In his dream, Cheng Cai felt as if he heard his mother's voice. He felt he missed his mother so much. Had his mother really come back?

Cheng Cai kept calling out to his mother, and his mother was calling back, urging him to get better soon, "Wake up, wake up!"

Cheng Cai felt like he had so much to say to his mother, but where was his father? Why didn't he come to see him and his brother?

Cheng Cai thought about how his parents had left him and his younger brother when they were young, but luckily most of the aunts and uncles in the village helped them, otherwise they wouldn't have survived all these years.

Winter was so cold. My mother had just passed away, and my younger brother and I huddled together. Some other women took pity on us and gave us firewood. We lay on the kang (a heated brick bed) covered with blankets, and that's how we survived.

She and her younger brother grew up on the charity of many families. She wanted to ask her mother, "Why did you and father leave us? My brother and I have suffered a lot, but we miss you both so much."

“Mom, that winter my brother and I watched Uncle Jianjun playing with Zhuzi and the other two by the river. Uncle Jianjun was holding their hands, and Zhuzi and the others were laughing the whole time. I was so envious.”

“I think if my parents were still here, my brother and I would have someone to pull the sled for us, and someone to care for us. You have no idea how much I envy them. Uncle Jianjun saw what I was thinking and wanted to make a sled for me and my brother.”

"But sadly, even with a sled, my brother and I would still get sick from the cold because our cotton-padded clothes were too thin. I can't get sick, my brother still needs me to take care of him."

"But Uncle Jianjun and Aunt Jianjun are very kind. They gave us a bath the next day and changed our cotton clothes. It was the first time in so many years that we had worn new clothes. I am very grateful to Uncle and Aunt Jianjun."

"But you know what, Mom, when I got home, I took advantage of my younger brother being asleep and cried my heart out outside. I envied Uncle's care for Zhuzi, I envied Aunt's gentleness towards them, I envied how happy their family was, while my parents were gone. At that moment, when I came back, I felt a tightness in my chest and just wanted to cry my heart out. I was a little jealous and ashamed because of my jealousy. At that moment, I just felt like crying."

From that day on, I told myself, don't be envious. You also have a family. You have a younger brother. You have to raise your brother. You have to change your destiny.

The opportunity came quickly. Three grandfathers came to the village's cowshed. They were physically disabled, but the team leader said they were educated, which gave me a different idea.

I wanted to learn, but I had nothing. So I kept gathering firewood and bringing wild vegetables for the grandfathers. All I could do was work hard and go up the mountain more often.

The grandfathers were very touched and taught me. Although there were no books, I was content just to write and draw in the sand on the ground. I felt that I had seized the first opportunity in my life, and I wanted to make the most of it.

On the way back, I saw Zhuzi fall into the water. For a moment, I hesitated. One reason was that I was worried about what would happen to my brother if something happened to me. Another reason was that I was really jealous. I was jealous that their mother was always so gentle, and I was jealous of everything about them. But suddenly I felt ashamed. I couldn't be like this. My aunt and uncle had been kind to my brother and me, so I decided to go and save Zhuzi.

All I could do was tell my brother not to come down if I couldn't get back up. I know my uncle and aunt are kind people, and if I hadn't come back up to save Zhuzi, they would have treated Youcai well, and he would have had a good life.

Later, I successfully landed ashore, and Uncle Jianjun came. I knew that maybe I had a second chance, and my brother and I would never have to live such a hard life again. Aunt Tingting's family are kind and grateful people.

But when I saw Uncle Jianjun caring about Zhuzi, I still felt very sad, because I also missed my parents. If my parents were still here, they would care about me like that too.

"Mother, are you taking me away? I can't leave. If I leave, there will be someone to take care of Youcai, but I'm worried about that. So, Mother, although I miss you, I'm not going to go with you."

With tears in his eyes, Cheng Cai prepared to say goodbye to his mother.