Qi Tongwei: Can I be young again?

This kind of cold is different from that in the north. In the words of modern netizens, the cold in the north is a physical attack, while the cold in the south is more like magic, which cannot be solved by simply wearing more clothes.

As Lu Xun once said, Jingzhou is good in every way, except that it is too hot in summer and even colder in winter.

At this moment, Zhong Xiaoai was standing at the entrance of Handong University, wearing a red scarf, gazing at the platform.

Upon seeing Qi Tongwei appear, he jogged over to greet him.

"Are you cold?" Qi Tongwei held her small hand, his gaze gentle.

"It's not cold at all." Zhong Xiaoai shook her head, her nose red, and said softly, "I'm sorry, I've been too busy lately and haven't had time to visit you. It's my fault."

"Silly girl, come on, I heard there's a McDonald's near Zhujiang Road Station. They say it's a foreign brand, I'll take you there to try it out."

"it is good."

In the 1990s, McDonald's was a rarity.

There are only two or three stores in the entire Jingzhou.

Of course, it's not that Qi Tongwei can't afford to eat there normally; he just feels that bringing Zhong Xiaoai along would be more cost-effective.

Outside Handong University is a boulevard lined with plane trees.

In summer, the sycamore leaves, some larger than a face, are lush and green, creating a unique landscape.

But it was winter, and all the leaves had fallen from the trees, leaving only bare branches standing in the cold wind, looking somewhat comical. (These trees all have stories, but those cannot be told in the book.)

Not long after I left, another whiff of formaldehyde wafted over.

Turning my head, I saw the children's hospital.

The location of Handong University is quite strange. Anyone who has been there knows that the south side of the university is next to the Children's Hospital, and if you continue east, there is a candy station.

As for why it's called Candy Station, that's a heartwarming story.

That's a bit of a tangent.

At the entrance of the children's hospital, a woman with a dirty face leaned timidly against the wall.

She was also holding a four- or five-year-old girl in her arms.

The child kept crying, and the woman kept trying to soothe him, big tears falling down her cheeks.

A gust of wind swept by, making the two appear even more frail.

To be honest, when he was studying at Handong University, Qi Tongwei didn't want to take the south-facing road.

There's no other reason than that every time I pass through here, I see the suffering of people, which is too torturous.

Hearing the child crying, Zhong Xiaoai stopped in her tracks.

Qi Tongwei understood what she meant, gently took her hand, and walked to the woman.

"Sister, what's wrong with this child?"

Upon hearing the voice, the woman looked up, her eyes reddening, and then said in broken Mandarin, "The child is sick, the baby is sick, I need money, lots of money."

"How much will it cost?" Zhong Xiaoai asked tentatively.

The woman took out her medical records.

Zhong Xiaoai took a closer look. The little girl's name was Ya Ya. She had developed an eye disease due to a bacterial infection, and the treatment would cost at least two thousand yuan.

Zhong Xiaoai was also startled when she saw the number.

In the 1990s, two thousand yuan could be a family's annual income, or even more, for a farmer in a remote mountainous area.

"Sis, it's cold here, let's find somewhere else to talk."

The woman wiped away her tears, nodded, and followed Zhong Xiaoai into the hospital.

There wasn't a single quiet place inside the children's hospital.

Pedestrians hurry by here.

Every face was etched with exhaustion, even despair.

Leaning against the corner of the wall, the woman explained her and her child's situation.

It turns out that the woman's home was in northern Shaanxi.

A while ago, for some reason, Ya Ya would cry all night long and often had a fever.

So the woman and her husband took Yaya to the town hospital.

At that time, medical conditions in the town of Shaanbei were very poor, and they couldn't find anything wrong with the child, so they could only refer him to the children's hospital.

Upon arrival at the children's hospital, the cause of the illness was quickly identified after examination.

Ya Ya's right eye has a severe bacterial infection. If it's not treated promptly, she might lose the eye, and it could even be life-threatening.

The treatment cost 2000 yuan.

Hearing that it would cost so much money, the woman's husband refused.

His idea was to stop treating her at the hospital, take her home, and try traditional remedies. If it worked, then Yaya would be lucky.

If it doesn't work out, it's Ya Ya's fate.

But the woman disagreed.

She must get treatment, no matter what.

The two ended up arguing, and the woman's husband, in a fit of anger, left on his own.

He said one last thing before he left.

"Yaya is a girl, she's not worth 2000 even if you sell her!"

These words stung Zhong Xiaoai's heart. Her family was different; they did not discriminate against girls, and girls were even more favored.

But this isn't the case everywhere.

In the 1990s, some places were frighteningly feudal; sons were treasures, and daughters were worthless.

After a couple gets married, they must have a son.

As a result, many other bizarre names have emerged, such as "Zhaodi," "Laidi," "Pandidi," "Changdi," "Qiudi," and "Duodi"...

Girls with these names all had unhappy childhoods. To their parents, they were more like a bonus on their quest for a son, and rarely received any love.

Ya Ya's father is that kind of person.

In his eyes, spending 2000 yuan to treat Yaya's eyes was less worthwhile than having another son.

No one can remain indifferent when faced with something like this.

Zhong Xiaoai turned and dialed the Red Cross headquarters.

It's unclear what she said to the other side, but about ten minutes later, Red Cross aid workers arrived and promised Zhong Xiaoai that Yaya's subsequent treatment would not cost a penny.

The woman wasn't stupid. After learning that her daughter could be spared treatment, she came to Zhong Xiaoai's side and knelt down with a thud.

Zhong Xiaoai was startled. After realizing what was happening, she quickly helped Yaya up and even forced 100 yuan into her hand.

And so, without doing anything else all day, she spent 100 yuan of her own money.

She looked a little aggrieved when she turned to look at Qi Tongwei.

In the cold wind, Qi Tongwei stood ramrod straight, pulling Zhong Xiaoai into his arms like he was cuddling a cat…

Chapter 890 The land is divided into North and South, but the country has no North or South

“Tongwei, do you know? In many places, it’s not Handong, let alone Jingzhou. Poverty isn’t just in living conditions, but also in people’s minds.”

"Still feeling indignant on Ya Ya's behalf?"

"That's it."

On the sycamore-lined avenue, Zhong Xiaoai walked slowly, arm in arm with Qi Tongwei, her thoughts drifting far away.

"Actually, during my three years of university, I would spend a month each year teaching in impoverished areas of Shaanxi and Gansu to experience life there. To be honest, it was really tough there. There were dirt slopes and yellow sand everywhere, and many people's thinking was still stuck in the old society."

"You're going to teach in a poor mountainous area?" Qi Tongwei stopped in his tracks, somewhat incredulous.

“I’m not lying to you!” Zhong Xiaoai continued, “I went every year from my freshman to junior year, and a lot of fun things happened during that time. Want to hear about them?”

"tell me the story."

"I remember, that was the first time I went to teach in a rural area. The mayor's mentally challenged son took a liking to me and said he wanted to marry me and make me his wife." Zhong Xiaoai laughed as she said this.

"and then?"

"Of course I disagreed, but the next day, the mayor cornered me at the school and made me marry his son right there and then have a grandson for him!"

"So crazy?"

"It was that crazy. I was completely stunned. The most important thing was that the local villagers seemed to be used to it. Some people were even eagerly waiting to eat wedding candy."

"And then what?" Qi Tongwei felt his mouth go dry.

"Finally!" Zhong Xiaoai raised her head, "Finally, my third uncle came, with hundreds of armed police officers, all armed!"

"Commander Zhong?"

"Yeah, if it weren't for my third uncle being in Shaanxi and Gansu, I probably would have really been that idiot's wife."