Colorful years

I nodded and secretly vowed to study hard and live up to my father and mother's expectations.

From then on, I studied even harder. I got up before dawn every day, read at home on rainy days, and went up the mountain to chop firewood on sunny days.

After starting school, I always finished my daily memorization and homework during class and breaks. At night, I would read long novels lent to me by moonlight or kerosene lamp.

My grades have always been among the best, but I'm never arrogant or complacent. I know that only through continuous effort can I become stronger.

To keep warm, my father and mother burned everything they could in the house. Even my beloved cured meat was sliced ​​into thin pieces by my father and pasted onto the wall, becoming our only source of warmth.

When the night is quiet, I quietly walk to the wall and look at the dried slices of cured meat. Although they have lost their former color and aroma, they are still the most precious food in my heart.

I know that it was earned by my father and mother through their love and hard work, and it is the courage and strength that gave me the ability to persevere through hardship.

That winter, I studied even harder. I knew that only knowledge could change my destiny, and only hard work could help me overcome difficulties.

I tried my best to understand the meaning of each question and worked hard to fill in every gap in my knowledge. My grades improved more and more, and I could even rival the top students in the city's key schools.

However, I am not satisfied with this. I know the real challenges are yet to come. I want to create a better future with my own hands and give my parents a happy life.

So I worked even harder to repay my parents' love.

Besides chopping firewood and cutting grass before and after school, I would also participate in the production team's labor with my father during winter and summer vacations, or go out with my father to do side jobs in order to increase family income and improve family life.

My input and output may be insignificant, but they are a lifeline for my family. Whenever I see my parents smiling because of me, I feel incredibly happy and content.

In this process, I gradually came to understand the importance of hardship and love for a person's growth and struggle. Hardship makes us stronger and braver, teaching us to face the difficulties and setbacks in life; while love makes us more confident and optimistic, teaching us to cherish every bit of love and care around us.

Amidst both hardship and pampering, I gradually grew into a responsible and dependable young man. I know that I must not only strive for my own future, but also fight for the happiness of my parents. I will use my own hands to create a better life for us.

Finally, on a bright and sunny spring day, I reached a major turning point in my life. I successfully passed an important selection exam and gained admission to a prestigious middle school. This meant I would have the opportunity to pursue higher education and lay a more solid foundation for realizing my dreams and goals.

When I told my parents the news, they were so moved that tears welled up in their eyes. They hugged me tightly, repeating over and over, "My son, you are truly our pride!"

At that moment, I felt a deep sense of happiness and fulfillment. I knew it was all worthwhile. I had earned this honor and opportunity through my own hard work and sweat, and I had also brought joy and smiles to my parents' faces.

However, those beautiful ideals are always as rich and alluring as a colorful and intoxicating painting, but cruel reality is like a merciless blade, tearing this seemingly perfect picture into pieces, making it appear extremely bony and cold.

Once, I entered that prestigious key high school, filled with boundless longing and yearning for the halls of knowledge. I thought it would be the place where my dreams would take flight, where I could freely roam the ocean of knowledge and pursue my own glory and brilliance.

However, after only a month, I had to leave that hopeful campus with a heavy heart and return to my familiar and dear alma mater in my hometown to continue my unfinished studies.

The reason is that although the learning environment and conditions are several times better after entering a key middle school, it also brings enormous financial pressure. Students are required to board on campus, and in addition to paying 36 jin of rice to the canteen each month, they also have to pay an extra two yuan for room and board.

For families with limited food reserves, delivering such a large amount of rice each month is already extremely difficult. Adding the extra two yuan makes it even worse, creating an incredibly heavy burden.

However, if one chooses to stay at their alma mater in the countryside to continue their studies, then the problem of food and lodging can be easily solved.

After all, living at home eliminates the need for additional food and lodging expenses. So, after careful consideration, I finally made the decisive decision to return to my hometown and reunite with my family.

As for whether he can successfully get into his ideal university, it seems that at this moment he can only leave it to fate.

However, a firm voice resounded deep within my heart: "No! Even if I study in the relatively difficult countryside, I still firmly believe that I will be able to get into university!"