Leave the city.
The roads in the suburbs are relatively smooth.
It's hard to say further away.
There are many potholes on the roads. In the early years, we would repair any broken areas. But later, I don’t know whether there was no funding or what happened, and no one came to repair them.
So the roads in those towns are terrible.
Jiang Xiaonian was sitting on the long-distance bus back to town.
The drizzle hit the glass window, blurring the familiar scenery outside.
He wiped the back of his neck. There was no bleeding now. It was not easy to remove the tracking chip.
Sitting next to him was an old man with dark skin and chapped hands.
There was a pocket under the seat that kept moving.
"Uncle, your chicken is going to be suffocated. Make an opening in the bag."
"It's okay. Just kill it when it gets there."
The uncle smiled, showing a row of blackened yellow teeth.
"Where are you from, young man? Are you married?"
This old long-distance bus was traveling on a bumpy road.
The car body trembles from time to time, making a heart-wrenching sound, which makes people suspect that this old bone will fall apart at any time.
I don’t know how long it took before the car finally arrived at the dilapidated town.
When a place is forgotten by time, the greatest advantage is that no matter how long it takes you to go back, it will still look like that, as if it has been standing deep in the years waiting for you.
Jiang Xiaonian stepped off the long-distance bus.
He took a deep breath of dust and car exhaust, and everything still felt so familiar.
The barbecue stall on the street is still in the same place, but the owner has changed.
The breakfast shop down the street is still open and now serves lunch and dinner.
He came to the bus station in the town and called a motorcycle.
"where to?"
"Minshui Village."
"It's a bit far, and the road there is not easy to walk."
"I'll give you more money."
"Okay, come up."
There is still a long way to go from the small town to the village.
On weekdays, only when going to the market would old vans drive from the town to various small villages to pick up people.
When he was a child, Jiang Xiaonian once told the old gentleman.
One day when he has money, he will definitely build a big school in the village.
He never became rich enough.
But he kept his promise and built a small church.
And left a sum of money to hire teachers, even though there are fewer and fewer school-age children in that small village.
The motorcycle arrived at the entrance of the village.
Jiang Xiaonian did not see the primary school.
All he saw was a pile of broken bricks and rubble, and overgrown grass.
"Xiao Nian?"
Someone stood at the entrance of the village and recognized Jiang Xiaonian.
That person is the current village chief, Jiang Yong, the child who went to study in the town instead of Jiang Xiaonian.
"What's going on, where is the school?" Jiang Xiaonian pointed at the pile of ruins buried deep in the weeds and asked.
"The school... it... it was quite stormy some days ago..." Jiang Yong hesitated.
"Don't lie to me. I selected all the materials myself. Unless the land collapses, the school will not collapse!" Jiang Xiaonian felt like he was holding back his breath and guessed something.
"Xiaonian, calm down." Jiang Yong pulled Jiang Xiaonian's sleeves and whispered: "Our village was reported once and deemed poor. We get money every year. This school of yours... it looks too intrusive. It’s not shabby enough, you know... There’s nothing we can do.”
"Looks shabby enough?"
Jiang Xiaonian took a deep breath, he must have heard correctly.
He always thought he was smart enough.
He can understand all the truths in this world at a glance.
But this is true.
He doesn't understand, and he doesn't want to understand!
"Why? Why can't you take a longer view?" Jiang Xiaonian gritted his teeth and grabbed Jiang Yong's lapel. Every word seemed to come out from between his teeth.
"Xiao Nian, there are not many people in our village who study now. What's the use of reading that book? Not everyone is as smart as you. It's enough to know a few words. Anyway, they will go out to work in the end." Jiang Yong persuaded in a low voice.
"What's the use of reading? You... why do you ask this question?"
Jiang Xiaonian had an angry look on his face, and veins loomed on his forehead.
He let go of Jiang Yong's clothes, took a few steps back, and turned to look at the familiar small village.
Nothing has changed.
Nothing has changed!
"Where's the money?!" He turned his head and stared into Jiang Yong's eyes, "Don't you have money every year? Why hasn't anything changed? Tell me, why?"
"Money..." Jiang Yong lowered his head slightly, avoiding Jiang Xiaonian's gaze, "Just... every year during the Chinese New Year, I buy some rice, noodles, oil and the like... and distribute them to everyone's home."
Jiang Xiaonian rushed forward and grabbed Jiang Yong's shirt again.
"How much money should you have? How much was left in the town? How much was left in your own pocket?" He was furious. He usually looked like a very knowledgeable young man, but now he looked like an angry man. lion.
"Xiao Nian, calm down... everyone in the village agrees to demolish the school."
"Xiao Nian, where are you going?"
"Don't be impulsive..."
Jiang Xiaonian loosened his clothes.
The expression on his face seemed to be anger and disappointment.
He stumbled back a few steps and turned to look at the elementary school that had turned into a wasteland.
Every brick and tile there was earned by staying up late working on projects for others when he was studying.
But he always felt that money was not enough.
He became twisted for that little money.
For that little money, Li Jian could calculate and raise himself.
Because he thinks everything is worth it.
As long as he gets enough resources, he can change the world.
For this reason, it is acceptable to make some sacrifices, even if the sacrifice is the person closest to him.
"I'm going to see Mr.
Jiang Xiaonian's voice was trembling a little, but he still suppressed it hard and tried to appear calm. .
He ignored Jiang Yong's voice behind him and turned to leave.
The old gentleman's tomb is on the mountainside not far away.
Withered vegetation obscured the grave mound.
No one came to clean.
Jiang Xiaonian stood on the grass. The sky was dark and the continuous drizzle wet his hair.
Among the people who are kind to him in this world, this gentleman counts as one, his father counts as one, and Li Jian counts as one.
The first two are dead.
"Sir, I thought I could change the world, but I... can't even change a village."
He stood in front of the tomb for a long time.
From beginning to end, he never set foot in that village again.
It's getting late.
The darkness and rain swallowed up the young man's figure as he turned away.
Much of the town has remained unchanged.
It has also changed a bit.
For example, in recent years, a seven-story building has been built.
The first, second and top floors are the same hotel, while the remaining floors are accommodation.
It is said that the mayor worked hard to invite investors from other places to drive the development of the entire town.
That night, thick smoke billowed from the hotel room on the top floor.
Fire shot into the sky.
The fine rain had no effect.
Jiang Xiaonian was sitting on the roof of the building, expressionless, with wet hair sticking to his face.
At the height of seven floors, with both feet dangling in the air, a normal person would have shrunk back in fear.
But he didn't.
He didn't feel happy listening to the fat guys downstairs desperately calling for help.
Very peaceful.
It was as calm as death.
So he jumped.
The imagined feeling of weightlessness did not come.
A hand grabbed his, Lu Wen's hand.
"Death is not the best way to wash away your sins."
"I'm not guilty!"
…
Good night, all book friends.
Thanks to book friend 20190621193143515, Lovelorn Sweet Potato, and book friend 140730164052757 for their rewards.
I'm a little busy today and haven't been able to write the extra chapter. I should be able to do it tomorrow.
(End of chapter)