Xia Rong
On March 7, 2024, at the opening of the "Committee Channel" of the National People's Congress and the National People's Congress, a story of "The Ferry Teacher in the Mountains" moved Chinese and foreign reporters as well as countless netizens.
Recently, this magazine interviewed the protagonist of the story, Mr. Wang Zhijun, who told us about the bits and pieces and days and nights that he stayed on the isolated island for 30 years.
Father and son 俩近照
Eccentricity, students are better than children
"Teacher Wang, you won't leave again when you come back, right?" "It's all to blame on those three classmates for pulling poop on their bodies and scaring the new teacher away." As soon as several thin dolls, large and small, saw Wang Zhijun walking into the teaching point with his luggage, they rushed over one after another, chattering around him, jumping and jumping. A young doll pounced on it and hung it around Wang Zhijun's neck.
In the early autumn of 2012, the summer heat had not disappeared, and the Panshan teaching point in the reservoir area of Qingshan Town, Chongyang County, Xianning City, Hubei Province was as lively as the New Year. But this excitement is theirs, not Wang Jiong's.
"Teacher Wang, Wang Jiong is crying!" I don't know which little kid shouted, and Wang Jiong's tears burst instantly. Wang Zhijun pulled Wang Jiong's little hand, and 7-year-old Wang Jiong pouted and muttered with an aggrieved face: "Why are you back?" Didn't you say you'd pick me up in a few days and go to live in town? Wang Zhijun was silent.
After graduating from Puqi Normal School in 1995, Wang returned to his hometown of Qingshan Town, Chongyang County, to teach at the Panshan Teaching Center in Nanmucheng. On the first day of registration, he was dumbfounded, the so-called school was actually a thatched hut temporarily vacated by a resident, with a large gap in the earthen wall and a thatched roof washed out of the ravine by the rain.
Wang Zhijun is also from a rural family, and it is not easy for him to study at a teacher's college. Looking at the villagers who were cutting down trees to make beds and mud walls to make him a home, and looking at the children in old clothes, he knew he had to stay.
This stay is three years. In 1998, heavy rains washed away the huts, and half of the children were sent by their parents to study outside the mountains, leaving 30 or 40 children missing. Wang and the villagers decided to build their own school building. In order to make the place spacious and convenient for the children to go to school, they had to choose the teaching point in Candle Mountain.
Surrounded by mountains, Candle Mountain is surrounded by water on three sides, and the fishing boats of fishermen come and go. The fishermen cast their nets at four or five in the morning and start their nets at four or five in the afternoon, which conflicts with the time when the children go to and from school. As a last resort, Wang Zhijun built a small wooden boat at his own expense, and rocked the boat along the river every day to pick up and drop off children from school. Some children live in teaching centers when the weather is too remote. Lived and lived, and they refused to leave. Wang Zhijun washes and cooks for the children like an old father.
In 2004, Wang Zhijun met Wang Antimony Xiu and soon fell in love and got married. The following year, his son Wang Jiong was born. Wang Jiong was frail and sickly, and he couldn't even digest milk powder, Wang Dixiu was worried that the child would not be able to support him, so he applied to the relevant departments for a second child. In 2007, Wang Dixiu unfortunately passed away, leaving only one sentence for Wang Zhijun: "Bury me closer to you......"
What the teaching point looks like now
Wang Zhijun buried his wife near the school, where he would pass by every day to carry water. He immersed himself in teaching and chores, as if only in this way could he forget the sadness caused by his wife's departure.
When Wang Jiong was 4 years old, he was still thin and weak, a lot shorter than children of the same age, and he often had diarrhea and rolled on the ground with abdominal pain. Wang Zhijun was frightened when he thought of his wife's death. In the summer of 2008, he finally had time to take Wang Jiong to Wuhan for medical treatment. He carried Wang Jiong on his back, supported the boat to the opposite bank, got in the car, walked through the winding mountain road, and drove into the road...... Wang Jiong lay on his father's back, opened his curious eyes, and looked at the scenery outside the car window.
"Dad, shall we also go to the city to live?" He muttered milkily. "It's not time yet, wait until you're older!" "How old have you been?" "When you get into the middle school in the city, you can live in the city." The intimacy of his son made Wang Zhijun, who had returned to the sad place, feel a little comforted.
The results of the son's examination were very bad, 3 intestines were full of polyps, and there was no relevant equipment in Wuhan at that time, so the operation could not be done. Wang Zhijun hurriedly borrowed more than 20,000 yuan from relatives, borrowed money from the bank, and went to Shanghai for surgery with his son on his back.
After returning from Shanghai, Wang Zhijun took Wang Jiong with him everything he did. That summer vacation, he rocked a small boat every morning and took Wang Jiong to the river to fish. After the net was set up in the afternoon, he went to the town to sell fish under the scorching sun. There are many fun things in the market in the town, Wang Jiong couldn't help but want to, Wang Zhijun shook his head: "No, the money from selling fish is to buy pens and books for the brothers and sisters in the school." Dad is always partial, but Wang Jiong quickly forgot about these unpleasantness, after all, Dad was with him throughout the summer vacation.
The reservoir area was in poor condition and was not energized until 2010. As soon as the electricity was called, Wang Zhijun bought a TV so that the children could see the outside world. Wang Jiong likes to watch cartoons, but his father always broadcasts programs that his brothers and sisters like, which makes him very unhappy.
With the assistance of television, the Chinese and mathematics tests of Wang Zhijun's class have ranked among the top three in the county for three consecutive years, far surpassing the famous schools in the county. Through the education channel, he intuitively felt the lack of his business ability and the gap between students and the outside world.
In 2012, the town center primary school transferred him to be the director of teaching, and he also wanted to take this opportunity to go outside for a year. In order to facilitate this, the leader helped him find a teacher who was about to retire to replace him in this isolated island school for a year.
On the day he left, Wang Zhijun explained to Wang Jiong: "After a few days I settle down, I will take you to live in the town." Wang Jiong smiled innocently, his eyebrows and eyes were crooked like his wife. Wang Zhijun, who was busy with teaching and logistics chores every day and had no time to accompany his son, said guiltily: "It's convenient to travel in the town, and your father will take you wherever you go." ”
Unexpectedly, Dad came back after only going out for a day, and promised his brothers and sisters not to leave. Wang Jiong was so sad that he cried, and Wang Zhijun reasoned with him: "Dad is gone, the new teacher is also gone, and my brothers and sisters are not going to school." Dad wants to take you to work together, in the future, everyone will go to the city to study, let's go to the county seat to Wuhan, go to Beijing to Shanghai. Seeing his father pointing in the direction of the mountain, the young Wang Jiong ignited new hope.
For love, go both ways
Wang Jiong studied hard. In 2017, he received an admission letter from a key junior high school in the county. However, the school does not have accommodation conditions and needs to be accompanied by parents. When he was worried, Wang Zhijun received an order from his superiors to go to a well-known primary school in the county for further study, and his superiors will arrange two young teachers to take over the work at hand.
In those years, while concentrating on teaching, Wang Zhijun also applied for the college examination and signed up for Ma Yun's rural teacher promotion plan. The registration materials should be printed and delivered, and the registration procedures should be run over and over again, which is really inconvenient on a deep mountain island. Moreover, his son is young, and he is left alone in the county seat, where can he rest assured. After careful consideration, Wang Zhijun accepted the assignment.
Before leaving, Wang Zhijun took Wang Jiong to his wife's tomb to say goodbye. He believed that his wife must be very relieved to see her son spread his wings and fly high.
On that day, it was still early autumn, and the grass and trees in the mountains were still verdant, reflected in the small river with the blue sky and white clouds. Wang Zhijun rocked the boat and headed in the direction of the mountain, and Wang Jiong was overjoyed.
When he arrived at the county seat, Wang Jiong followed his father to the supermarket to buy toiletries. Back at his father's dormitory, he took out all kinds of items, put them on the table, and said, "Dad, you can sleep a little longer in the future, and you don't have to get up early every day to cook breakfast and pick up students." "You know how to feel sorry for your father." Wang Zhijun was very happy when he heard this. "I've always felt sorry for you, but you didn't treat me as your own son. Every time something good happens, I let the other brothers and sisters come first, and even pick out old shoes and old clothes is my turn after they finish picking them, hum! ”
As he spoke, Wang Jiong glanced at the second-hand sneakers on his feet. This is a second-hand shoe collected by a leader in the unit, and more than a dozen pairs were sent at a time, and he fell in love with this almost new pair of shoes with a football logo on a blue soles. At that time, the shoes were taken by other children, and because they were not the right size, he just happened to fit them, so he gave them to him. He never wore new clothes or shoes, and he never asked his father for them. He knew that his father's little salary had too many uses: to help students pay for tuition at the beginning of school, to buy exercise books and pens, to buy common medicines, and to buy meat for everyone to eat from time to time......
Before, Wang Jiong couldn't figure it out, he asked his father: "Dad, your salary is not high, why do you always spend money on others?" "Wang Zhijun told him the story of the veterans of the village to resist US aggression and aid Korea and the Red Army's Long March." Son, when you are older, you will understand that there are more important things in this world than money. Wang Jiong seems to understand whether he understands or not, but when the villagers and students mention his father, they praise him and respect him, and he will also feel proud.
At the isolated island school, Wang Jiong needs to share his father with dozens of children in the school. After entering the city, his father was his father alone. In those days, when I returned to my father's dormitory after school in the evening, the father and son read and wrote separately. Sometimes, Wang Zhijun also took Wang Jiong to the street to eat snacks. Wang Jiong said happily: "Dad, will we go to a bigger city together in the future?" "Okay, you can take your dad with you when you go to college."
Wang Jiong had only been happy for three days, and a parent came to the door with three female students. The children complained: "The young teacher is not as careful as you, Mr. Wang, come back." Wang Zhijun hurriedly comforted: "Don't say that, each teacher's method is different." A girl suddenly cried: "Teacher Wang, in the three days that you have been away, we have almost been hungry. The female teacher came and left in the morning, and the male teacher stayed for three days and left. ”
Another girl also took the opportunity to say, "Teacher Wang, come back." We didn't know you worked so hard before, but later, we helped with laundry and cooking. The three children wept as they spoke.
Wang Zhijun's eyes were hot, and he immediately applied to return to the isolated island school. After completing the formalities, he went to pick up Wang Jiong. Seeing his son waving towards him, Wang Zhijun was very sad. "I'm going back to the island, your school doesn't provide dormitories, I don't dare let you rent a room alone...... Come with me to a middle school in the countryside. ”
Wang Jiong was dumbfounded. He asked angrily, "So many teachers, why do you have to stay on the island?" Why can't you stay in town? "I took care of so many children all the way, and if I can't find the right person to take over, they won't be able to go to school!"
Wang Jiong went back angrily and transferred to a rural middle school near his grandfather's house, and he didn't talk to Wang Zhijun for a long time.
At the end of 2017, by chance, Wang Zhijun was discovered by CCTV reporters who re-embarked on the Long March. The reporter was shocked to learn that he had been rooted in the mountains for more than 20 years, rocking boats to pick up and drop off students, cultivating land in schools, and supporting hundreds of children.
They made a short documentary for Wang, which was broadcast on CCTV at the end of December 2017. When Wang Jiong saw the short film, it was the first time that he intuitively understood his father's difficulty and greatness.
Grow up, and you'll be me
In those years, Wang served the military with his small boat to ferry the future of one student after another, and also won the students' gifts.
In 2018, Wang Hongyan, a student sponsored by Wang Weijun for many years, came back to visit him and wanted to donate 500,000 yuan to him. Wang Zhijun refused: "I helped you pay for your tuition, and I didn't want you to repay it." I'm very happy that you're where you are today. Wang Hongyan, who has successfully started a business, insists on giving back to him. Wang Zhijun asked her to buy stationery and shoes for 68 younger students and girls, and grain and oil for poor households in several surrounding villages. This incident was rumored to be a good story in the local area, and Wang Jiong also saw it.
In 2020, Wang Jiong was admitted to the county key high school with excellent results. Wang Zhijun rocked the boat, carried Wang Jiong to the other side, and accompanied him to report to school. On the way, Wang Jiong said proudly: "Dad, I'm not worried about you dragging me back this time." Wang Zhijun smiled: "The sky is high and the birds can fly, it depends on how high and far you can fly in the future." ”
After completing the enrollment procedures, when it was time for dinner, Wang Jiong wanted to invite his father to the cafeteria to eat. Wang Zhijun shook his head and said that he was going to see an elder brother. Wang Jiong pretended to be jealous: "Okay, leaving his own son aside to see his godson again?" He knew that every time his father went into town, he would go to see a deaf student who had previously graduated. The elder brother opened an electrical repair shop in the county seat, and he had already married a wife and had children, and the family of three regarded his father as a relative. Wang Zhijun smiled: "Don't underestimate your father as a teacher in a mountain village, we are also full of peach and plums, and there are many places across the country where I have a foothold." ”
Indeed, during the holidays, there were always former students who came to visit him. If you can't come, you will definitely call and send a message. As long as Wang Jiong saw his father swiping his phone with a smile on his face, he knew that he was chatting happily with the students.
When Wang Jiong was a freshman in high school, some college students took advantage of the summer vacation to come to the island to tutor their younger students. He thought it was interesting to be a little teacher, and he returned to the island for two consecutive summers to volunteer as a teacher.
The seeds of teaching quietly sprouted, and Wang Jiong wanted to be admitted to a well-known normal college in other provinces. He has excellent grades, and he is also a seedling of 985 colleges and universities that teachers are very optimistic about. But in the 2023 college entrance examination, although Wang Jiong's score exceeded 600 points, it was much less than the usual mock exam. I'm afraid I can't go to my favorite college, and Wang Jiong has some regrets.
Wang Zhijun comforted him: "Why don't we repeat our studies for another year?" "Nope. Dad, I don't want to waste time, I want to be a teacher, and it's the same in Wuhan. "To be a teacher, you must really like it, not follow the trend." "Of course! Don't forget, I taught in high school. Wang Jiong looked unconvinced.
Spend time with the kids
In August, Wang Jiong received an admission notice from Wuhan University of Technology majoring in educational technology. He teased: "Dad, this is 211, your specialty is inferior to me, right?" Wang Zhijun replied with a smile: "What words? Your dad is no better than you. "Jokes are jokes, Wang Jiong knows that his father has long been famous.
In Wuhan, when he was tired of reading, Wang Jiong sent funny jokes to his father to make him happy. He knew that his father was very busy, busy with excellent teachers all over the country to exchange and study, and busy with Southeast University's self-examination for the undergraduate exam. They made an appointment, and father and son worked together.
At the end of 2023, Wang Jiong called home and heard his father coughing incessantly and speaking weakly, he was so anxious that he cried and couldn't wait to rush back to the island to take care of him immediately. Wang Zhijun held on, pretending to be angry and said: "Boys should be stronger, don't cry your nose at every turn...... I'm just a little thing, and I can handle it. ”
In February 2024, Wang Zhijun told his son that he had passed all the self-examination exams at Southeast University and graduated early. "Say you don't love me, you still don't believe me, you don't wait for me. Didn't we say we would graduate together? Wang Jiong laughed.
At the end of February 2024, the isolated island school will be cancelled, and all students will be transferred to Yiyuan Primary School. Wang Zhijun was transferred to the county education bureau. However, Wang Zhijun still prefers the podium, and he politely turned down the job of the Education Bureau and applied to teach at Yiyuan Primary School.
Wang Zhijun bought a scooter to facilitate commuting. Six children went out of their way to find him and wanted to get a ride to school. He happily agreed. On the way to and from work every day, I am surrounded by the laughter of children, how happy.
Not long ago, Wang Jiong called back to announce a news: "Dad, I won't be back to the island this summer, I'm going to Enshi to teach."
It is said that the mountains are higher and the slopes are steeper, so I want to challenge myself while I am young. Wang Zhijun happily agreed: "Go, I have also arranged it, and I want to go to other places to study." Let's share our experiences with each other and make progress together! ”