There are not many people in a lifetime who are not blood relatives, yet come to matter as deeply as family. One such person left in 2015, and now another has gone. The grief is hard to put into words.
Teacher Xiao’s passing came far too suddenly. No one had the chance to prepare for it—though perhaps no one ever really can.
He was never my formal classroom teacher in the usual sense. But from the time we first knew each other at Taoli Primary School, to the home tutoring sessions when I was moving up to middle school, and later to the period after my college entrance exams when I helped him teach students, a bond grew between us that was far deeper than that of an ordinary teacher and student.
He once said, half seriously and half with affection, that he understood me better than he understood his own two sons. I believed him. And in my heart, I had long seen something of a father in him.
Every time I returned home, I would make a trip to Xima Road to see him. At first I went alone. Later I brought my girlfriend, who would become my fiancée. After that, I brought my wife. Last Spring Festival, I had planned to take my child along as well, but the weather was too cold, so only my wife and I stopped by. We sat for barely more than ten minutes before leaving in a hurry.
I never imagined that brief visit would be the last.
When I first heard that he had passed away, I simply could not believe it. I had to call his phone myself. Only after hearing the confirmation directly from his younger brother did the truth finally land, and in that instant my heart grew unbearably heavy.
There are only four phone numbers I know by heart: my own, my wife’s, my father’s, and his.
He was well known across the surrounding towns and villages—a truly outstanding teacher, recognized by all who knew him. To me, he was the one who first opened the door of learning. More than that, he was one of the most important spiritual anchors in my life. Now that he is gone, there are so many things I can only say toward heaven.
Your student, Li Jing, bows in mourning.
Cherish every person you meet in this life.