Chapter 191 Cui Xiaoqiang’s kindness and path
"It's so frustrating!"
Cui Xiaoqiang was sitting on the minibus going home, looking out the window at the vast mountains on both sides.
The road is winding and lined with dense trees. Tall pine trees and lush bushes intertwine to form a green barrier. The sunlight shines on the ground through the gaps in the leaves, forming mottled light and shadow.
The wheels of the minibus rolled over the bumpy gravel, making a rattling sound, and it was shaken from time to time.
Cui Xiaoqiang was a little excited. One year had passed and it was rare to go home once.
It’s not that I don’t want to go home. In the final analysis, the main reason is that I am poor and can’t bear the travel expenses.
If it weren't for the eldest brother Fang Bai, he probably wouldn't have been able to come back even once in four years of college.
Without a boss, Cui Xiaoqiang knew that it would be difficult for him to have a full meal at school, so he continued to drink porridge and eat steamed buns.
The kindness is as deep as the sea, and it is difficult to repay.
After the subscription certificate ended, he received a total of about 200,000 yuan. After the second lottery, he had bought a house near Jiaotong University. He still has tens of thousands of yuan in deposits on hand. It can be said that It's quite wealthy.
His clothes have been transformed. Although they are not brand-name clothes, they are still passable. They look clean and fresh. At least he no longer wears patched clothes, nor does he even have decent shoes like before.
He remembers that when he was in college a year ago, he was wearing a pair of smooth-leather Jiefang shoes, carrying a sack made by his mother, and sewing hundreds of dollars borrowed by his mother from relatives, friends and neighbors on the lining of his clothes, and embarked on the road away from his hometown. It took three days of traveling to reach Shanghai.
Nowadays, even if you have money, a trip home is still inconvenient and expensive.
This time when he went home, he didn't bring much. He only carried a large luggage bag containing two sets of summer clothes, two sets of summer clothes bought for his mother, seven to eight thousand yuan in cash, two or three kilograms of candy, and Some specialties of Shanghai.
Wealth and honor do not return to their hometown, just like walking in brocade at night.
Who doesn't want to return to his hometown in glory, he wants to anyway.
He wanted to tell the villagers that he, Cui Xiaoqiang, was promising, and he wanted to take his mother to live in Shanghai.
His home is in a remote mountain village in Longlin County, western Guangxi, at the junction of Guizhou and Guizhou provinces.
Taking the train back from Shencheng does not pass through Guizhou Province, but goes directly to the southern part of Guizhou Province and gets off at Weishe Station in Guizhou Province.
It takes forty hours just to take the train, and then take a bus to Xingcheng, transfer to Longlin, and get off halfway.
At this time, he was sitting in the car driving from Xingcheng to Longlin.
He set off from Shanghai on the afternoon of August 16th, and it was already three or four o'clock in the afternoon of August 18th. He had to get home at night.
At nearly four o'clock, he got off the bus.
The next mountain road can only be hiked.
Fortunately, it was not the rainy season. Otherwise, there would be mud and puddles along the way, and we would have to take off our shoes and walk barefoot, which would be very difficult.
Returning home is like an arrow, but approaching the hometown is timid. This is his mood at this time.
The mountains in the western part of Guangxi Province are continuous. Fortunately, the mountains are not steep. Unlike the mountains in the mountain city, the peaks are like knives and axes that reach into the sky. The deep valleys between the peaks are crisscrossed, like a natural maze.
The air at home is good and fresh, the mountain streams are gurgling, and the clear water flows like silver ribbons in the mountains. The cool water vapor permeates the air, bringing a sense of coolness to people.
This quarter and this time are really just right.
Perhaps his mood has changed. Cui Xiaoqiang walks much more cheerfully, and his steps are not as heavy as when he was in college.
After walking for about half an hour, a bullock cart passed by, with a wrinkled, dark-skinned and bearded uncle sitting in the cart. He asked enthusiastically where he was going.
"Uncle, go back to Datian."
"Get in the car, I'll go back to Nangma. Our villages are not far apart." The uncle warmly greeted him to get in the car.
"Okay, thank you, uncle." Cui Xiaoqiang first took out two cigarettes and handed them to the uncle. This was the experience he learned from Fang Bai. He doesn't smoke, but in the past two semesters, he helped the supermarket and also I learned some dealing skills, so when I got home, I bought a pack of mid-range cigarettes to keep.
"Hey, it's a good smoke." The uncle laughed, took it without politeness, and asked where he came back from.
"Uncle, I'm studying in college in Shanghai and I'm going home during the holidays."
The uncle was very surprised: "Awesome, awesome. The college students in Shencheng have a different temperament. I remember that a child in your village was admitted to college last year, which caused a sensation in several nearby villages."
"Uncle, you may be talking about me. I was the only one in our village who was admitted to university last year." Cui Xiaoqiang replied with a naive smile.
"Oh, it's true. It's not easy to get into college. Once you graduate, you'll have a guaranteed job."
"Uncle, are you coming back from the market?" Cui Xiaoqiang changed the subject and saw several bags of daily necessities on the ox cart, mostly toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, paper, and some mountain goods.
"That's right. I went to the county to sell some mountain products and buy some daily necessities for the villagers. I set off before dawn, and now I have to rush back. Hey, it's getting harder and harder to sell. It's hard to explain when I go back."
"It has become easier to sell in recent years." Cui Xiaoqiang said, relying on the mountains depends on the mountains, but their mountains are not like the mountains in the northeast, so there are not many mountain goods.
The cultivated land is not fertile and there is not much land. The harvest of the food grown is not good. They usually grow potatoes and corn to barely keep the family from starving to death.
He remembers eating baked potatoes the most before going to school. The soup was watery every day, and it was rare to have a meal of meat.
In rural areas like theirs, it is difficult to find work in nearby counties and cities, so they can only go to Guangdong City.
If he hadn't studied and gone to college, he probably would have spent the rest of his life like this uncle.
Cui Xiaoqiang wants to change his hometown, but he doesn't have much ability at the moment.
When I come back this time, I plan to donate 2,000 yuan to the primary school, as much as I can help. Many school-age children in the village have difficulty going to school.
But he didn't dare to say that this was the money he earned, so he had to find another excuse.
Along the way, Cui Xiaoqiang had a casual chat with his uncle. The uncle was very polite to him and his tone of voice was a little respectful.
College students from prestigious universities like them are rarely likely to return to the county after graduation. They usually stay in big cities to work. If they return to their hometown, they will soon become leaders.
Cui Xiaoqiang was sitting on the bullock cart. Although it was a bit bumpy, he didn't have to walk at least. His legs were freed. The cool breeze blew by his ears and temples, mixed with the scent of grass and trees. It felt much more comfortable than riding in a bus.
Half an hour later, at the fork in the road between the two villages, Cui Xiaoqiang jumped out of the oxcart and sent out two more cigarettes to the bearded uncle.
The next road is only one or two miles of mountain road.
After walking for a few minutes, Cui Xiaoqiang saw scattered cottages at the foot of the mountain.
There are about two hundred households in the whole village, and each household is not very far from each other, and they basically know each other.
As he approached the village, he saw some children in ragged clothes and worn-out shoes. Some were even walking barefoot on the muddy road. He couldn't help but feel sad.
Two children of seven or eight years old were sitting on the weeds facing the setting sun, biting the grass roots with their small mouths. Not far away was a buffalo, lowering its head and gnawing on the weeds.
Cui Xiaoqiang knew these two children. When the two children saw someone passing by, they looked at him carefully and finally recognized him: "Brother Xiaoqiang."
Since he was admitted to college, Cui Xiaoqiang is still very famous in the village, known to all women and children. Of course, it has something to do with him being a single parent.
"Eh!"
Cui Xiaoqiang paused for a moment, took out a handful of fructose candies from his backpack and distributed them to the two children who ran over.
The two children's skin was tanned, rough and dry from the sun, wind and rain. Their clothes were rudimentary, just old and patched clothes, which were still dirty, and they had no shoes on their feet.
I was very surprised when I saw the candies. I raised the corners of my mouth slightly with a happy smile. I quickly tore open the outer packaging of a piece of fructose and stuffed it into my cracked mouth. I licked the different taste and my eyes suddenly became more energetic.
But suddenly, a child felt his scalp itchy and called his companion next to him to catch fleas for him.
These two children had neglected to take care of their long hair. They often did not wash their hair, were reluctant to use soap, and mixed with the buffaloes. As time went by, they naturally had more fleas on their bodies. For the children in the village, catching fleas was a common occurrence. Very skilled.
After a while, the fleas on the scalp were caught, and they were pinched on the fingernails. There was a crackling sound, and the fleas were exploded.
Cui Xiaoqiang also came here like this when he was a child.
It can't change people's financial situation, so it's better to give less advice, just remind them to wash their hair frequently.
He left with a wry smile and looked towards the distance.
There is no source of income in the mountains, many houses in the village are dilapidated, and almost all families live in simple adobe houses.
Only families who work far away can live in tile-roofed houses.
In the village, there are only two houses with buildings, but they only have one floor and are simply decorated.
Cui Xiaoqiang walked all the way, handing out candies to children when he met them. After walking all the way, he finally returned home.
Two adobe houses and a simple kitchen, seeing all this made him feel sad.
At this time, it was already six o'clock in the afternoon, the sun was setting, and smoke was curling up from the chimneys of various houses.
Cui Xiaoqiang saw smoke coming from the chimney in the kitchen. It seemed that his mother was cooking. He sorted out his complicated mood and walked into the kitchen.
In the kitchen, beside the simple stove, my mother sat on a low wooden stool, holding a handful of dry firewood in her right hand, and carefully put the firewood into the stove one by one.
"Mom, I'm back from vacation!"
Cui Xiaoqiang looked at the slightly bowed back of his mother in coarse cloth, his throat choked up, he suppressed his tears and shouted into the house.
When the middle-aged woman heard a familiar voice, she thought she was deaf, but she still turned around with some hope, blinking on her confused face, and her eyes widened when she saw a familiar person.
She is in her forties, but her face is already full of traces of time. Wrinkles are deeply engraved between her forehead and her smile. Her hair is slightly messy and dry, and her hands are rough.
Suddenly, his smile disappeared in an instant, and he asked urgently: "Qiang, why are you back? You didn't make any mistakes in school, did you?"
It was her hope to finally send her children to college, but she didn't want to make a mistake and be dropped out of school.
"Mom, I didn't make a mistake. I behaved well and got a scholarship. I'm on vacation. I'm thinking about it. I'll come back to see you." Cui Xiaoqiang just stood there stupidly for his mother to see.
When she heard that it was normal for her to go home for the holidays, the woman hurriedly asked after her greetings and showed a caring smile: "I just got home. I'll put in more rice for cooking. Fortunately, I just put it in the pot."
"OK."
Cui Xiaoqiang went back to the house first, put down his luggage bag, took out two canned meats from the bag and went back to the kitchen to help cook. It's said to be rice, but it's actually just corn rice.
I chatted with my mother about my hometown, and also talked to her about school and what Shen Cheng had seen and heard.
Dinner was relatively simple, consisting of a vegetable and fried shredded potatoes with not much oil, plus two canned meats brought back by Cui Xiaoqiang. Mother and son ate with gusto.
There were a lot of potatoes and corn piled in the corner of the earthen wall.
Mother and son kept chatting. After dinner, Cui Xiaoqiang talked about how all the classmates started their own businesses and made money, but he didn't mention the subscription certificates. He just said that he made money from stock trading with the class leader and bought a house.
The woman was shocked when she began to hear that her son was making a lot of money.
She couldn't believe it, but she found that her son had become stronger, his skin color had improved a lot, and he felt more like a city man.
The woman did not think that the child would lie to her. She knew her son's character too well.
"You said your squad leader is so awesome. You owe me a lot of favors."
"Yes, he was the top scorer in the national college entrance examination. He started his own business from scratch. He even appeared on TV some time ago. He is a national celebrity. He is very kind to us. Now, I also brought some newspapers and photos about him." There is a monitor in their dormitory collection Cui Xiaoqiang brought back several newspapers, including a front page with photos, and photos of eight people in the dormitory.
His mother didn't know much about literacy, so Cui Xiaoqiang handed the photo to her and said, "That's him. The squad leader treats us very well. He's very rich. He's a millionaire. His personal assets rank among the top in Shanghai."
"Well, you are with the right person. From now on, don't do anything wrong to others, and be grateful." The woman said sincerely, feeling gratified and happy for her son's change.
Unexpectedly, meeting a noble man after going to college would directly change her son's destiny and become a city dweller. Isn't this what she expected.
"Don't worry, I still understand the principle of gratitude, but I won't be able to repay it in this life."
Cui Xiaoqiang took out a wad of money from his backpack, put it on the desk, and told his mother to use part of it to pay off the debt, donate two thousand yuan to the school, leave the rest to his mother, and keep five hundred yuan for himself.
The money the family owes is not much, only three or four hundred yuan.
It was the first time for a woman to see so much money. She couldn't help but pick up a hundred-dollar bill that she had never seen before. It felt so real when she touched it. She looked happy and felt that her burden was much lighter.
What her son said just now shocked her, but it was not as intuitive and shocking as the money in front of her.
My eyes were wet, so I wiped them twice, fearing that the tears would drip on the money and make it dirty, and they wouldn't accept it.
Cui Xiaoqiang looked at his mother's happy expression and felt that all his efforts were worth it.
The woman was a little excited, smiled happily, and said, "I don't object if you want to donate money to the school, but you have to consider some things. I will pay off the debt tomorrow, including the interest."
Cui Xiaoqiang nodded: "Mom, I want to take you to live in Shanghai. The house has been decorated and you can move in directly."
"I won't go. I'm not used to life. When you graduate, get married and have children, I'll go see the children when I have time."
When Cui Xiaoqiang heard this, he was indeed convinced by the squad leader.
He said that when he went home to take his mother to live in Shanghai, his mother might not be willing to come, mainly because she was afraid of causing trouble to her children.
"I don't worry about you living alone at home. If you are free in Shanghai, I will find something for you to do."
"I'm still young, don't worry, I'm fine at home, there are people nagging me."
"Hey." Cui Xiaoqiang knew that he couldn't talk to his stubborn mother now. When he was very young, his father left. The matchmaker and relatives and friends asked her to remarry, but she just didn't want to.
Now that I have taken my parents there, I actually don’t have time to take care of her. She spends most of her time in school. Her mother cannot speak Mandarin well, and communication is difficult. She is not familiar with the place, so she may not have a happy life.
At home, at least I can chat with my fellow villagers to relieve my boredom, and plant some vegetables in the fields without having to work so hard.
Thinking of this, Cui Xiaoqiang stopped urging him and would talk about it later.
However, he plans to study for a postgraduate degree and then go out to help his boss and bring his mother to live in the city. It seems that he has to wait for an unknown amount of time.
Buy a TV and let your mother listen to Mandarin.
At night, Cui Xiaoqiang chatted with his mother for a long time and gave her the newly bought clothes.
The next day, Cui Xiaoqiang rested at home and helped clean up the house, while his mother used money to pay off debts.
Early on the third day, he and his mother were going to the county town to buy some daily necessities, add some belongings to the family, and buy some books for the primary school.
When night fell, mother and son rushed back from the county town.
There was an extra bicycle on the oxcart, a 14-inch black and white TV, an antenna stand, and a lot of household belongings and primary school textbooks.
When the villagers saw that the mother and son had made a trip to the city and bought so many belongings, they were a little curious about where the money came from.
"The school gave me a scholarship, and I earned some money by working part-time in my spare time." Cui Xiaoqiang's mother explained, not daring to say that her son made a lot of money.
There are only two houses in the village with TV sets, and hers is now the third one.
The villagers are simple and honest, and they are not afraid of grabbing money or things, but when they see others suddenly having a good life, they feel a little disappointed and feel uncomfortable.
Now that her son is admitted to college, most villagers are very polite to her. After all, her son has a bright future.
In the next few days, Cui Xiaoqiang spent some money to ask the bricklayers in the village to help tidy up the two houses at home for a temporary transition.
The money he has on hand is not enough to build a new house. It is difficult to get money from other places. When he comes back next time, he will bring more money and build three new houses. It won't cost much.
Before leaving, he went to the teacher's house in the village.
There are only two teachers in the village. They are older, but they are also Cui Xiaoqiang's first teachers. They usually use subsidies from their families to buy books and pens for students, and they are quite prestigious in the village.
He planned to donate 2,000 yuan. He spent a lot of money to buy textbooks and teaching supplies from the county, and finally took out 1,500 yuan. When he paid the money, the village party secretary and two teachers were there. This part of the money was donated to the village. Children read and add some teaching supplies to the classroom.
In addition, Cui Xiaoqiang also took out 300 yuan and gave each of the three people 100 yuan as a subsidy, but the three of them did not dare to accept it.
One hundred yuan is a lot of money. Cui Xiaoqiang's donation of 1,500 yuan to the school can improve the teaching environment of some primary schools and ensure that school-age students in the village can go to school.
"Take it, the money donated to the school and teachers comes from Xinghai Group. I am just passing it on. If I don't complete the task, I won't be able to explain it to others when I go back to school." Cui Xiaoqiang said seriously, this is actually all his money.
According to the current operating conditions of Hualian Supermarket, I still have tens of thousands of dollars on hand, so it is not a problem to continue donating for seven or eight years.
Slowly improve education in the village. As for other things, we can only rely on the villagers themselves.
A few days later, on the morning of September 1, Cui Xiaoqiang had to make the return journey.
His mother stood on the hillside and waved to him.
I originally wanted to take him to the train station, but he refused to let me go. He didn't have anything on him, so I just brought some local products to the squad leader. I then took a ox cart from the village to help him take him a part of the way to the bus stop.
The last time he left, Cui Xiaoqiang was confused and reluctant to leave home.
This time he left, equally reluctant to leave home, but he no longer felt confused.
If they are really confused and don't know where the road is, the squad leader will be there to guide them, so just follow him.