After the 2008 earthquake, Cheng Linxiang walked 25 kilometers carrying his son’s body on his back and resolutely took his son home. What do you think?

The aftershocks after a major earthquake have a great impact on mountain roads. Rockfalls from cliffs, landslides, floods in barrier lakes... Even mountain roads that were familiar before will be killed at every step.

But who would walk the Aftershock Mountain Road three times in three days? And each time it is 25 kilometers, and the return trip is 50 kilometers. During the Wenchuan earthquake, a thin father walked out of the high school campus and walked home carrying his son's body on his back. He had only one thought in his heart: never let his son be buried in the rubble.

The father who moved China is named Cheng Linxiang. He carried his son for 25 kilometers on his back, passing through the aftershock mountainous area and passing through ruins one after another. Time has passed and today, how is their family doing now after touching China? And all of this started on May 12, 2008. Shuimo Town, Wenchuan, sounds like a paradise at best, but it sounds like a small town in the mountains at ordinary times. Most of the mountain people live a simple and plain life, but at the construction site in Shuimo Town, Cheng Linxiang is sweating profusely and working hard for a better future with his wife Liu Zhizhen.

At around 2:30 in the afternoon, the ground suddenly shook. The first thought in Cheng Linxiang's mind was to go home quickly. Many dilapidated buildings collapsed during the earthquake. Cheng Linxiang saw this and was anxious in his heart. After returning home, he found that his house did not collapse and that the elderly and children were safe. Cheng Linxiang felt relieved.

Cheng Linxiang’s eldest son Cheng Lei studied in high school in Yingxiu Town, 25 kilometers away. Cheng Linxiang mistakenly believed that the earthquake in Yingxiu Town would be similar to that in Shuimo Town.

Since the teaching building in Shuimo Town has not collapsed, the teaching building in Yingxiu Town should also be in good condition. At least that is what Cheng Linxiang thinks. Even if he is hit by a brick, the boy will recover quickly and there will be no What a big deal.

Not long after, bad news came one after another, saying that the closer to Yingxiu Town, the more serious the damage caused by the earthquake. The mountain roads were like noodles and the mountains seemed to be torn apart.

Cheng Linxiang's heart that had just been relieved for a short time was once again in his throat. Because the signal was interrupted and he could not contact Yingxiu Town, he became more and more worried. On the second day, the sun had not yet risen. Cheng Linxiang and his wife got up early and went to Yingxiu to find their eldest son Cheng Lei.

On the way, the couple saw rescue teams rushing towards Yingxiu, which made them even more worried. The mountains torn apart by the earthquake seemed to weigh in their hearts. Just as the rumors said, the closer to Yingxiu, the more serious the damage caused by the earthquake. Cheng Linxiang ran faster and faster, hoping to outrun death and save his son's life.

After running for more than four hours, Cheng Linxiang was panting and ran to the high school where his eldest son attended, only to see a large area of ??ruins. It felt like the sky was collapsing and the earth was collapsing. What collapsed was my father's psychology and most of Yingxiu Town. The rescue team kept going back and forth, shouting loudly for the survivors under the floor; the teacher cried while rescuing people, calling the names of the students; the villagers were covered in dust and crawled around in the rubble, trying to save a few more people.

Cheng Linxiang shouted his son's name and asked if anyone had seen Cheng Lei. Someone soon gave an accurate answer, saying that they saw Cheng Lei studying in the classroom before the teaching building collapsed... This sentence was like a bolt from the blue, shattering the last trace of fantasy in Cheng Linxiang's heart. The couple turned around and ran towards the ruins. In order to dig out their son Cheng Lei, their fingers were scratched and the blood stained the remaining bricks and tiles red.

Clanging broken bricks hit Cheng Linxiang. Regardless of whether it was safe or not, he just wanted to dig out his son Cheng Lei. He kept digging until dark. Cheng Linxiang was covered in dust. Many people came to persuade him, but he still kept digging. It was very cold at night in the mountains and it rained heavily. Cheng Linxiang and his wife dug for a day without eating or drinking, feeling increasingly desperate.

They gave their clothes to the children in the tent. Their eyes scanned the familiar young faces, but their son Cheng Lei was nowhere to be found. In the early morning, as the sun rose, Cheng Linxiang's eyes were bloodshot. He thought that his son might have gone home, so he ran along the same road for more than four hours before returning home.

The second son said that his brother did not come back; the old mother said that the eldest grandson did not come back... At night, the couple coincidentally dreamed of their eldest son Cheng Lei, smiling at them in his dream. When he woke up, Cheng Linxiang took his wife and went to Yingxiu Town again, taking Cheng Lei's school uniform and a rope. Cheng Linxiang was already ready to carry his injured son Cheng Lei back from school. Arriving at the teaching building again, Cheng Linxiang dug through the ruins again. Behind a floor slab, he saw the bodies of three students, including his son Cheng Lei.

The couple wanted to lift the floor, but the rubble was pressing on it and they couldn't move at all. A cruel fact faced this couple, that is, it was difficult for them to get help, because the top priority was to save the living children...

In desperation, they could only help them little by little. The floorboard was shattered, and the clothes were soaked with tears and sweat. After knocking for more than thirty minutes, the couple finally made a hole and pulled out Cheng Lei's body.

It’s hard to imagine what kind of danger Cheng Lei encountered when the ground was shaking. Three classmates were lying in the narrow corridor...

Liu Zhizhen took out his new school uniform and gave it to his son Cheng Lei changed his clothes and shouted while changing his clothes, his voice was heartbreaking. After changing her clothes, Liu Zhizhen took out a blanket and covered Cheng Lei. Cheng Linxiang picked up his son and slowly carried Cheng Lei on his back. This is a very familiar thing for a father, because his son has been carried on his back through wind and rain, across field ridges, and through villages since he was a child...

But Today, it was Cheng Linxiang who carried Cheng Lei on his back for the last time and embarked on the road home step by step. From Yingxiu Town to Shuimo Town, it is a road that Cheng Linxiang is familiar with, and it is also the road that Cheng Lei grew up on, but now it has become the last journey for his eldest son... Cheng Linxiang is not tall, and is two centimeters shorter than his eldest son. Cheng Lei, who weighs more than 100 pounds, wants to take every next step well.

The dangers along this journey are self-evident. It is not an exaggeration to describe them as shaking the mountains and shaking the earth. Except for soldiers and rescue teams, most people can hide and stay in warm tents. inside. Cheng Linxiang carried his son on his back and walked with difficulty in front, while his wife dragged her son and followed behind.

Due to the fatigue of many days in a row, Cheng Linxiang was actually exhausted for a long time. He staggered when he walked. He had to lift his son up every seven or eight seconds of walking. As he walked, he said: "Yao'er, daddy has taken you home. Lie still and don't move."

Cheng Linxiang seemed to be able to feel his son's weak breathing, and seemed to be able to hear his son's weak breathing. The sound seemed to go back to the days when I carried my son over the mountains more than ten years ago. Rolling stones, big or small, hit the mountain road along the cliff; the mountain sometimes cracked, making loud noises; the broken mountain road was like a piece of cloth torn to pieces by a giant.

But none of these can stop a father from "going home". Cheng Linxiang has only one idea: he must not let his son be buried in the ruins. Although deep down, he always felt that his son was still alive, but Cheng Linxiang's thoughts were contradictory. He looked at the danger in front of him and thought that the child's spirit in heaven would protect his parents on earth.

Cheng Linxiang fell down many times. Every time, he apologized to his son first, and then continued on his way carrying his son on his back. As a couple, their minds were filled with the image of the eldest son. For example, Cheng Lei's grades were not good at first, but when he was in the second and third grade of junior high school, his grades improved by leaps and bounds, and he was admitted to a key high school.

Cheng Linxiang asked his son, why is he progressing so fast? Studying so hard? Cheng Lei said that he wanted to go to college and teach in a mountain village... Cheng Linxiang said that teaching as a teacher was very hard, and Liu Zhizhen also said that the living conditions of the teaching staff were poor. But Cheng Lei said that he was not afraid of hardship, and he not only said it in words, but also proved it with actual actions, and got the first place in the class! When people have dreams, their body and mind will be renewed from the inside out. It is obvious that Cheng Lei has a dream and wants to teach in a mountain village further away than Shuimo Town. However, the Wenchuan earthquake buried the dreams of too many people and shattered their bright futures, including Cheng Lei.

On the slippery and muddy mountain road, Cheng Lei lay on his father's shoulders, as if he hadn't gone far yet, and his dream of going to teach still seemed to radiate warmth. Because Cheng Lei has lost his life, we cannot know why he had such a dream and why he dedicated his future to a mountain village even more remote than Shuimo Town...

But one thing is for sure Yes, Cheng Lei wanted to dedicate his life to Shanliwa, but it was a pity that reality did not give him such an opportunity. At about 14 o'clock in the afternoon, Cheng Linxiang walked through a swamp. At least it was a swamp after the earthquake. Before, it was a beautiful mountain road. As soon as he stepped down, the thick muddy water was up to his knees. The large rockfalls weighed several tons, and the small rockfalls were as big as fists. When they hit the mud, they were like explosives, splashing out dozens of meters of mud.

The People's Liberation Army soldiers rushed towards Yingxiu Town with a large amount of heavy equipment, while Cheng Linxiang carried his son on his back and walked towards Shuimo Town. The Minjiang River around us makes a thumping sound from time to time. That's because big rocks hit the river. The water in the Minjiang River is very strange. It is obviously a hot season, but the river water is bone-chilling. It is said that no matter how good a swimmer is, he will drown within a few minutes.

A doctor mistakenly thought that Cheng Linxiang was carrying a wounded person on his back, so he went to ask. But Cheng Linxiang said: "No need...he is my son, he is dead..." The doctor was stunned for a few seconds, but Cheng Linxiang had already passed by and walked several steps away. The reporter was moved by this scene, so he took the photo below...

Someone asked Cheng Linxiang: "Where are you going?" The response he heard was: "Take your son home for the last night." Liu Zhizhen, who was next to her, saw two strong pieces of wood. She quickly walked over and wanted to wrap strips of cloth around them to make a stretcher.

Liu Zhizhen turned around and saw her husband talking to someone, so she became very irritable and urged Cheng Linxiang to come over to help and make a stretcher together. As more and more people come, the mountain road becomes noisier and more crowded. It was obvious that Cheng Linxiang and Liu Zhizhen were exhausted. They were swaying as they walked, as if they would fall at any time. But their eyes were as hard as steel. No matter how difficult the road under their feet was, they would insist on walking to the houses in Shuimo Town and to their home.

What followed closely was the photo taken by the reporter, which was circulated on the Internet and TV. Many people shed tears of grief after seeing this scene.

The mountains and rivers were broken, the family suffered, and the heart in Cheng Linxiang's chest seemed to be broken into many pieces like a mountain. When we reached the tunnel, the previously spectacular cave was now pitch black. It was as if someone had punched out and made a hole in the mountain. It was also like the ferocious intestines of a demon. The steel bars were exposed like tree roots.

The People's Liberation Army cleared the tunnel again and again and reminded the danger again and again. Cheng Linxiang and his son walked through this dark tunnel on foot without even a safety helmet.

I don’t know what the couple would think of in that darkness. Whenever they encountered a big rock, Cheng Linxiang would carry his son on his back and crawl over with difficulty; whenever they encountered a small gap, the couple would carefully carry their son through it. In places where the roads are extremely dangerous, soldiers from the People's Liberation Army are stationed to help passing villagers.

With the help of People's Liberation Army soldiers, Cheng Linxiang walked through the most dangerous section of the road, and then from the People's Liberation Army. The soldier picked up the mineral water and gave it to Cheng Linxiang, but Cheng Linxiang did not accept it. (I later recalled that I was worried about the added weight)

When I walked to the ferry, batches of victims were waiting for the People's Liberation Army ships to pick them up. The dark crowd was waiting for the hope of wearing camouflage uniforms. When everyone learned about Cheng Linxiang's situation, they took the initiative to make way for Cheng Linxiang to get on the boat first. Liu Zhizhen followed. She paid great attention to her son's clothes. Whenever something dirty fell on it, she would find a way to wipe it off.

Until sunset and dusk, the village in the distance was clearly visible. The couple took their son and entered the village at around 20 o'clock, accompanied by the barking of the dogs in the village. When the villagers learned about this, they quickly came over to carry the stretcher. When Cheng Linxiang and Liu Zhizhen handed the stretcher to the villagers, they were both paralyzed on the ground, too tired to have any strength. The shoulders were bloody, scratched out by the wooden thorns of the stretcher, but they didn't feel any pain, at least not when they were carrying their son.

Some people say that when you are overly sad, you will forget your tears. Perhaps this is the case for Cheng Linxiang and Liu Zhizhen. From the time they found their son to the time they returned to the village, they never cried. After many days, the mountain road to Shuimo Town was finally cleared by the People's Liberation Army, and it was barely large enough for cars.

So reporters from the TV station went to Shuimo Town one after another to interview Cheng Linxiang’s family. I don't know when the aftershocks will stop. The People's Liberation Army cleared the roads again and again, but aftershocks caused the roads to break or block again and again. When Cheng Linxiang and his wife met the reporter, they talked about their psychological changes these days, thinking about adopting earthquake orphans, and also thinking about having another child.

But after thinking about it, my heart is always empty and I don’t know how to fill it. A few days ago, while carrying a stretcher, my shoulder became purple and red, and the wound was shocking. In addition to the physical pain, the parents lost their white-haired son and gave him a black-haired son, and the mental pain was even more severe. There was a coffin at home, which was prepared for the elderly in the family. Cheng Linxiang did not want to use this coffin to bury Cheng Lei. Because of the earthquake, most of the coffins in the coffin shop were ordered away, so Cheng Linxiang only bought one coffin that was not very good. The reason why it was not good was because the wood had burnt marks.

As Cheng Lei was buried, the loess buried the coffin layer by layer, but it could not bury the inner pain of Cheng Linxiang and Liu Zhizhen. The tomb seems short, but it is like a big mountain, pressing on the heart of this family. With the post-disaster reconstruction, large numbers of People's Liberation Army and rescue teams poured into Wenchuan. As time goes by, that big earthquake has become an indelible pain in the memory.

In 2009, Cheng Linxiang’s old father had a car accident on that mountain road and fell off a cliff several hundred meters away. He passed away and cast a layer of sadness over the family. Cheng Linxiang said that his biggest wish is to repair the slippery mountain road from Shuimo Town to Yingxiu, because he always has nightmares about his father driving a small tractor and falling into a deep cliff.

Less than half a month later, the construction aid team from Guangdong arrived to visit Cheng Linxiang. Cheng Linxiang mentioned the matter of road construction, and the working group assured that they would build the road. So, the engineering team came to Shuimo Town and spent about six or seven months building a flat cement road.

In the past, Cheng Linxiang walked on a dirt road. Looking at the newly built cement road, he said that the nightmares about his father were getting fewer and fewer, and he felt more at ease. Cheng Linxiang talked about his hometown and his photos in the news media. He said: "The biggest change in our family from the reporting was the repair of the road."

By 2011, Cheng Linxiang had a new baby in his family, a baby. He and his wife’s third son was named “Cheng Tianle”. It means that I hope that the third son will add happiness to the family, and Tianhe is a homophonic word for Tianhe. Also because of the birth of their third son, Cheng Linxiang and his wife became very busy, so they had no time to think about the past sorrows and gradually came out of the pain.

By 2013, Cheng Linxiang rode his motorcycle down the mountain and took the previous mountain road to reach Yingxiu Town in less than half an hour. When Cheng Linxiang took out the photos from the Wenchuan earthquake again and saw the scene of him carrying his son on his back, his expression became a little solemn.

By 2021, Cheng Linxiang and his wife Liu Zhizhen will embrace a new life with a positive attitude. Forgetting pain is betrayal, but walking out of pain is bravery.

There are many human emotions, such as sadness, anger, pain... In addition to these negative ones, there are also optimism, happiness, joy... People cannot decide the things around them, but they can try to adjust their mood.

Although Cheng Linxiang has the pain of not letting go of the past, it is obvious that he does not want to live in the past, but faces the future. The scars of the Wenchuan earthquake are engraved in the hearts of this nation, especially those who experienced the earthquake. Now that Wenchuan has opened a new chapter, it is obvious that pain is suitable to stay in the past, and happiness is suitable to stay with you.