Adoler

Firefighting Heroes Growing Up

Chapter 1
Heroes aren’t born

Danger can’t hold me back
Ding Lianghao has what it takes to be an excellent firefighter and a model figure among firefighter-rescue commanders nationwide? Does he have an exceptional talent? Or is he superhuman like Spider-Man?
In fact, neither. He was once an ordinary country boy. Even, a skinny kid who didn’t amount to anything in the eyes of his classmates.
“That kid from the Ding family” is how the elders in the village would refer to Ding Lianghao as a child. Compared with other children of his age in the village, Ding Lianghao was a simple boy, with little to distinguish him from his peers. However, he was naughty and happy, and his hometown was his paradise.
Ding Lianghao’s home is Chengtou Village in Jintan, Jiangsu Province. It is a small village situated next to Provincial Highway 241, with a far-reaching view of the undulating Mao Mountain. The Grand Canal, with its blue waves, passes around the village. Birds fly over the wide surface of the river, and wooden or iron-hulled boats carrying goods shuttle back and forth. Ding Lianghao’s father, Ding Jianping, was a good farmer. His mother, Xue Yulan, was a hard-working rural woman. For generations, their ancestors had been a family of farmers, living off the harvest of the land. In the early years of the countryside only crops, side production can not keep up, planting vegetables and raising chickens and ducks in very small quantities, can not sell much money. They had only attended elementary school in the countryside, and seldom traveled far, and were generous and honest.
In 1982, the Ding family got a new son.
This was Ding Lianghao, the baby of the family.
Ding Lianghao from croaking, to toddler, the old Ding two families on his extra attention. After all, there is only one child, although it is not as good as the only child in the city, not as good as the children of the rich people in the village, but the parents would rather scrimp and save, but also want to let their son to eat, wear warm, healthy and well. In Ding Lianghao’s childhood memories, life in his childhood was simple and plain. His parents were especially diligent, working at sunrise and resting at sunset. The family had three acres of land where they grew rice and rape. When the rapeseed flowers bloomed, they were a big yellow color, spreading from the front to the river, which was really beautiful. In the fall, when the rice is filled, the golden rice grains sway in the wind, pleasing to the eye.
Ding Lianghao is an introverted boy who doesn’t like to talk much and sees everything as new. When his parents went to the fields to turn over the land, he liked to follow them, holding a rake as a toy, squatting in the field to dig the soil. Nowadays, it’s not easy for city kids to find a place to play in the mud. Ding Lianghao grew up in the countryside and played freely in his own field. His parents never said a word to him when he was soaked in dirt and tanned from playing. As long as their son could stay in their sight, they felt safe and secure. Their thinking is very simple, the boy, which is not naughty, always let him have a place to play wild. Like the son, know that the family financial conditions are not generous, never compare with other families, do not ask for this and that with the parents, has been understanding enough.
Whenever the sun was hot, his father would grab the rake from Ding Lianghao’s hand and drive him home, saying, “It’s sunny out there, I’m going to peel off my skin, so go home and play by yourself.”
“No, I still want to play.”
“Behave, or you’ll get a spanking!”
Dad’s bullying was full of care.
When he came home for dinner, mom would stare at him as he washed his hands. “Look at this little black paw!” He washed his hands clean before he could grab the steamed buns.
When he was old enough to go to school, Ding Lianghao put on his backpack and excitedly walked into the classroom. His mom was worried that he would be bullied by his classmates because Ding Lianghao was a bit willful at home, ate casually, and his parents never forced him to, and he really wasn’t strong enough as a boy, and his strength was less than that of other children. Every time he goes to school, his mom can’t help but tell him more, “Be careful, don’t fight with others!”
If he gets into a fight, she is afraid that he will suffer and not be able to fight. Yes, a lot of boys his age are tall and strong, and he is such a small thin man, things can not carry, fighting can not beat, what can be done?
Later Ding Lianghao grew up a bit, the size also jumped out a big cut, but still weak. However, he was able to help his parents do some farm work. Chengtou village is located in the south of the Yangtze River, which has been a land of fish and rice since ancient times, rice planting, weeding, harvesting, fertilizing,……, there are agricultural work throughout the year. Ding Lianghao grew up to see his parents down to the ground, agricultural work also learned a seven or eight, but his parents only let him play miscellaneous, can not afford him to suffer.
Whenever the weather warms up in the spring, Ding Lianghao comes home from school and never plays on the road, but rushes home. Ding Lianghao understood that he had to follow his parents to prepare the rice for planting. Before sowing, he had to organize the field, turn over the soil and add water, and pick up the stones one by one. When planting rice seedlings, he had to bend down all the time, and he would get tired and have a sore back. But his parents felt sorry for their son and always told him to go back and read and do his homework.

Ding Lianghao strange: parents more tired, why do not they rest?
Ding smiled and said: “We are used to doing it, nothing!”
Ding Lianghao admired his father the most. In the field, Dad busy, what tired work dirty work can top up, and happy, never complained. Sometimes he did the wrong thing, dad face said a little, also passed. And mom’s character is quick, not only in the field work in the line, the housework is also done very well. But if Ding Lianghao did something out of the ordinary, she will not be the slightest bit accommodating, and will definitely put a ban on her son, not allowing him to have a little bit of trouble. However, boys are naturally naughty. Don’t look at Ding Lianghao looks obedient, never pile up, never cause trouble, but he is not obedient in his bones, he also has a stubborn side.
Less than 500 meters away from his home was the Grand Canal. In summer, green reeds stood like a barrier on the beach by the river. There were often people swimming in the river. When Ding Lianghao saw his swimming buddies, his eyes glazed over with envy. With the Grand Canal so close, all the young adults in the village know how to swim, and Old Ding is no exception. Everyone knew that Old Ding had good water skills.
“Dad, teach me how to swim.” Ding Lianghao pestered his father to learn from him.
Old Ding said: “Son, let’s talk about it later!” “You have to teach me, I’ll learn.” Ding Lianghao did not agree. Old Ding said: “There is a lot of work at home, how can I have time to teach you.” Seeing his son’s unhappy face, his father comforted him: “Let’s talk about it when you grow up.”
Ding Lianghao anxious: “Then I’ll learn by myself, I do not believe that I can not learn!”
While his father was subtle, his mother was direct. She changed her usual motherly appearance, just two words: not allowed. Son argued, she simply do not listen to, after all the words: “too dangerous to go into the water, no!”
“Okay.” Ding Lianghao reluctantly agreed.
Summer vacation, his parents still have to work on the farm, Ding Lianghao is free. He did his homework at home, the sun outside the window is hot, through a small forest, you can see the small pond next to his house with sparkling waves. His young friend Ding Daoping came to play with him. Ding Daoping is Ding Lianghao’s classmate, shorter than him, but the water is very good, but the swimming posture is not standard. When he heard that Ding Lianghao wanted to learn how to swim, he was willing to be a coach.
“Don’t let my parents know!”
“Good!”
Ding Lianghao busily pulled him to the edge of the small pond. The two of them stripped off their clothes in three tries and jumped into the sun-warmed water. Fortunately, the water is not deep, they used the dog paddle style, reach out and beat the feet flopping, tired to stand on their feet. The robin on the tree called loudly, Ding Lianghao in the water to play happy.
However, there is still a hint of nervousness in this open heart. He was sneaking into the water. In any case, to hide it from his parents, if they knew that his son had gone swimming, they would not be anxious to die!
Paper can’t wrap fire. One day, Ding Lianghao swim swim home in a hurry, hair wet, face also hung with water droplets, just happened to run into the mom home to cook. Mom knew at a glance that her son stole a swim, she went forward to catch him, scolded severely: “You are not promised, not to swim in the river?”
Ding Lianghao defense: “the heat, bubbles in the water!”
Mom said sternly, “That’s not good either!”
In fact, behind the parents’ firm attitude is their love for their son. In the village, there have been precedents of children falling into the water, and the family has only one child, they are too afraid of accidents.
Ding Lianghao, who has always been obedient, agreed on his lips. The parents thought they had gotten rid of their son’s thoughts and let their guard down. In fact, Ding Lianghao had his own ideas in mind. Once he made up his mind, he was not afraid of any difficulties and refused to give up halfway. He is a persistent child, not convinced, do not admit defeat, everything you want to do must be done, and to do well. He was determined to learn to swim, as long as his parents were not at home, he rushed to find Ding Daoping. Followed Ding Daoping this “little teacher”, Ding Lianghao learned to hold his breath in the small pond, and his water is getting better and better. Ding Lianghao had the courage to swim in the creek. He kept practicing holding his breath, changing his breath, paddling, stirring his feet, and swimming more and more decently. In the end, he was like a free fish, and finally he could swim as he liked.