It was late that night, and Lin Ping, who was correcting his homework in the office and producing the test papers for the monthly exam at the end of the month, was suddenly startled by the knock on the door and stopped writing.

At such a late hour, who would knock on the door, it shouldn't be Zhang Yipeng.

Lin Ping said, "Please come in." ”

The door was pushed open, and Ma Zhongguo walked in tremblingly.

Lin Ping saw that it was Ma Zhongguo, and quickly stood up to support him and asked, "Teacher Ma, why are you here?"

Lin Ping helped Ma Zhongguo to sit down on the chair, he could see that Ma Zhongguo was too sad, and his mental and physical condition was not very good, so he hurriedly went to pour Ma Zhongguo a cup of hot water from the kettle.

Ma Zhongguo waved his hand and said, "It's okay, I don't drink, I'm not thirsty." ”

Lin Ping handed the water to Ma Zhongguo and said, "Teacher Ma, the weather is cold now, you have to pay more attention to your body, drink some hot water to warm your body." ”

Ma Zhongguo took the water cup with both hands, held it in his hand and nodded, and then said, "College student, discuss something with you." ”

Lin Ping said with a smile: "Teacher Ma, who of us is with whom, this can be said to be a revolutionary comrade-in-arms, and you still need to discuss it with me, just talk about it directly." ”

Ma Zhongguo said: "Tomorrow is not Saturday, can you accompany me back to the old school in the mountains, it is inconvenient for me myself, or let Wang Xinming take me there." ”

Ma Zhongguo said for a moment: "I want to bring the bones of the old donkey back and bury them." ”

Lin Ping's heart trembled, and he said with a smile: "Of course, I'll go with you." ”

Early the next morning, Lin Ping rode a tricycle, Ma Zhongguo sat in the back with the burden containing the bones of the old donkey, and Asuo, three people, one old, one young and one young, rode a tricycle along the rugged and winding mountain road to the old school.

The morning breeze in early winter was very cold, Lin Ping pedaled the tricycle hard to pull Ma Zhongguo and Asuo, because of the three-wheeler, Lin Ping not only did not feel cold, but sweated hot.

"Is it cold?" asked Lin Ping with a smile.

"It's not cold. Asuo replied, and then looked around, looking not far away at the valley that was filled with morning mist.

The early morning sun shines on the morning mist, because the light is weak, not enough to penetrate the morning mist, but the morning mist is dyed with a faint orange yellow, the mountain breeze blows, the morning mist is like a ribbon wrapped around the mountain peak slowly swaying, at this time, the morning mist is blown by the wind to lighten a little, and the mist is dyed by the pines and cypresses on the mountain with a few traces of emerald green.

And Lin Ping, Ma Zhongguo and Ah Suo also walked forward with laughter in this fresh mist.

Slowly, getting closer and closer to the Deshan Village School, Lin Ping and Ma Zhongguo's emotions became heavier and heavier, the two stopped talking, and Ah Suo also stopped laughing and laughing very sensibly.

Lin Ping's speed on the tricycle slowed down, and in the tricycle sat Ma Zhongguo, who was holding the bones of an old donkey, just like the old donkey pulling Lin Ping and Ma Zhongguo on this mountain road slowly.

All things in the world, including human beings, should always have their own mission and values, and then go forward and pass them on from generation to generation.

When I finally arrived at the school gate, the dilapidated iron door of the school was locked, the iron door was full of rust, and the bright red Spring Festival couplets pasted during the Chinese New Year had also faded to a whitish light red, and the lock began to rust.

Lin Ping took out the key to open the door, and the door that used to be pushed up without resistance made a "crunch" and "crunch" sound at the door shaft today.

Pushing the door open, all this that greeted Lin Ping's eyes made Lin Ping feel so familiar. However, the house has collapsed a little, and the wooden flagpole used to raise the national flag in front of the school gate has also decayed.

As long as the person is not there, the house and everything in it will soon fall into ruin.

It is said that this is because of the loss of "popularity".

Ma Zhongguo walked down from the tricycle with his baggage, and then trembled to the location of the donkey shed, which had already collapsed in half.

Ma Zhongguo looked around for a moment, and then said, "Alas, we forgot to bring the shovel." ”

Lin Ping smiled and said, "It's okay, dig a pit with your hands." ”

So, Ma Zhongguo and Lin Ping first opened the collapsed donkey shed to clear enough space, and then the two began to dig the pit by hand, and Ah Suo also joined in.

"Don't plan, it's muddy, it's dirty. Ma Zhongguo said to Ah Suo.

But Ah Suo is very happy, as if children are very fond of digging pits and digging sand piles.

Lin Ping smiled and said, "It's okay, let him plan." ”

Then he said to Asso, "Asuo, be careful, don't get too dirty, and don't touch your face, especially your eyes and mouth, with your dirty hands. ”

"Hmm!" Ah Suo nodded obediently, and then continued to happily follow Lin Ping and Ma Zhongguo to dig the pit.

After a while, a half-meter-deep earth pit was dug out by the old and young people.

"Alright, so be it. Ma Zhongguo said, and then took the burden containing the bones of the old donkey from the tricycle.

Ma Zhongguo wanted to put it in, but his hands holding the burden stopped in mid-air and picked them up again, and then said to himself: "I'll take another look." ”

Gently opening the baggage, Ma Zhongguo looked at the bones of the old donkey and the four donkey hooves in the baggage, and was silent without speaking.

Originally, Ma Zhongguo planned to put the donkey skin in and bury it together, but when he saw Asuo, he thought about it, and left the donkey skin and spread it under Asuo's bed as a cushion. Donkey skin is very warm when used as a mattress, and the heat retention ability is also strong. Asuo slept on it very warmly, and he was no longer afraid of catching a cold.

After watching it for a while, Ma Zhongguo tied the burden in a knot again, and then went down to the pit and put the burden in, all of Ma Zhongguo's actions looked very ritualistic in Lin Ping.

The three of them filled the pit with earth, and then piled up a small bag of dirt, which really looked like a small grave.

The three of them looked at this small tomb, and the atmosphere was a little depressing. At this time, Ma Zhongguo smiled and said, "Okay, this donkey's life in this world is over, and it is free." ”

"Hmm. Lin Ping nodded.

At this time, Ah Suo said: "Why does Grandpa Ma say that it is liberation? It is reluctant to leave this world. ”

Asuo paused and said sadly: "Just like my Abba and Mom, they are also reluctant, because there are people they love and people who love them in this world. This donkey must also love Grandpa Ma, and Grandpa Ma also loves it, so it must be reluctant to leave. ”

Lin Ping took Ah Suo in his arms, and Ah Suo's words may have some problems, but he expressed his feelings and meaning.

Ma Zhongguo smiled and touched his head.

The three of them left the school, and Lin Ping locked the rusty door again, as if he had sealed a memory that had just been opened again, and this time the old donkey was also sealed in this memory.

Ma Zhongguo looked at the gate of the old school, swallowed his throat and whispered, "College student." ”

"Huh?" Lin Ping looked at Ma Zhongguo.

"When I'm dead, bury me in. ”