Become a cowherd boy again

?If someone asked me if I could go back in time, when would you most like to go back to? I will say without hesitation: when I was a kid herding cattle.

?My family is from a rural area. When I was a child, my family raised a big ox specifically for plowing the fields. At that time, the family had no other source of income except farming. It can be said that Ah Huang is the most important labor force and the greatest wealth of the family. My family was busy with endless farm work every day, so the heavy responsibility of herding cattle fell on me. I was still in elementary school at that time. The moment I took over the cow nose rope from my father, I felt like I had completed a holy handover ceremony. At that time, I only had one goal, which was to take good care of Ah Huang so that he could complete the task of plowing the fields well.

Ah Huang eats breakfast and dinner twice a day. Every morning before going to school, I would take Ah Huang to graze on the field ridge. The grass was full of crystal clear beads and was so tender and juicy that Ah Huang could feast on it. Ah Huang is very obedient and will not secretly eat the green seedlings everywhere. I think this may be the result of his father's training with a cattle whip. In the terraced fields shrouded in early morning mist, a thin cowherd boy and a strong ox should be able to present a very moving and harmonious picture through the lens of a modern photographer. But I didn’t have that much time to enjoy the scenery. All I cared about was whether Ah Huang had enough to eat and the cloth shoes that were wet with dew, because I had to go to school later. In those years when food and clothing was the most important thing, that was all I cared about. At that time, I didn't have many desires. My heart was so simple and pure. The first thing after school in the afternoon is to take Ah Huang to the woods to enjoy dinner, because there is more grass in the woods and I can tie Ah Huang to a tree and let him eat grass around the tree, so that I can You can lie down on the grass and do your homework. At that time, my schoolbag was sewn by my mother from the scraps left over from making clothes. It was simple and practical, and more students used schoolbags like this. Girls’ schoolbags would look better, and some were made of colorful fabrics. A lace will be added, and only a few students from well-off families will carry backpacks with cartoon patterns on them. Every time those classmates carrying backpacks walked in front of us, they always looked majestic. In fact, I also wanted to have a schoolbag like this, but I never told my parents. I felt that I was very sensible early and never would. Make any excessive demands from your parents. Lying on the grass, he hooked up his legs and swung his feet rhythmically up and down. When he encountered something, he raised his chin with his hand and bit the end of his pencil, as if thinking hard. Every once in a while, I will tie Ah Huang on another piece of lush grass. After finishing my homework, I like to lie on the grass and watch the clouds in the sky. The clouds illuminated by the setting sun are gentle but not dazzling. Sometimes I can see something as spectacular as the "Fire Clouds" described in the textbook. When the sun almost set, I took Ah Huang and slowly walked home. At this time, Ah Huang was already full of food and kept regurgitating the delicious food in his stomach. The sky was so pure at that time, and I could see Tianzhu Mountain dozens of kilometers away from home on the road. It's a pity that now I can go home and never see it again.

Whenever the grass grows and the orioles fly, it is the most difficult time for Ah Huang. His father puts the plow frame on Ah Huang. With his father’s shout and the crack of the cattle whip, Ah Huang moves. Huang began his day's work. Ah Huang was his father's loyal partner. He carried out every instruction given by his father accurately. His father's shouts became the most cordial notes of my childhood. Occasionally, Ah Huang would be too tired to leave, and his father would whip him with a whip. Every time I saw my father whip Ah Huang, I felt sorry for Ah Huang. I would ask my father not to beat Ah Huang, but my father said I wouldn’t. He won't leave. Every time I take Ah Huang to graze after a hard day's work, I sometimes shed tears when I look at his dirty mud and tired eyes. So every time I try to spend as much time as possible to find richer grass for it to eat. In this way, Ah Huang and I got along for several years. I grew up slowly, but Ah Huang became older and thinner day by day. Until one day when Ah Huang couldn't pull the plow, my father found a cattle dealer and sold Ah Huang. . I asked my father why he sold Ah Huang, and he said he sold it to others to kill and sell beef. I cried immediately, crying very sadly. It was really pitiful to think that Ah Huang had to work hard until he was old and had to be killed and sold as meat. My father touched my head and said, "You silly boy, you still have money after selling the cow, but it will be worthless when it dies of old age." At that moment I knew for the first time that money was more important than life.

After Ah Huang was sold, the family no longer raised cattle. Instead, they used plows. I think using a plow is much more humane, and at least it doesn’t make me feel as guilty as Ah Huang. feel. After so many years, I can no longer remember what Ah Huang looked like, but I still remember the kid who was herding cows at that time. Simple and kind, he only has one goal, that is whether Ah Huang can eat enough.