Welcome spring together

In the middle of the night, in a trance, I had a dream, and I drove a flock of sheep back to the thatched meadows of my childhood. It was a colorful spring with flowers blooming! Just when I was fascinated by the scenery in front of me, suddenly a WeChat message woke me up: our community seemed to have found a case of new crown pneumonia.

This painter and his wife were friends I had only been friends for less than half a year, and because the three views were the same, they appreciated each other's artistic views, and they talked about everything.

In the difficult anti-epidemic atmosphere, it is difficult to imagine how a painter and sculptor spend their days. When his hands painted and sculpted figures, what a dexterous and magical pair of hands! Now, he has to face how to cut potatoes and onions and peel cabbage. I suggested that he could pay more attention to the news during the anti-epidemic period, and maybe find inspiration from it. The painter said he had typed a sketch about the Great White.

Dabai is the general term for all epidemic prevention medical staff and volunteers. Among the Xi'an friends I know, many of them have become white. Among them was a primary school teacher surnamed Li, whom I jokingly called Li Xiaobai. Xiao Bai is a native of northern Shaanxi, who grew up herding sheep with her father on the mountain, and she likes to climb high on the cliffside and sing the letter of heaven. Later, she was admitted to the county seat to attend high school. At the age of 18, Xiao Bai, who had already become a big girl, looked very handsome and studied very well. But the weather was unpredictable, just when Xiao Bai was about to usher in the college entrance examination, she felt that her breasts were hard and swollen, and there was a hint of hidden pain. She found her aunt who worked in the hospital, and the aunt immediately made an appointment with an oncology specialist for her, and after taking the CT, the doctor preliminarily judged that it was breast cancer. The process of treating breast cancer is difficult. Fortunately, Xiao Bai did not take it seriously, and she did not feel that she was missing anything compared to others. She took a break from school at home to continue her studies, believing that she would be admitted to college in the coming year.

I met Xiao Bai in Xi'an at a workshop on works. She sat diagonally opposite me, two hands on the computer kept typing, I began to think she was a stenographer, and after the meeting, she walked up to me and offered to add me WeChat, I asked, only to learn that she was a primary school teacher, especially passionate about literary writing. A few days later, she came to see me at the hotel, and I told her about my experience of fighting the disease for more than ten years. She was so touched by this that she couldn't help but tearfully tell me about her own struggle with cancer. I said that illness is not terrible, what is terrible is a mental breakdown, and if you can't defeat yourself, there is no cure. I met Xiao Bai, and when we were all physically recovered, we held hands to visit the lakes and mountains of the motherland.

In the days that followed, Xiao Bai taught and wrote at the same time, and every few days she sent an essay for me to correct. From her work, I learned that she was originally strong after surgery and did not suffer any harm. Only later, during a group shower, when a classmate saw the wound of her operation, she couldn't help but scream, and then people left her like a plague, and at that moment she really felt what the end of the world was. That day, she cried all night.

Xiao Bai told me that it was literature that saved her. In her darkest days, she watched a lot of literature and watched many movies. In particular, the movie "Xiao Hong" touched her greatly. I told Xiao Bai that in the 1980s I loved Xiao Hong's works, and I went to Xiao Hong's former residence twice, and I also watched Tian Qinxin's drama "The Field of Life and Death" and wrote the essay "Calling My Sister Xiao Hong". Xiao Bai said that she had read my essay on the Internet and left a deep impression on her.

In December last year, a case of COVID-19 was detected in Xi'an. I asked Xiao Bai, did you buy vegetables? Xiao Bai said that he bought some, enough to eat for a few days. I said that's fine. I asked again, is the school holiday? Xiao Bai said that it is necessary to take a vacation and give children online lessons every day. Fortunately, the teaching task is not heavy, and several teachers can take turns. I said, have time to write a few articles. Xiao Bai said that she wanted to write about her hometown in northern Shaanxi, and I said to write the story of you and the sheep.

After a few days, Xiao Bai did not send me the article, presumably she was very busy, not only to give students online lessons, but also to take care of their children. I sent her a few greetings, and she only gave me a few emoticons. At the end of the year, Xiao Bai sent me a big white photo. I asked: Do you know this big white girl? Xiao Bai replied: Teacher, I am the big white girl, I am a volunteer in the community. I replied: You are really bold, you know, your body can not be affected by frostbite, in case the disease is repeated, what can you do? Xiao Bai replied: The teacher is assured that I will protect myself.

Many texts describe the experience of working with nucleic acids. I worry about Xiaobai every day, and she will send me a triumphant expression every day after work. One day, Xiao Bai asked me: Please ask the teacher, what do you most want to do after clearing the zero? I replied: Continue to heal! Xiao Bai said: You promised to invite me to see the lakes and mountains of the motherland together. I said, yes, not only to see the lake and mountains, but also to go with you to the northern Shaanxi Plateau to listen to the sheep singing on the cliffside.