Many people my age remember their young age, often lament how today’s young people are in the fortunate. Moreover, this lament is always very specific point to eat, wear point, point to the money, all in a very physical level, the so-called Yikusitian. I also experienced life as embarrassing, but do not care about the comparative level of those substances, but often think that’s a lack of spiritual life.

For example, I am on normal school in 1978, are not teaching the class. The teachers come up with the “Cultural Revolution” in front of the textbook, I valet the words written on a decent number of students with a good night, stay up late carved wax paper, mimeographed the binding out of the class has a copy, as the textbooks.

I was born in a remote mountain village, on the two classes share a single classroom, a teacher of primary school teaching duplex. Finished primary school soon, do not say that much depends on the children, but to the extra-curricular books and supplementary books, I have not even had a small dictionary or a dictionary. At that time, I learned how much like ah, I think all the world’s knowledge on deep in the sheets that the teacher rolled a corner of the middle of a thick dictionary. Primary school graduate soon, schools should organize to 15 km away brush up according to the school by Sizhen photos. The news back in a couple of months ago, the teacher told us. Then, we look forward to the day that was meant for us distant town. Although I have followed his father had been one or two, the only town that has passed a studio, but I fervently hope that with everyone else with. Sunday, I routinely go up the mountains, either to help shepherd his uncle, or a small partners about herbs in the mountains or firewood. Only need to do all these things enough on the hillside. But this day, it was suggested that we go on to the summit to see the brush by the Temple bar. So, we put a rope into the tree holes with machete, panting on the ground to the summit. Long day according to the sun, looked westward at 15 kilometers away, in the mountains Mountains gradually integrated into the middle of grassland, a large group of buildings there. These buildings are surrounded by a huge left bank of the river cross the street around. Cross the street intersection where a small figure, such as beetles crawling, these figure above, there is a red flag in the wind. We are not talking, we all seem to hear a crackling sound that flags the breeze. Some of us visited that town, some people have not been, but all the villages as familiar as our own familiar pattern of the town.

Soon after, dozens of children wearing new clothes, early in the morning by the teacher with the road. Nearly noon, our hands stiff dozen children look around the country will withstand the high altitude town came the strong sun in the eyes of the people indifferent and flat town on the streets. The first program is the camera. A few days ago, China Central Television to open the “People” section to do the show, I found out that picture. Those pictures young partner, told me the same, eyes opened wide, showing ill at ease, but also very curious about everything the way. After phase according to the street, went to that intersection as the center of town, just as everything came to this town and have never been to this town knows that’s the same: the street side of the post office, while the department store, one side is Xinhua Bookstore. Street Center, a tall concrete base with a flag on the flagpole, slowly in the breeze under a clear sky. Then the distance is a restaurant called the people of the cafeteria. Here we have a group of children sitting on the base of the flag, looked east, west afar you can see the town we have the bare midnight snow peaks. The sun shone on the head, we began to sweat. I stretch the hand in his pocket began to sweat. Wet hands sweat and my father gave me a dollar. Father to dinner with the money to the teacher camera, but also gave me a dollar. This is my far the largest discretionary sum of money. I know that a small partners each have a sweaty palm small denominations, such as my cousin hand clutching his heart fifty cents. Cousin to the department store, came out, holding a number of colorful color silk. I went to the other direction of Xinhua Bookstore. Bookstore at the foot of clean wood floor sent nice voice. Clean the glass counter are placed in hardcover book of Chairman Mao, as well as Marx, Lenin’s book. The walls are hung with portraits of their different sizes, as well as model operas stills. Of course, there is a thin cabinet thin in this one the of Lu Xun’s works, along with several novels were popular, this is the time where all of the Xinhua Bookstore. Unlike today, into the thousands of square meters of large bookstores in the supermarket into the same kind of feeling. I am a little timid to walk gently in front of the stage that a glass case, then, in a book filled with red counter stopped. I put that book about a lot of Chairman Mao’s quotations from the book recognized.

Book with quotations from books about the same size, same red, the same plastic cover. But the above is what a few words gravure crashed into the eyes: “a small dictionary of Chinese idioms.” I clutched the hand of one RMB yuan raised to his mouth issued a loud voice: “I want this book!”

I was the only bookstore and a partner, and a salesperson.

Salesperson came over and kindly smile: “You have to buy books it?”

I have a hand holding money, a finger of the TV drama idiom dictionary.

However, the salesperson shook his head, she said, I can not sell you this book. Buy the book to prove. That I come from what the school is doing. I said I come from a Chinese called Matang, the ancient Tibetan primary school called Carl, is that the school’s fifth grade students. She said that you have to prove to die. “This book is not sold to students, say you Matang is Barkam County, the brush by the temple belongs to the red of the original county you go to the bookstore to buy your county.” My voice will go small, I used this himself can not hear the little voice said something, then begged her, but she still stands firmly behind the counter shook his head. Then, I will be very sterile tears to flow down. I despair of heart, because I hate not dare to express their own ideas. Father was very tough, he has always wanted me to do a strong child, so I almost did not flow in front of such tears. But they want to stop my tears, damn the more joyous to the liquid rushes out. Salesperson looked at me in surprise, his face showing the expression of compassion.

She said: “Do you really like this book?”

“I saw from the teacher, I have dreamed of before.”

Now, the book in front of me, but between me, but separated by a transparent but hard and cold glass, see also reach more than a dream.

Salesperson’s face showing more compassion, the aunt and even so it becomes beautiful. She said: “That I want to test you.”

I see hope, then dried her tears. She said a simple phrase, for me to explain. I explained. She said one, I explained. Then, her hand beyond the counter, fell on my head, sighed deeply and said: “is not easy, a country boy.” And then they made an exception this little book was sold to me.

Since then, a long time, I read a novel like this, like reading the dictionary. Since then, I have first own collection; Since then, I have a good book for any curious and cherished feeling. Today, a new generation of young people see the face of increasingly rich food for thought, curiosity and knowledge are completely unrelated to the performance of place in my heart there is a real sense of regret. If in such excellent condition, the face of rich spiritual food, we have lost the curiosity and the treasure of the heart, abundant material life of society, I think it is still like living in the spirit of a deserted twenty years ago.

Ah, the writer, Tibetan. Born in 1959 in northwestern Sichuan, Tibet, only 20 families in the small cottage. Junior high school to return home farm, later admitted to Malcolm Normal School. Secondary school teacher, then as far the highest level of education. After graduating from secondary school teachers to do the last five years. 1982 poetry. After the mid-1980s, turning to the novel, and transferred to the Department of Cultural Affairs Aba belongs literary magazine “grass” when editing. Resigned in 1996, candidates to Chengdu, “science fiction world” magazine, and began from the general editor, became editor in 1998, the command now, now under the jurisdiction of “science fiction world,” “Flying” magazine a total of six. Mainly through the winter of 1994 to complete the novel “settled.” 1998 by People’s Literature Publishing House, 2000 Fifth Mao Dun removal “, the youngest of China’s Mao Dun Literature Prize winners over the years,” settled “is more popular because of the long-term decline has been the publishing industry is not known for the printing press. ”
(Ninh Binh from “reading”)