Everything seems to have been just yesterday, Zhang Saiwen sat under the red willow bush and hugged himself helplessly.

Thoughts spread like a tidal wave. soaked through the saline-alkali ground under him, and also submerged the Hope Elementary School named after his father's unit behind him.

Ge Yiyi in the dream had long hair fluttering and her skirt flying. The young face glows holy golden in the light of the setting sun.

On the dirt road out of the county seat, she saw an old man in a straw hat guarding a pocket of flaming red saplings. Ge Yiyijiao, who was sitting in the passenger seat, smiled and gestured to Zhang Saiwen: Stop, stop, pull over.

This little broken car with eight hands is too noisy. Zhang Saiwen thought she was going to the toilet and pulled over. Unexpectedly, she got out of the car and trotted back all the way back to Shilu.

Pull over, pull over, get down, and follow in the direction of her trot. When I walked over, I heard an old man in a straw hat introducing the fiery red saplings at his feet to Ge Yiyi in Mandarin with a thick accent:

Baby, this is called red willow tree, also called tamarix. Planting can have a great effect, can prevent wind and sand, can eat young leaves, can feed livestock, can be stuffy charcoal can also use its branches to roast meat, roast big meat can also remove fishy ......

Ge Yiyi was on the ground, his little face shining with excitement and anticipation, and he naughtily stuck out his tongue and looked at him with a look of inquiry.

Zhang Saiwen deliberately skipped her seductive expression, and asked the old man with a smile: Uncle, can you build a house with this tree?

The old man said that if you want to use it to build a house, you can also use it to build a house, you have to prune it frequently, and raise it for many years before it becomes a tree. We usually use dry branches to tie a sheepfold or something, and we don't use it to build a house.

It's really honest, Ge Yiyi didn't even pay back the price, so he bought a bag and asked Zhang Saiwen to drive the trunk.

Zhang Saiwen took the saplings and said sullenly that it is not spring, I feel that this sapling will be killed by you. The voice of the old man behind him came from afar: Dig deep pits, water more, be sure to water more. Watering more and you can live.

The two of them stood sweetly in the open space at the door of the lonely classroom in the village school, gesturing left and right where to plant. The old branch secretary carried a shovel to select a location and was preparing to excavate.

Zhang Saiwen remembered what to say, plant a little farther, here to rebuild the school for the children on the original site.

The pit was dug and two people filled it with a spade each. It's not greasy enough, and he holds a shovel in his four hands to cover the clumsy soil together. The onlookers had sparkling smiles in their eyes.

The simple groundbreaking ceremony of the village elementary school was completed ahead of schedule.

The old people finally saw that this was a young couple who had just fallen in love with each other. The wife of the old branch secretary bared his teeth and said, "Oh, this boy is so diligent now." In the future, he will also be a rough man who doesn't help when the oil bottle is poured.

After speaking, he intentionally or unintentionally glanced at the old branch secretary.

The old branch secretary took out two half-grown children with slugs from the pile of onlookers and said to Zhang Saiwen that these two babies have bright brains, and the teachers in the village school said that these two babies are good material for reading.

Both of their parents were in the South. I don't have a home all year round, so you bother to show it to Mr. Zhang.

The implication is that I hope to give my children good counseling, and Zhang Saiwen will be wrong. After a while, he squatted down and said, you two have to study hard, and I will be responsible for your tuition fees in the future.

The sun on the distant horizon resembles a red-hot discus. The mist on the Gobi was scalded and dissipated into the distance, and then even hotter air rose.

Zhang Saiwen under the bushes hugged his knees, buried his head and fell asleep.

As the rustling footsteps in the distance approached, he paused and rustled around the car, and finally stopped in front of Zhang Saiwen after two turns.

Carefully and softly called: Teacher Zhang? Are you Teacher Zhang?

Zhang Saiwen woke up suddenly, sleepy-eyed and carefully identified the young man standing in front of him. This face is a little familiar, but I can't tell which one it is.

The young man in front of him had three points in his eyes. But I'm still not sure, and I asked softly: Are you Teacher Zhang?

As he spoke, he pointed to the red willow tree behind Zhang Saiwen and said: Teacher Zhang who came to teach nine years ago? Mr. Zhang, who planted this tree?

Zhang Saiwen stood up and moved his jaw. He stretched out his hand and took the young man's hand and said, "I have planted the tree." You've finished reading your book so quickly? Now back to teach? Didn't you go out and break in?

The young man's face turned red with excitement in an instant, and his eyes were full of tears: It's me, Teacher Zhang, you still remember me.

Didn't Mr. Ge come back together? How did you get so skinny? Too thin for me to recognize you. Walk around and go to the office.

The young man handed over the hot water and asked, "Why didn't Mr. Ge come back with you to take a look?"

Why did you come back alone?

How did you become so thin, Mr. Zhang?

The content of the inquiry was obviously very gossipy, but the concern and distress in his tone were about to overflow from his eyes, mouth and expression.

Zhang Saiwen warmed his hands with a thermos cup in both hands. While saying in a brisk tone, Mr. Ge later went abroad for further study. Now she should have settled abroad, and it will be difficult for her to come back in the future.

As for me, I'm sick and it's hard to get fat back.

Or tell me about you, how exactly does your book set work? Do secondary school students have an establishment in your local area? Can't live anymore, now?

The young man sat stiffly next to Zhang Saiwen. Said shyly, "Teacher, I have a compilation, and I have a counterpart compilation."

The book set is to study more than a dozen courses in the university by yourself and then take the exam, and you can get a graduation certificate after passing the exam. It's the same as what I wrote to you.

Zhang Saiwen finally connected the eyebrows and eyes of the young man in front of him with the half-grown child with slugs many years ago. Judging from the coincidence, except for the hanging snot, it is all right.

He laughed happily, feeling that he had not been in such a comfortable mood for a long time.

While taking a sip of hot water from the thermos cup. While asking the young man in front of him: What about your cousin? Where is he now?

Hey, he went to work in the south. We were in contact two days ago, and he said that he now works in a die casting plant in the south. It's harder, but the treatment is much better than mine.

He also told me to remember to tell the teacher about you. Said that he would soon be able to make up the high school tuition you gave him, and he would pay you back a lump sum when he got it together.

Zhang Saiwen was busy shaking his hand: You tell him that the money you save will marry your daughter-in-law to build a house. Or do something small. Don't hang on and owe me money, he doesn't owe me, and you don't owe me.

The young man asked: Teacher, do you want his phone number? Why don't you tell him about it yourself?

Zhang Saiwen thought for a while and said, there is no need, you can tell him. Stop thinking about owe money or something. Remember, you don't owe me.

Think about it again and go on to say that you two brothers owe an account to the village. I owe the old branch secretary an explanation.

Now that the school building has been built, you have taken on the role of guiding the way. You've got to figure out how to get more kids out. That's the right thing, remember.

By the way, is the old branch secretary okay?

The old branch secretary died two or three years ago.

Zhang Saiwen stood up and asked him: Are you oral health?

Teacher, what do you say?

Is your mouth healthy, do you have bleeding gums or something?

Sometimes.

Okay, I'll take this thermos mug away for a thought, and you can buy a new one.

After speaking, he took a deep look at the red willow tree he had planted with his own hands. The car turned around and disappeared into the sky with a whistling sound.