Chapter 19 Honey: 1-2

 That mulled wine of yours was too easy to drink.Shen Congwen wrote a love letter for four years back then. You only wrote it for one year before you waited for this cup of sweet wine.You're lucky, impatient little fool--even the villains have come to help you and make our love work. Tingsheng, the person I love the most in my life: During the year of our correspondence, my life has changed radically. With a lover in my heart, the world in my eyes seems to be covered with a layer of rose color. Even if I am writing a boring business report, it seems to be writing a poem. These days, I live like an endless dream, like a constant passion, I don't think anymore, I'm drenched in joy.

I exchanged for the old copy of "Fire".I took the brand new book you gave me and went to Amin's bookstore to exchange it. I never told Amin that I met you through his small bookstore a year ago, and you and I have become inseparable lovers a year later.It is no exaggeration to say that his little bookstore is the birthplace of our love. Amin thought my request was very strange. He didn't know why I would exchange an identical new book for the old one. "The editions of the two books are the same, why do you want to exchange the old one with the new one?" Amin asked me puzzled.

"This is an important secret, and I will tell you the reason in the future." I deliberately kept a secret in front of Amin. I thought, why not keep this secret for a while longer, and one day, when you come to Yangzhou, I will take you to his bookstore.However, I solemnly introduce you to him and tell him our story.How surprised he would be then. Amin agreed to my "weird" request. A Ming once told me that two years ago, when he was still in the third year of college, he read your book "Fire" by chance, and he felt like he was shocked by an electric shock.The original dogma in his heart was subverted overnight.Amin immediately recommended the book to his roommates, and everyone was fascinated.

Later, Amin wanted to take the train to Beijing with his roommate to find and visit the author of "Fire".During the National Day holiday, everything was arranged, and the two of them came to the train station with their travel bags on their backs.Unfortunately, their plans fell short at the last moment: they didn't make it because their wallets were stolen.Since then, due to the increasingly busy studies, the plan to go north has been postponed again and again, and it was not possible to make the trip until graduation.This has become an irreparable regret for Amin.Now, he is physically disabled, and it is even more inconvenient for him to go out.

When Amin told this story, I was almost "sneaking fun" on the side.I think, in the near future, I will bring you directly to Amin's small bookstore, and create a legendary meeting for you. This can be regarded as a kind of repayment for Amin's unknowingly "connecting" the two of us. This "Fire" is already more worn out than when I encountered it a year ago. Since I finished reading it, it has been in the hands of many, many people.How many people have read it this year?Among them, is there any "confidant" like me?I guess, Amin's registration book probably has detailed registration.I didn't ask him to read it for me, though—he would have been more bewildered by my actions.

When I got home, I glued the spine of the book with clear tape and wrapped it in brown paper.It has been repaired and packaged by me, and it looks like a new book again. When I come to Beijing, I will take it with me as a gift for you.This gift is more precious than diamonds and gold. Although this book is your first novel, it is more important than all the books you have written since then.Your future books will definitely surpass this book in terms of thought and literary talent.But they never again had the potential to change our lives as radically as "Fire." After reading your letter, I have a lot of thoughts.In my opinion, the issue of the Chinese language can be summed up in one sentence: the exhaustion of the Chinese language is due to the exhaustion of life.Therefore, to save Chinese is to save lives.

To restore the vitality of the Chinese language and our lives, we must first restore our ability to love. The revival of a nation, the most fundamental is the revival of the spirit. This reminds me of the greatest man of the twentieth century - Gandhi. Gandhi saved India with love, endowed ancient Indian culture with new vitality, and endowed every Indian with the awakening of life.Gandhi's biographer and American scholar Iswaran pointed out: "I believe that future historians will regard this century as Gandhi's era, not the atomic age." I believe in Iswaran's conclusion, it is It will be accepted by more and more people in the coming centuries.

When will we be able to have our own "Gandhi"? The emergence of "Gandhi" in China will mean the emergence of hope and turning point. Gandhi believed in love, truth and non-violence all his life until he was assassinated by fanatics. On a gorgeous evening, Gandhi, as usual, clasped his hands and blessed his people.At this time, a young man rushed in front of him, shot him, and violently assassinated the "father of non-violence". When Gandhi fell to the ground, he repeated the prayer that came to his lips from the depths of his heart. He was praying for the cruel murderer.He endured severe pain, smiled and said: "I forgive you, I love you, I bless you." Gandhi implemented non-violence completely with his life, as he himself said: "If only love Our people are not non-violent; only loving those who hate us is non-violent."

While young Gandhi was in South Africa, he encountered a humiliating event that changed his life forever. At that time, Gandhi was still a lawyer, and he went to South Africa to handle a lawsuit.The boss booked a first-class ticket for him.He was full of hope, hoping to establish a career in a strange country that could not be established in his own country. When the train arrived in Maritzburg, several Europeans walked into the private compartment of the carriage. As soon as these white people saw people of color, they immediately called the train attendant.One of them pointedly told Gandhi to leave and go to the third-class compartment.

Gandhi protested, "I have a ticket for this carriage." "It's no use. You have to go. Otherwise, I'll call the police to get you out." Gandhi replied angrily: "You can drive me away, but I have the right to stay here. I will never go out of my own accord." As a result, Gandhi was driven off the train by the police and stayed overnight in the desolate and dark train station.His coat and luggage were taken by flight attendants.He later recalled: "It was a winter, a very cold winter in the cold part of South Africa. My bag was the only coat I had, and I dared not take it back because I didn't want to be humiliated again. .I sat shivering, and there was no light in the room."

He sat alone, shivering in the dark, so full of rage that he couldn't comprehend why anyone should take pleasure in torturing another.What makes him angry is not only the hurt and insult he has received, but also the cruelty of people to the same kind.This cruelty exists among almost all people - between people of different races and beliefs, and between people of the same race and beliefs. In the wee hours of the morning, Gandhi made a momentous decision: he would stay, he would never look back, he would never be a coward. "Am I just succumbing to this injustice? Or do I do something to change the fate of people in the same situation as me?" This man, who was once speechless in court, found himself completely capable. Ability to speak, write, and organize powerfully to alleviate the suffering of others. Much later, when Gandhi was asked about the most influential event in his life, he related the above story.At that time, he had to endure torture, insults and even attacks because of his natural skin color.But one long night in the mountains of Intua made him determined never to bow to violence, and never to use violent means to achieve his goals. In the history of our nation, in the history of each of us, there will be our own "Maritzburg nights".It's a pity that most of us are going from a dark night to a darker night; but Gandhi walked firmly in the dark to the light, to warmth, to happiness and love. As I read this, I tremble with Gandhi, and I share his shame and joy hungrily.I myself seemed to be the young traveler who was kicked off the train halfway, suffering from hunger and cold in a dilapidated railway station. Is it revenge, or love?This is a crucial question.Each of us will encounter and make choices.Dear Tingsheng, one day, we will also meet our "Maritzburg Night", what choice will we make? Gandhi was against violence.Violence looks beneficial, but its benefits are temporary, and its evils are permanent.Gandhi believed that violence cannot be stopped by violence, but can only lead to more violence.He said something like this: "I don't believe in taking violence as a shortcut to success. I may approve and respect good motives, but once violent methods are used, even for the noblest cause, I firmly oppose them. Experience Tell me that eternal happiness is unattainable through untruth and violence." Gandhi's thought of non-violence is also the most lacking spiritual quality of our nation.In the past hundred years or the past two thousand years, our land has experienced too much blood and massacres.Not only did the pool of blood not wake us up, but it made the hatred more rampant.In such a deep crisis, China needs Gandhi and Gandhi's spirit too much. Nonviolence also means tolerance and understanding, love and compassion.Non-violence is the strength of weakness, the salt in tears.Gandhi believed: "The truth resides in everyone's heart. We have to find it in the heart and be guided by it. But no one has the right to force others to act according to his perception of truth." Gandhi firmly believed that "the law of love and respect" could liberate India.Gandhi's old friend and well-known historian, Kripalani, did not believe this. He said to Gandhi: "You may know the Bible or the Bhagavad Gita, but you don't know history at all. There has never been any nation be liberated peacefully." Gandhi smiled. "You don't understand history," he corrected gently. "About history, you must first understand that what has not happened in the past does not mean that it will not happen in the future." He further pointed out that this is an era full of miracles , People cannot think that something or an idea is worthless just because it is novel.Saying it is impossible just because it is difficult is inconsistent with the spirit of the times.Things never thought of before are now visible; the impossible is becoming possible. "We are continually amazed by what we discover about violence. But I firmly believe that many more discoveries that were never thought of and seemed impossible will be made about nonviolence." In the realm of personal life, Gandhi was also a great man. He admits that it was his wife, Custer, who taught him how to love.According to Indian tradition, Gandhi married very early, when he was only thirteen years old.At that time, he didn't know what love was, and he didn't know how to treat his wife. In his youth, the wife was a role model for Gandhi, who showed him how to root out the anger and rivalry that was eating away at their marriage - she wasn't vengeful or added fuel to the fire, but she was a constant supporter of Gandhi when he broke out and made mistakes And forgiving him, always seeing his good points and silently motivating him to live better, living up to her respect. Gradually, Gandhi began to realize that what his wife was doing every day was the theoretical ideal he himself had always admired.Gandhi imitated his wife, and the two turned out to be mentors to each other.Gandhi learned patience from his wife, who in return was inspired by Gandhi's fiery passion. Gandhi often said that this long, difficult, and severe ordeal required the patience of Jingwei.Each time they crossed an obstacle that stood in their way, they found themselves not only loving each other more, but also becoming more loving and patient with those around them.Gandhi learned to extend this love to his enemies, and even when he was imprisoned with his wife, he did not resent those who came to capture him. Custerbai has shared adversity with her husband all her life.Gandhi did not accumulate any wealth, but some people say that he is "the richest man in the world" spiritually.Gandhi said that the whole world was his home.Custerby supported her husband's statement.A reporter asked her how many children the couple had. She said, "I gave birth to four children, but Gandhi raised 400 million (India had a population of 400 million at the time)." Even Gandhi had a great wife behind him.It can be seen that for excellent men, excellent women are an inexhaustible source of wisdom and goodness for them. Gandhi taught his fellow countrymen: "Start with yourself, if you cannot yet accept a colonial governor or Winston Churchill, first love your wife, husband or children. Let your love spread out from here." As long as you try your best, you cannot fail." Gandhi himself experienced several failures and setbacks before reaching the highest level.He never gave up.The spirit of Gandhi responded directly to the deepest human need - the never-ending need for love.In the "Bible", people are exhorted to believe, hope, and love, and love is always the first. I am a believer in the spirit of Gandhi.I had no "ambition" to become Gandhi's wife, but a desire to learn from her.She is a role model for women. I remember that since we were in primary school, we have been indoctrinated into this conclusion: the Chinese nation is a peace-loving nation.However, in our voluminous history books, brutal civil wars abound, with blood flowing into rivers and millions of dead bodies at every turn.Blood and violence filled every page and line of "Twenty-Six Histories".To this day, there are still so many Chinese people full of war fanaticism, clamoring "fight to the other side" from time to time.This makes me wonder: are we really a peace-loving nation? There are no Gandhian characters in our real life, and our culture has never been born with a deep and essential reflection on violence.Whenever I hear the words advocating violence and war, I am extremely disgusted-if the person who suffers from violence is himself, if the person who is involved in the meat grinder of the war is his relatives, the advocator can still advocate it with peace of mind. go down? A poet wrote a line like this: "Every bullet hits a mother's chest", which is the truest portrayal and the deepest indictment of war I have ever read.Only those who jumped out of the rock would be indifferent to such lines. As I write this, I think of an English song called "Where are the flowers gone": Where did the flowers go? The flowers were picked by the girls. Where are the girls? The girls went looking for their husbands. Where are the husbands? The husbands went to the front as soldiers. Where did the soldiers go? Soldiers were buried in graves. Where is the grave? The tomb is covered with beautiful flowers. Those who worship violence, gore and war should listen to this song every day. Dear Tingsheng, we are all followers of Gandhi. We are willing to stick to the belief of non-violence and live in love. After having your love, I also started to treat all the people around me with this kind of love. When I go out, I always prepare a little change for the old man who plays the huqin in the underground passage at the gate of our community every day. It seems that he has been wandering outside for a long time. love you forever xiao xuaner June 20, 2000 Xiao Xuaner, my love: In the past two years, I have also become increasingly aware of the importance of Gandhi. I often discuss the topic of Gandhi with my good friend Xiao Han.Xiao Han is a believer of Gandhi. In Xiao Han's heart, Gandhi is almost an idol that cannot be desecrated. In his circle of friends, he is the most enthusiastic disseminator of Gandhi's spirit. I remember one time when several friends gathered for a meal, a friend said casually: "As a politician, Gandhi also had a side of showing off." Hearing this statement, Xiao Han immediately stood up and said loudly: "All Gandhi's words and deeds are a reflection of his heart. He never knew what acting is. Your statement only shows that you still cannot understand Gandhi's sublime." He was flushed with excitement, and he almost walked away. I was moved by Xiao Han's excitement.It is a pity that there are too few Chinese who can fully understand the significance of Gandhi.Chinese people can understand Tagore, but they cannot understand Gandhi.What is the reason? This little great man led his aging nation to defeat all power politics in the world.He said: "Love never takes, it always gives. Love is always suffering, but it never resents, and never retaliates." For a long time, Gandhi was not understood by the so-called "civilized society" .Those sanctimonious gentlemen regarded this half-naked, bald old man as an unclassifiable monster. As time went on, however, Gandhi's halo became more and more creased, and he eclipsed all the leaders of his generation.In the ever-changing twentieth century, Gandhi contributed the richest spiritual wealth to the troubled Asia and even the entire human race. How to realize "Gandhi in China" or give birth to "China's Gandhi" is also a question I often think about. Last week, I went to the Northwest and took two days to visit the countryside with the locals.After I came back, I felt uncomfortable for several days.There are too many things to say in my heart: about our ancestors who used to cultivate the land, about all Chinese farmers.About this rich or barren land. I come from the land, and I have vivid memories of country life.Between me and the land there is still an umbilical cord that is constantly being cut.When I walked away, the umbilical cord was pulling, causing a dull pain between my chest and abdomen. "At noon on the day of hoeing, the sweat drips down the soil." For more than a thousand years, the hardships of physical labor of Chinese farmers have not changed at all. The Bible says: Remember those who are bound, as if you were in bondage with them, and remember those who have been persecuted, thinking that you are also in the flesh. ("Hebrews 13:3") However, people have abandoned this maxim. In ancient times, all human beings were farmers, farmers who worked hard on the land regardless of the cold, heat, or shelter from wind and rain.Therefore, all of us are descended from farmers.We cannot abandon our identity as farmers.When we despise the peasants, we are actually despising ourselves; when we suppress the peasants, we are actually suppressing ourselves.In a country that is suffering so much, this kind of betrayal is especially shameful. The world has undergone great changes. We have nuclear bombs and rockets, satellites and the Internet. The urban lifestyle is changing rapidly, and the preferences and fashions of new and new people are constantly changing.Only the fate of the peasants has not changed substantially. In China, "peasant" not only defines a profession, but also is synonymous with "untouchable". Your letter once mentioned those ruthless bureaucratic merchants, and there are many such people around me.In their eyes, the countryside is quite "poetic and picturesque".They thought that all farmers lived incomparably chic and leisurely like Tao Yuanming.When they are free, they will drive to the countryside to get a breath of fresh air. They will pretend to say with emotion: "It would be nice to be close to nature if you live in the countryside!" " They are heartless people, and we need not be offended by their nonsense.However, when it is time to reprimand them, we must also reprimand them unceremoniously, exposing their hypocrisy and cruelty without mercy. I have also met this kind of people. They said: "Farmers should be farming in the countryside. What are they doing in the city? They have ruined our social security!" That expression is exactly what Mr. Lu Xun said The so-called "people who get rich first". I really want to ask God to punish them, let them be born in the countryside in their next life, and personally experience the pain and hardship of a farmer's children, to see if they will be so arrogant and arrogant? Ning Xuan, you probably watch "Southern Weekend" a lot, right?This is a newspaper that can somewhat reveal the truth of life in today's China.In the latest issue of "Southern Weekend", there was a report on the living conditions of farmers, which was really shocking to read. In Min County, Gansu Province, Che Huansheng's family has four members, his wife Bao Mingzhen and two sons, one is nine years old and the other is three years old. (Smart urbanites will say: They deserve to be poor, who made them violate the family planning policy and have extra children!) His family lives in the Sixth Community of Zhifang Village, Sigou Township, Minxian County. Five cents of wheat. A fifth of the land planted with potatoes can yield about 600 catties a year, and a fifth of the land planted with wheat can yield about 150 catties a year.30 catties of 150 catties of wheat are used as seeds for the coming year, and the rest is enough for the whole family to feed for a month; 100 catties of 600 catties of potatoes are reserved as seeds for the next year, and the rest is enough for the whole family to feed for two months.In addition to these, the car exchange can earn about 300 yuan a year by pulling a shelf car. Che Changsheng is 32 years old this year. His family's property includes three earthen houses, a frame cart, a piglet, a quilt, 30 catties of wheat seeds and a bag of yams in a fertilizer bag.This day, he earned two yuan by pulling medicinal materials for his employer. He said he was lucky. His wife Bao Mingzhen doesn't have a mirror, so when she wants to see herself, she looks at the picture frame on the wall, which contains pictures of her when she was a girl.Bao Mingzhen said that now she looks nothing like the one in the photo, and she likes the one in the original photo.Bao Mingzhen can make excellent pasta, but she rarely has the opportunity to show her skills, and her family eats potato soup three times a day.It's almost the season of wheat blossoming, and the morning sun on the plateau is so bright that sometimes people can't even open their eyes.Bao Mingzhen is not yet thirty years old, and when she is not ill, her face will show a youthful atmosphere, and even a bit of charm, but more often her face is always covered with a layer of earthy gray. "Southern Weekend" wrote that in 1988, Che Huansheng attended a literacy class, and he still kept the literacy textbook, wrapped in a hard yellow plastic sheet.Che Qinglan, a neighbor's child, dropped out of school because she couldn't pay the tuition before she graduated from the fifth grade.She had no choice but to often go to Che Changsheng's home to let him teach him how to read and write.Every time, Che Changsheng taught very seriously, with a rare smile on his face. This is the "sufficiency" of a farmer in the west.The scene I saw in the northwest was exactly the same as the description in the newspaper, even worse.The west is so backward and the farmers are so poor, is it because they are not hardworking enough?Is it because they don't want to use their brains?Is it because they are unwilling to seize the opportunity to change their destiny? Many "successful people" in cities have the above "avant-garde" views. They believe in the social evolution theory of "natural selection and survival of the fittest"-you don't live well, either because you are lazy or because You're stupid, and in the end it's your bad luck.They believe that this era has provided enough "opportunities" for "fair competition", and if you can no longer get rich, it is entirely your own business, no one else's fault. But I think that the poverty of farmers is obviously not the above reasons.The real root lies in the fact that peasants have never had the civil rights to "be the masters of the country", and they have been rudely excluded from the ranks of "modern citizens" at both economic and political levels.They haven't even obtained the most fundamental "identity" equality, so how can we talk about the reasonableness of the "result"? They are citizens of this country, but do they have freedom of movement?They are taxpayers, but do they enjoy a series of taxpayer benefits, including health care? For thousands of years, farmers have never had their own economic status and management power.Whether it is a planned economy or a market economy, both operate at the expense of the interests of farmers.The price of grain is controlled by the state, and the price of the means of production for growing grain is also controlled by the state. The price of grain is very low, and the raw materials are very expensive. If a pair of scissors is missing, farmers will die. Peerless white notes filled the bottom of farmers' boxes.Almost all departments can use white notes to trade with farmers. Farmers are like falcons fishing for fishermen, or like old cattle raised by themselves, who only have the right to harvest for others. Ning Xuan, although we have left the land, we must not betray it. Because the day the land is dry, it will also be the day our lives are dry. My hometown is Chengdu Plain, known as the "Land of Abundance".However, today's "Tianfu" is no longer Tianfu.A large number of young people flock to the outside to work, male as coolies, female as "Miss" - not because they are willing to do so, but because the cruel real life forced them to that step.When staying at home no matter how much labor they put in, they couldn't even fill their stomachs, so they had to leave their hometowns and look for other ways of life. During the Spring Festival, I went back to my hometown to visit my grandfather’s grave, and met many relatives who were still working on that land.A distant cousin told me that the taxes levied in the village are ten times the amount stipulated by the State Council.They don't understand many items and dare not ask.As soon as they asked, the township cadres reprimanded them fiercely.Not to mention the hard work throughout the year, after the calculation, I still have to pay some money!The cost of seeds and fertilizers is getting more expensive every year, and farming has become a matter of making ends meet. What about fruit?My hometown is a famous fruit town.This year's orange harvest is bumper, and my cousin originally wanted to sell oranges to earn a sum of money, pay expensive tuition fees for his children, and then buy some tiles to repair the leaking roof.Unexpectedly, the bumper harvest brought disaster—the price of oranges plummeted, and in the end, except for shipping and taxes, it was like giving away for nothing.In desperation, he had no choice but to let the oranges fall to the ground to rot.Looking at these oranges, their tears could not stop streaming down. On the contrary, the township cadres have all become millionaires.A college classmate of mine became the mayor of a place near his hometown after graduating from college.A year later, a group of our classmates had a reunion, and he drove a limousine in a majestic manner.He generously paid for our party and suggested that we all go to the karaoke club at night.After he paid the money, he immediately asked the boss to issue an invoice-as we all know, he has the right to reimburse.The benefits of this invisible power will be several times his actual salary.Because the amount they reimbursed is almost "unsealed".As far as I know, the township where he lives is the poorest township in our county.Where does their money come from? There is a folk joke in Sichuan called "The Lord of the Land Moves". It has never been out of date since ancient times.Once upon a time, there was a county magistrate who had served for three years and returned home with a lot of silver that he had scavenged.Back home, the county magistrate triumphantly opened the biggest box, and was surprised to see an old man with a white beard lying on top of the treasure. The magistrate shouted, "Old man He Fang, what are you doing in my box?" The old man replied: "The small one is the land under the master's rule. Because the master scraped away the mud governed by the little god three feet away, the little god had no place to stay, so he had to come here with the master to beg for a bowl of food." The joke satirizes the bureaucracy deeply, but it is also full of meaning The infinite bitterness of the peasants.The old man in the land may be rewarded with a bowl of rice by the county magistrate, but what about the common people? Today's grassroots cadres are still "scraping the ground".I went to a certain county on the Chengdu Plain, and my friends who worked there told me that their parents and officials were transferred from other places, and their family members were not in the county.During the Spring Festival, the secretary of the county party committee returned to his home in a neighboring county to celebrate the New Year. Before he got home, officials, big and small, flocked to the village.It's called "Happy New Year", but it's actually a bribe. It is said that during a Spring Festival, bureaucrats at the county magistrate level can earn a huge sum of nearly one million yuan.These revenues are completely hidden and there are no accounts to check.Doesn’t the ultimate source of the money come from farmers?The blood and sweat of the people, like water in the desert, permeates without a trace. Most of the farmers on the Chengdu Plain still have enough to eat—this is still the "Land of Abundance" after all.However, some farmers in the northwest region cannot even guarantee food and clothing.I have been to some villages in northern Shaanxi, and it is not too much to describe the life of farmers with the old saying "clothes are not enough, food is not enough".Some people only eat one meal a day, and the so-called "rice" is nothing more than corn paste or boiled potatoes. Even food is a problem, let alone education.Poor parents in the world.Even in the poorest rural areas, which parents do not want their children to go to college?Even after graduating from high school?But where does this increasingly expensive tuition come from?Universities have begun to "industrialize" rapidly.Officials from the Ministry of Education claimed that higher education should be in line with international standards and become a new industry.Now, the average annual tuition fee of a university is at least 5,000 yuan, plus living expenses, etc., and a college student spends at least 10,000 yuan a year.For 10,000 yuan, how many catties of grain will farmers sell, how many pigs will they raise, and how many fruit trees will they plant? Last year, in the poorest township in our county, there was a champion who was admitted to Tsinghua University.Their family was not happy, but frowning - the tuition and living expenses of tens of thousands of yuan a year are simply astronomical figures for the parents of the children.All the pigs, cows, chickens, and ducks that could be sold at home were sold, and relatives and friends who could find funding and loans were also sought, but there was still a huge gap from the actual needs.Later, all the people in the village were mobilized, and each family contributed 10 yuan to 5 yuan to contribute to the school fees of this smart and sensible child. Even the old lady of the village's five-guarantee household also took out 20 yuan. What the child brought to Beijing was a bulging bag of change wrapped in a white cloth, which surprised the teacher who paid the fee and the students around him. The first year barely survived, what about the second year? In those impoverished villages, Hope Primary School seems to be very lively, but who doesn't understand that this is just some people's tricks to gain fame.From a legal point of view, the Hope Project is an "illegal project", which seriously violates the "Compulsory Education Law"-since compulsory education is implemented, why is there a problem of dropping out of school?Since there is no problem of dropping out of school, how can we come to the Hope Project?Logically, it is self-contradictory.In terms of implementation, it provided corrupt officials at all levels with a good opportunity to fill their pockets.How many donations from overseas have been made?I have a college classmate who works in a department in charge of the Hope Project in a certain province. A small department actually bought several high-end cars.Where did they get the money? No matter whether it is whitewashed or a drop in the bucket, the Hope Project and the follow-up Candlelight Project, etc., cannot fundamentally change the education situation of peasant children.Wasn't it reported in the news that the building of a certain Hope Primary School collapsed because of cutting corners, and dozens of primary school students were injured or injured.Every fresh life is only worth a few thousand dollars.In addition to grief, the parents can only accept this poor "life money" honestly.In the countryside, human life is as cheap as weeds. Later, probably even the department sponsoring the Hope Project felt "embarrassed" and finally quietly terminated it. Peasants suffer from labor all their lives and suffer from being bullied by officials.Moreover, because they have no culture, they have been in a state of "bitterness beyond words".Therefore, their ardent expectations for the cultural education of their offspring are far beyond the comprehension of city dwellers.Today, how many parents who are peasants look at their children who are out of school with tears in their hearts, but there is nothing they can do! So, is it possible for farmers to leave the land and seek opportunities in cities? What is the fate of the peasants fleeing the land for the cities, trying to choose other chances of survival? In the city, farmers dig ditches, build roads, build buildings, transport grain and sell vegetables, sweep roads and remove garbage... They do almost all the dirty and dirty work in the city. Tiring.But the city still vehemently rejects them, viewing them as street rats. Xiaofang is a rural girl from the Mainland. Together with a dozen of her sisters, she works part-time at an electronics company in Zhongguancun.Their job is to complete the winding of the electronic coil, and they are billed for five cents each.He works overtime and winds thousands of coils every day, earning more than 1,300 yuan a month.However, only five hundred yuan was sent to him.More than half of it was withheld by the company and distributed as wages to those "regular employees" with Beijing hukou, and these regular employees did not work.This is the so-called "outsiders support Beijingers", which is a well-known "secret". Xiaofang has been working in such an exploitative job for five years.She saved more than 10,000 yuan in five years, and the price she paid was that she was already hunchbacked when she was just in her early twenties.But she is still rejoicing in her heart-many migrant workers sometimes work for nothing for a year without getting a penny.She hoped the job would last long, and she endured this absurd exploitation with trepidation. Many migrant workers who cannot get paid are construction workers.They do the heaviest physical work during the day and sleep in unheated huts at night.Many of them are my fellow Sichuanese. 我经常在北京的建筑工地上看到他们拖着疲惫的身影，听到他们说着熟悉而亲切的家乡话。中午，他们通常蹲在工地旁边满天的风沙之中，每人端着一个搪瓷盆，一大盆水煮白菜，三五个馒头，吃得津津有味。劳动了一年，运气好的能够拿到工钱，高高兴兴地回家过年；运气不好的，工钱被包工头拖欠甚至赖帐，他们只好含着眼泪挤上回家的火车。 我有一个比我小五岁的老乡，千里迢迢到北京来打工。他在一个建筑工地上干了一年。年终的时候，却被包工头欺骗了，一分钱的工钱都拿不到。他眼泪汪汪地来找到我，向我借回家的路费。 他来到我的宿舍，我一见到他便大吃一惊：他穿着一身看不出颜色来的旧军装，肩上已经磨破了一大块。脚上的胶鞋也露出了脚趾头。他告诉我，包工头与地方官员和警察都"勾兑"好了，民工们稍有反抗，便会遭到打手们的毒打。即使他们去报警，警察们睁一只眼闭一只眼，根本就不予理会。在警察的眼里，民工根本算不上"人"，民工的生命也轻如鸿毛--你们才是"不安定"的"隐患"呢，我们不抓你们就算好的了，你们也配来报案？ 城里的农民经济上受剥削，政治权利更无从谈起。除了政府的种种限制，农民的人权在城里受到肆意剥夺，无论在经济上还是政治上，进了城的农民好像都不是合法的中国公民，低人三等。每到什么庆典之类的日子，北京的警察与联防队员一起严格地查暂住证和其他证件。 我曾经亲眼看到，在某个繁忙的地铁站口，停着两辆警车。那些没有暂住证的外地农民像一群绵羊一样，蹲在警车里发抖。 这时，如狼似虎的警察又拦住一个农民模样的外地人。此人在马路上好端端地走路，哪里想到祸从天降。他哆哆嗦嗦地拿出暂住证，在他的眼中，警察简直就是天王老子。 一恍间，警察将暂住证撕得粉碎，略带嘲笑地问："你还有暂住证吗？"这个农民目瞪口呆，未醒悟之间，已被像狗一样拎上警车。他们很快就会被拉到郊县去挖沙子，然后装在闷罐车里遣返回乡。 这样的农民可怜乎？可悲乎？ 每次看到这样的情景，我心中都充满了愤怒，却没有勇气走上前去替这些无辜的人辩护。我害怕自己也受到相似的侮辱。然而，怯懦本身就是一种侮辱，它时时刻刻在折磨着我。 我身为农民的后代，每每亲历一次次农民遭难的事实，心底深处往往禁不住地生出种种悲怆与哀叹。我的恐惧和悲哀，我们的痛苦和不平，全部与他们感同身受。我的爷爷、我的奶奶、我的爸爸以及我本人，就是他们当中最普通的一群。我只不过比那些被抓进警车的农民兄弟们多读了几本书，就获得了某种暂时的"安全"--我成了有文化的"文化"人，"文化"成了我的护身符。 我应该为拥有这种"安全"而庆幸吗？ 我为逃脱了那样卑贱的命运而感到侥幸，更感到耻辱。 功成名就的"知识分子"们，一般都勤于研究高深的学问。学问是至高无上的。因此，他们对农民们的遭遇和命运自可睁一只眼闭一只眼--那是政治家的事情。他们呼吁的"自由"，仅仅是自己能够享有的自由；他们期望的"民主"，仅仅是自己能够享有的民主。 他们以为自己就能够代表"中国"。他们有意逃避对农民问题的关注，他们害怕承担良心上的压力--假如他们还有良心的话。 当然，他们更害怕走过禁区的红线。因为跨越了红线，可能导致自己失去职称、待遇和房子。 不是吗，国内研究农民问题非常有成就的著名学者秦晖，因为帮农民说了几句话，就失去了清华的教职。他的遭遇没有激起同样是教授的学者们的同情和愤怒，反而大大地助长了冷漠和虚伪的泛滥，以及犬儒主义的盛行。人们没有把尊敬给予勇者，反倒在背地里窃窃私语："他就是前车之鉴，我们再不能像他这样惹火烧身！" 集体"缺钙"的中国知识分子们，或者玩弄国故，或者炫耀"后现代"；或者关心在"核心期刊"上发表论文数量，或者像红眼的公鸡一样盯着有限的几个"一级教授"的名额。最成功者，或许还能够博取到人大代表和政协委员的头衔，代表"人民"去参政议政。然而，他们当中究竟有几个人愿意去关注和理解农民的问题呢？ 无论是否来自乡村，一旦走进书斋和学院，他们就远离了苦难最深重的那群人；一旦走上了仕途，他们就学会了说假话，练就了硬心肠。 The Bible says: 你们要防备文士，他们好穿长衣游行，喜爱人在街市上问他们的安；又喜爱会堂里的高位，筵席上的首座。(《马可福音12：38-39》) 学者和作家中，也有少数的人真心关注农民问题，例如秦晖。在国内的学者中，秦晖对农民问题有深刻而独到的研究。他发现，中国的农民问题在历史上充满了这样的尴尬：统治者越是"重农"，农民越是倒霉。这个怪圈一直在中国的历史和现实中彰显着。 主导秦朝国策的法家，焚书坑儒而唯"耕战"是务，把"上农除末"的调子唱得最高。但是，把农民逼得走投无路、群起造反，以至成为历史上最短命的统一王朝的，也是秦。靠农民起义上台的朱元璋，张口"朕本农民"，闭口"享我农师"。他不仅"立法多右贫抑富"，还下令"农夫衣绸、纱、绢、布，商贾止衣绢、布。"然而，蒙他如此推重的农民，却悲惨地发出了"自从出了朱皇帝，十年倒有九年荒"的呼声。 与之相似，五十年代的主政者颂扬农民的调子越唱越高--从"同盟者"到"主力军"，从"民主革命的动力"到"蕴藏巨大的社会主义积极性"，从"亚洲的农民比欧洲的工人更先进"到"贫下中农上管改"，结果如何呢？调子最高的时候，饿死的农民也最多。 农村、农业和农民这"三农"问题，又不仅仅是就"农"言"农"所能够解决的。秦晖指出："如今到农村改革深化后面临的一系列问题：农民流动、地权整理、乡企转制、村政改革、减轻负担……但正如民工潮与乱占耕地这两件事突出地显示的：现在的许多农村问题根子实际在城市，改革到如今，就农言农已经很难再改下去。中国问题的实质是农民问题这句老话如今应该反过来说了：农民问题的实质是中国问题。"因此，任何忽略农民利益的改革，最终都将是失败的改革。农民的命运得不到真正的改观，中国的现代化就只能流于空谈。 宁萱，在农村里，还有许许多多像我爷爷一样的农民，悄无声息地活着并且死去。 我不能无视他们的存在，我的身上流动着他们的血脉。在他们的身上，我寻求到了"为何写作"、"写作什么"以及"怎样写作"的答案。 我要让我的所有文字都成为"爱"的注释。即使是愤怒、谴责、批判，也要在爱、同情和悲鸣的笼罩之下。我不是高高在上的救星，我的生命与这些一辈子被禁锢在土地上的农民兄弟们一模一样。 他们是我力量和勇气的源泉。他们流了千万滴汗水，我为什么不能流一滴呢？ 每时每刻都在爱着你的廷生 两千年六月二十六日