Watching him kneel on the stage, being pelted with eggs by the audience, I don't know why, but I didn't feel much hatred. In my eyes, he was like a complete stranger. Both my master and Brother Shouren told me not to pay too much attention to people who are unrelated to me, as it would only exhaust me. I think they were right.
Later, things gradually became chaotic in the factory. For a while, I also felt that I should go out and join the movement, since it was a nationwide movement and I had to participate. My master scolded me and sent me back. That was the first time my master had ever scolded me. He told me that this was wrong, that it was unethical, and that I should think it over and not follow his example.
Hearing his master say that.
Actually, I also feel suffocated inside. Yes, I know that's not good.
But what's the point of learning more skills? In the current situation, there aren't even any assessments. Sometimes I even wonder if I'll be a level one worker for life.
Liu Guangfu's school also went on holiday, and he spent his days taking the teachers on excursions.
I went to see Brother Shouren, and he told me that this country might be facing some problems right now, but it wouldn't stay like this forever. He told me to study hard, because one day he would need me.
Hearing him say that made me feel a little better. At least, my studying wasn't useless.
I studied and studied like this, reading books whenever I had free time in the workshop.
Occasionally, I would stroll around the library. Later, I went there more frequently, which is a little embarrassing to admit. There was a very pretty girl with big eyes in the library, and I really liked her.
However, he was a cultured person, so I was a little hesitant.
Later, the girl saw me reading some books about mechanics and would occasionally chat with me and ask me questions. It was then that I truly understood what Brother Shouren meant when he said, "Learning is an extremely meaningful process."
It's really meaningful, hehe.
This girl is amazing. I heard she's a student at a nearby vocational school, but since classes were suspended, she didn't want to go on the trip and instead went to the library to explore on her own. Actually, we had no idea how long the library would last; we'd seen quite a few people eyeing it several times. We learned from each other and improved together.
However, our good fortune didn't last long. Just as we expected, the library was targeted. I don't know the specifics, but I do know that the library was burned down.
I remember that day very clearly. The girl was holding two books in her arms, staring blankly at the library that was now full of ruins.
For some reason, my nose suddenly stung, and my heart pounded with anxiety. I ran over and grabbed her hand. At that moment, I was truly afraid—afraid that she would leave me.
I don't know why, but this is the first time in my life I've had such a strong intuition.
She cried, tears streaming down her face. She sobbed on my shoulder, and I was at a loss for what to do, so I could only gently pat her shoulder to comfort her.
After a long while, she got up from my arms, two tear tracks on her beautiful face. She looked at me and asked, "Do you want to marry me...?"
I was stunned. I thought I was hallucinating until she asked again, "Do you want to marry me?" Then I realized that happiness had come so suddenly.
I nodded frantically, wishing I could go home right now to get the necessary documents and get our marriage certificate.
Later, she told me that she was an orphan who had been raised by the librarian of this library since she was a child. After the librarian passed away, this library remained her lifelong companion. That day, she arrived very early and quietly looked at the library, now in ruins. She wondered if she should leave with the library to find her librarian grandfather.
Until I arrived, she said, "I've been lonely since I was little. Nobody wanted to play with me. I don't know why, and I don't want to know why. I just lived alone. The only things I cared about were the librarian and the library. As long as the library was there, I felt like the librarian was right beside me. He told me to study hard and serve my country."
“I’m studying hard too, but why did those people want to destroy my last hope? I don’t understand, I don’t get it.”
My heart ached terribly, and all I could do was hold her tightly and tell her, "It will be alright, it will be alright."
She was thanking me, but actually, I should be thanking her. Because of her, I know what it feels like to be needed. Seeing her like this, a new idea came to me: to help her build a library of her own. Perhaps this dream is far away, but as Brother Shouren said, as long as you study hard, you will achieve it!
When I first brought her home to meet my master, he privately approached me and seriously asked if I had any dirt on her. I was dumbfounded. Was I, Liu Guangtian, really that worthless? After I explained, my master sighed and said I must have stepped in dog poop—such good fortune to have found such a wife.
It's all just good luck, isn't it? A vocational school student! Who would have thought!
Later, I lived a very happy life. Liu Guangfu didn't go astray. He got into some trouble and went to the countryside. As his older brother, I didn't think much of it. Going to the countryside, no matter how tough the environment is, can it be as tough as it was at home? But his sister-in-law cried a lot, afraid that he would suffer some grievances in the countryside.
I told Liu Guangfu to study hard and not to slack off even when he went to the countryside.
Liu Guangfu nodded, indicating he understood what I meant. Because Brother Shouren had always told us that when things got better, he would need our help. We brothers would never forget those words.
All of this is thanks to that kneeling at the end of 1965. I want to thank Brother Shouren, because of him, I had the opportunity to get to this point, and because of him, I truly understood the meaning of life. It was also because of him that I met my current wife.
Life gradually got better. I heard that the movement had ended more than two years ago, and the factory's assessment had been rescheduled. This assessment was very simple for me, as I had not been lazy over the years. But for some people, it was a nightmare. Just as I was happily going home, my wife asked me very seriously what my relationship was with Wang Shouren.
I'm confused. Didn't I already say that?
Brother Shouren is our benefactor.
Then, my wife told me some shocking news: Brother Shouren had an accident!
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