The silence and darkness of Qingwan Township were suddenly broken, not by the crowing of the rooster Si Chen, but by the lights and human voices that appeared in the surrounding villages.

Today is the day of the Enlightenment Ceremony, and the schoolchildren should rush to the Mongolian courtyard on the market before dawn to wait for the first rooster to crow, and then start the "Enlightenment Ceremony" ceremony. Through the excited noise of the children and the solemn instructions of the adults, even the dogs who have been woken up can feel that today is an important day.

At the door of Li Yuan's house, Li Wen and Li Jiansheng were already waiting there, each holding a small lantern, and they couldn't help urging urgently: "Hurry up, hurry up, wait for the next ceremony to begin!" ”

Today's Enlightenment Day, Li Yuan's family had a more grand event, and his parents got up early in the first half of the night to kill chickens and cook ducks. In order to sacrifice to heaven and earth and ancestors, and pray for Li Yuan to have a good future. No, Li Yuan's family hasn't finished the ceremony yet.

Not every family has to be so grand, according to what everyone thinks and needs, for example, Li Wen's family does not engage in too much red tape, a plate of fresh fruits, a few plates of pastries, and a few pillars of incense. And Li Jiansheng's family, his father Li Tian is busy alone, plus the family background is thin, a stick of incense bows in front of the ancestral tablet, and making a good wish is also an explanation.

Not long after, Li Yuan's family also completed their own sacrifice, Li Yuan was eager for his grandfather, "'Turtle Sun', study hard, I want you to glorify your ancestors!" In the sound of admonition, he lifted the lantern and set off with the two friends who were waiting urgently.

The eldest sister Li Caiyu stopped the three friends, first stuffed some snacks into each person's hands, and then instructed seriously: "After participating in the enlightenment ceremony, you will all grow up!" When you arrive at the Mongolian Academy, you must listen to your husband and unite with your classmates. ”

The three of them have always respected this hard-working, virtuous, and ingenious eldest sister. The three of them took the snacks and replied sincerely: "Sister, don't worry!" He hurriedly set off towards the market. The three fathers followed, chatting all the way.

Enlightenment Day is chosen on the fifteenth night of the month, and the moon is particularly bright tonight. The village roads and village roads are sprinkled with bright moonlight, and this bright moon seems to be shining a bright path for the schoolchildren.

"Li Lin, you are so eccentric, the enlightenment day of the four girls in your family is not as grand as it is today!" Li Xing said with a smile to Li Yuan's father, Li Lin.

Of course, Li Yuan is the only male in my family, so I expect him to shine and spread out. A married woman is like a splash of water, can this be compared? Li Lin thought so in his heart, of course, some thoughts are not easy to say.

Li Lin looked at the three little ones jumping in front of him, and changed the topic and said, "Li Tian, why is Jiansheng still wearing a patched dress today?" Li Yuan of my family still has some old clothes, I'll bring you a few when I go back. ”

"Thank you! But it doesn't have to be. Boys, don't you have to be poor. Let him have a little bitterness for himself, and when he grows up, he will not be able to stretch out his hands for clothes, open his mouth for food, and learn to take responsibility and be responsible. Besides, it's hot now, and many people are shirtless and cool! ”

Although Li Tian's hands are thick and his back is slightly bent, and his face is engraved with more traces of vicissitudes and sorrow, he still retains some indifference in his heart. Indifferently bearing the hardships of life, indifferently living hard, indifferently looking forward to the turning point of life.

Mentioning this topic, Li Xing sighed and continued: "Ah Tian is such a person, last winter, he kept shouting to return the quilt that Li Wen set up in his house to us!" ”

"Last winter, Li Wen said that he wanted to sleep in the same bed with Jiansheng, and brought a new quilt to my house, but he didn't come to sleep twice in total. Brother Xing, I think this is your idea, right? But we ???????."

"Hah! Ha! Ha! This is really the idea of that stinky boy of Li Wen! Li Xing laughed and interrupted Li Tian's words and said, "It's rare that that stinky boy has come up with such an excuse that is difficult to refuse, Ah Tian, don't be too outward!" ”

Li Tian sighed with a slightly dark expression: "As the saying goes, 'there is only an emergency, not a poor one', 'Tianxingjian, a gentleman should strive for self-improvement', these words were taught to us by the old dean back then." Speaking of which, I am really grateful to the Mongolian Academy in our township, which allows poor children like us to learn to read and write, and can be exposed to a lot of principles of life. ”

"Yes, I have participated in the enlightenment of Caiyu, Caixia, Cailian, and Caiyun, and the content of the old dean's speech has not changed much from more than 20 years ago, but every time I listen to it, I still feel that it is very reasonable, which is evocative." Li Lin felt more deeply about enlightenment.

"It's been a long time since I've heard the dean's teachings, and the enlightenment ceremony is still fresh in my mind after so many years. Fortunately, we can listen to the dean's lecture again today! Li Xingyao thinks about the past, and he also has a lot of feelings.

"More than 20 years have passed in the blink of an eye, and it is time for our sons to participate in the ceremony. Li Lin, your eldest girl is about to get married! ”

Li Tian, a man who is as busy as a cow, has to face the loess with his back to the sky all day long, and he can also feel that time flies, like a white horse passing through a gap.

"I'm afraid Li Lin is reluctant to marry Caiyu!"

"It's really a little reluctant, our Caiyu is really virtuous and capable!"

Li Xing chewed the snack into his mouth and agreed: "Li Lin, I have to say that your eldest girl is indeed capable. You see that she pickled this watermelon skin into such a crisp and delicious taste, no one will ever turn this watermelon skin into a treasure, isn't it that your girl has a delicate heart? ”

"You see that she keeps the house tidy, I'm afraid that the mistress of your house is Caiyu, not her mother!" Speaking of Li Yuan's eldest sister Li Caiyu, Li Tian was also full of praise.

"I look like I'm often sick, I do things slowly and roughly, it's really the life of a maid, the body of a princess. Fortunately, God has eyes and has given such a capable and sensible daughter, which can be regarded as pitiful for me. She is seventeen or eighteen years old this year, and I have always been ready to find a good in-law for her! The big girl should get married. Thinking of the marriage of his capable daughter, although Li Lin was a little reluctant, he also knew that it was time to think about his daughter's future.

In this way, the adults were chatting, and the children were frolicking towards the Mongolian courtyard on the Qingwan market. Under the bright moon in Qingwan Township, the eyes full of lanterns and the ears full of children's excited and childish words make this remote village full of liveliness and hope.

Along the way, more and more people meet, uncles and brothers in the same village, and people who are familiar with each other in the neighboring villages, it is inevitable to say hello, greet a few words, and the chirping sound of the gangsters and children, so bustling how it seems to be at night.

It has been more than forty or fifty years since the establishment of the Mongolian Academy in Qingwan Township, and at the beginning, I don't know which villager proposed that the people of the whole township have the money to contribute and make a strong contribution to set up a Mongolian Academy in the ruins, with the purpose of providing a place for school-age students in the township to study literature. It is divided into three classes: Initial Mongolian, Middle Mongolian, and Enlightened, with a new class every two years, and school-age children are between the ages of seven and thirteen, regardless of gender.

The task of the first two years of the class is to be able to read and write the thousand words in the "Thousand Character Text". This is the beginning of Meng, that is, to master a certain number of Chinese characters, to be able to roughly understand the meaning of Wangwenshengyi.

In the process of literacy, students will learn to break the texts, learn the principles of being a human being, and add simple addition and subtraction arithmetic. In China and Mongolia, you can understand a little bit of writing and ink, read an announcement, sketch a contract and other daily needs.

The enlightenment class is to read through the four books, write some articles, and master the abacus. After enlightenment, then go to take a children's test and find a job as a bookkeeper.

The teaching system of Qingwan Township Mongolian Academy is that in the morning, noon, and afternoon, three classes of junior high school, middle school, and enlightenment are taught in rotation, and there are four days off in January. In this way, there are more than 170 people in three classes in the whole hospital, and four or five gentlemen are more than competent.

The children in the junior Mongolian class are free of charge, and the Chinese and Mongolian schools can provide half a bucket of rice (about six or seven catties) to the Mongolian Academy every month, while the Kaimeng class requires one bucket of rice plus 30 copper coins (about 10 yuan now), plus the fixed donations from the wealthy families in the township, so as to meet the expenses of the Mongolian Academy, and the burden on the students is also very light.

At this time, in the ordination hall of the mongolic institute, seventy or eighty students sat upright on their seats, waiting for the official opening ceremony to begin. There was a small lantern in front of everyone's table, and they all sat motionless with a solemn look. Outside the windows and in front of the doors of the teaching hall, there are parents waiting to witness the moment when their children are enlightened.

There is a portrait of the sage Confucius hanging on the front wall of the room, this old master Confucius has a long beard fluttering, bows his fist lightly under his long sleeves, and seems to be saying under the smile and amiable smile: Isn't it pleasant to learn and learn?

Under the portrait of the ancestor Confucius, a small incense burner is placed on the desk, and three unlit incense sticks on the incense burner are also waiting to complete their mission. In front of the desk stood a thin old scholar, this is the old dean of the Mongolian Academy. The old dean has been teaching in this Mongolian academy for nearly 40 years, and he is highly respected, and he has presided over the enlightenment ceremonies over the years.

The sky was white, and everyone dared not speak, waiting for that sacred moment to come.

Suddenly, a rooster crowed, and everyone's spirits were lifted.

"The Enlightenment Ceremony has officially begun!" The old dean solemnly announced.

"Students, take turns in front of me from left to right."

The children had already heard of the rules of enlightenment, and they all knew about this solemn and concise ceremony of enlightenment, and when they heard the old dean's instructions, they walked to the old dean with lanterns one after another.

The old dean helped them light the lanterns one by one, then bent down and lit a bright red cinnabar pill on each person's eyebrows, while repeating in his mouth:

"I light the fire in your heart and let it illuminate your future life. I will open your eyes and let you see clearly what is true, good, and beautiful in the world, and what is false, evil, and ugly! ”

When it was Li Wen's turn, under the candlelight, the old dean gave him a small startle with two large swollen bags on his forehead.

"This classmate is really born different, could it be the reincarnation of the Heavenly Bull Demon King?" The old dean was stunned and said casually.

Before dawn, most people didn't notice that Li Wen had two big bags on his forehead, but now when he heard what the dean said, and under the reflection of the flickering candles, the two bags on Li Wen's forehead were even more red and shiny, and they could see it clearly. It was a little joyful, and everyone couldn't help but chuckle.

What is rare is that Li Wen did not show the slightest embarrassment on his face, but replied in a good manner: "Dean, you are wrong, this is not natural, I was unlucky and hit something." But it also reminded me that I have to work hard to improve myself before good fortune finds me. ”

"Well said! It's rare to have this feeling at a young age, it's how strange it is for me to see it, this classmate, what's your name? ”

The episode came to an end, and the ritual continued in an orderly manner. But at the end of this lamp-lit stage, there was a little bit of a problem. The old dean angrily said to the small group of schoolchildren, "Who is whispering there? ”

As soon as the words fell, Li Shifu from Qingtan Village raised his hand and grabbed: "It's the lock boy of my village." No, it's the Bull Demon King just now. He wanted to figure out why there was a figure when the lights were first lit, but now the shadows disappeared when everyone lit them. It's stupid, who doesn't know! ”

Facing the dean's gaze, Li Wen lowered his head, and his face showed a rare look of embarrassment. But the old dean did not reprimand, but stood there with a pensive look on his face.

After a moment, the old dean raised his head and sighed to everyone: "Yes! If there is only one person around him who is virtuous, he will only reflect the darkness of others, and will inevitably attract envy and drowning. Only the majority of people have virtue, even if it is not much, but it can be like a house full of fireflies, and it can still illuminate the four walls, and there is light everywhere. This kind of light is not dazzling, but it is more comfortable. ”

"Old friends often ask me, you have been teaching and educating people in Qingwan Township for decades, but not a single jinshi has ever come out, which can be described as a failure. I often scoff at this, why? ”

In the past, it was usually after the completion of the lamp-lighting ceremony that the old dean made a big statement, but at this moment, he had an enlightenment in his heart, so he simply talked about it.

"In my opinion, the foundation of the Mongolian Academy is to open up the literacy and reading ability of the whole village, improve the cultivation of everyone, and ignite the fire of virtue hidden in everyone's heart."

"What if there is no champion in our township, not everyone can become a hero, and not everyone wants to become a great poet who chases the clouds and sings butterflies. But everyone has the ability to qualify into a gust of wind and a drop of nectar. The spring breeze turns into rain, moistening the heart silently. You may never have the opportunity to rule the country and level the world, but you can cultivate yourself and make your customs pure! ”

"Although there has never been a jinshi in our township now, but since the establishment of the Mongolian Academy for decades, the whole township has been conceived into a kind atmosphere, and the villagers are all goodwill behind the smile, how can there be a calculation behind the strong face?"

Listening to the dean's talk, the children didn't feel much, but the parents next to them listened with relish and nodded again and again, because they had experience, experience, and comparison, and they were all deeply committed.

Among them, Li Tian of Qingtan Village had moist eyes when he nodded, because of his special life situation, he had a deeper sense of this kind of rural kindness.

Hugh said that when his family was in the most difficult times, the villagers were very helpful, not to mention that on weekdays others cast more sympathetic eyes, and indifferent and contemptuous, and the eyes of schadenfreude were unique. The mother-in-law of his family was occasionally very ill and came to visit far away, and she could always go home unharmed in two days.

And a group of children in another country followed the madman to throw stones in the back, and the situation of adults chasing dogs with sticks would never happen in Qingwan Township. Most of the villagers will stop the village children who are watching the excitement and serve leftovers, and those in the know will whisper, go back, don't be too far from home, the direction of your home is over there! The kind of harmony and friendliness of the neighbors saved the tired Li Tian a lot of effort, and it was easier for him to feel the slightest warmth in difficult situations, so that people could do good with each other compared to the atmosphere of common evil, which was really a world-wide difference experience.

In front of the Taiwan case, the old dean gave a thumbs up and said: "None of the businessmen who go out in Qingwan are honest and loyal people, and the daughters who marry in Qingwan are not praised as knowledgeable, virtuous and virtuous!" ”

"Do you find out, just our Qingwan Township doesn't have that kind of long-tongued woman who stirs up right and wrong, and has a bad mouth!"

"That's it!" All the parents smiled and affirmed in unison.

"If you take a jinshi from the township in exchange for the atmosphere of common evil for the villagers, is anyone willing to do it?"

"Of course not!"

Hearing the parents' answers in unison, the old dean slipped his white beard with satisfaction, and said leisurely: "Therefore, I have always been proud to be the dean of Qingwan Township Mongolian Academy. I always feel the warmth of humanity here, I shower in this mellow folk style, and I linger here for decades and do not want to leave. The peace, warmth, and satisfaction in my heart is something that those who say I have failed cannot experience. The pursuit of happiness and well-being is more practical than the pursuit of so-called success, isn't it the belief of our villagers? Isn't that where our greatest success lies? ”

The children standing indoors, although they can't understand the feelings of the dean and their parents at the moment, the expressions of the adults will infect them to some extent. In the first ritual of life since the children recognized, the mentality and joy of being willing to do good and beautiful have been seared into everyone's hearts.

"Students, human virtue is also like candlelight, only most people can light up the light of virtue in their hearts, the darkness can be hidden, and the light will really fill the world. In this way, it is easy to find direction and peace in this world. It's just how to ignite the light of virtue in others, which is the most precious thing that you should pursue all your life! If you want to have the ability to find it, you must first learn the knowledge. ”

"Alright, it's almost time, let's move on!" Although the old dean said that he was still unfinished, he also knew today's task.