Chapter 1: The Last Hope

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qing was stunned for a long time, and then said nothing more, silently opening his bundle to eat his meal.

Sun Yuehe looked at her understanding son, feeling much comforted in her heart. She smiled and said, "I am not tired at all, nor have I done any work. Qingzi, let me tell you some good news, you need not worry anymore; your school transportation and book fees have been taken care of."

Inside the earthen house, Zhang Qing watched his younger sister Zhang Lan stirring pig feed by the stove, preparing to step forward to help. However, the frail Zhang Lan waved her hand and smiled, saying: "Brother, you have been tired all day, how can I let you come and stir the pig feed? I can do it myself."

Zhang Lan is Zhang Qing's younger sister and is currently in the fifth grade this year

Today, both my parents went to sell blood. My father borrowed the cart from our neighbor, Uncle Mao Si, and my mother and I pulled it together. I also wanted to sell blood, but they said I was too young and refused. Don't you think that's frustrating

The woman is Sun Yuehe, the mother of Zhang Qing. She is only thirty-six years old this year, yet the hardships and toil of her impoverished life have aged her to appear like a woman of fifty.

The relatives who can be borrowed from at home have already been borrowed from several times

If there were no confidence, it was still Zhang Qinghong who turned red-eyed. He grasped his mother's hand and, without a hint of doubt, rolled up his sleeves, revealing a slightly swollen needle mark at the elbow, which was so glaring...

Suddenly, he was overwhelmed by extreme fatigue, as if the exhaustion accumulated over the entire summer had erupted all at once, and his eyelids were so heavy that he could not lift them.

Sun Yuehe spoke with great joy, but Zhang Qing suddenly felt a shiver. Earlier that morning, when she went out, she saw a van parked at the village entrance, marked with a red cross and a loudspeaker on the roof, announcing something about paid blood donation... In reality, it was just blood traffickers collecting blood

Sun Yuehe's expression darkened upon hearing this, and she scolded, "What nonsense are you talking? You are still in school, don't you understand the principle of enduring hardship before enjoying sweetness? As long as you succeed, what does it matter if we endure some hardship now? If you give up, all the hardships your father and I have endured over the years will be in vain. Besides, you are already in your third year of high school, just one year away; don't be confused..."

1995

... ...

It would not have come to this, had it not been for his father being bedridden and unable to move, and his mother also being in poor health, requiring medication year-round; perhaps it would not have been so difficult.

In his heart, this is not a heavy agricultural task, but rather a hope for education

After standing in a long line to purchase tickets, carrying a large backpack filled with naan and pickles, I finally boarded the train to Jiangjing City in Hanjing Province at six thirty in the afternoon

No matter how pitiable his family may be, one cannot keep borrowing repeatedly without seeing any return on the money.

"Has it been settled? Mom, where did the money come from?"

The so-called lunch consists merely of two coarse grain pancakes and a large bottle of boiled water, which is salty due to the addition of a considerable amount of salt to replenish sodium levels

At the edge of the field, a woman with a coarse cloth headscarf waved and called out

Mom! I am not going anymore! I am not going to school anymore!

Reluctantly stuffing her canvas bag under the seat, Zhang Qing lay down on the table and fell into a deep sleep

Zhang Qing paused in stirring the pig feed, suddenly feeling as if the iron shovel in his hand weighed as heavy as Mount Tai

Night falls

Apart from the tank top soaked with sweat, the other exposed areas of Zhang Qing's body were sunburned.

But he just kept responding without saying much, and only in places where Zhang Lan could not see, large drops of tears fell, landing in the pig feed bucket

After speaking, he forcefully snatched it away and vigorously stirred the pig feed.

She is still young, yet very understanding, and is determined to contribute to her family.

I will definitely study hard, and I will change my destiny

Zhang Qing was taken aback upon hearing this. He is currently in his third year of high school, attending a school not in his local area, but rather a high school in Hanjiang Province, a poverty alleviation province in the mainland for Xinjiang. Tuition is fully waived, accommodation fees are also not charged, and living expenses are quite low; with careful budgeting, one can manage to live. The only costs he needs to cover are transportation fees, book expenses, and the class fees for each semester.

Zhang Qing's hands trembled slightly as he waved them, his arms already marked with countless small cuts from the wheat stubble, with blood scabs scattered haphazardly. He gritted his teeth and persevered

Upon seeing Sun Yuehe's pale face, Zhang Qing's mind suddenly exploded, and he exclaimed loudly: "Mom, did you go sell blood?!"

Zhang Qing shook his head and said, "Next month I will be going to school. You have to do these things every day. I will do as much as I can; after all, I am the older brother"

My mind is filled with confusion about the road ahead

The poverty and hardships of life have left him almost breathless

... ...

Hmm?

However, seeing his mother with gray hair at not even forty, he gritted his teeth in silence, determined to carve out a path for himself, even if it meant risking his life.

Zhang Lan stood beside her brother, chattering about today's events, feeling quite indignant

Qingzi, stop what you are doing, it's time to eat

Just as he boarded the train, he heard an announcement over the train's intercom:

Sun Yuehe, however, did not inform him, only shaking her head and saying: "You need not worry; in any case, we currently have two hundred yuan at home, so there is no rush for Zhang Lan's school fees. We will pay it once the cooperative's loan comes through in winter. After selling the wheat, once we have settled the grain tax, the retention fee, and the agricultural tax, we will be able to repay the loan, and we will surely manage to gather the remaining amount. You take this to school first, and if it is insufficient, we will find a solution later..." After selling the wheat, once we have settled the grain tax, the retention fee, and the agricultural tax, we will be able to repay the loan, and we will surely manage to gather the remaining amount. You take this to school first, and if it is insufficient, we will find a solution later..."

The disparity in education between the border regions and the inland areas is significant. The Beita region, where he is located, is a border city in the western frontier. Despite his excellent academic performance in elementary and middle school, he was only able to qualify for the internal high school class.

The family raises two pigs, which represent their hope for the New Year and for the siblings' education in the upcoming semester.

Jiefang Village, Eqi County

It is widely acknowledged that for the children of poor families, only through education can they change their fate

Although the sun outside is scorching, Zhang Qing's heart is cold and chaotic

A month later, after Zhang Qing finished harvesting and cleaning the wheat at home, he borrowed a four-wheeled tractor to transport it to the grain station to pay the grain tax. After selling the remaining wheat and repaying the loan, he finally gathered enough money for a semester's tuition and class fees

Apart from life, he possessed nothing else

Zhang Qing straightened up upon hearing a sound, feeling a twinge of soreness in his lumbar region. He shouted towards the edge of the field, "Mom, we will finish soon, you go ahead and eat, just save a bun for me!" After saying this, he lowered his head and continued to cut the wheat.

Sun Yuehe, seeing her son working so desperately, naturally understood the pain in his heart, and her eyes became slightly moist as she advised him

Take a break, young one, and have a sip of water

The nights in the northwest are quite cool; when the sun is not visible, the temperature drops.

After bidding farewell to her family, Zhang Qing took an overnight long-distance bus and finally arrived at the train station in the capital of Western Xinjiang

Hua Country, Western Frontier Province

Zhang Qing, with a sigh, suppressed the worries in her heart, straightened up, and said: "Mom, you are not feeling well and are anemic. Aunt Li Xia from the clinic said you should rest more. You shouldn't have come. I can finish up and go home to eat by myself."

In the wheat field, Zhang Qing is wearing a worn-out vest and shorts, stepping in a pair of canvas shoes, holding a sickle in hand, continuously raising and lowering it to harvest the wheat

Brother

Zhang Qing also understands that when he himself was not wealthy, he did not dare to borrow much from others

Zhang Lan suddenly said in a low voice

This damned sky, how can the sun be so scorching

Sun Yuehe saw her son being stubborn, so she picked up the bundle in her hand and walked into the field along the water ditch.

Zhang Qing quickly found his seat, feeling fortunate that it was by the window. Before he had the chance to put down his luggage, he hurriedly looked up through the window.

In July, there hangs a bare sun in the sky, without even a wisp of cloud to provide cover, as if it were throwing down fireballs.

Upon hearing this, Sun Yuehe's expression immediately became flustered, and then she waved her hand and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Who sells blood for what? I'm still anemic..."

Objectively speaking, this amount of money is not substantial, but for Zhang Qing's family, it is indeed a considerable burden

The passenger with a watch hurriedly looked at the time and exclaimed, "Oh no, it is already 4:45, and there are only three minutes left!"

Zhang Qing burst into tears and shouted in a hoarse voice

However, what Zhang Qing was thinking about was not the burning pain on his body, but the sorrow of this year's wheat, which had fallen in price again

It was only after going there that I realized the foundation was too weak. No matter how hard he tried, the gap with the students from the mainland remained like a chasm. How could he possibly be admitted to a very good university

Dear passengers, greetings. The train has received a message from the station. According to the latest announcement from the National Astronomical Administration, at 6:48 PM today, a rare celestial event known as the conjunction of nine stars, which occurs once every six thousand years, will be visible in the sky over our Xijiang Province. Dear passengers, please do not miss this extraordinary spectacle

After paying the public grain tax and repaying the cooperative's loan, it seems that he is still quite short on money for school

If one cannot gain admission to a prestigious university, how can one change their fate

However, nothing much could be discerned; he self-deprecatingly remarked that his eyes were not telescopes, so what could he see? He just felt that the sun seemed to have suddenly become exceptionally bright

It is indeed pitiful for his family, and Zhang Qing has been a good student since childhood. He is currently studying in the mainland and has hope of repaying in the future, which is why people are willing to lend him money

Zhang Qing asked in confusion

... ...

Zhang Qing silently vowed in his heart, but before the fire in his heart could burn for a while, it slowly extinguished again