The Seventh Original Writing Competition
Primary School Group
Platinum Award

Written by Zhang Han-jin,
Affiliated Experimental Primary School of Bazhong Normal School, Sichuan Province
Date: October, 2019

Winter is an adorable baby and also a serious old man. In winter, the snow scene is like being piled up with cover of white jade. In winter, the weather is so cold that the ground is frozen. In winter, the trees and other plants are like jade and silver. In winter, the wind is roaring and the snowflakes are dancing..... Every time, when winter comes, we would warm ourselves by the fire and roast beef and mutton skewers. But we are not aware that some people couldn’t even find a place to sleep, let alone eat beef and mutton by the fire! There are many such people, such as the bearer brothers.
Bearer brothers are a group of people formed in the old Age due to lack of means of transport and the need of cargo carriage. And now they are active in the streets and alleyways of downtown area, carrying articles of various sizes for people in need of help.

At winter night, we only have to brush our teeth and wash our faces before going to bed. But what about the bearer brothers? Are they also like us? No, they are not. When it’s sunny day, they make do with the night on some bench. When it’s rainy, they can only sleep under the sunshade of some convenience store. After they wake up in the morning, they might get scolded by the store owner. That’s the difference between them and us.
Generally, it’s either rainy or cloudy in winter. Sunny days are rare. Whenever it’s sunny, we would play outside. But what about the bearer brothers? Do they also play outside? No, they have to fight for orders and deliver cargo so that they can earn a living for themselves and their families. Besides, when they are at work, they might get supercilious look and get loathed and insulted by the customers, especially those who wouldn’t let go a single detail. As long as the bearer brothers miss a detail, the customers may ask them to return the money. But how can they return the money? They have to feed the family and themselves. As a result, they can only complete the job perfectly bit by bit.

When winter arrives, our hands might have cocoons and chilblains. We would always complain that our hands hurt and ask our parents to buy expensive hand cream for us. But what about the bearer brothers? Do they also have hand cream? No, they don’t. The money they earn not only has to feed themselves, but also has to support their parents, wives, children and families in the home far away from them. And yet to our surprise, some people whimsically say that the hands of bearer brothers are invulnerable to coldness and frostbite. But how is that possible? They carry so many stuff every day. Even when it’s summer, they would also have cocoons. Besides, the injuries of our hands are far less than one tenth of theirs. They have not only cocoons but also many scars and bloodstains. However they never complain about the pain. Does it mean that they have exceptional abilities? No, they don’t. The reason is that they are strong and they are not afraid of hardship and tiredness.

It is cold in winter. We always complain that we don’t have enough clothes and our clothes are not that pretty. But how many good suits of clothes do the bearer brother have? They only have a couple of suits of clothes all the year round. They put on them when it’s cold and take them off when it’s hot. They don’t care about whether the clothes is nice or not. Even when other people give them supercilious look and loathe them, why are they still hardworking, uncomplaining and fearless of hardship? The reason is that they have light and hope in their heart.
Every time, on new year’s eve, we would have family reunion dinner happily and watch Spring Festival Gala in front of the TV. But what about the bearer brothers? It’s likely that some of them are still standing and waiting in the railway station. They haven’t arrived home yet. Some of them even don’t return home. A few bearer brothers stay together. They rent a basement and have just a nicer dinner while watching Spring Festival Gala. That’s all they have for the new year celebration. It’s not because they can’t afford the train ticket, but because they want to take up the heavy life burden of the whole family with their industriousness.
A new year begins. The bearer brothers, who walk across the winter will run through the streets and alleyways again in Bazhong city in the sun of spring.....

Expert comment 1
1.The writer depicts the hardworking figure of bearer brothers who carry articles in the streets and alleyways of Bazhong city, the writer’s hometown, regardless of wind or rain without complaint, just for bearing the life burden of their family. Especially when winter comes, the hands of the bearer brothers have cocoons and chilblains, but they never complain about the pain. Their hardworking image of no fear of hardship has been deeply rooted in the heart of the writer.
2.The article adopts contrast technique of expression. The language is simple and sincere. The story is true and well put to highlight the firm and persistent trait of the bearer brothers.

Expert comment 2
The article portrays a glimpse of the unique northwest scenery. The writer eulogizes the working people fighting with life in a sympathetic tone and with coherent pictures. It also profiles the overall appearance of life.