On an ordinary construction site in Shandong, 54-year-old mason Xun Zhenghua is busy carrying cement. His rough hands and weather-beaten face tell the story of 30 years of hard work.
However, in the heart of this seemingly ordinary middle-aged man, there is a dream that has been sealed for a long time. One day in 2017, Xun Zhenghua took his daughter's hand and walked into a university campus.
Looking at the students coming and going, a trace of envy and melancholy flashed in his eyes. 30 years ago, a sudden illness robbed him of the opportunity to take the college entrance examination, and also pushed his college dream into the unattainable distance.
Walking around the campus, Xun Zhenghua sighed inadvertently: "If I could go to college as I wished, would my life be different?" This soft exclamation was keenly captured by the daughter next to her.
The daughter looked at her father tenderly and asked softly, "Then let's try?" This simple sentence, like a seed, instantly took root in Xun Zhenghua's heart. He looked at his daughter in surprise, his eyes flashing with a long-lost glint: "Really? You can't talk nonsense about this with your mother! The daughter playfully covered her mouth and nodded silently.
In this way, in the tacit understanding of the father and daughter, a dream that had been sealed for 30 years set sail again. Xun Zhenghua recalled his life for 30 years, and has been engaged in the work of transporting cement, although it is hard but also stable.
However, whenever he sees the high-spirited appearance of college students, he always has a trace of regret in his heart. Stepping on the university campus this time, he once again felt the deep-seated longing - if he could start over, would his life be different? His daughter's encouragement gave Xun Zhenghua courage.
He knew that this decision meant a huge challenge and pressure. But at the moment, all he has in his heart is the desire for knowledge and the hope for the future. Xun Zhenghua secretly made up his mind to cherish this hard-won opportunity and regain his college dream.
From that moment on, Xun Zhenghua's life changed dramatically. During the day, he was still the same diligent mason, sweating and working; And at night, he turned into a tireless "college entrance examination candidate", studying hard until late at night accompanied by his daughter.
Such a double life is undoubtedly a huge challenge for a middle-aged person who is over half a hundred years old. Whenever exhaustion hits, Xun Zhenghua will admonish himself: "Bear with it, this process is the most important."
He knew that if he didn't stick to it, this dream would likely be washed away by the tide of time again, and it would forever become an untouchable fantasy. In order to improve learning efficiency, Xun Zhenghua came up with a unique method.
In between work, he would suddenly recite a string of English words, which made the surrounding workers feel inexplicable, and even wondered if he was "evil". However, Xun Zhenghua didn't care about the eyes of others, he knew that time no longer allowed him to hesitate and slack off.
As time passed, the workers gradually discovered Xun Zhenghua's secret. Everyone was stunned when they saw the white-haired big brother burying his head in the mock test papers for the college entrance examination during his lunch break.
One co-worker half-jokingly asked, "What?" Memorize English, do college entrance examination papers, and prepare for the college entrance examination? Xun Zhenghua nodded shyly, at this moment, his dream is no longer a one-man show, but has become a legend on the entire construction site.
Since then, the workers have taken the initiative to share the work for Xun Zhenghua, just so that he can have more time to study. This dream has unconsciously become a common expectation for everyone.
However, Xun's preparation for the exam was not all smooth sailing. In addition to dealing with the pressure of studying, he also has to face his wife's incomprehension. In the wife's opinion, as a father and husband, Xun Zhenghua should wholeheartedly work for the family to earn money to maintain this already very poor family.
However, Xun Zhenghua was desperate to prepare for the college entrance examination for his ideals, which made his wife feel that he was too willful and ignorant of the general situation. His wife's reproach invisibly made Xun Zhenghua feel pressured.
He understands that as the breadwinner of the family, he does have a responsibility to maintain the family. However, ideals are equally important, and they have supported him through this long life. This contradictory emotion was difficult for him to cope with for a while, but whenever he saw his daughter's encouraging eyes, all the tiredness and pressure would dissipate in an instant.
In this way, Xun Zhenghua struggled to balance work and study, and interpreted the spirit of "living to old age and learning to old age" with practical actions. His perseverance not only touched the workers around him, but also quietly affected the atmosphere of the entire construction site.
On June 7, 2018, the college entrance examination came as scheduled. When 51-year-old Xun Zhenghua stood at the door of the examination room, he encountered unexpected "obstacles". "I'm sorry, parents can't enter the exam room!" The security guard firmly blocked Xun Zhenghua's way.
In the face of this sudden questioning, Xun Zhenghua was not in a hurry, and said in a firm tone: "I am also a candidate who came to take the college entrance examination!" The security guard apparently didn't believe that the middle-aged man with gray temples in front of him could be a candidate, and even warned him to call the police if he didn't leave.
Xun Zhenghua did not flinch, but carefully took out the admission ticket from his pocket. When the security guard saw the admission ticket, he had an expression of disbelief on his face. After verification, Xun Zhenghua is indeed a legitimate candidate, and this is the second time he has taken the college entrance examination.
When he finally walked into the examination room and sat in the middle of a group of energetic young candidates, his heart was unusually calm. When the examination papers of the college entrance examination unfold in front of you, the anxiety and uneasiness of the past have long disappeared, replaced by familiarity and control of knowledge.
The invigilator walked up to Xun Zhenghua's side, and when he saw that this candidate who was over half a hundred years old was so focused, he couldn't help but smile appreciatively. The bell rang, and the curtain came down on the year and a half of hard work.
Xun Zhenghua walked out of the examination room like other students, but what was waiting for him outside was not his parents, but his daughter and the workers who were silently supporting him at the construction site.
Looking at the expectant eyes of his daughter and co-workers, Xun Zhenghua's heart was full of gratitude. He knew that without their understanding and support, he would never have gotten this far. However, as a husband to his wife and father of two daughters, he is also well aware of his responsibilities.
This responsibility comes from life, not from selfish desires. Although dreams are beautiful, reality is equally important, and he can't give up the really important people around him for a momentary selfish desire. While other candidates couldn't wait for the results, Xun Zhenghua was not in a hurry to know the results.
Because no matter what the outcome is, the reality of life has long been firmly tied to him. For Xun Zhenghua, no matter what the result is, the burden of life is still there, which is what he should pay most attention to at the moment.
After the college entrance examination, Xun Zhenghua did not rush to check the results. He knows that no matter what the outcome, the burden of life still hangs on his shoulders. As a husband and father of two daughters, he has more important responsibilities on his side.
This responsibility comes not only from the reality of life, but also from the love for one's family. Xun Zhenghua hid his wife's college entrance examination, but was eventually discovered. His wife didn't understand Xun Zhenghua's lack of business.
No matter how Xun Zhenghua explains, his wife's actions towards him are unforgivable. In his wife's opinion, Xun Zhenghua should work wholeheartedly for the family to make money in order to maintain this already very poor family.
Facing his wife's reproach, Xun Zhenghua had mixed feelings in his heart. He understands that his actions do put a certain amount of pressure on his family, but he also strongly believes in the importance of pursuing his dreams.
This ambivalence troubled him for a while. Just as Xun Zhenghua was about to return to the construction site, an unexpected news broke the peace. "Your two daughters secretly helped you fill in the volunteers, but I really can't resist them.
The wife sighed, her tone filled with both concern for the future and persistence in her husband. She handed Xun Zhenghua an envelope containing a heavy admission letter.
Although the wife still has concerns, she can't bear to say anything more when she sees the light in her husband's eyes. She knew what this dream meant to Xun Zhenghua. In this way, with the support of his family, Xun Zhenghua embarked on his road to college.
This unexpected turning point not only gave Xun Zhenghua's college dream a new lease of life, but also gave the whole family new expectations for the future. Although the road ahead is still full of challenges, Xun Zhenghua is determined to cherish this hard-won opportunity and prove that his choice is correct with practical actions.
When Xun Zhenghua really stepped into the university campus, he was like a dream. The quaint buildings, the young students coming and going, everything made him feel so out of reach.
It wasn't until his daughter excitedly pulled him into the dormitory that he finally believed that it was all true. For Xun Zhenghua, more than 20 years of mason career has made him accustomed to a rough and simple environment.
Therefore, when he was truly in such an exquisite and elegant place as the university, his heart swelled up not with joy but with a sense of unreality. However, when he actually sat in the classroom and listened to the teacher's explanation, all the unreal feelings dissipated in an instant.
Because the meaning of learning itself transcends the environment, the pursuit of knowledge is higher than the form of life. To Xun Zhenghua's surprise, the young classmates in the dormitory did not alienate him because of his age, on the contrary, they were full of respect and curiosity about this "uncle classmate".
Xun Zhenghua quickly integrated into university life, and his diligence and seriousness won the respect of his classmates. In class, Xun Zhenghua always sat in the first row, listened attentively and took notes carefully.
His enthusiasm for learning is contagious to everyone around him. Professors were often moved by his questions after class and marveled at his intellectual curiosity. During the three years of college, Xun Zhenghua was hungry for knowledge.
Not only does he have to keep up with the pace of his younger classmates, but he also has to overcome difficulties such as memory loss due to age. But he never thought of giving up, and every challenge made him more determined.
In the end, Xun Zhenghua graduated with the first overall score. When he stood on the podium and delivered his graduation speech, the audience applauded. His story has inspired countless people and proved that with determination, it's never too late to dream.
Xun Zhenghua's college career is not only the realization of personal dreams, but also a growth process of never giving up and constantly challenging himself. He interprets the spirit of "living to old age and learning to be old" with practical actions, and also sets an example for those who are eager to learn but fail to do so for various reasons.
Although Xun Zhenghua showed excellent ability and touching experience in the job search process, he failed in every interview. Although the company's human resources executives admired his spirit, they finally said euphemistically: "Our company has an age limit, I'm sorry......" In the face of the successive rejections, Xun Zhenghua did not feel particularly frustrated.
He had long anticipated that he might face such a dilemma. Enterprises have their own policies and age regulations, which Xun Zhenghua understood early on, so he was not surprised or sad when the refusals appeared one after another.
In the end, Xun Zhenghua chose to return to the construction site and continue his career as a mason. The moment he picked up the cement shovel again, his heart was unusually calm. Going around and around, Xun Zhenghua still returned to the original starting point.
Although my wife complained a little, she felt that after working hard for so many years, it was still such a result. But Xun Zhenghua smiled and said: "The meaning of life is never in the result. For Xun Zhenghua, the process of realizing his college dream is the most precious.
During those three years of university life, he rediscovered himself and experienced the power of knowledge. Even if he finally returned to the original point, he had no regrets. Xun Zhenghua's story, as he said: "There is no road in vain in life, every step counts."
He proved with his actions that it is never too late to pursue his dreams. Although the test of reality has not fundamentally changed his career, his spiritual world has been greatly enriched and sublimated.
This experience not only changed him, but also inspired everyone around him to see the power of persevering in his dreams.