The programmer and his woman

"Xiao Wang, are you still in City A?" That day, I suddenly received a call from my boss, and there was a bit of expectation and eagerness in his voice.

"Boss, I'm in City B now, but I've planned to return to City A." I replied, feeling a little confused as to why the boss suddenly became concerned about my whereabouts.

"Oh? That's great!" The boss' voice was filled with joy. "I have good news for you. My new company has been established. Would you like to come again?"

I was really surprised to hear this news. I had originally planned to find a new job after returning to City A, but I didn't expect that my boss had already paved the way for me. After thinking about it for a while, I realized that this was not only an opportunity, but also a trust in me, so I agreed without hesitation.

After returning to City A, I went straight to the new office address. This is a commercial and residential building. Although it looks ordinary, I can feel a different atmosphere after entering the company. There is no gorgeousness and publicity of the big companies in the past, but it is replaced by simplicity and practicality. This feeling makes me feel a little novel, but it also makes me full of expectations for the future.

After greeting my new colleagues, I went straight to my boss' office. After not seeing each other for a long time, my boss seemed particularly friendly when he saw me: "Xiao Wang, I'm glad you're back. As you can see, our company is not as good as before, and the funds are relatively limited. But we have enthusiasm and drive, and I believe we can create new glory."

"Boss, don't worry, I will do my best." I promised solemnly.

"Okay! By the way, Xiao Wang, are you familiar with the Android system?" the boss suddenly asked.

"Android?" I was slightly startled, then nodded. "I have been studying this system recently and have also taken on several related outsourcing projects. I am quite familiar with the development of this system."

The boss slapped his thigh with joy after hearing this and said, "Oh, great! I knew I would find you right. You will meet the new colleagues later. There are four people in this room, including you. You will know two of them. They are our former colleagues."

In this way, I successfully joined the new company and started a new journey. However, life is always full of uncertainties. After returning to City A, we faced the problem of renting a house. Due to financial constraints, we had to rent a basement as a temporary transition. Although the conditions were a bit difficult, we all believed that it was only temporary.

However, misfortune struck again. This time, it happened to Xiaoxia. When she woke up in the morning, Xiaoxia suddenly found that her entire face could not move. Seeing her like this, I was terrified. I never knew there was such a disease. We hurried to a nearby hospital, but the hospital told us that there was no effective treatment for this disease. They suggested that we go see a Chinese doctor and try acupuncture. In the end, they just gave us some medicine and sent us back.

The doctor's mention of traditional Chinese medicine reminded Xiaoxia of her sister, who was the only college student in the village and a graduate of a medical university, specializing in traditional Chinese medicine. Xiaoxia mentioned that she was going to her sister for acupuncture treatment, and although I was worried, I could only support her silently.

However, when Xiaoxia arrived at her sister's house, she found that the reality was much more cruel than she had imagined. Her sister, the woman who once carried the pride of the whole village, was now in a dilemma. She married a man from City D and thought she could live a stable life, but she found out after marriage that the man's family was poor and almost penniless. Xiaoxia's sister could almost be said to have been deceived by this marriage.

The winter in D City is extremely cold, and Xiaoxia's sister's family can only live in a simple thatched house. Whenever I imagine Xiaoxia receiving acupuncture treatment in such a harsh environment, with poor food and cold shelter, my heart aches as if being stabbed by a needle.

Every day I couldn't help asking Xiaoxia about her treatment. She told me that the acupuncture needles were very long and had to be inserted every day. The pain was unbearable and even her face was swollen. Hearing this, my heart was torn apart. I couldn't imagine how Xiaoxia and her sister persisted in such an environment.

I tried to find a way to help her, but I felt powerless. I kept searching the Internet for possible treatments and hospitals, but each time I searched in vain. Whenever I stopped, I would stare at the computer screen, as if I could find a glimmer of hope in that endless screen.

However, reality was cruel. My work efficiency began to decline, and my colleagues noticed my abnormality. They asked me what happened with concern, but I could not open my mouth. The grievances and pains accumulated in my heart came flooding in like a flood, and I had nowhere to escape.

Until that day, my boss walked into my office. He saw that something was wrong with me and asked me what happened. I could no longer control my emotions and tears flowed like a flood. I choked up and told him about Xiaoxia.

The boss was silent for a while, then patted my shoulder and said, "Xiao Wang, don't be too sad. I'll ask my friends for help to see if there is anyone who can treat this disease. You have to be strong and don't let these difficulties defeat you."

I looked at my boss with gratitude, his eyes were full of understanding and encouragement. At that moment, I felt that I was not alone. Although the road ahead was still long, I knew that as long as I persisted, I would always find hope.

During the long and lonely days since Xiaoxia left, my daily life was almost dominated by worry and endless expectations for her. Whenever the sunlight shone through the window onto my desk during the day, I would do my best to complete the work at hand, and then I couldn't wait to turn on the computer and start searching the Internet for various information and treatments about Xiaoxia's condition. I knew that the information on the Internet was complicated and it was difficult to distinguish the true from the false, but I still held on to a glimmer of hope, hoping to find the "folk remedy" that could save Xiaoxia.

When night falls, I go home and sit at the table, clumsily folding a thousand paper cranes. Every time I fold one, I silently make a wish for it, hoping that it will bring good luck to Xiaoxia and that she will recover soon. Although I know that this is just a psychological comfort, I still firmly believe that as long as I fold a thousand paper cranes, Xiaoxia will definitely recover.

I found all kinds of strange treatments on the Internet, some of which shocked me, and some left me speechless. One of them was a bloodletting treatment, which claimed that facial paralysis could be treated by releasing blood stasis in the body, but I knew that this method was dangerous and had no scientific basis, so I decisively gave up. Another method was to whip the affected area with the sole of a shoe, which I found even more ridiculous. However, among these ridiculous methods, I found information about a well-known hospital, which was said to have a special department to treat this disease. The moment I saw this news, I seemed to have found hope, and my heart was filled with excitement and anticipation.

I immediately contacted Xiaoxia and asked about her treatment there. When I learned that her condition had not improved, I asked her to buy a ticket and come back to this hospital for treatment without hesitation. When I saw Xiaoxia again, her haggard face made me feel heartbroken, and I couldn't help crying again. I took her hand and brought her to this hospital.

Here, we met many patients who came here because of our reputation. Their faces were full of anxiety and expectation, but their eyes also flashed with the desire for recovery. We met a patient whose facial nerves were damaged due to a car accident. He has recovered after treatment here. This gave us hope and strengthened our determination to choose this hospital.

The attending physician, a senior expert, carefully inquired about Xiaoxia's condition and patiently explained to us the pathogenesis and treatment of facial paralysis stroke. He made it clear that although facial paralysis stroke can recover naturally in most cases, some patients need to receive specialized treatment.

The doctor suggested that we first use medication to observe the progress of your wife's condition. If there is no improvement, we will do surgery. However, when the word "surgery" was mentioned, my inner defenses collapsed instantly and tears burst out again. Seeing my reaction, the doctor gently comforted me: "Young man, don't be nervous. Even if surgery is really needed, it is only a minor operation with extremely low risks. You have to be strong. As a husband, you are your wife's support and you can't cry easily."

I took a deep breath, calmed myself, and replied, "Doctor, she is my girlfriend."

After hearing this, the doctor's eyes flashed with surprise, and he said with emotion: "What a loving and loyal couple. You have paid so much for her health, she must feel it."

In the following conversation, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the attending doctor was actually my fellow villager, working in City A. This unexpected closeness made our conversation smoother, and my trust in him grew deeper.

The doctor continued to explain: "Facial paralysis stroke is actually a disease caused by compression of facial blood vessels. When the compression is relieved, the symptoms tend to naturally ease. Our hospital has rich clinical experience in this area. Just now you saw the patient whose facial nerves were damaged due to a car accident. We relieved the compression through surgery and he recovered quickly. So, you should try conservative treatment first. If the situation does not improve, we will consider surgery as soon as possible."

During the in-depth communication with the doctor, my inner anxiety and fear gradually dissipated, and were replaced by a firm belief in Xiaoxia's recovery.

In the following days, I seemed to be kidnapped by time, and fell into a mechanical back and forth every day. Xiaoxia's ward was located in a corner of the hospital. The room was small, but it was exceptionally quiet. In addition to Xiaoxia, there was also a kind old lady in the ward. The old lady would go home to rest at night, so when night fell, Xiaoxia was the only one left in the ward. These days, Xiaoxia would leave me with her at night, because the nurses did not often come to check at night. And I was worried about her, so I accompanied her in the hospital through these long nights.

During the days of accompanying Xiaoxia in the hospital, I had no time to go back to my residence. Now, I have folded more than 500 paper cranes, completing more than half of the task. Although I know that these paper cranes cannot cure Xiaoxia's disease, in my heart, there is an unshakable obsession - when I finish folding a thousand paper cranes, Xiaoxia will definitely recover.

Each paper crane carries my wishes and expectations for her. They are quietly placed on the ground, as if telling of my persistence and perseverance. But in my heart, they are symbols of hope. Whenever I look at these paper cranes, a surge of warmth and strength surges in my heart, making me more determined to stay by Xiaoxia's side until the day she recovers.

In this way, I spent a whole week in the hospital. Every day, I would stay by Xiaoxia's side, chatting with her, telling her stories, trying to make her forget the pain caused by the illness. The attending doctor would also come to check on Xiaoxia's condition regularly, but unfortunately, after this week, her condition still showed no signs of improvement.

When Xiaoxia's boss learned that she was ill, he contacted her and said he was willing to buy her medical insurance. The boss expressed deep regret for not buying her medical insurance and wanted to pay for her insurance right away. I went to see her boss with Xiaoxia's ID, and when he asked about her current situation, I felt my heart break down again. Thinking that this week's treatment had not brought any substantial progress, my tears burst out again, like a flood that could not be controlled.

When I returned to the hospital, the familiar and frightening white corridor seemed to have become heavier. The attending doctor had a serious expression on his face and told me that my girlfriend's treatment time had far exceeded our expectations. Long-term facial ischemia would cause irreversible damage to her facial nerves, and surgery was imminent.

I stood in front of the doctor's office window, looking at the gray sky outside, and an indescribable emotion surged in my heart. The doctor's words hit my heart like a heavy hammer. I knew it was for Xiaoxia's good, but thinking of the surgery she was about to face, I couldn't help but shed tears again. In the past few days, tears seemed to be my only companion, silently accompanying me through every difficult moment.

However, the doctor's next words made me even more heartbroken. He told me that since the operation needed to be performed on the head, Xiaoxia had to shave her hair. This was undoubtedly a huge blow to a girl who usually loves beauty so much. I didn't know how to talk to her and how to make her accept this cruel reality.

I walked back to the ward with heavy steps, opened the door, and saw Xiaoxia chatting with an old man. The old man claimed to be a painter. He smiled and told Xiaoxia that he used to have beautiful long hair, but he had to shave it off because he had to go for surgery today. There was a bit of humor and self-mockery in his words, which made Xiaoxia laugh.

I stood aside, looking at Xiaoxia's bright smile, and a warm feeling surged in my heart. But then, I thought of the news I was about to tell her, and my mood became heavy again. Xiaoxia seemed to notice my strangeness, she turned her head and looked at me, and asked: "What's wrong? What happened?"

I took a deep breath and decided not to hide it anymore. I told her about the surgery she was about to face. She was stunned for a moment, then touched her hair and asked, "Will I become like this too?" There was a hint of trembling and uncertainty in her voice.

I nodded. Xiaoxia was silent for a while, then looked up at me with a determined light in her eyes.

The old man also heard our conversation. He came over and comforted me, "Don't worry, kid. Hair can grow back if it's gone! Besides, I think you look good with a shaved head. Come to me after you've finished your haircut. I'll draw a portrait of you. Then you can see if you look better after you've finished your haircut."

Hearing the old man's words, Xiaoxia nodded. At that moment, I knew that Xiaoxia was ready and she would bravely face the upcoming surgery. And I would always be by her side, giving her strength and support.