Police officer Chen Shu

Chapter 724

While passing by a hospital, Chen Shu saw a woman of about thirty years old kneeling by the hospital gate, holding a three- or four-year-old child. In front of her was a large, colorful paper cloth with the words "Seeking money for medical treatment" written on it. The content was nothing more than an introduction to the child's serious illness and the family's poor conditions.

Two QR codes are printed in a prominent place, clearly indicating that they are for collecting money.

This phenomenon of people kneeling on the roadside, crying poverty and begging for medical expenses, has been going on for decades and continues unabated.

Compared to the organized crime of the past, after effective crackdowns by public security organs, there are now more self-reliant individual businesses.

Then, in terms of technology, it also keeps up with social trends and keeps pace with the times. In addition to the traditional practice of placing an empty bowl to collect cash, there is actually no cash to collect now. The symbolic meaning of this empty bowl is far greater than its practical meaning.

Of course, a QR code is also attached next to the empty bowl, making it convenient for passersby to use electronic mobile payment.

They even thoughtfully included QR codes for two different payment channels, just in case you don't have enough WeChat, then you can use Alipay.

Some of these people are genuine, and some are fake, but most of them are just taking advantage of their miserable situation to ask for money for nothing. Even if they get the money, they won't use it for medical treatment. They'll just eat and drink until they're done, then come back for another round and lie down.

Slightly drunk, Chen Shu sneered, "It's so late, aren't you going to call it a day and go home?"

The woman looked up, finally seeing someone stop after a long night. She pleaded as if grasping at a straw, "Brother, my child is very sick. I've spent all my money, but it still hasn't cured him. Please, give me some money."

Passersby hurried past, some avoiding his gaze, others walking by indifferently, ignoring him.

Even the internet celebrities with selfie sticks quickly walked around them, feeling that they were already used to this kind of money-making tactic, so outdated that they wouldn't even be worthy of being used as material for a few seconds in their live streams.

Chen Shu recalled the elderly couple he had met at the hospital entrance when he was in Dongzhou.

It was a scorching summer day when Chen Shu met the couple while taking the suspect to the hospital for a medical examination.

The man knelt down and kowtowed, while the woman lay beside him with her eyes tightly closed, wrapped in a thick blanket.

Chen Shu, who was receiving a monthly internship salary of 500 yuan, wiped the sweat from his forehead and generously handed over a red bill.

A few days later, Chen Shu caught a cold and went to another hospital near his home for treatment. There, he saw the couple again at the entrance. They were exactly the same people and did exactly the same things.

This time, however, the woman was kneeling and kowtowing, while the man lay beside her covered with a large cotton quilt.

Seeing this, Chen Shu felt that the hundred yuan he had given away earlier was really better spent on feeding the dog; at least it would wag its tail at him.

"Hey bro, can you give me some money for food? I haven't eaten all day. If you can't give me money, at least buy me some takeout! Please, I'll do anything you want!"

The woman holding her child pleaded for the kindness of passersby.

Chen Shu stood in front of her and said coldly, "Did you sell the house and the car?"

The woman was taken aback, not expecting the young man to ask such a question, but she still answered honestly:
"I don't have a car. My house is in my rural hometown, and I can't sell it for money."

Have you ever used apps like Douyin or Qingsongchou?

"Yes, some money came from relatives and friends."

Have you contacted any non-profit media outlets?

"I did call them, and they were very polite, saying that a reporter would contact me."

"Haven't you been in touch?"

"Um"

Where is the child's father?

"He's a food delivery driver."

"If you have an income, how come you can't even afford a meal?"

"I can't bear to part with it; I want to save more money for my child's medical treatment."

"Why don't you go out to work with us?" "There's no one to take care of the child. I also have to take her to the hospital for check-ups every day."

The woman paused, hesitant, perhaps because she had finally found someone to confide in. Blushing, she continued, "Besides, this is the best way for me to earn more money."

As soon as she spoke, the woman felt a little ashamed, fearing that the man would not believe her, so she took out a certificate from her bosom that should have been issued by the local village committee and handed it to Chen Shu.

The above roughly states the following:

"This is to inform you that Hou Yiqi and Xie Wuxiu, a couple from Group 20 of our village, had a daughter named Hou Xixi on [date missing], who is suffering from cancer. Due to the high cost of medical treatment, their family is too poor to afford the child's treatment."

"I am applying for assistance!"

In addition to the village committee's stamp, the document also bears the official seal of the township civil affairs office.

After reading the document, Chen Shu casually tossed it back to the woman.

"Brother, we had no choice. The hospital bills kept piling up, and eventually, if it weren't for Xixi being so young, we really wouldn't want to continue like this."

The woman's eyes were filled with helplessness as she held her child tightly in her arms. She carefully folded the thin piece of paper with one hand and put it into her inner pocket.

Her clothes were worn and tattered, and her face was etched with heartache and sadness. As she spoke, she would glance at the child from time to time, her eyes filled with tenderness and affection.

This gesture touched Chen Shu.

Chen Shu squatted down, patted his cheeks, trying to sober himself up a bit. He then reached out and teased the child a few times, but the child's eyes were tightly closed and he didn't react, sleeping soundly.

Chen Shu simply sat on the ground, glancing at the woman, then at the child in her arms, and then at the hurried pedestrians nearby.

This action startled the woman a bit. Originally, she had only stopped to see people, thinking that she should shamelessly beg for a meal so that she could at least squeeze out some breast milk for her child.

Unexpectedly, the man sat down right next to her without saying a word, but the way he glanced at her and her child was rather frightening, making her think that he was up to no good.

At this moment, she regretted it.

Smelling the alcohol on him, the woman cautiously advised, "Young man, it's windy and quite cold tonight. Why don't you go home first?"

Chen Shu laughed: "You're not cold, but isn't your child cold too?"

The woman gave a bitter smile: "It's alright, it's alright."

Chen Shu then asked, "Are you alright? How many days has your child been hungry?"

The woman quickly waved her hand, but her tone was weak: "It's alright, I can manage."

Chen Shu continued, "If you can handle it, is it really okay for your child to handle it too?"

After repeatedly bringing up the woman's painful past, she finally lowered her head and fell silent.

Seeing that the other party did not speak, Chen Shu got up and walked to a small stall in the distance, asked the owner to pack a bowl of noodles, and asked him not to add salt or any other seasonings.

The shop owner was somewhat surprised, because without salt, even a dog might not be able to swallow it.

Carrying the noodles back to the woman, Chen Shu handed them to her.

The woman nodded gratefully, then carefully placed the noodles aside, took off her only coat and wrapped it up, clearly intending to save it for her child.

Chen Shu pointed to the noodles and said, "Eat up, and I'll buy another serving for your child after you finish."

The woman was taken aback at first, then looked down at her still sleeping child, and finally reopened the plastic bag, wolfing down the noodles inside, even drinking the broth clean.

After finishing the soup, the woman wiped her mouth, clearly extremely satisfied.

Chen Shu was dumbfounded.

(End of this chapter)