Zhang Siyuan sighed, his voice even lower: "Later, when Xingguo was born, I put all my hopes on him. I told his mother, no matter how hard or tiring it is, we must let Xingguo study so he can leave this village, not like us who have dealt with clumps of soil all our lives."
To support Zhang Xingguo's education, Zhang Siyuan went to work on the land before dawn every day, and at night, he moved bricks at the town's brick factory. His hands developed thick calluses, and his waist bent early.
His wife lived frugally, unwilling to buy even a new dress, saving all the money to buy books and stationery for their son.
"Xingguo worked hard too. From childhood to adulthood, he was always the top of his class. The year he took the college entrance exam, he was accepted to Xiajing University, becoming the first college student from our village!"
Talking about his son, Zhang Siyuan's eyes brightened slightly but soon dimmed again.
