Lao Zhu's family is very poor, and there is a son at home. In order to provide for their son's schooling, Lao Zhu and his wife decided to raise pigs.

Lao Zhu often said to his daughter-in-law: "I can't let my son be like me and nest in the ravine for the rest of his life." ”

Lao Zhu's daughter-in-law turned the wardrobe from top to bottom, carefully pulled out a handkerchief folded in a square from the bottom package, and then looked at Lao Zhu, her eyes were full of hesitation and confusion.

Lao Zhu looked at his daughter-in-law and nodded heavily.

Lao Zhu's daughter-in-law slowly opened the handkerchief, leaking out the old but straight RMB inside. The maximum denomination is ten dollars, and the rest are one yuan.

Lao Zhu looked at the group of people on the ten yuan, and his eyes leaked with envy. I thought to myself: "They seem to be from the city, but I don't know if they are just going out to work, or if they are returning from work, looking at their happy appearance, it is estimated that they have earned a lot of such ten yuan." ”

There were only 5 of these ten yuan in the handkerchief, and the others were one yuan for driving a tractor. Lao Zhu had never seen a tractor, but he heard from the village chief that a tractor had the strength to top ten cows.

Lao Zhu walked out of the mountains with the money his family had accumulated over the years. Looking at the green mountains and green waters, I thought about what Zhu Erxiaoer, the head of the village, told him a few years ago: There are many high-rise buildings in the city.

Lao Zhu hadn't been to the county seat for a long time, and he didn't know the changes in the county, but he heard that the roads had become wider, and there were cars that were faster than tractors. The people in the city don't grow farms, don't burn firewood, don't light oil lamps. But the food and clothing in the city are good, and the people in the city are white and pure. Lao Zhu didn't know what kind of scene it was, and he couldn't understand what it was like, so it must have been a fairy-like day. In the future, his son will live like that, and if his son lives, he will live with him.

Lao Zhu came to the town, the town is very small, there are no high-rise buildings, you can't see cars, but it is very lively, there is a big market here, just on the street in front of the town government. Lao Zhu will come here every year before the Chinese New Year to buy New Year's goods, and this year is the first time to come after the New Year. This time he came more solemnly, Lao Zhu put on an army-green suit that was only worn to participate in red and white ceremonies, except that there was no badge, it was like a military uniform.

When Lao Zhu was born, Lao Zhu's father named him Zhu Jianjun, hoping that he could join the army when he grew up, be a glorious soldier, and walk out of the mountains to raise his eyebrows.

When Lao Zhu was 18 years old, the village did come to recruit officers, and during the physical examination in the town, Lao Zhu was screened out because of flat feet. The officer said that flat feet were not suitable for long walks, and that the child's feet were more serious. The dream of being a soldier was shattered, Lao Zhu's father let out a long sigh and patted Lao Zhu's shoulder: "Go, go home, Dad will tell you about the daughter-in-law!" ”

Lao Zhu is actually not very old, only 36 years old during the Chinese New Year. It's just that the wind and sun are blowing in the mountains, and I look old. Lao Zhu is called only Lao Zhu's daughter-in-law. Lao Zhu's son is 7 years old, Lao Zhu's father looks at his grandson lively and cute, always with a kind smile on his face, no matter how tired, as long as he sees his grandson, it seems to be relaxed all of a sudden, and the whole person is in good spirits.

One day, Lao Zhu's father went up the mountain to collect medicine, accidentally fell down, and broke his tailbone, and when he was found, he had spent a day and a night on the mountain. Lao Zhu was carrying Lao Zhu's father to go into the town to see a doctor, and Lao Zhu's father hugged his son vigorously, shaking his head constantly. Lao Zhu had no choice but to carry his father home and ask the old Chinese medicine doctor in the village to prescribe some decoction. There are basically medicines in the family, and they are all picked by Lao Zhu's father himself.

Lao Zhu's father lay on the bed, drank some rice soup, and gained some strength. looked at his son and daughter-in-law, and then moved his eyes to his grandson, and he didn't look away. In a weak voice, he said: "The baby has to go to school, go to the town, can't expect to be a soldier!" My body knows by itself that after collecting medicinal herbs for so many years, it is half of Langzhong, and it is useless to go to the town to see it, it is a waste of money, God favors it, it is good to be able to pick up a life, but it may drag you down in the future. ”

Lao Zhu heard this, and hurriedly said: "Dad, what are you talking about, how can you count it as a drag, it is all right to be a child, it's just a ......matter of children going to school."

Lao Zhu's father interrupted him: "Don't say anything, listen to me!" ”

Lao Zhu's father's thoughts couldn't be clearer. The reason why his father didn't let him go to the town to see a doctor was because he didn't want him to spend money, so he left the money to his grandson, so that he could go to school in the town and get a better education. As for not being able to expect to be a soldier, of course, it is not that he has no talent and can't even be a soldier, but he is afraid that his grandson will have an accident like him and not be a soldier. Only by going to school and learning your own skills can you get out of the mountains. This is my father's determination, a kind of sustenance, and a hope.

Now Lao Zhu's son has grown up to the age when he should go to school.

Lao Zhu came to the town with the money his father had saved over the years. I found my brother-in-law first and contacted the school in the town.

The school is located in the northernmost part of the town, on the hill, and is a small two-storey building with accommodation upstairs and classes downstairs. There are a total of 10 classrooms, from 1st grade to 6th grade, six classes, one classroom for each class, as well as a teacher's office, a principal's office, a cafeteria, and a guard room. Upstairs there are four student dormitories, two faculty dormitories, and a large activity room.

The school playground is not big, there is a bamboo pole inserted in the middle of the playground near the second floor, the five-star red flag on the bamboo pole is waving in the wind, and the hunting sound is particularly eye-catching and sacred in the whole school.

There are two rows of wings on both sides of the school, one row is for storing teaching equipment and sundries, and the other row is for storing firewood, grain, vegetables and other daily necessities.

There are two more rooms on the right rear of the second floor, which open on both sides, and there are no window frames on the windows, and there is no glass, just a few small cross-shaped windows piled up with bricks. The doors on both sides are also made of brick, like a half-back letter, with a word written on the front. Lao Zhu knew that it was a toilet, and the two words should be written "male" and "female", but he didn't know which was the word "male" and which was the word "female". According to custom, the man is left and the woman is right, Lao Zhu probably guessed.

The principal received Lao Zhu and Lao Zhu's brother-in-law. Lao Zhu's brother-in-law expressed his intentions, and the principal glanced at Lao Zhu, was very happy, and kept praising Lao Zhu: "It seems that you are a conscious parent, and it is a big deal for your child to go to school, and it is a big thing for you to send your child to school for the benefit of the country and the people. ”

Lao Zhu didn't understand it very well, but in the end, he knew very well that he would be able to borrow his son's light in the future.

After coming out of school, Lao Zhu returned to the market and caught three piglets, two males and one female. The male sells meat, and the female gives birth, this is Lao Zhu's long-term plan. Lao Zhu put the piglets into a sack and put them on his shoulders. After paying the tuition fees with the money I brought out, I basically spent all the pigs I bought, and before leaving, I bought a small packet of rock candy with the last remaining little money, and carefully put it into my arms.

Most of the way back is an upward mountain road, although the road is difficult to walk, but Lao Zhu walks briskly, humming an unknown tune without any tune as he walks. The three little pigs on the shoulders may be humming and chirping because they are stuffy or crowded, and Lao Zhu is even more energetic when he listens to the sound of the piglets. Walking sweating profusely, he didn't care about his clothes being soaked in his own sweat and pig's feces and urine. He was like a soldier returning from triumph, returning home with the spoils of war on his back.