the longest dream

Chapter 1 The Last Hope
[-].

Huaguo, Xijiang Province.

Jiefang Village, Eqi County.

In the sky in July, there was only a bare sun hanging there, without even a cloud covering it, like throwing a fireball down.

In the wheat field, Zhang Qing was wearing a worn-out vest and shorts, stepped on a pair of canvas shoes, and held a sickle in his hand. He kept raising and lowering the wheat to harvest the wheat.

Apart from being covered by the sweat-drenched vest, other exposed parts of Zhang Qing's body were exposed to the sun.

However, what Zhang Qing was thinking about was not the burning pain in his body, but the sadness that this year's wheat had dropped in price again.

After paying the public food and repaying the loan from the cooperative, the money for his schooling may be quite a bit short.

"Qingzi, don't do it, let's eat."

On the ground, a woman with a rough turban on her head waved and shouted.

Hearing the sound, Zhang Qing straightened up, feeling a soreness in his lumbar spine, and said loudly to the ground: "Mom, it's almost finished, you eat first, just leave me a steamed bun!" After finishing speaking, he lowered his head Continue to cut the wheat.

The woman's name is Sun Yuehe, she is Zhang Qing's mother, she is only thirty-six this year, but her life of poverty and hard work makes her look like a fifty-year-old woman.

Seeing her son's stubbornness, Sun Yuehe carried the bundle in her hand and walked along the ditch in the wheat field.

Zhang Qingyi waved his hands tremblingly, the wheat stubble had already scratched countless small cuts on his arms, bloody scars were everywhere, he gritted his teeth and persisted.

In his heart, this is not heavy farm work, but the hope of reading.

"Take a break, Qingzi, drink some water."

Seeing her son working so desperately, Sun Yuehe naturally knew the pain in his heart, her eyes became moist, and she persuaded her.

Zhang Qing responded with "Hey", suppressed the worries in his heart, straightened up and said: "Mom, you are not in good health, you are anemic, and Aunt Li Xia at the medical center told you to rest more, so you shouldn't come, I will When you're done, just go home and eat."

Looking at her sensible son, Sun Yuehe felt a lot of comfort in her heart. She smiled and said, "I'm not tired at all, and I haven't done much work. Qingzi, let me tell you a good thing. Don't worry. Your travel expenses and book expenses for school will be paid for." landed."

Zhang Qing was taken aback when he heard the words. He is in the third year of high school this year. He is not studying at a local school, but a high school in Hanjiang Province, a poverty alleviation province in the Mainland. Tuition fees are free, and accommodation fees are not charged. Living expenses are very cheap. Only travel expenses, book money and class fees per semester have to be paid.

Objectively speaking, this amount of money is not much, but for Zhang Qing's family, it is really not a small burden.

This would not have been the case at all, if his father hadn't been bedridden and couldn't move, and his mother was in poor health and had to take medicine all year round, maybe it wouldn't be that difficult.

"Have you got it? Mom, where did you get the money from?"

Zhang Qing asked suspiciously.

The relatives who can borrow at home have already borrowed it several times.

It is really pity for his family, and Zhang Qing studied well in elementary school, and is still studying in the mainland. He has the hope of repaying it in the future, so he dared to borrow it.

But no matter how pitiful his family is, they can't borrow over and over again, without seeing the money back.

Zhang Qing also understood that when he himself was not rich, he would not dare to borrow more.

But Sun Yuehe didn't tell him, just shook her head and said, "Don't worry about it, anyway, the family has two hundred yuan now, don't worry about the money for Zhang Lan's schooling, and pay it after the loan from the cooperative in winter. The wheat is sold, and after paying the public grain, After withholding and agricultural tax, and repaying the loan, you can always make up the rest, you take it to go to school first, and then find a way if it is not enough..."

Zhang Lan is Zhang Qing's younger sister, who is in fifth grade this year.

Sun Yuehe said happily, but Zhang Qing suddenly became excited. When he went to the field in the morning, he saw a van parked at the entrance of the village. There was a red cross drawn on it, and a horn hung on the roof, saying that it was a paid blood donation. In fact, the blood dealers are collecting blood...

Seeing Sun Yuehe's pale face again, Zhang Qing's brain exploded, and he said loudly: "Mom, are you going to sell blood?!"

Hearing this, Sun Yuehe immediately became flustered, and then waved her hands and said, "What are you talking about, what kind of blood is being sold, who is selling blood for what, and is still anemic..."

But if he didn't have the confidence, Zhang Qing's eyes still turned red. He held his mother's hand and rolled up his sleeves without a doubt. He saw a red and swollen needle point in the center of his elbow, which was so dazzling...

"Mom! I won't go to school! I won't go to school!"

Zhang Qing shed tears and shouted in a hoarse voice.

God damn it, why is the sun so poisonous...

Hearing this, Sun Yuehe's face darkened, and she scolded: "What nonsense are you talking about? You're still in school, don't you know the principle of bitterness before sweetness? As long as you come out, we will What's the point of suffering? If you don't go to school, the hardships of your father and I these years will be in vain. Besides, you are already in the third year of high school, and you are only a year away. Your mind is confused..."

Hearing this, Zhang Qing was stunned for a long time, then he didn't say anything else, and silently opened his bag and started to eat.

My mind is full of confusion about the way forward.

The so-called lunch is nothing more than two baked coarse grain cakes and a large bottle of boiled water. The boiled water is salty, and a lot of salt has been added to supplement the salt.

I must study hard, I must change my destiny!

Zhang Qing swore secretly in his heart, but before his heart burned for a while, it slowly dimmed again.

The gap between the education in the frontier and the mainland is too great, and the Beita area where he lives is also a border town in the west. Even though his grades in elementary school and junior high school were very good, he was admitted to the inner high school.

But after I went there, I found out that the foundation was too poor. No matter how hard he tried, the gap with students from the mainland was still like a gap. How could he be admitted to a very good university?

If you can't get into a good university, how can you change your destiny?

It is already recognized that for children from poor families, only by studying can they change their destiny.

Although it was scorching sun outside, Zhang Qing's heart was cold and chaotic.

But looking at his mother's gray hair, which was less than forty, he gritted his teeth secretly, even if he tried his best, he must fight for a way.

He had nothing but his life.

……

into the night.

The nights in the northwest are very cool. When the sun is not visible, the temperature cools down.

Inside the earthen house, Zhang Qing looked at his younger sister Zhang Lan who was stirring pig food by the stove, and was about to step forward to help, but the thin Zhang Lan waved her hands and smiled: "Brother, you have been tired all day, how can I let you come?" Mix pig food? I'll do it."

Zhang Qing shook his head and stepped forward, saying: "I will go to school next month, you have to do this every day, if I can do more, I will do more, who made me a brother?"

After finishing speaking, he snatched it over and vigorously stirred the pig food.

The family feeds two pigs, which is the hope of their family for the New Year and for their brother and sister to study in the first semester next year...

"elder brother……"

Zhang Lan suddenly whispered.

"Ok?"

"Mom and Dad are going to sell blood today. Mom and Dad borrowed the scooter from the neighbor's fourth uncle Mao's house. Mom and I pulled it together. I want to sell blood too, but they think I'm too young. Don't, just say it." Not angry?"

Zhang Lan stood next to his brother, chattering about today's events, feeling very annoyed.

She is still young, but she is very sensible, and she wants to help the family wholeheartedly.

Zhang Qing paused for a moment with his hand stirring the pig food, and instantly felt that the shovel in his hand was as heavy as Mount Tai.

But he just kept answering, didn't say much, and only where Zhang Lan couldn't see, big drops of tears flowed down and fell into the pig food bucket.

The poverty and suffering of life made him almost breathless.

……

A month later, after Zhang Qing finished harvesting and clearing the wheat at home, he borrowed a four-wheel tractor to take it to the grain station to pay the public grain, and after selling the rest to pay off the loan, he finally got enough money for the semester's books and money. class fee.

After bidding farewell to his family, Zhang Qing took a long-distance bus all night before arriving at the railway station in the capital of Xijiang.

After waiting in a long queue to buy tickets, and carrying a large backpack of naan bread and pickles, I finally boarded the train to Jiangjing City, Hanjiang Province at [-]:[-] p.m.

And just as he got on the train, he heard a message from the train radio:
Hello passengers, the train received the news from the station. According to the latest release from the National Astronomical Administration, at [-]:[-] pm today, in the sky of Xijiang Province, we can see the Nine-Star Lianzhu that occurs only once in [-] years.Dear passengers, please don't miss this wonderful sight.

Passengers with watches hurriedly looked at their watches and exclaimed, "Oh, it's already forty-five now, and there are three minutes left!"

Zhang Qing hurriedly found a seat, fortunately his seat was next to the window, before he had time to put down and salute, he hurriedly looked up through the window.

But he didn't see anything. He laughed at himself that his eyes were not astronomical telescopes. What he could see was that the sun seemed to suddenly become extraordinarily bright...

Immediately, he was suddenly extremely tired and sleepy, as if the exhaustion accumulated throughout the summer vacation had exploded, and his eyelids were so heavy that he couldn't lift them up.

Reluctantly stuffing his canvas bag under the seat, Zhang Qing fell asleep on the table...

……

(End of this chapter)