In that humble village, I was a timid child from an early age. The other children always bullied me, and I didn't dare to fight back, so I had to endure it silently. But strangely enough, there was a boy in the village, as old as me, who had never been rough with me. I always feel very comfortable with him, as if we have been old friends for a long time.
At the time, I didn't know why, but I just thought it was a lot of fun to be with him. He was always protective of me from being bullied by other kids. I remember one time I was surrounded by a couple of older kids who wanted to snatch my toys. I was overwhelmed with fear, and just then, the boy rushed over and helped me snatch the toys back, warning the older kids to stop bullying me.
Since then, I have relied on him and felt like he was my own brother. Although I didn't understand why I had such deep feelings for him at the time, I knew that as long as he was there, I wouldn't be afraid.
That day, a troupe came to the village, and everyone ran to join in the fun. I also took him with me, and I remember that the moon was very bright that night, and there were so many stars, as if the whole universe was lighting up for us. The drama on stage was singing and singing, and I suddenly felt that he was a little absent-minded next to me.
"What's wrong with you?" I touched his elbow.
He was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and said, "It's nothing, I just think this play is a bit boring." ”
"It's boring, this is a big show in our village!" I was a little puzzled.
He smiled and said no more. But I clearly felt that he was not the same as usual.
A few days later, I met him at the shop at the entrance of the village, where he was buying cigarettes.
"You've started smoking too?" I was a little surprised.
He glanced at me and said lightly, "Sometimes, it's annoying. ”
"What's the trouble?" I asked.
He sighed, "You don't understand. ”
I suddenly remembered his strange appearance when I watched the play that night, and I had an indescribable feeling in my heart. Since then, I've started noticing that he's a little different from the rest of the village. He was always a loner and rarely interacted with people, except me.
Once, I saw him by the river, and he was sitting there alone, staring at the river in a daze. I quietly walked over and sat down next to him.
"What's wrong with you?" I asked again.
He looked at me and smiled, "It's nothing, I just think this river is quite interesting." ”
"What does the river mean?" I wondered.
"You look at it, it keeps flowing forward, no matter what obstacles it encounters, it doesn't stop. I want to be like it, too, but there are some things that I just can't let go. He said.
I couldn't understand what he was saying, but I felt like he had a lot on his mind. I wanted to help him, but I didn't know where to start.
During that time, our relationship became closer. I began to care about his life, and he began to open up to me. But whenever he mentioned his past, he always avoided talking about it, and I didn't ask any more questions.
Until one day, the loudspeaker in the village sounded the voice of the village chief: "The village wants to build roads, and every family must contribute!" When I heard the news, I immediately thought of him. I approached him and asked him if he wanted to join us.
He looked at me and smiled, "Okay, let's go together." ”
In the process of building the road, we cooperated tacitly to dig soil and move stones together. During that time, he seemed to be much more cheerful and I was happy for him. But one night after the road was finished, he came to me and said with a serious look that he had something to say to me.
I looked at him and felt a little nervous. I knew what he was going to say was probably something I'd always wanted to know, but was afraid to know.
He took a deep breath and began to tell about his past. His voice was deep and powerful, and every word was full of emotion. As I listened to his story, my mood fluctuated. His past is much more complicated and painful than I imagined.
I finally understood why he was always preoccupied and why he was always alone. It turned out that he was carrying such a heavy past. I looked at him with compassion and respect in my heart.
"Thank you for telling me this. I said.
He looked at me and smiled, "Thank you for always being there for me." ”
Since then, our relationship has deepened. I know his secrets, and he knows how much I care and support him. We face life's difficulties and challenges together, sharing joys and sorrows together. I believe that no matter what happens in the future, we will move forward together.
That day, I was helping at the village shop when I suddenly heard a commotion outside, and it seemed that the whole village was rushing in one direction.
"What's wrong?" I asked, holding a hurried villager.
"Oh, don't you know?
My heart tightened, could it be... I immediately threw down my work and ran with the crowd.
When I arrived at the door of XX's house, it was already full of people. I squeezed in to take a look, and saw the boy standing in the courtyard with a solemn face. Next to him was his biological father, the old X of the village, who was sitting on the ground at the moment, his face was pale, obviously frightened.
"What are you doing here?!" Old X pointed at the boy with a trembling voice, his voice crying, "Why are you doing this?!"
The boy didn't speak, just pursed his lips tightly, his eyes firm but with a hint of confusion.
"He stole my money!" Old X continued to complain, "The money I hid in the cabinet is all gone!"
The crowd began to whisper, and I looked at the boy with mixed feelings. Would he really do such a thing?
"I didn't!" the boy suddenly shouted, breaking the silence, "I didn't take the money!"
His eyes were full of determination, and I knew he wasn't lying.
"Then you say, where did the money go?!" asked Old X, not to be outdone.
The boy didn't speak, but silently took out a small notebook from his pocket and handed it to the village chief on the side. The village chief opened the notebook suspiciously, and was suddenly stunned.
"It's... Bookkeeping?" The village chief looked at the records on the notebook, and a surprised expression appeared on his face, "All this money has been saved by your part-time job over the years?"
The boy nodded: "I've always wanted to leave this place and go outside." This money is all my savings. ”
The crowd was in an uproar again, and I looked at the boy with an inexplicable sense of respect in my heart. He endured too many misunderstandings and prejudices, but he never gave up on his dream.
"Old X, look at this...", the village chief turned to Old X, with a slight reproach in his tone.
Old X lowered his head, was silent for a moment, and then slowly stood up: "I... I blame you. ”
The boy didn't speak, just turned away silently. I looked at his back, and my heart was full of emotion. This village, this home, may never have been his home. What he needs is a wider sky.
After this incident, the attitude of the villagers towards the boy changed significantly. They began to understand him, accept him, and even respect him. And I know that this is just a small episode in his life journey. He will continue to pursue his dreams.
After that day, I met him again at the entrance of the village, and he was sitting on the big rock where we used to sit when we were children, staring into the distance in a daze.
"Hey, what do you want?" I walked over and patted him on the shoulder.
He came back to his senses and smiled: "It's nothing, just think about the future." ”
"What is there to think about in the future, what can a small place like ours do? I quipped.
He shook his head: "Not necessarily, I think the outside world is big, and I want to go and see it." ”
"And when are you leaving?" I asked.
He was silent for a while, and then said, "Come on, I'll leave when I take care of the affairs at home." ”
"That's... Do you want to come back?" I asked cautiously.
He looked at me and smiled, "Maybe, maybe not." But no matter what, this is my home and I will never forget it. ”
The two of us sat on the rock, chatting about our dreams and plans for the future, until it was getting dark, and then we reluctantly said goodbye.