The feeling deep in the soul

Touched from the depths of the soul

@文/Xu Benyu

“Use the purity of the first light to draw a pair of eyes for the world. Use the first flower to Open the voice and sing a song for the world. Use all the news of spring to write a legend for you... Move you and me, and move China. Only love in this world will last forever. "Whenever time moves into a new year, There is always a kind of expectation in my heart, looking forward to the "spiritual appointment" with "Moving China".

Jiang Mengnan, "Break through, there is a loud trumpet in your heart"... When I entered their world, I burst into tears several times.

On the evening of March 3, "Moving China 2021 Personality Award Ceremony" (hereinafter referred to as "Moving China") was broadcast, with the core theme of "Ordinaryness creates greatness, heroes come from the people", comprehensively showing the magnificent situation The year of 2021 is like a ray of clear spring, cleansing my soul again. While I was immersed in it, my thoughts were also drawn back to the past...

When the award ceremony was broadcast, I couldn't see it

My relationship with "Moving China" originated from 2004. That year, I was very honored to be selected as the 2004 Person of the Year Who Touched China. Time flies by like a white horse. It has been 17 years since I stepped on the stage of the award ceremony. The "craftsman" of time has also engraved the touching scenes deep in his heart. That scene was touching, as if it happened yesterday, everything was so clear and warm.

Before I was selected as a candidate for the 2004 Touching China Person of the Year, "Moving China" was unfamiliar to me. In the winter of 2004, when I was still teaching at Dashi Primary School in Dashui Township, Dafang County, Guizhou Province, I received a text message from Teacher Peng of Huazhong Agricultural University, my alma mater: "Ben Yu, you have been shortlisted as a candidate for the person who moved China of the year!" I was very happy. I was surprised and thought: "What kind of selection is this?" Later, I came to the Dashui Township Government and gradually learned about "Moving China" through the Internet. At that time, I did not expect that I would be elected as the person of the year who moved China, and I did not expect that "Moving China" would accompany me until now.

When I walked onto the stage of the award ceremony and raised the trophy, I didn’t know why my tears couldn’t stop flowing down, and I couldn’t control them. These tears contain the hardships along the way, the touches brought to me by students and parents, the care and help given to me by well-wishers in society, and the silent support of my family... Looking back now, These tears are tears of happiness, because being touched and cared for is itself a kind of happiness.

I regretfully missed the 2004 People of the Year Awards Ceremony that Touched China. During the Spring Festival holiday of 2005, in order to visit poor students, I did not go home to celebrate the New Year, but stayed in Dashi Village. When the award ceremony was about to be broadcast, CCTV host Jing Yidan specially sent me a text message telling me the time when the program would be broadcast, and hoped that I would be able to watch it then. I told Teacher Jing Yidan that the TV in my dormitory could only receive the signal of China Educational Television and could not watch the awards ceremony. The night the awards ceremony was broadcast, I was in the dormitory helping students with their homework. That night, I received many text messages, some from family members, some from teachers and classmates, some from friends, and some from well-wishers. That night, although it was very cold, I was surrounded by emotions and felt very warm, like a stream of warmth in my heart.

"Helping those children who were once like me"

In March 2005, I brought three children from the mountains to Beijing to participate in the "Same Song" Two Sessions Special program "Meet in Spring". On the same day, teacher Jing Yidan also came to the show and told the audience that I was not able to see the award ceremony on the day it was broadcast, and I did not see it later.

At that time, the "Same Song" column team specially played the part about me in the award ceremony from beginning to end. Standing on the stage of "Same Song" and looking at myself on the screen, I burst into tears.

At the award ceremony, I expressed my wish with tears in my eyes. Yang Yong, a fifth-grade student I taught when I was a volunteer teacher, wrote an essay titled "Beijing in 2008", in which he wrote: "If it comes to 2008, I will definitely go to Beijing to see the bungalows in Beijing. , How great would it be if I could live in a bungalow in Beijing? "I hope to have the opportunity to take the children from the mountains to Beijing to let them know that Beijing not only has bungalows, but also tall buildings and buildings. .

After the award ceremony was broadcast, with the help of well-wishers, the Beijing dream of the children in the mountains came true. In May 2005, with the loving help of 12 retired soldiers in Beijing, I brought 32 children from the mountains to Beijing. For all the children, it is the first time to come to Beijing, the city they yearn for, and it is also the first time to fly. At the airport exit, Yang Song, a fifth-grade student, specially took out the musical instrument, the sheng, and played an impromptu "Newspaper Selling Song". Yang Song loudly said that he would learn to play "I Love Beijing Tiananmen" after returning home.

During their stay in Beijing, the children visited Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, Tiananmen Square, National Flag Guard, Military Museum, the Great Wall and other places. Everywhere they go, the children receive "special" treatment. This "special" gift contains the selfless care and good expectations of caring people for the children.

Every day in Beijing, I am surrounded by emotions. Among them, the most unforgettable thing for me was an encounter on the Great Wall. When I took my children to visit the Great Wall, I met a tour group of elderly people. They were all teachers who had taught in mountain villages all their lives. After recognizing me, they donated 10 yuan and 20 yuan on the spot and collected 450 yuan. Several old ladies cried, and so did I. They said that they saw their past in me, and they also saw the future of supporting education in mountain villages.

Although the trip to Beijing lasted only 5 days, these 5 days were the most unforgettable days in the children’s lives. These 5 days sown the seeds of gratitude and hope in the children’s hearts. of seeds. Now, the children have grown up and are working. In the online space of student Wang Nana, there are still photos of that trip to Beijing, with the note: "The best memory." Wang Min, who graduated from university, now works in an insurance company in Xi'an. She said: "I will pass on this love and do my best to help those in need. If given the opportunity, I will do my best to help those children who were like me." Chen, a college graduate Yu wrote: "Now I am still a very ordinary person among all living beings. When I want to give up my efforts countless times, I will gratefully think of those who took me out of the mountains for the first time. Every memory that is imprinted in my mind The frame is wonderful and has always been in front of me, like a guiding light! ”

The Man Who Burns the Lantern

At the beginning of every year, I look forward to the success of "Moving China" with great love and love! Each dedicated and wonderful frame is deeply imprinted in my mind. Even if he misses the TV broadcast, he will definitely watch the replay of "Moving China" online. Every time I watch it, I am deeply moved and tears can't help but burst into my eyes.

"We found you among the brilliant mountain flowers. Nature beats you with wind and snow, and you respond with singing. Destiny puts you on a precipice, and you bring fragrance to the world. Don't be afraid of being crushed into dust, without any intention. Fight hard for spring, express your perseverance to the world with your blooming life. You are the osmanthus on the cliff, the plum in the snow." When I saw the touching deeds of Zhang Guimei, the 2020 Chinese Person of the Year, the image in my mind was written by teacher Zhang Guimei. I constantly switch between the school where I teach and the primary school where I teach.

It is precisely because of my experience as a volunteer teacher in the mountainous areas of Guizhou that I feel more deeply the selfless love that Teacher Zhang Guimei devotes to me, and that I have more heart-touching empathy.

Teacher Zhang Guimei spent 12 years traveling 110,000 kilometers on home visits. She broke her ribs and suffered serious injuries on the mountain road.

Every time I see the touching deeds of Teacher Zhang Guimei, the scene of Teacher Zhang Guimei riding a horse or being supported by students to visit homes always comes to my mind. While teaching in Guizhou, I often used my spare time to visit students’ homes. After class in the afternoon, I walked with my students on the mountain trails, which took nearly 2 hours. We will eat and sleep at the students' homes in the evening, and walk back to school with the students the next morning. Through home visits, I have enhanced my relationship with students and parents, and also encouraged students to study hard. I deeply understand that Teacher Zhang Guimei dragged her sick body and endured the pain to "desperately" visit home, just to let students and parents understand that only knowledge can change the fate of children in mountainous areas.

During the National Day last year, I revisited the touching deeds of Teacher Zhang Guimei, and I was inspired to write a poem to pay tribute to Teacher Zhang Guimei: "The Man Who Burns the Lamp".

"...The students are still sleeping, and the small trumpet in their hands has been blown. It arouses the ambition to fight against time. Urging and reminding, the busy back is always beside the students. Quietly, quietly On the ground, he walked towards the window with light. Quietly, quietly, a thin body was watching. Slowly, slowly, he dragged himself back to the bedroom, carefully, in order to let the students enter the classroom. Walking on the rugged road of home visits. With sincerity and hope, we can open up the skylight of the family’s hearts and face difficulties together, and we must not let setbacks stop our dreams from setting off...

Among all the people who have moved China the most, What moved me was Wang Shunyou, China's Person of the Year in 2005 and postman of the "Mabaan Post Road". I have seen the scene of Wang Shunyou in "Touching China" many times, and I am moved to tears every time. For Wang Shunyou, loneliness is his normal state. During the 14 days traveling to and from the "Mabaan Post Road", at least 6 nights require overnight stay in the mountains. One night when he spent the night in the mountains, Wang Shunyou said: "This postal route is lonely and lonely. This is too uncomfortable. I am not afraid of walking, but I am afraid of loneliness... When I am lonely, I think of my hometown and my parents. I think of my wife and children, but the only things that accompany me are the sound of the wind, the sound of water and the ringing of my horse’s bells. My horse is with me.” When Wang Shunyou stroked the horse’s head with his hand and said to the horse, “Only you accompany me...” At that time, Wang Shunyou cried like a helpless child. Whenever I see this scene, I always burst into tears. Seeing Wang Shunyou's isolation and loneliness reminded me of the isolation and loneliness I experienced when I was teaching in Guizhou. I also once woke up from my sleep with tears soaking the pillowcloth due to isolation and loneliness.

What I never expected was that in May 2021, Wang Shunyou, who moved me the most, left us forever. Wang Shunyou! You were only 56 years old, why did you leave us so suddenly? Wang Shunyou! That song "Why" that you often sing, we really want to hear you sing it again! Today, I want to sing the song "Why" to you: "Why, why, why don't you leave if you don't explain clearly, why don't you break up if you don't explain clearly..." Wang Shunyou left, but the touch he brought to me Will stay in my heart forever.

After 17 years of companionship, there are so many emotions stirring deep in my heart. This is the most precious spiritual wealth in my life. I will treasure these emotions forever, turn my emotions into actions, and be a person who can move myself and others.