I am the little stone in the village, and I remember when I was a child, the eldest brother in the village, Ah Qiang, was a hero in our hearts. He always took us with a group of children to climb trees, catch fish, and explore. But one day, Cuong told us that he was going to join the army, and the children in the village cried, and I was no exception.
At that time, Cuong was eighteen years old, and he was wearing a military uniform with a straight chest, as if he had grown into an adult overnight. There was a long queue at the entrance of the village, and Keong's father and I stood at the front. Cuong's father was mute, but the pride on his face couldn't be hidden.
After Cuong left, the atmosphere in the village became a little heavy. Time flies, and four years have passed in the blink of an eye. I grew from a naughty child to a half-grown teenager, and Cuong's father was getting older.
On this day, I was helping Cuong's father with farm work, when suddenly there was a commotion at the entrance of the village. I threw down my hoe and ran to the entrance of the village. I saw a man in a military uniform, carrying a burden behind his back, walking towards us step by step. He's back!
I ran over excitedly, and Cuong touched my head and said with a smile, "Little stone, it's grown so big." Then he turned to his father, knelt down, and burst into tears: "Father, the son is back." ”
That night, we were fascinated by Cuong's story. It turned out that he had repeatedly made achievements on the battlefield, but because of an accident, he lost his left arm. He didn't want to drag down the troops, so he chose to leave the army and go home.
In the days that followed, Cuong began to adjust to life at home. He learned to farm, do laundry, and cook with one hand. And his father became more and more dependent on him. Whenever Cuong goes out, he always stands at the door and watches his son go away.
However, the good times were short-lived. One day, a few strangers came to the village, and they wanted to expropriate our land to build a factory. The villagers talked a lot, and Cuong's father was even more anxious. Cuong decides to go to those people to theorize.
At the entrance of the village, Cuong stopped the group. He crossed his hips with one hand and asked in a loud voice: "Why are you expropriating our land? This is what our ancestors left behind!" but the other party did not think so, and even threatened to use force.
Undeterred, Cuong told them, "I'm a veteran, and I know you're breaking the law. If you dare to do it, I will dare to fight with you!" The group was shocked by Cuong's momentum, and finally walked away.
This incident earned Cuong the respect of the village, but I also noticed that he became more and more silent. One night, I overheard a conversation between Cuong and his father.
"Dad, I'm sorry, my son has no ability, so he can only protect the village in this way. Cuong whispered.
"Qiang'er, you are the pride of your father and the hero of the village. Cuong's father choked up.
Hearing this, I couldn't help but burst into tears. Ah Qiang, the former eldest brother, now guards the village with his crippled body, interpreting the responsibility of a soldier.
As the years passed, the story of Cuong and his father spread throughout the village. And I'm growing up. But in my heart, Cuong will always be the big brother who takes us to climb trees, catch fish, and explore. His story will always inspire me.
After that day, Cuong's figure grew taller and taller in my heart, and his every move seemed to have a thousand powers. Although he only has one hand, the strength in that hand is enough to support the faith of the entire village.
One day, the elders of the village gathered together to discuss the need to erect a monument to Ah Qiang to commemorate his feat of protecting the village. When Ah Qiang heard about it, he resolutely objected: "I have received everyone's wishes, but there is no need to erect a monument." What I do, with a clear conscience, does not need a tablet to prove. ”
His words caused quite a stir in the village. The old people sighed that Ah Qiang was not only brave, but also had a heart of gold.
In autumn, the apples in the village are ripe and red and hung on the branches. Cuong took me and a group of children to pick apples. He climbed with one hand, his movements still vigorous, and he sang the military song while picking it up, and the song was rough and heroic, and it made our hearts heat up when we heard it.
On the way home after picking apples, Cuong suddenly stopped, stared into the distance, and said thoughtfully: "Little stone, do you know? ”
I looked at Cuong with mixed feelings and didn't know what to say. Ah Qiang smiled and rubbed my hair: "When you grow up, you must learn to bear and cherish." ”
Just as we were all immersed in this warmth, there was a sudden commotion in the direction of the village. We rushed back and found that it was the strangers who had come again, this time with bulldozers.
Cuong immediately rushed over, and the villagers gathered one after another, anger written on everyone's faces. Cuong stood in front of the bulldozer with a firm voice: "You can't do this, this land is our lifeline!"
The leader of the other party sneered and said arrogantly: "You peasants, what do you understand? This is the need for development, and you can only accept it." ”
Ah Qiang's face turned blue with anger, and he clenched one hand into a fist: "Even if we fight hard, we won't let you succeed!" The surrounding villagers also shouted loudly, and the sound shook the sky.
During the confrontation, I saw Cuong's father, who was standing in the crowd, unable to speak, but his eyes were full of determination, as if to tell Cuong: You are our pride.
Just as the atmosphere was becoming more tense, sirens suddenly sounded in the distance. It turned out that someone had quietly called the police. Seeing this, the strangers' faces changed dramatically, and they left in a hurry with the bulldozer.
The villagers cheered and surrounded Cuong, lifting him up and throwing him into the air. Cuong's face was filled with the joy of victory, but I knew that the heaviness of his heart had not been lightened.
That night, Cuong was sitting alone on the stone steps in front of the door, and I walked over and sat next to him. The two of us looked at the starry sky silently for a long, long time.
"Little stone, you are still young, you may not understand, but there are some things that we must insist on. Cuong broke the silence, his tone full of determination.
I nodded, and secretly vowed in my heart that when I grow up, I will also become a person like Cuong, guarding the village and our home.
As the days passed, Cuong became the patron saint of the village. Whenever night fell, he would always sit alone on the stone steps, staring at the starry sky in a daze. I began to understand that Cuong's heart was full of memories of the past and worries about the future.
One day, the village elders approached Cuong and said that he needed his help with something. It turned out that a landslide had occurred on a mountain near the village, blocking the river, and the village downstream was in danger of being flooded. The elders hope that Keung will lead us young people to clean up the river.
Cuong didn't say a word, and immediately agreed. Early the next morning, we followed Cuong to the landslide site. The river was so blocked that we had to clean it up little by little with shovels and hoes. Although Cuong has only one hand, he is more powerful than anyone else, and he wields his hoe as if he were as brave as he is on the battlefield.
"Little stone, exert yourself!" Cuong was sweating profusely, but his eyes were full of determination, "We can't let the villages downstream be harmed. ”
I gritted my teeth and worked hard with Cuong. After a day's work, we finally cleared a small opening, the river flowed slowly, and the danger downstream was lifted.
When we brought the good news back to the village, everyone cheered. The elders praised Cuong as the pride of our village, but Cuong just smiled faintly and said, "I just did what I was supposed to do." ”
That night, Cuong sat down on the stone steps again, and I walked over and sat next to him. He looked at the starry sky and said thoughtfully, "Little stone, do you know? Sometimes, I feel that my power is really small, so small that I can't change much. ”
I clenched my fists and said seriously, "Cuong, you've done a great job. You are our hero. ”
Cuong smiled and patted me on the shoulder, "Thank you, little stone." But I deserve the title of hero. I'm just an ordinary veteran who just wants to protect my homeland. ”
Just as we were immersed in this emotion, there was a sudden sound of hurried footsteps in the distance. A young man ran over panting and shouted, "Brother Qiang, it's not good! The mountain forest to the east of the village is on fire!"
Cuong immediately stood up, frowning: "Let's go, let's see!" We followed Cuong all the way to the scene of the wildfire.
The fire spread rapidly, and smoke billowed into the sky. Cuong commanded us, using buckets and wet towels to extinguish the fire. He rushed to the front, his only remaining hand waving the bucket, completely disregarding his own safety.
After several hours of hard work, we finally brought the fire under control. Cuong was so tired that he lay on the ground, gasping for air. I walked over and handed him a bottle of water, "Cuong, are you alright?"
Cuong shook his head and smiled, "It's okay, little stone." As long as the village is okay, I'm okay. ”
At that moment, I understood Cuong's persistence. He used his actions to tell us that protecting our homeland is not just a slogan, but also requires action and courage. I silently swore in my heart that when I grow up, I will also become a person like Ah Qiang, guarding the village and our homeland.
As the years passed, Cuong's story has been passed down in the village, inspiring generations of young people. And we, in this perseverance, slowly grew up and learned to bear and cherish. Ah Qiang, the former big brother, will always be a hero in our hearts.
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, I have grown up. Cuong is still a hero in our village, and his deeds inspire me to grow. After graduating from university, I resolutely returned to the village, hoping to contribute to the development of the village like Cuong.
Cuong saw me come back with a relieved smile on his face. He patted me on the shoulder and said, "Little Stone, you've grown up, it's time to take responsibility." ”
I nodded, my heart full of determination: "Brother Ah Qiang, I will work hard." ”
With Cuong's help, I gradually became familiar with the affairs of the village. Together, we contribute to the development of the village and hope to make it a better place. However, the reality is always challenging. One day, an elderly man in the village suddenly fell ill and needed to be taken to a city hospital for treatment.
When Cuong heard the news, he immediately decided to drive the elder to the city himself. I was worried about his health and persuaded him to let me drive. But Cuong insisted on going in person, saying, "I'm a veteran, and it's my responsibility to protect the villagers." ”
We set off overnight, with Cuong on the steering wheel in one hand and driving intently. His eyes were determined, as if to tell me that no matter what difficulties he encountered, he would persevere.
After a few hours of turbulence, we finally got the elderly to the hospital safely. The doctor said that if it had not been delivered in time, the elderly's condition might have been more serious. A relieved smile appeared on Cuong's face, and I knew that a stone in his heart had finally landed.
After returning to the village, Cuong fell ill due to overwork. I stayed at his bedside, and my heart was mixed. Ah Qiang smiled weakly and said, "Little stone, don't worry, I'm fine." ”
I held his hand with tears in my eyes: "Brother Qiang, you are the hero in my heart, you must get better quickly." ”
Ah Qiang patted my hand lightly, and his tone was firm: "Little stone, you also have to remember that no matter what difficulties you encounter, you must persevere." We are the hope of the village and cannot be given up easily. ”
With Cuong's encouragement, I worked harder to contribute to the development of the village. After a few years, the village gradually became prosperous thanks to my efforts. Cuong, on the other hand, has recovered, and he is still the most respected person in the village.
As the years passed, Cuong's story has been passed down in the village, inspiring generations of young people. And we, in this perseverance, slowly grew up and learned to bear and cherish. Ah Qiang, the former big brother, will always be a hero in our hearts.