beyond the horizon

For Luo Yunxi, Wardler's return is nothing short of a miracle, although he may never know in his life how this miracle happened because of him.

On the day of Wardler's return, Luo Yunxi prepared an extremely sumptuous dinner, as if he was about to spend half a month's living expenses all at once.He didn't know that the pomp of his meal could even rival the specifications of a prairie wedding.While he was busy, the neighbors quietly poked their heads out to watch—they had never heard of a lucky girl Mr. Luo had taken a fancy to, so how could they be so happy that something good was about to happen?

Hazabu helped Luo Yunxi from the sidelines, and blocked those curious eyes with his body calmly.

Luo Yunxi especially felt that it was not enough, so he was busy all the way to the neighbor's sheep pen, seriously thinking about which fat sheep to buy and bring home enough for the two children to satisfy their hunger.Only then did Hazab and Wodele rush out of the yurt, started work at the same time, and took their teacher Luo back home in a hurry.

At the dinner table, Luo Yunxi kept picking up food for Wardler, seeing that Hazabu didn't know whose vinegar to eat, he lowered his head to eat depressedly, and his mouth was sour after drinking the milk tea.

And Waodele bit his chopsticks, his dark eyes were turning back and forth between Luo Yunxi and Hazabu. At first he thought he had no time, and he only wanted a result for many things, so he didn't have time to think about it. Now he has a lot of time. Time to ponder over what is going on here.

It would be false to say no accident, but it is not true to say no acceptance.In Wardler's life, living people are always more important than rules.Hazab is the most important person to him.

Besides, Luo Yunxi has also become another important person now.

Wardler put down the bowl and chopsticks, cleared his throat solemnly, and said, "After I come back this time, I want to move out by myself."

Hazab hurriedly raised his head, his face was full of confusion and eagerness, "Brother, why are you doing this?"

Wardle rarely showed a hint of embarrassment. He looked at Luo Yunxi for help, hoping that at least Luo Yunxi would understand at this time - but Luo Yunxi was just looking back at him worriedly at the moment.

In such an atmosphere, Wardler bit the bullet and continued, "Aren't you two—if I'm at home, it would be... so inconvenient."

Although these words were vague, there was no reason why Luo Yunxi could not understand.His aura as a teacher disappeared completely at this moment, and he sat on the sidelines helplessly, with a light pink color spreading from his neck to his ears, and he wished he could get under the table.

"Oh, oh..." Hazabu thought about it for a while. Compared with Mr. Luo, who was fidgeting, his performance was much more calm, and he said to Waodele in a daze, "Brother, remember to move as soon as possible." ah."

The sun and the moon change, the mountains and rivers are eternal, and the rivers are diverted several times with the seasons, so it is another year.

In winter, Luo Yunxi went back to Beijing to deal with some necessary matters.He first went to the landlord to refund the rent, and then went back to the rental house to pack his luggage.Many things in the house were dusty. He picked and picked, and finally took away only a photo album and a few pieces of clothes.The first page of the photo album is a faded family portrait, showing him as a baby in the arms of his parents, the middle pages are the group photos of previous graduates, and the last part is blank.

But that's okay.Luo Yunxi knew that these gaps would be filled one day.

Before returning to Inner Mongolia, Luo Yunxi also went to school.When the students saw Mr. Luo, whom they hadn't seen for two years, their faces flushed with excitement, they surrounded him in the corridor, hugged and hugged him, and cried again when Luo Yunxi said sorry that he couldn't take them to graduate. He couldn't stop, making Luo Yunxi's heart sour with tears.

After bidding farewell to the last student, Luo Yunxi quietly wiped the corners of his eyes, thinking that at least he would not be ashamed in front of them.He walked through familiar corridors and finally stopped outside a class that was in session.He didn't want to knock, but just looked in through the window of the back door.

Zhao Xiaoqin is lecturing on the podium. She has had a good rest this year when she returned to Beijing. She is full of energy and spirits. She doesn't seem to be lecturing, but looks like she is performing on stage.Luo Yunxi lowered his head and laughed softly, his heart was completely relieved.At this moment, a student happened to leave through the back door, the door was opened, and Zhao Xiaoqin's voice came clearly.

"Who among you has been to the grassland, show me your hand? The scenery there is really good, but the conditions are not so difficult. If you give me another chance--" Zhao Xiaoqin paused for a while, and the students bought it very much , immediately guessing her decision, Zhao Xiaoqin smiled triumphantly, and then said, "I will definitely go, and maybe I will never go again after I go this time. No one who has lived in that place I don’t understand, it’s not another city, it’s not Suzhou, Hangzhou, Heilongjiang—it’s a completely different world there. A teacher who volunteered with me, yes, is your teacher Luo, that’s really a He is a very respectable and good teacher. He once told me that although the children there have never been out of the grasslands, they are not at all stupid than the students in the city, and even smarter than the students in the city. This sentence is in After teaching you, I am convinced."

The students booed loudly, clamoring for Zhao Xiaoqin to talk more about Inner Mongolia and what the other world is like.At this time, the students who had just left returned to the classroom and closed the door behind them.

And Luo Yunxi dragged the suitcase and walked slowly to the end of the corridor.

He was going back to another world now, to go home.

The news of Director Li's death came in the spring of the following year.

Director Li has no children, and Hazab and Wardler have been taking care of him in front of the hospital bed.In the last period, Director Li was already very weak. One day, he was in good spirits and offered to take Hazab and Wardler to see the red willow tree.The three stood in front of the endless red willow forest, silently staring at the life blooming on this barren land.

They understood what Director Li meant.Where red willows mainly grow, there is hope.This piece of land may be barren or backward, but it can always breed the most vigorous hope.

That night, Director Li left in his sleep.When Hazabu returned to the tent, Luo Yunxi was still waiting for him with the light on.Luo Yunxi didn't even need Hazabu to speak, as long as he saw those sad eyes, he knew what happened.Hazabu buried many tears in Luo Yunxi's neck, the river overflowed and the stars dimmed.

He is sad, but he no longer fears death.Because he knows that as long as the sun can still rise, hope will never fall on the grassland.

In April, Luo Yunxi accepted another batch of students.Wardler is responsible for cooking for the children, and Hazab can already be called a dedicated teaching assistant.Among his students, there was a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy with big eyes who was particularly clingy to him and studied his homework more seriously than others, which impressed Luo Yunxi deeply.

The boy's name is Wu Yun, and he is a native of the prairie.Sometimes when Luo Yunxi corrected homework, he would write a few words of encouragement in his notebook to repay the boy for his hard work.At this time, Hazabu would hug Luo Yunxi from behind, wrap him in his arms, rub his forehead against Luo Yunxi's shoulder, and protest aggrievedly that Teacher Luo was not so kind to me at that time.

Luo Yunxi smiled slightly, turned her head and kissed him.Hazabu's breath was moist and hot, but the tip of his nose was cold, touching Luo Yunxi's cheek like a furry animal.The grassland is indeed another world. Without restraint, all creatures are children of heaven and earth, and all hot emotions will be blessed by the stars.

Hazabu supported Mr. Luo on his shoulders and made him lie down.He greedily traced Luo Yunxi's every lost expression with his fingers, the mountains are gone, the sea is gone, and the stars are burning.Luo Yunxi wrapped his arms around his back, and gently stared at Hazabu's eyes through a layer of tears, making him never see other mountains and seas again.

Luo Yunxi got up very late the next day.It was almost noon, and as soon as he opened the door curtain, he heard arguing not far away.

Hazabu stood aside holding Baisang, the expression on his face was more amused than angry.And the one standing on the other side seemed to be a good student in the class, Wu Yun.

Compared with Hazab's complacency, Wu Yun seemed to be really jumping with anger.

Over the past year or so, Hazab has grown a little taller, and all the tenderness of his cheeks has faded away, turning into a sharp outline.He has completely grown into a tall and handsome man.And Wu Yun only reached Hazab's elbow, Luo Yunxi really couldn't figure out how the two of them would quarrel.

"Wu Yun, why are you here? There is no class today." Luo Yunxi straightened his open skirt, stepped forward and said.

Seeing Luo Yunxi coming, Wu Yun felt a little embarrassed.He glared angrily at Hazabu, then at Baisang behind Hazabu, and then said to Luo Yunxi, "Teacher, Hazabu said that Baisang is the fastest horse on the grassland, I disagree. "

Luo Yunxi's eyes widened, he looked at Hazab who didn't look like he was joking, and then at the serious dark cloud, and tried his best not to let himself laugh out loud in this little serious comparison.

Luo Yunxi walked up to Hazabu, raised his hand and patted him on the shoulder reassuringly, then asked Wu Yun with a smile, "Then what do you think is the fastest horse?"

"It must be my Qiqi, and I will win the No.1 Naadam Conference with Qiqi! Hazab, do you dare to accept my challenge?" Wu Yun proudly puffed out his small chest. Although his voice was immature, he said His words were like a little soldier on the grassland, as if he had already known the result of the game in advance.

Although Luo Yunxi is no stranger to the word "Nadam", he is not familiar with it either. He only knows that it is a grand meeting held on the grassland. People will sing and dance at the Nadam meeting, and compete on horseback and archery to celebrate the past year. However, he had never seen it with his own eyes, so he couldn't help being curious about what the grand event looked like.

He looked at Hazab, thinking that Hazab always knew Naadam better than himself, and Hazab cherished Baisang so much, so there was no reason to reject Wu Yun's gauntlet.

However, under Luo Yunxi's expectant eyes, Hazabu showed hesitation on his face.He pretended to be indifferent, and flicked Wu Yun's forehead, "When you grow up to be as tall as me, then come and declare war on me."

Wu Yun walked away in a huff, Hazabu's perfunctory attitude might be more than enough to coax a child, but definitely not enough to fool Luo Yunxi.Luo Yunxi was stroking Bai Sang's neck at the side, and Bai Sang lowered his head obediently, and he pretended to talk to Bai Sang, "What is the Naadam Conference like, have you ever seen it? I heard it was very lively and fun, and I also I haven't seen it——Bai Sang, good boy, do you want to go and see it?

After he finished speaking, he glanced at Hazab with a smile in his eyes.Hazabu couldn't understand why, he sighed, he put Teacher Luo on the tip of his heart, and when Teacher Luo stomped his feet, his heart was trembling, how could he not follow him.

But Hazab's hesitation is not entirely unreasonable.

He said frankly to Luo Yunxi, "I have never been to the Naadam Conference, it is a happy place, and I have never had the opportunity to go before."

He spoke so bluntly that Luo Yunxi's heart sank sourly upon hearing it.

"We're going, why not - you, and Wardler, are going. Don't Baisang and Xingguang run fast enough? I absolutely don't believe there are better horses on the prairie. You Well, will you get the first place?"

Luo Yunxi stood on tiptoe, holding Hazabu's cheek with both hands, making him look at her.The sun was shining brightly, and the green grass was scorched to produce a fresh fragrance. Luo Yunxi's eyes reflected a glint of sunlight, and Hazabu was dazzled by the glare, so he nodded in a daze.

On this day, Luo Yunxi was teaching the children.

The sky was clear and the teaching site was moved outside from the yurt.He sat cross-legged on the grass, the students formed a semicircle in front of him, and the lamb Yunduo obediently huddled into a snow-white ball, sleeping next to him.Luo Yunxi patted the lamb's head lightly, wondering if there was something wrong with the feeding method, his lamb grew more and more like a puppy.

Wu Yun sat on Luo Yunxi's left hand, blinking his big eyes and staring at him closely, for fear of missing any word he said.Luo Yunxi is teaching Chinese to the children. This is their favorite class, which is much more interesting than mathematics. Teacher Luo will talk about many things they have never heard of, sometimes about history, sometimes about poetry, Sometimes he jumps directly to all kinds of interesting things he encountered when he was in Beijing, and outlines the world outside the grassland in colorful ways.

"The outside of the grassland is so nice, why does the teacher still stay here?" Wu Yunshi asked Luo Yunxi curiously.So the children all quieted down, waiting for Luo Yunxi's answer.

Luo Yunxi smiled and rubbed Wu Yun's head, he spoke naturally, without even spending a few seconds thinking about it, as if he had already thought of the answer to this question a long time ago.

"A person's life, apart from blood relatives, will have many fetters. My fetters are in this land. Beijing is a good place, but it is not my hometown. When a person is alive, on which land grows a bright red A beating heart, which piece of land is home.”

This answer is a bit esoteric for the children, and even the top student Wu Yun frowned, trying to digest Teacher Luo's words.Luo Yunxi turned to pinch Wu Yun's face, "You don't need to understand what I'm talking about right now—life is so long, one day you will have your own insights, and then you may find that what Teacher Luo said is also true. Not all of them are right.”

The children understood this sentence, and retorted, "Everything Mr. Luo says is right!"

"Teacher, I've made up my mind. I'm going to leave the grassland in the future." Amidst the noise, Wu Yun tugged at the corner of Luo Yunxi's clothes and said solemnly.

"Ah, why?" Luo Yunxi hurriedly asked.

"I want to leave the grassland, go to Beijing, learn knowledge and science, and become a teacher like Teacher Luo." Wu Yun said every word, his Chinese was a bit blunt, but his expression was very serious, just like in Xu The next promise, "Then, I will go back to the grassland and do the same thing as Teacher Luo. I hope that when I grow up, I can become a good person like Teacher Luo."

Luo Yunxi even forgot to say anything.His heart beats powerfully in his chest, the rain beats the ground, the wind awakens the valleys, and the rivers in the grassland never stop, they rush to the sea, the sea water evaporates into clouds, and the rain falls back to the grassland, nourishing all things.Life and death reincarnate in this land, and there is always a new life rising vigorously from the end of the horizon. Changshengtian protects this land and passes it on from generation to generation, endlessly.

He nodded and couldn't help laughing.He never laughed so freely, so freely.The sound of horseshoes came from the same place, and the students stood up, looked around, and then began to exclaim.Luo Yunxi was surrounded and couldn't see who was coming, so he also stood up.

It's Hazab.But he could barely recognize it as Hazab.He was wearing a lake-blue Mongolian robe, and his slightly long hair was blown by the wind, passing softly past his ears.Even the stars and clear springs cannot match his eyes. The pure white horse is galloping in the wind, and he is waving a colorful whip in his hand, waving like a banner under the blue sky.

Like a handsome young man walking down from a painted mural in a temple, he rode his horse to Luo Yunxi, and circled around Luo Yunxi.The students were booing, Hazabu got off his horse and lightly landed opposite Luo Yunxi.Luo Yunxi stared at him intently, his expression became shy again in an instant, his long and dense eyelashes drooped, covering his wet eyes, he raised his finger and touched the tip of his nose uncomfortably.

"Does the new clothes look good?" He asked Luo Yunxi, cautiously, as if he didn't realize how handsome he was at the moment, and he had to get Luo Yunxi's approval before he could relax.

"Hmm..." This time it was Luo Yunxi who walked around him. He pretended to be embarrassed and thought about it. He looked at Hazabu from head to toe, and Hazabu stood up unconsciously. "Not bad." Finally, Luo Yunxi said.

"Only, is it not bad?" Hazab rarely stuttered.

Luo Yunxi did not speak, but smiled at him inscrutablely.Hazabu likes to see Luo Yunxi smile, the arc of his eyes is very gentle when he smiles, so Hazabu thought, "Not bad" is also a good compliment.

"What is this for? Whose wedding are you going to attend?" Luo Yunxi asked, he noticed that there was also a colorful scarf hanging in front of Bai Sang's forehead, and the colorful scarf fluttered in the wind, warm and lively.

"I want to participate in Naadam, I want to participate in horse racing." Hazab said.Luo Yunxi's eyes lit up.When the students heard the news, they burst into joy instantly. There was no one on the grassland who didn't like this lively festival.Wu Yun was also in the crowd, and he raised his fist towards Hazab far away, "It's a deal!" He shouted with his immature voice.

"It's a deal." Hazab nodded with a smile.

The night before Naadam started, Luo Yunxi couldn't sleep, and sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the Mongolian robe hanging on the wall in a daze.The blue is very beautiful, reminiscent of lakes, and the sky at dawn.There was a strange emotion flowing in his heart, as if it was not just a robe, but a symbol.

He got off the bed lightly, took off the robe, and put it on himself.The Mongolian robe was already loose, and because it was Hazab's size, he almost couldn't even hang it on his shoulders.In the faint candlelight, the lake-blue satin could barely cover his naked skin, and the lake was the color of snow.He was very quiet, his fingers were stroking the fabric, and his mind was empty.

He thought Hazab was already asleep, so when someone hugged him from behind, he was defenseless and screamed softly.Hazab bent over, with the bridge of his nose buried in his ears, in an intimate and dependent posture.

"Ms. Luo, what are you doing?" He said, obviously sleepy, and his voice was a little hoarse.

"Don't...call me teacher like that." Luo Yunxi blushed and answered irrelevantly.

Hazab laughed, and his laughter was low at the moment, like the bottomless night outside the tent.He seemed to wake up a little bit, and by the candlelight, he saw clearly that Luo Yunxi was wearing his own clothes, with one shoulder exposed, covered in a layer of honey color by the light.He devoutly went to kiss his shoulder.

His little teacher, wrapped in his robes, is stained with his smell.He still doesn't look like a person on the grassland, too slender and gentle, but Hazabu knows that Luo Yunxi is not only that, he is even tougher than all of them put together.

Hazab hugged him tightly.God, he sighed silently, may the Longevity God bless, bless the teacher from Han, bless his heart will always be bright red, his love will always be hot, and his soul will always be brave and free.

Just like this moment.

The five-day Naadam Conference officially kicked off, and the atmosphere on the grassland was unprecedentedly high.

Red scarves and colorful flags fluttered everywhere, covering the sky and the sun. People gathered together to sing and dance, and the whole land was filled with great joy.Hazab and Wardler stood side by side, talking and laughing together, Baisang and Xingguang were waiting on the starting line, with their front hooves stepping on the ground, and they couldn't wait to rush out of the starting line.Wu Yun and Qiqi are also on the side, Qiqi is still a pony, its body is pure white, but there is a yellow mark in the middle of its forehead, very similar to Baisang when he was a child.

Luo Yunxi stood in the innermost circle of the crowd, looking nervously at the racetrack on tiptoe.

The command gun was fired.

Hazabu got on his horse quickly, and Bai Sang rushed out with all his strength, like a shooting star across the vast land.His lake-blue robe flipped up and down, and the wind and snow hidden deep in the skirt finally turned into a lake in the gentle wind at this moment.

Luo Yunxi looked at his figure.Maybe only a second has passed, or maybe a lifetime has passed.

Cheers exploded in the crowd.

On the endless grassland, Hazab held up a colorful flag at the finish line, and smiled at Luo Yunxi from afar.

【Finish】