In a small county town with beautiful scenery, Li Qiang, as an ordinary primary school teacher, lives an ordinary and fulfilling life. He wears a light blue shirt and always has a kind smile on his face, and is the amiable "Teacher Li" in the hearts of children.
"Teacher, what do you think of my drawing?" Xiaohua ran over excitedly, holding a painting full of blue sky and prairie in his hand.
Li Qiang leaned down and praised with a smile: "The painting is fantastic, the sheep under the blue sky are like a white cloud, it's really vivid!" Xiao Hua laughed from ear to ear and ran back to his seat to continue graffiti.
After class, my colleague Zhang Min came over: "Li Qiang, I heard that your ex-wife Li Qing was recently elected deputy secretary of the county party committee?" What a strong woman. ”
Li Qiang waved his hand and smiled bitterly: "Success is also Xiao He, defeat is also Xiao He, the career she has been pursuing has been successful, but our marriage has come to an end." ”
And just a week later, Li Qiang's peaceful life was shattered by a paper order, and he was transferred to a township school in the most remote part of the county. Unlike the peaceful teaching career he imagined, he needed to bump for hours every day to get to that school.
"Teacher Li, I heard that you are going to that school in the mountains?" Director Wang of the Academic Affairs Office asked with concern.
"yes, I received a notification all of a sudden, which was quite unexpected." Li Qiang tried his best to make his tone sound calm.
On the first day of transfer, Li Qiang carried a simple bag and walked on the muddy path leading to the township school. The mountain road was rough, and several times he almost fell and fought. "Could this be Li Qing's little surprise for me?" He smiled wryly to himself as he walked.
After arriving at the school, Li Qiang found that the conditions here were very different from those in the county. There are several holes in the roof of the classrooms, the lectern is just a few patchwork of broken wooden boards, and the desks and chairs that the children sit on are of various styles.
"Teacher, you're finally here, we've been waiting for you for a long time!" A bright-eyed little girl ran over and looked at Li Qiang expectantly.
Li Qiang bent down and said gently: "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting, my name is Li Qiang, and from today on, I will be your teacher." ”
That night, Li Qiang lay on the bed in the dilapidated dormitory, looking at the starry sky outside the window in a daze. He knew in his heart that there must be Li Qing's shadow behind this transfer, but he had no way to confirm it. And how will he start a new life in this distant and strange place? Li Qiang lay on the simple dormitory bed, tossing and turning and unable to sleep, his heart full of powerlessness and doubts. The remote township school was far from everything he was familiar with, and although the children's eyes were full of innocence, the harsh teaching conditions made him secretly feel heartache.
The next day, Li Qiang started his first class at the township school. In the modest classroom, the children stared excitedly at the new teacher.
"Children, although our classrooms are not as luxurious as those in the city, our enthusiasm for learning must not be lost to anyone, right?" Li Qiang encouraged the children.
"Yes, Mr. Li!" A group of children spoke in unison, in high spirits.
Just when Li Qiang was trying to adapt to all this, Wang Gang, a friend from the county seat, called him with a little worry in his tone: "Li Qiang, I heard that you were transferred to that school in the mountains, do you really not consider coming back?" I heard that there is an article in this! ”
"Article?" Li Qiang pretended to be calm, "I want to see what else she can write!" ”
"Forget it, take care." Wang Gang sighed and hung up the phone. Li Qiang knew what this "article" meant, but he was reluctant to delve into it.
In the following days, Li Qiang gradually adapted to the rhythm of rural life and began to understand the daily life of these children. Although the school is small, Li Qiang's soul has been unprecedentedly calm and satisfied here. Li Qiang began to try to use limited resources to give children more fun to learn.
One day, on the small playground after school, a group of children surrounded Li Qiang, excitedly discussing what they had just learned.
"Teacher Li, do you think we can go to the university in the county when we grow up?" A boy named Xiao Ming asked.
"Of course you can, as long as you study hard, nothing is impossible." Li Qiang encouraged the children.
Unexpectedly, Li Qiang's efforts were slowly known to the villagers, and his spirit of recklessness touched everyone in the village. The villagers began to help the school on their own initiative, some donating books and some repairing classrooms......
After working in the township for several months, a sudden rainstorm made the mountain trail more difficult, and the roof of the school leaked. In the face of this unexpected situation, I felt an unprecedented challenge.
In a small restaurant in the county seat, Li Qing sat in the corner, listening to the rumors about Li Qiang with his female companion next to him, and his expression was faintly complicated.
"I heard about Li Qiang's school, and now the people in the village have gone to help repair the roof." The female companion said slowly.
Li Qing silently took a sip of tea, and a trace of stunnedness flashed on his face.
As time passed, Li Qiang's life at the township school was difficult, but it was extremely fulfilling and happy. The smiling faces of the children, the trust of the parents, and the enthusiasm of the villagers constitute his motivation day after day.
It was then that he received a call from the county education bureau, inviting him to return to the county and work as principal at a larger school. Li Qiang was surprised, but hesitation and entanglement emerged in his heart. His heart has long been firmly occupied by this land and these children. Every morning, Li Qiang would go to school early to prepare, because he knew that the children would come to the classroom early, and his eagerness to learn made him feel extremely gratified.
"Teacher, the story you told yesterday was so funny, I went home and told my parents about it, and they all laughed!" Xiaohong took Li Qiang's hand while jumping and said.
"Really? How about the teacher tell you a more interesting story today? Li Qiang said with a smile.
At the same time, in the village premises, some villagers were sitting together, discussing the education of Li Qiang's children.
"Then Mr. Li is really unusual, he came to us, and the children have changed a lot." An old villager smoked a pipe and said approvingly.
"Yes, in the past, we were all worried that the left-behind children would fall behind, but now Mr. Li also holds tutoring classes for them every weekend." A young mother her child answered.
Li Qiang's hard work and sincere attitude gradually won the respect and love of the villagers. He was not only a teacher to the children, but also a friend of the village.
Just when they were full of respect and trust, the school suddenly received a notice that a film and television team from the city planned to come to the school to shoot a documentary reflecting rural life, and Li Qiang and the school would be the focus of filming.
When the film crew came to the school, they saw the living and learning state of this group of children, and were deeply moved by their sincerity and hard work, and Li Qiang's image was also able to spread further through the video.
One day after the shooting, the director of the film crew approached Li Qiang: "Mr. Li, we are deeply moved by your story with the children, how do you think we should educate the children in the countryside?" ”
Li Qiang replied without hesitation: "Give them hope and courage, let them know that no matter how difficult life is, knowledge and hard work can light the way ahead." ”
Before the words fell, a stack of donated new books and stationery was delivered to the school, which turned out to be a caring person far away from home who saw the documentary preview.
Li Qiang's eyes were moist, and he felt that his efforts had been rewarded, not only materially, but also spiritually, not only from the villagers and children, but also from many people in the wider world who had never met.
As a result, the living and learning conditions in the school have been greatly improved, and the children have become more passionate about learning, which has led to the importance of education in the whole village.
At this critical juncture, the sudden phone call pulled Li Qiang back to reality, it was Li Qing, she was silent for a while, and then said slowly: "Li Qiang, I watched the trailer of the documentary, I ...... I'm sorry. ”
Li Qiang took a deep breath, and there was no blame in his tone, but said calmly: "It's okay, Li Qing." The children are doing well now, and that's enough. ”
After hanging up the phone, Li Qiang showed a relieved smile, looking at the fields outside the window and the children playing in the distance, his soul was filled like never before.
Li Qiang watched one glorious sunrise and sunset after another with the laughter of the children, and these days, the changes in the school also impressed everyone. On the village path, villagers gather to discuss changes to the school.
"Teacher Li is amazing, not only teaching the children to read and count, but also teaching them the principles of life." The old willow at the head of the village sighed while smoking a big cigarette stick.
"Yes, there has never been a child in our village who can go to a good junior high school in the county, and there are three of them this year!" The aunt who was knitting a sweater squinted her eyes and smiled.
At the county government, Li Qing is discussing a new education policy with colleagues. "This time, we must really think of a way for those children in remote mountainous areas, and we can't let them lose at the starting line." Li Qing expressed such a view for the first time in front of everyone.
My colleague Xiao Zhao cautiously asked, "Deputy Secretary Li, I heard that the teacher named Li Qiang has a very good teaching performance?" ”
"Well, yes, I know him, and his dedication to education is really worth learning." A complicated light flashed in Li Qing's eyes.
Time flies like a white horse, and soon, the Education Bureau called again, this time to invite Li Qiang back to the county seat to receive an honorary award. The public's support and recognition have made the unfavorable situation he once faced self-defeating.
On the day of receiving the award, the children in the school and the villagers spontaneously organized a simple send-off party, and the children gave small gifts made by themselves, each containing the children's hearts and expectations.
"Teacher Li, don't forget us!" A little girl hugged Li Qiang's legs, her eyes full of reluctance.
"How so? How could I have forgotten you. Li Qiang squatted down and hugged her gently, his heart surging warmly.
Standing on the podium, which was not gorgeous, Li Qiang was excited. He knows that this is not only a personal affirmation of him, but also a recognition of the dedication to education in those remote areas.
He looked at the thunderous applause of the crowd below, and a pair of eyes met his gaze, it was Li Qing. At that moment, their eyes understood each other and forgave each other in the long river of years.
In the evening, the afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled the trail, Li Qiang stood on the small bridge at the head of the village, looking at the school he had struggled for, and couldn't help but feel a burst of emotion in his heart. His story may not change the world, but it does change the fate of one child after another. Perhaps, this is the greatest meaning of education?
He sighed softly, and a question came to mind - when we make a choice, do we ever think about where those seemingly trivial decisions will quietly lead us?