微型小說（4）
在一個遙遠的偏僻小山村，有一戶人家，住著鄉村教師李大山和他的媽媽。
大山的父親早年因病去世，留下母子二人相依為命。村子孤立，交通不便，生活條件艱苦，但家裡卻充滿了愛與溫暖。
大山是村裡學校老師。而且是唯一的一個， 教授孩子們， 從一年級到初中三年級的所有課程。
這個學校雖然不大， 卻還有周圍山村幾十個孩子， 過來上課。 家長們， 都把對孩子們的期望， 放在大山身上。 李大山也不負眾望， 兢兢業業，每天早早起床，走很遠山路到學校教書。
他的母親，李媽媽，則在家裡種菜，做飯，縫補衣服，包辦家中所有的事， 讓大山可以安心教書。
隨著時間流逝，李媽媽年紀大，健康狀況開始走下坡。大山擔心母親，常常想辭掉工作，留在家中好好照顧她。
然而，李媽媽堅決反對，她認為教育是山村裡孩子們的唯一出路，她不願讓大山放棄工作，那要耽誤多少孩子的前途。在一個遙遠的偏僻小山村，有一戶人家，住著鄉村教師李大山和他的媽媽。
大山的父親早年因病去世，留下母子二人相依為命。村子孤立，交通不便，生活條件艱苦，但家裡卻充滿了愛與溫暖。
大山是村裡學校老師。而且是唯一的一個， 教授孩子們， 從一年級到初中三年級的所有課程。
這個學校雖然不大， 卻還有周圍山村幾十個孩子， 過來上課。 家長們， 都把對孩子們的期望， 放在大山身上。 李大山也不負眾望， 兢兢業業，每天早早起床，走很遠山路到學校教書。
他的母親，李媽媽，則在家裡種菜，做飯，縫補衣服，包辦家中所有的事， 讓大山可以安心教書。
隨著時間流逝，李媽媽年紀大，健康狀況開始走下坡。大山擔心母親，常常想辭掉工作，留在家中好好照顧她。
然而，李媽媽卻堅決反對。她認為教育是山村裡孩子們的唯一出路，她不願讓大山放棄工作，那要耽誤多少孩子的前途。
一天，大山放學回家，發現媽媽在菜園摔倒，昏迷不醒。他心急如焚， 在鄉親們幫助下， 用擔架抬著媽媽， 走了三十里山路，將她送到醫院。
經過一番檢查，醫生說李媽媽全身機能器官衰竭， 徹底恢復無望， 需要長期休養。 醫生私下告訴大山，媽媽有可能，隨時發生危險，必須隨時有人在旁照看。
面對突如其來變故，大山不顧媽媽反對，做出決定。他自掏腰包，請了兩個有文化的鄉親， 輪流在學校代課，自己則留在家中，全心照顧媽媽。
一天傍晚， 媽媽要大山抱她到外面，她要看夕陽。 大山把媽媽抱到外面， 自製的竹躺椅上， 看夕陽西下，陣雨後天地間出現一道彩虹 。
李大山發現， 媽媽緊握著她的雙手， 逐漸變涼， 他俯身看媽媽， 媽媽只說了一句：
“ 大山，媽媽愛你。。。。” 就永遠閉上眼睛，
大山， 這個從不流淚的漢子， 頓時淚水模糊，。。。。。。
野山處理了媽媽的後事， 就在自家旁邊山坡上， 一塊向陽土地上， 讓媽媽安睡。
大山一天都沒有休息， 就又開始給孩子們上課， 每天忙的讓自己沒有時間想媽媽， 可是無論如何， 回到家裡， 空蕩蕩， 那種孤獨感， 沒有人可以理解。
大山的故事， 被野山鹿鳴寫文章，在中文網站發表， 恰巧， 被一位四川美女妹子看到， 引起她的心動。
這位四川美女妹子， 名字叫雪花，她是一個典型的四川辣妹子， 也是典型的四川美女，當時剛剛大學畢業。
為了增加社會知識， 回饋社會， 她不急於馬上找工作， 決定到農村支教一年。
當時她正在找合適的支教地點。 看到野山鹿鳴的文章， 大山和媽媽的故事後，被李大山的孝心，和他堅持為農村孩子們教育，作貢獻的善行感動， 就決定到大山的學校， 支教一年。
雪花的爸爸媽媽，都是離休的軍隊高級幹部， 雖然對女兒的決定表示支持， 但是又怕女兒到那麼苦的山區， 會不會受不了苦， 心裡非常矛盾。
最後， 雪花還是踏上了她一心嚮往的支教之路， 她的到來， 讓大山高興， 她的美麗， 讓大山驚艷， 她對孩子們的愛， 對教育的執著， 讓大山敬佩。
雪花到了學校後， 就住在大山家原來媽媽住的房間， 大山已經事先做了準備， 房間裡所有東西， 都換成新的。 所以雖然簡陋， 無法和城裡比， 雪花還是感到滿意。
雪花的父母， 不放心女兒， 就在雪花去支教一個月後，也雙雙來到大山的學校。
這兩位老人家到了以後， 看到了大山學校的簡陋， 大山對教育的執著，深受感動，就決定把自己多年的積蓄， 退休金， 一千萬人民幣捐給大山的學校， 為孩子們修建一座嶄新的希望小學。
他們的決定， 驚動了大山學校所在地的縣， 地區，和省領導， 他們專門到大山的學校， 對兩位老人家的善行， 表示感謝，並對新學校建設立項，爭取盡快完工。
雪花和大山朝夕相處， 一起去學校， 給孩子們上課， 一起回家， 用山泉水做飯； 早晨， 一起看朝陽， 晚上一起看月亮。
雪花發現，其實大山人並不老， 也不醜， 實際上還是挺英俊的。 雖然他的衣服， 普普通通， 但是卻更顯出他的高大，內心對大山有了感覺 。
雪花在大學， 有一個談了三年的男朋友， 名字叫平志遠，畢業後， 雖然兩人各奔東西， 但是他還是對雪花， 不離不捨， 雖然分開了， 還是苦苦追求， 雪花心不定， 一直沒有明確表態。
對於雪花的支教決定， 平志遠開始堅決反對。 後來沒有辦法。 在雪花到大山學校一個月後， 他實在放心不下， 也趕到大山的學校， 來看雪花。
大山家， 一下子來了這麼多客人， 大山高興。 山裡人樸實熱情， 每家人都帶著自己家裡最好的山貨， 紅棗， 核桃， 柿子， 花生，臘肉，送到大山家， 送給這幾個城裡人， 大山家一下子， 就熱鬧起來。
平志遠來到山村後，表面上很客氣，低調。 對大山也禮貌有加，見了孩子們，也會笑著摸摸他們的頭，問他們讀幾年級，學習好不好。
可是大山看得出來，這個城裡來的年輕人，心， 並不真正屬於這裡。
他穿著乾淨的名牌夾克，腳上 Nike 運動鞋，剛走半天山路，鞋面就沾滿黃泥。他嘴上不說，眉頭卻皺了幾次。
吃飯時，鄉親們送來臘肉、野菜、玉米餅，他也表示感謝，可大山看得出來，他吃得並不習慣。
雪花也看得出來， 她沒有說破，只是默默給他倒熱水，勸他早點休息。
平志遠看著雪花，心裡又酸又急。他從大學時代就喜歡她，三年相處，他早已把她當作自己未來生活的一部分。他原本以為，畢業後，自己出國深造，將來回國，有體面的工作，有光明的前途，雪花自然會跟他在一起。
可是現在，她竟然要留在這個偏遠山村，住在一間簡陋的土屋裡，每天和一個鄉村教師一起上山下山，一起教孩子，一起吃粗茶淡飯。
更讓他心裡不安的是，雪花並沒有他想像中的那樣痛苦, 相反，她眼睛裡有光, 那種光，是她在大學校園裡都不曾見過的。
平志遠開始有點心慌 。
他不願承認自己害怕李大山，大山人樸實， 衣著樸素，話不多，沒有城市青年的瀟灑，也沒有出國深造的光環。可是他站在孩子們中間時，整個人像一棵山裡的大樹，沉默，厚重，讓人無法忽視。
尤其是孩子們看他的眼神，讓平志遠心裡不舒服。
那不是普通學生看老師的眼神，而是一種依賴，一種信任，一種近乎親人的敬愛。
平志遠忽然明白，李大山在這裡，不是一個窮山村教師那麼簡單。他是這些孩子通向外面世界的一盞燈。
為了雪花，平志遠做出了一個讓所有人意外的決定, 他也要留下來支教。
雪花聽了這個決定，先是驚訝，然後沉默了很久。
“志遠，你不用這樣。”她說。
平志遠笑了笑，故作輕鬆地說：“你能留下，我為什麼不能留下？再說，這些孩子也需要人教。我英語不錯，可以教他們英文。”
雪花看著他，沒有再勸。
大山也沒有多說，只是給他安排了一間住房，又把學校裡能用的英語課本找出來，交給他。
從那天起，山村小學裡，多了一位新老師。
剛開始，平志遠確實很努力。他教孩子們念英文，教他們唱簡單的英文歌。孩子們覺得新鮮，都圍著他轉。他也一度感到一種從未有過的滿足，好像自己真的在做一件很有意義的事。
可是山村的日子，不是靠一時熱情就能撐下去的。
早晨天還沒亮，就要起來。冬天山路結冰，腳下一滑，就會摔倒。教室漏風，粉筆灰飛得到處都是。孩子們年級不同，程度不一樣，一間教室裡，常常要同時照看幾個年級。晚上回來，沒有熱水器，沒有城市裡的燈火，也沒有朋友聚會。只有山風，狗叫，和無處不在的蟋蟀， 蟲鳴。
一個月後，平志遠開始沉默。
兩個月後，他開始變得煩躁。
到了第三個月，他的出國通知來了。
那一天，他拿著信，在院子裡站了很久。雪花從學校回來，看見他手中的信，已經明白了幾分。
“是學校來信了？”她問。
平志遠點點頭。
“什麼時候走？”
“下個月初。”
雪花沒有說話。
平志遠忽然抬頭看她，聲音急切 ：“雪花，跟我一起走吧。”
雪花愣了一下。
平志遠像是怕被她打斷，立刻接著說：“我們不能一輩子待在這裡。你是大學畢業生，有自己的前途。我也有我的前途。我們可以一起出國，將來回來，可以做更多的事。 這裡很苦，不是你應該待一輩子的地方。”
雪花低頭看著院子裡的石板。
那是李媽媽生前常走的地方。石板縫裡長著細小的草，前幾天下雨後，又冒出一點新綠。
過了很久，她才輕聲說：“志遠，我還不能走。”
“為什麼？”平志遠的聲音一下提高了。
雪花抬起頭，看著他，平靜地說 ：“新學校還沒有建好，孩子們也需要人教。一年支教，我答應過，就要做完。”
“只是一年嗎？”平志遠盯著她，“雪花，你摸著自己的心說，你留下來，真的只是為了這一年嗎？”
雪花沉默了。
這個沉默，比任何回答都讓平志遠難受。
他忽然轉頭，看向不遠處正在劈柴的李大山。大山似乎沒有聽見他們說話，只是低著頭，專心劈柴。斧頭落下去，木柴裂開，聲音沉悶又乾脆。
平志遠心裡那團火，終於壓不住了。他走過去，站在大山面前，“大山老師，我想和你談談。”
大山放下斧頭，看著他：“好。” 兩個男人走到院子外面的小路上。山風從坡上吹下來，帶著草木的氣息 。遠處是正在打地基的新校址，幾個工人在那裡忙碌。
平志遠看著那片工地，忽然覺得自己像一個外人。他深吸一口氣，說：“我要走了。”
大山點點頭：“ 知道。”
“ 我希望雪花跟我一起走。”
大山沒有說話。
平志遠轉過身，盯著他：“你是不是希望她留下？”
大山沉默片刻，說：“她走不走，是她自己的事， 要她自己決定 。”
“ 可是你知道她為什麼留下 ？ ”平志遠聲音有些發抖，“ 你不要裝不知道。”
大山低下眼睛，看著腳下的泥土。
他不是不知道。 這幾個月來，雪花每天和他一起去學校，一起回來，一起批改作業，一起給孩子們補課。早晨山路上，她走累了，他會停下等她；下雨時，他會把傘往她那邊偏移；晚上燈下，她低頭寫教案，偶爾抬頭一笑，他的心也會忽然亂一下。
他只是一直不敢想，他覺得自己配不上雪花。
她是城裡來的姑娘，年輕，漂亮，有文化，父母都是有身份的人。她像一片雪，落到這座山裡，乾淨得讓人不敢伸手觸碰。
而他李大山，只是一個山村教師，一個失去母親後，守著一間舊屋和一群孩子的人。
所以他只能把心事深埋心底，不說，不想，也不敢想得太深， 太遠。
可是平志遠這一句話，像一把刀，把他心裡一直藏著的東西挑了出來。
大山沉默了很久，才說：“我沒有留她。”
平志遠冷笑了一聲：“你沒有留她，可你在這裡，她就走不了。”
這句話說得很重，大山沒有反駁。
平志遠忽然靠近一步，壓低聲音說：“李大山，我告訴你，雪花是我的。我和她在大學談了三年戀愛，我們就應該在一起。你不要以為她在這裡待了幾個月，就會屬於這座大山。”
大山看著他，聲音仍然平靜：“雪花不是誰的，。。。。。”
平志遠怔了一下， 沒說話。
大山接著說：“她是她自己。”
這一句話，讓平志遠忽然說不出話來。
他原本以為，這個山裡人會退讓，會低頭，會說自己不敢高攀。可是李大山沒有。他沒有爭，也沒有搶，只是說，雪花是她自己。
那一刻，平志遠第一次覺得，自己在這個男人面前，並沒有想像中那麼高大，那麼有優勢。
離開那天，大山送平志遠去山外火車站，雪花沒有去。
她只在院門口站著，看著兩個男人一前一後走下山。她穿著一件洗得發白的外套，頭髮被山風吹起。平志遠回頭看了一眼，想喊她，卻終究沒有喊出聲。
去火車站的路很長，兩個男人一路沉默。到了站台，火車還沒有來。平志遠提著行李箱，忽然對大山說：“我還會回來。”
大山點點頭：“好。”
“你不相信？”
“ 我信不信不重要， 這是你自己的決定 。”
平志遠看著他，眼睛有些紅：“我知道你喜歡她。” 大山沒有回答， 平志遠又說：“可你給不了她外面的世界。”
大山看著遠處的鐵軌，輕聲說：“ 也許吧，。。。。。。 ”
“那你為什麼不讓她走？”
大山轉過頭，看著平志遠， 平靜地說 ：“我沒有不讓她走。雪花是自由的。 她要走，我送她。她要留，我陪她把孩子們教好。”
火車的聲音從遠處傳來，平志遠握緊行李箱的手柄。臨上車前，他忽然說：“ 李大山，你不許追她。”
大山看著他，沒有說話 。
但是， 平志遠這一句話，像是一塊石頭，重重地落進他心裡最深的地方。
他原來真的沒有想過要追雪花， 因為她和他， 不是一個世界的人， 她來支教， 就是支教， 一年後， 她就會走的。他一直覺得，自己只能把這份感情藏在心裡，藏到連自己都不承認有過。
可是平志遠這一句話，反而讓他第一次， 開始正視自己內心。原來，他是真的喜歡雪花。
火車動了。
平志遠站在車窗後面，看著站台上的李大山。大山也看著他。兩個男人隔著玻璃，誰也沒有再說話。
等火車消失在山外的霧氣裡，大山一個人站了很久。
回去的山路上，他走得很慢。
山裡起霧了，遠處的新學校工地若隱若現。那是雪花父母捐錢建的學校，也是大山這些年夢裡都不敢想的學校。
他忽然想起母親臨終前握著他的手說：
“大山，媽媽愛你……”
那時候，他以為自己這輩子，只剩下孩子們了。
可是現在，他心裡多了一個人。
這讓他不安，也讓他高興， 更讓他害怕。
他不知道，這是不是母親在天上，為他帶來的幸福， 希望他不再孤單。
大山回到家時，天已經黑了。
雪花正在廚房裡做飯。灶膛裡火光跳動，映照在她臉上，一種說不出的柔和， 紅， 美 。
她聽見腳步聲，回頭問：“送走了？”
大山點點頭：“送走了。”
雪花沒有再問。
大山也沒有再說。
兩個人就像平常一樣，一個添柴，一個洗菜。鍋裡水開了，白氣升起來，模糊了兩個人的臉。
過了很久，雪花忽然說：“志遠會走得很遠。”
大山說：“他本來就應該走很遠。”
雪花抬頭看了他一眼。大山低頭往灶膛裡添了一根柴。火一下子亮了起來。
新學校很快就開工了。
縣裡、地區、省裡都派人來看，山村裡從來沒有這麼熱鬧過。工程隊進山，水泥、鋼筋、磚瓦，一車一車運上來。孩子們每天放學後，都要跑到工地邊看，看那座新學校一天天長高。
大山比以前更忙了，雪花也更忙了。
他們一起上課，一起整理圖書，一起幫孩子們排練節目，準備新學校落成那天的演出，誰也沒有再提平志遠。
可有時候，雪花會收到遠方來的信。信封上貼著外國郵票，字跡工整。她看完後，會安靜地收起來，不喜也不悲。
大山看見了，也不問，有一天晚上，山裡下大雨。
雪花站在屋簷下，看著雨水從瓦上滴下來，忽然問大山：“大山老師，你覺得人這一生，是應該選擇前途，還是應該選擇心安 ？”
大山正在修一張壞了的課桌，手停了一下。
他想了很久，才說：“我不知道。”
雪花笑了笑：“你也有不知道的事？”
大山也笑了：“ 我知道怎麼教孩子識字，知道怎麼修桌子，知道山路哪裡容易滑，可妳說的這種事，我真的不知道。”
雪花看著他，眼神很亮 ：“ 那你會怎麼選？”
大山低頭看著手裡的木釘，過了一會兒才說：“ 我會選不讓自己後悔的路。” 雪花沒有再說話，雨越下越大。那天晚上，兩個人站在屋簷下，誰也沒有再往前一步。
新學校落成那天，整個山村像過年一樣。
孩子們穿著乾淨衣服，排著隊唱歌。雪花的父母也來了，縣裡領導來了，地區的領導， 省裡的領導，都來了。鄉親們把自家的山貨、雞蛋、臘肉都送來，擺滿了桌子。
校門口掛著一塊新牌子：大山希望小學。大山看著那幾個字，眼睛濕了， 淚水控制不住流下來。
他想起母親，想起那道雨後彩虹，想起她漸漸變涼的手。若是母親還在，看到今天這一幕，該多高興。
典禮結束後，孩子們跑進新教室，摸著新桌椅，歡喜得像一群小鳥。雪花站在操場邊，看著孩子們笑，大山站在她身旁。
遠處山風吹過來，吹動新升起的國旗，也吹動雪花額前的頭髮。
雪花忽然說：“大山老師，我原來說過， 只來支教一年。”
大山心裡一緊，他沒有看她，只說：“嗯 ，”
雪花又說：“一年快到了。” 大山的手慢慢握緊，又鬆開。
過了一會兒，他說：“你該經常回去看看父母。他們年紀大了， 會想妳 。”
雪花轉過頭，看著他說 ：“你只想說這個？” 大山沉默了。
操場上孩子們還在笑，遠處有人喊他們去合影。雪花等了一會兒，見李大山好像沒有更多的話要講， 輕輕笑了一下。
那笑容裡，有一點失望，也有一點明白。
她說：“李大山，你真是山裡的一塊石頭。”大山低頭笑了笑，沒有反駁。
就在這時，郵遞員從山路上跑來，手裡拿著一封信。
“雪花老師，有你的信，外國來的。”
雪花接過信，看了一眼，沒有立刻拆，大山也看見了信封上的外國郵票。兩個人站在新學校的操場邊，一時都沒有說話。
山風吹過，孩子們的歌聲從教室裡傳出來：
雪花手裡拿著那封信，看著遠處的山。大山看著孩子們，又看了看雪花。
誰也不知道，李大山這塊沉默的山石，會不會有一天，終於說出心裡那句話。
山裡的風，一陣一陣吹過新學校。遠處，彩虹又出現在雨後的天空。而李媽媽安睡的那片向陽山坡上，野花開得正好。
（ 全文完 ）In a remote and secluded mountain village, there lived a family, a rural schoolteacher named Li Dashan and his mother.
Dashan’s father had passed away early due to illness, leaving the mother and son to depend on each other. The village was isolated, transportation was inconvenient, and living conditions were harsh, yet the home was filled with love and warmth.
Dashan was the teacher at the village school, and the only one. He taught all the children, covering every subject from first grade through the third year of middle school.
Although the school was small, there were still dozens of children from nearby mountain villages who came to study. The parents placed all their hopes for their children on Dashan. Li Dashan did not fail their expectations, he worked diligently, getting up early every day and walking a long mountain road to the school to teach.
His mother, Li Mama, stayed at home growing vegetables, cooking, mending clothes, taking care of all household matters, allowing Dashan to teach with peace of mind.In a remote and secluded mountain village, there lived a family, a rural schoolteacher named Li Dashan and his mother.
Dashan’s father had passed away early due to illness, leaving the mother and son to depend on each other. The village was isolated, transportation was inconvenient, and living conditions were harsh, yet the home was filled with love and warmth.
Dashan was the teacher at the village school, and the only one. He taught all the children, covering every subject from first grade through the third year of middle school.
Although the school was small, there were still dozens of children from nearby mountain villages who came to study. The parents placed all their hopes for their children on Dashan. Li Dashan did not fail their expectations, he worked diligently, getting up early every day and walking a long mountain road to the school to teach.
His mother, Li Mama, stayed at home growing vegetables, cooking, mending clothes, taking care of all household matters, allowing Dashan to teach with peace of mind.
As time passed, Li Mama grew older, and her health began to decline. Dashan worried about her and often thought about quitting his job to stay home and take care of her.
However, Li Mama firmly opposed it. She believed education was the only way out for the children in the mountain village. She did not want Dashan to give up his work, that would delay the future of so many children.
One day, after school, Dashan returned home and found his mother collapsed in the vegetable garden, unconscious. He was extremely anxious. With the help of villagers, they carried her on a stretcher, walking thirty miles of mountain road, and sent her to the hospital.
After examination, the doctor said that all of Li Mama’s bodily functions had failed, and there was no hope of full recovery, she would need long-term care. The doctor privately told Dashan that his mother could be in danger at any moment and must have someone by her side at all times.
Facing this sudden change, Dashan made a decision despite his mother’s objections. He paid out of his own pocket to hire two educated villagers to take turns teaching at the school, while he stayed home to take care of his mother wholeheartedly.
One evening, his mother asked Dashan to carry her outside, she wanted to watch the sunset. Dashan carried her out and placed her on a homemade bamboo reclining chair, watching the sun set, after the rain, a rainbow appeared in the sky.
Li Dashan noticed that his mother was holding his hands tightly, gradually growing cold. He bent down to look at her, and she said only one sentence:
“Dashan, Mama loves you…” and then she closed her eyes forever.
Dashan, a man who never cried, suddenly found his vision blurred with tears…
After handling his mother’s funeral, Dashan laid her to rest on a sunny slope beside their home.
Dashan did not rest for even a single day, he returned to teaching the children. Every day he kept himself so busy that he had no time to think about his mother, yet no matter what, when he returned home, the emptiness, that sense of loneliness, no one could understand.
Dashan’s story was written by Yeshan Luming and published on a Chinese website. By chance, it was seen by a beautiful young woman from Sichuan, which moved her deeply.
This Sichuan girl’s name was Xuehua. She was a typical fiery Sichuan girl, and also a typical Sichuan beauty, and had just graduated from university at the time.
In order to gain social experience and give back to society, she did not rush to find a job, but decided to go to the countryside to teach for one year.
At that time, she was looking for a suitable place for volunteer teaching. After reading Yeshan Luming’s article, The Story of Dashan and His Mother, she was moved by Dashan’s filial devotion and his persistence in contributing to the education of rural children, and decided to go to Dashan’s school for one year of teaching.
Xuehua’s parents were both retired senior military officers. They supported their daughter’s decision, yet they were worried whether she could endure the hardship of such a remote mountainous area, and felt very conflicted.
In the end, Xuehua still set out on the path she longed for. Her arrival made Dashan happy, her beauty amazed him, and her love for the children and dedication to education earned his respect.
After arriving at the school, Xuehua stayed in the room where Dashan’s mother used to live. Dashan had already prepared in advance, replacing everything in the room with new items. So although it was simple and could not compare with the city, Xuehua still felt satisfied.
Xuehua’s parents were not at ease, so one month after she started teaching, they both came to Dashan’s school.
After arriving, the two elders saw the simplicity of Dashan’s school and were deeply moved by his dedication to education. They decided to donate their lifetime savings and pensions, ten million RMB, to Dashan’s school, to build a brand-new Hope Primary School for the children.
Their decision shocked the county, the region, and the provincial leaders where Dashan’s school was located. They personally came to the school to express gratitude for the elders’ kindness and to approve the project for the new school, pushing for its completion as soon as possible.
Xuehua and Dashan spent their days together, going to school together, teaching the children together, returning home together, cooking with mountain spring water; in the mornings, watching the sunrise together, and in the evenings, watching the moon together.
Xuehua discovered that Dashan was not old, nor was he unattractive, in fact, he was quite handsome. Although his clothes were simple, they made him appear even taller, and she began to feel something for him in her heart.
Back in university, Xuehua had a boyfriend for three years, his name was Ping Zhiyuan. After graduation, they went separate ways, yet he still could not let her go, continuing to pursue her, while Xuehua was undecided and had not given a clear answer.
Regarding Xuehua’s decision to teach in the countryside, Ping Zhiyuan strongly opposed it at first. Later he had no choice. One month after Xuehua arrived at Dashan’s school, he could not rest at ease and came to the village to see her.
Dashan’s home suddenly had so many guests, and Dashan was happy. The villagers were simple and warm, each family brought the best produce from their homes, red dates, walnuts, persimmons, peanuts, cured meat, bringing them to Dashan’s home to give to these city visitors. The house became lively at once.
After arriving in the village, Ping Zhiyuan appeared polite and low-key on the surface. He was courteous to Dashan, and when he met the children, he would smile, pat their heads, and ask what grade they were in and how they were doing in school.
But Dashan could see that this young man from the city did not truly belong here.
He wore a clean branded jacket and Nike sneakers. After walking just half a day on the mountain road, his shoes were already covered in mud. He said nothing, but frowned several times.
At meals, the villagers brought cured meat, wild vegetables, and corn cakes. He tried to show appreciation, but Dashan could tell he was not used to the food.
Xuehua could also see it. She did not point it out, she simply poured him hot water and advised him to rest early.
Ping Zhiyuan looked at Xuehua, feeling both uneasy and anxious. He had liked her since university, and after three years together, he had already regarded her as part of his future life. He had originally thought that after graduation, he would go abroad for further study, and after returning, with a respectable job and a bright future, Xuehua would naturally go with him.
But now, she insisted on staying in this remote mountain village, living in a simple mud house, going up and down the mountain every day with a rural teacher, teaching children together, and eating plain meals together.
What unsettled him even more was that Xuehua did not seem as miserable as he had imagined. On the contrary, there was a light in her eyes, a kind of light he had never seen even during their time on campus.
Ping Zhiyuan began to feel uneasy.
He did not want to admit that he was afraid of Li Dashan. Dashan dressed simply, spoke little, had none of the charm of a city youth, nor the aura of someone going abroad. Yet when he stood among the children, he was like a tree rooted in the mountains, silent and solid, impossible to ignore.
Especially the way the children looked at him made Ping Zhiyuan uncomfortable.
That was not the look of students toward a teacher, it was a kind of reliance, a kind of trust, almost like the affection toward a family member.
Ping Zhiyuan suddenly realized that Li Dashan here was not just a poor rural teacher. He was a light leading these children toward the outside world.
For Xuehua, Ping Zhiyuan made a decision that surprised everyone, he would also stay and teach.
After hearing this decision, Xuehua was first surprised, then fell silent for a long time.
“Zhiyuan, you don’t need to do this,” she said.
Ping Zhiyuan smiled and said in a relaxed tone, “If you can stay, why can’t I? Besides, these children also need someone to teach them. My English is good, I can teach them English.”
Xuehua looked at him and did not try to persuade him further.
Dashan also said nothing, he simply arranged a room for him and gathered whatever English textbooks the school had and gave them to him.
From that day on, there was one more teacher in the village school.
At first, Ping Zhiyuan did work hard. He taught the children English words and simple songs. The children found it interesting and gathered around him. He even felt a kind of satisfaction he had never experienced before, as if he was truly doing something meaningful.
But life in the mountains cannot be sustained by temporary enthusiasm.
Before dawn, they had to get up. In winter, the mountain paths froze, and one slip could lead to a fall. The classroom was drafty, chalk dust filled the air. The children were of different grades and levels, and one classroom often required attention to several grades at once. At night, there was no hot water, no city lights, no gatherings with friends, only the mountain wind, dogs barking, and the constant sound of insects.
After one month, Ping Zhiyuan began to fall silent.
After two months, he became irritable.
By the third month, his overseas admission notice arrived.
That day, he stood in the yard holding the letter for a long time. When Xuehua returned from school and saw the letter in his hand, she already understood.
“Is it from the school?” she asked.
Ping Zhiyuan nodded.
“When will you leave?”
“Early next month.”
Xuehua said nothing.
Ping Zhiyuan suddenly looked up at her, his voice urgent, “Xuehua, come with me.”
Xuehua was stunned for a moment.
As if afraid she would interrupt, Ping Zhiyuan quickly continued, “We can’t stay here forever. You’re a university graduate, you have your future. I also have my future. We can go abroad together, and when we return, we can do more things. This place is too hard, it’s not where you should stay for a lifetime.”
Xuehua lowered her head and looked at the stone slabs in the yard.
Those were the stones Li Mama used to walk on. Between the cracks, small grass had grown, and after the rain a few days ago, fresh green shoots had appeared again.
After a long time, she softly said, “Zhiyuan, I can’t leave yet.”
“Why?” Ping Zhiyuan’s voice rose.
Xuehua looked up at him and said calmly, “The new school isn’t finished yet, and the children still need teachers. I promised one year of teaching, I must complete it.”
“Is it really just one year?” Ping Zhiyuan stared at her. “Xuehua, ask your own heart, are you staying only for that year?”
Xuehua fell silent.
This silence hurt Ping Zhiyuan more than any answer.
He suddenly turned and looked at Li Dashan in the distance, who was chopping wood. Dashan seemed not to hear them, just lowering his head, striking the wood again and again, the sound dull and steady.
The fire in Ping Zhiyuan’s heart finally burst out. He walked over and stood in front of Dashan, “Teacher Dashan, I want to talk with you.”
Dashan put down the axe and looked at him, “Alright.” The two men walked to a small path outside the yard. The mountain wind blew down the slope, carrying the scent of grass and trees. In the distance was the construction site of the new school, where workers were still busy.
Ping Zhiyuan looked at that site and suddenly felt like an outsider. He took a deep breath and said, “I’m leaving.”
Dashan nodded, “I know.”
“I want Xuehua to go with me.”
Dashan said nothing.
Ping Zhiyuan turned around and stared at him. “Do you want her to stay?”
Dashan was silent for a moment, then said, “Whether she goes or stays is her own matter. She should decide for herself.”
“But you know why she is staying, don’t you?” Ping Zhiyuan’s voice trembled a little. “Don’t pretend you don’t know.”
Dashan lowered his eyes and looked at the dirt beneath his feet.
He did know. Over these past few months, Xuehua had gone to school with him every day and returned with him every day. They graded homework together and helped the children with extra lessons together.
On the morning mountain road, when she grew tired, he would stop and wait for her; when it rained, he would tilt the umbrella toward her; at night under the lamp, when she lowered her head to write lesson plans and occasionally looked up with a smile, his heart would suddenly become unsettled.
He just had never dared to think about it. He felt he was not worthy of Xuehua.
She was a girl from the city, young, beautiful, educated, with parents of status. She was like a piece of snow falling into this mountain, so clean that one did not dare to reach out and touch her.
And he, Li Dashan, was only a rural teacher, a man who, after losing his mother, guarded an old house and a group of children.
So he could only bury his thoughts deep in his heart, not speak of them, not think of them, and not dare to look too deeply, too far.
But Ping Zhiyuan’s words were like a knife, cutting open what had always been hidden in his heart.
Dashan was silent for a long time before saying, “I did not keep her here.”
Ping Zhiyuan gave a cold laugh. “You did not keep her here, but as long as you are here, she cannot leave.”
Those words were very heavy, and Dashan did not argue.
Ping Zhiyuan suddenly stepped closer and lowered his voice. “Li Dashan, let me tell you, Xuehua is mine. She and I were in love for three years in university. We should be together. Don’t think that just because she has stayed here for a few months, she will belong to this mountain.”
Dashan looked at him, his voice still calm. “Xuehua does not belong to anyone…”
Ping Zhiyuan froze for a moment and said nothing.
Dashan continued, “She belongs to herself.”
That sentence suddenly left Ping Zhiyuan unable to speak.
He had originally thought that this man from the mountains would retreat, would lower his head, would say that he dared not reach above his place. But Li Dashan did not. He did not fight, and he did not seize. He only said that Xuehua belonged to herself.
At that moment, Ping Zhiyuan felt for the first time that before this man, he was not as tall, not as advantaged as he had imagined.
On the day he left, Dashan escorted Ping Zhiyuan to the train station outside the mountains. Xuehua did not go.
She only stood at the courtyard gate, watching the two men walk down the mountain one after the other. She wore a faded jacket, and the mountain wind lifted her hair. Ping Zhiyuan looked back once and wanted to call out to her, but in the end, he did not.
The road to the train station was long, and the two men were silent all the way. When they arrived at the platform, the train had not yet come. Holding his suitcase, Ping Zhiyuan suddenly said to Dashan, “I will come back.”
Dashan nodded. “Good.”
“You don’t believe me?”
“Whether I believe it or not is not important. This is your own decision.”
Ping Zhiyuan looked at him, his eyes a little red. “I know you like her.” Dashan did not answer, and Ping Zhiyuan continued, “But you cannot give her the outside world.”
Dashan looked toward the distant tracks and said softly, “Maybe…”
“Then why won’t you let her go?”
Dashan turned and looked at Ping Zhiyuan, saying calmly, “I am not stopping her from leaving. Xuehua is free. If she wants to go, I will see her off. If she wants to stay, I will accompany her in teaching the children well.”
The sound of the train came from far away, and Ping Zhiyuan tightened his grip on the handle of his suitcase. Before boarding, he suddenly said, “Li Dashan, you are not allowed to pursue her.”
Dashan looked at him and said nothing.
But Ping Zhiyuan’s words were like a stone, falling heavily into the deepest part of his heart.
He truly had never thought of pursuing Xuehua, because she and he were not people from the same world. She had come to teach, that was all. After one year, she would leave. He had always felt he could only hide this feeling in his heart, hide it so deeply that even he himself would not admit it had ever existed.
But Ping Zhiyuan’s words instead made him, for the first time, begin to face his own heart. It turned out that he truly liked Xuehua.
The train moved.
Ping Zhiyuan stood behind the window, looking at Li Dashan on the platform. Dashan also looked at him. The two men were separated by glass, and neither said anything more.
After the train disappeared into the mist beyond the mountains, Dashan stood alone for a long time.
On the mountain road back, he walked very slowly.
Mist had risen in the mountains, and the construction site of the new school appeared faintly in the distance. That was the school donated by Xuehua’s parents, and also the school Dashan had never dared to imagine even in his dreams over all these years.
He suddenly remembered his mother holding his hand before she died and saying:
“Dashan, Mama loves you…”
At that time, he had thought that for the rest of his life, all he had left were the children.
But now, there was one more person in his heart.
This made him uneasy, made him happy, and also made him afraid.
He did not know whether this was his mother in heaven bringing him happiness, hoping he would no longer be alone.
When Dashan returned home, it was already dark.
Xuehua was cooking in the kitchen. The fire in the stove flickered, shining on her face with an indescribable softness, red and beautiful.
Hearing footsteps, she turned and asked, “You saw him off?”
Dashan nodded. “Saw him off.”
Xuehua did not ask any more.
Dashan also did not say any more.
The two of them went on as usual, one adding firewood, the other washing vegetables. The water in the pot boiled, and white steam rose, blurring both of their faces.
After a long time, Xuehua suddenly said, “Zhiyuan will go very far.”
Dashan said, “He was meant to go very far.”
Xuehua looked up at him. Dashan lowered his head and added another stick of wood to the stove. The fire suddenly brightened.
The new school soon began construction.
People from the county, the region, and the province all came to see it. The mountain village had never been so lively. The construction team entered the mountains, and cement, steel bars, bricks, and tiles were brought in cart after cart. Every day after school, the children ran to the edge of the construction site to watch the new school grow taller day by day.
Dashan became busier than before, and Xuehua also became busier.
They taught classes together, organized books together, helped the children rehearse performances together, preparing for the day the new school would be completed. No one mentioned Ping Zhiyuan again.
But sometimes, Xuehua would receive letters from far away. The envelopes had foreign stamps, and the handwriting was neat. After reading them, she would quietly put them away, neither happy nor sad.
Dashan saw it and did not ask. One night, heavy rain fell in the mountains.
Xuehua stood under the eaves, watching rainwater drip down from the tiles, and suddenly asked Dashan, “Teacher Dashan, do you think in this life, a person should choose a future, or choose peace of heart?”
Dashan was repairing a broken desk, and his hand stopped.
He thought for a long time before saying, “I don’t know.”
Xuehua smiled. “There are things you don’t know too?”
Dashan also smiled. “I know how to teach children to read. I know how to repair desks. I know where the mountain road gets slippery. But this kind of thing, I really don’t know.”
Xuehua looked at him, her eyes bright. “Then how would you choose?”
Dashan lowered his head and looked at the wooden nail in his hand. After a while, he said, “I would choose the road that would not make me regret.” Xuehua said nothing more, and the rain grew heavier and heavier. That night, the two of them stood under the eaves, and neither took one more step forward.
On the day the new school was completed, the whole mountain village was like celebrating the New Year.
The children wore clean clothes and lined up to sing. Xuehua’s parents came, the county leaders came, the regional leaders came, and the provincial leaders came as well. The villagers brought their own mountain produce, eggs, and cured meat, filling the tables.
A new sign hung at the school gate: Dashan Hope Primary School. Looking at those words, Dashan’s eyes grew wet, and tears flowed uncontrollably.
He thought of his mother, of that rainbow after the rain, of her hand gradually growing cold. If his mother were still alive and saw this moment, how happy she would be.
After the ceremony, the children ran into the new classrooms, touching the new desks and chairs, delighted like a flock of little birds. Xuehua stood at the edge of the playground, watching the children laugh, and Dashan stood beside her.
The mountain wind blew from afar, moving the newly raised national flag, and also lifting the hair on Xuehua’s forehead.
Xuehua suddenly said, “Teacher Dashan, I originally said I would only come to teach for one year.”
Dashan’s heart tightened. He did not look at her, only said, “Mm.”
Xuehua said again, “The year is almost over.” Dashan’s hand slowly clenched, then loosened.
After a while, he said, “You should often go back to see your parents. They are getting older, they will miss you.”
Xuehua turned and looked at him. “Is that all you want to say?” Dashan fell silent.
The children were still laughing on the playground, and in the distance, someone called for them to take a group photo. Xuehua waited for a while, and seeing that Li Dashan seemed to have nothing more to say, she smiled softly.
In that smile, there was a little disappointment, and also a little understanding.
She said, “Li Dashan, you really are a stone from the mountains.” Dashan lowered his head and smiled, without arguing.
Just then, the postman ran up from the mountain road, holding a letter.
“Teacher Xuehua, there is a letter for you, from overseas.”
Xuehua took the letter and glanced at it, but did not open it immediately. Dashan also saw the foreign stamp on the envelope. The two of them stood at the edge of the new school playground and, for a moment, said nothing.
The mountain wind blew, and the children’s singing came from the classroom:
Xuehua held the letter in her hand, looking at the distant mountains. Dashan looked at the children, then looked at Xuehua.
No one knew whether Li Dashan, this silent stone of the mountains, would one day finally speak the words hidden in his heart.
The mountain wind blew in waves across the new school. Far away, a rainbow appeared again in the sky after the rain. And on the sunny slope where Li Mama rested, the wildflowers were blooming beautifully.
(The end)
