently pulling the wooden cart.

Time flies slowly, but quickly, and many things pass away without even noticing. In the past, Lin Ping didn't dare to imagine the moment when his parents left, and now he looked at Ma Zhongguo in front of him and didn't dare to imagine the moment when the old horse left him.

But what should come will come eventually, the world is always fair, it will not spare anyone in death, it is just a matter of speed and slowness.

"Grandpa, don't cry, you still have Ah Suo with you. Ah Suo leaned on Ma Zhongguo's body tightly, then raised his little hand to wipe Ma Zhongguo's tears, glanced at Lin Ping and said, "And Mr. Lin, he will also accompany you." ”

Ma Zhongguo smiled with tears in his eyes, stroked Asuo's hair with his hand and said, "Good boy." ”

Then he looked at Lin Ping and said with a smile: "College student, it's really my fate to meet you." ”

Lin Ping smiled and said, "It's my fate." ”

"Okay, let's go, let's go back to teach the children, it's delayed. Ma Zhongguo wiped his eyes and staggered to his feet with the help of Lin Ping and Asuo.

"No need, no help, I'm not old. Ma Zhongguo said a little stubbornly, but his already somewhat rickety body and disabled legs staggered today.

Lin Ping looked at Ma Zhongguo's back, the death of this old donkey seemed to make Ma Zhongguo age by more than ten years in an instant.

Ma Zhongguo's feelings for this old donkey may only be understood by lonely people, it is the kind of loneliness that is lonely until late at night, and it is also the kind of grievance that is depressed and has nowhere to talk about it.

Lin Ping looked at the old donkey behind him, who had closed his eyes forever, and then looked at Ma Zhongguo's rickety body, he was suddenly afraid of the day when Ma Zhongguo left him.