Donkey or Zebra?

Old Li works as a zookeeper in an amusement park in Zibo, specifically, a "zebra" zookeeper.

Of course, Old Li knows very well that he is not raising zebras, but donkeys. Five gray-looking donkeys with long ears.

Before the amusement park opened, the boss confidently told him: "Don't worry, once they are colored, who can tell the difference?"

At that time, Old Li felt that this matter was uncertain. A donkey is a donkey, no matter how you paint it, it won't look like a zebra! Zebras are clearly black and white, with a noble temperament! What about donkeys? Donkeys are just donkeys.

On the opening day, sure enough, the tourists were talking about it.

"Why are these zebras so short?"

"Why are the ears of these zebras so long?"

"Why do these zebras bray like donkeys?"

But soon, the tourists accepted this "reality". Children rode on the backs of the "zebras", giggling. Parents held up their mobile phones and took pictures.

"Baby, look! Zebra!"

Old Li looked at the donkeys that were painted messily with paint, feeling uncomfortable. These donkeys were not born to be zebras.

At first, Old Li meticulously "made up" the donkeys. One black line, one white line, trying to restore the zebra's stripes. But after a few days, he gave up. The quality of the paint was too poor, and it would fade with a rain, and the five donkeys often turned into "painted faces". Moreover, the donkeys didn't cooperate! They would rub against the walls and trees, messing up the "zebra stripes" on their bodies.

Later, Old Li simply drew a few strokes casually, just for show. Anyway, the tourists were used to it, and some even thought it was "more real" and "more wild".

One day, a well-dressed old man came to the "zebra" area with his grandson wearing glasses. The old man pointed to a donkey grazing and asked his grandson: "What is this?"

The grandson pushed his glasses and looked carefully, and said, "Grandpa, this is... a zebra."

The old man nodded, giving Old Li a meaningful look.

Old Li smiled awkwardly, thinking: Children these days, really don't know anything.

At night, Old Li lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. He remembered the old man's look during the day, which always felt meaningful. He began to wonder if he had also become a donkey painted with color? Repeating the same work every day, telling the same lies, and gradually, he believed it himself.

The next day, Old Li came to the amusement park and found a group of people gathered at the entrance of the "zebra" area.

"What are these?" a shrill female tourist asked.

"These are donkeys." The amusement park owner stood in the center of the crowd, smiling and saying, "We have restored them to their original state. We have decided to respect the nature of the animals and no longer deceive tourists."

The tourists were in an uproar. Some expressed understanding, and some expressed disappointment.

Old Li walked to the donkey pen, looking at the five gray donkeys, feeling mixed emotions.

"Old Li," the boss patted Old Li on the shoulder, "You will be responsible for raising donkeys from now on. Donkeys are better, more down-to-earth."

Old Li nodded and silently walked to the sink, starting to wash the buckets stained with paint.

At this moment, he heard a familiar voice.

"Grandpa, look, it's a donkey!"

Old Li looked up and saw the old man and grandson from yesterday standing next to the donkey pen. The grandson pointed to a donkey and shouted excitedly.

The old man smiled and touched his grandson's head, and said, "Yes, it's a donkey. A genuine donkey."

Old Li looked at the grandfather and grandson, and suddenly felt something was wrong. He looked carefully at the donkey pointed at by the grandson, and on that donkey's body, there were still a few faint black paint marks.

Even more strangely, that donkey seemed to be winking at him.