Rebooting 60, let's go on a rampage with the orange cat!

Compared to families with many children, Shi Huai'an was incredibly lucky! She could often eat fragrant eggs and delicious meat. What made her even happier was that she didn't have to wear her older siblings' hand-me-downs. Because she was the only child in the family, she was truly pampered like a little princess. She was incredibly happy every day, feeling like she was living in paradise, practically bubbling with happiness!

When Shi Huai'an stood among the pale-faced, thin children, her rosy cheeks, sturdy body, and chubby hands and arms stood out. She was like an adorable little Fuwa (a traditional Chinese mascot), making one want to hug her.

Occasionally, when Wang Xiuzhi was carrying Huai'an out on the street, she would unexpectedly run into He Shuyi. The two exchanged a glance, both feeling somewhat awkward, unsure how to begin...

He Shuyi broke the silence first, stroking Xiao Huai'an's black hair, a smile appearing on her face, and said softly to Wang Xiuzhi, "You've raised her so well, this child is truly blessed!" After saying that, she turned and left as if casually.

Watching He Shuyi's departing figure, Wang Xiuzhi felt a pang of panic. She began to struggle with whether to tell Huai'an the truth. But before she could make up her mind, He Shuyi was already far away.

Every time they met after that, He Shuyi would greet Wang Xiuzhi in the same way, and Xiuzhi would also exchange pleasantries about the weather. The two of them tacitly understood each other, and neither of them ever mentioned Huai'an's background.

Gradually, Wang Xiuzhi also adapted to this way of getting along.

However, as time went on, everyone became busier and more stressed, and they communicated less and less with each other.

The Wang Xiuzhi and He Shuyi families rarely met due to their respective family backgrounds. Thus, Huai'an's background became a secret buried deep in the years, never to be mentioned again.

The storms of external struggles did not affect Shi Renmei's small family, and little Huai'an was completely unaware of them. She grew up little by little under the careful care of her adoptive parents.

Shi Renmei and her husband had limited education and naturally didn't know anything about early education. However, they were no different from other ordinary parents. After finishing their work and housework, they would always take some free time to tell Huai'an those imaginative myths and legends or strange ghost stories.

During the day, when Shi Renmei was selling cigarettes at his stall, if he had a little free time, he would point to the Chinese characters on the cigarette packs and the details of the buildings, figures, and colors in the paintings, and explain them to Huai'an in detail.

In the evenings, Shi Renmei often needed to sort out the accounts, and at this time Shi Huai'an would curiously come over, his eyes fixed on his father's abacus beads that were constantly clicking.

After Shi Renmei finished calculating the accounts, he would patiently pull Huai'an aside and teach her how to use the abacus. Surprisingly, before long, Huai'an could not only perform some simple calculations with the abacus, but also recite abacus formulas and multiplication tables, which delighted her parents.

Moreover, she could recognize all the Chinese characters on cigarette packs. Whenever a customer came to buy cigarettes, she could quickly and accurately pick out the corresponding cigarette and quote the correct price as soon as she heard the brand name. This scene amazed everyone around her, who marveled at how naturally intelligent Xiao Huai'an was.

Just then, Wang Xiuzhi seized an opportunity when no one was paying attention, quietly pulled Shi Renmei aside, and said softly with an undisguised smile on her face, "Oh, Renmei, to be honest, I've never met a child as intelligent as our little one in my entire life! This little one is simply born clever, radiating intelligence in everything she does. Think about it, after all, her biological parents are both so wise and quick-witted, these excellent genes are passed down from generation to generation, so our child is naturally outstanding... In my opinion, this child will definitely excel in her studies in the future, and will surely make a name for herself!"

After hearing these words, Shi Renmei nodded repeatedly, her eyes filled with pride and satisfaction, a knowing smile spreading across her face. Indeed, what parent in the world wouldn't be happy and delighted to see their child so intelligent and precocious? This is undoubtedly one of the proudest and most gratifying things for parents.

In 28, with the implementation of the joint public-private ownership, Shi Renmei was fortunate enough to get a formal job at a non-staple food company, earning a monthly salary of 5 yuan, which made many people envious.

Because the cigarette stalls were merged, Wang Xiuzhi was assigned to work in the street's shoe factory. When there was work to be done, she would help sew shoe soles. The work was relatively easy, but the wages were low, only 8 yuan a month. In order to supplement her family's income, she also helped take care of other people's children, earning about 3 yuan a month. Of course, this was not very stable and sometimes she would not receive any work.

That year was an extremely cold winter, with the lowest temperature reaching -6.0 degrees Celsius.

The once bustling street had become desolate. The north wind howled, like a wild horse that had broken free, whipping debris through the air and stinging the faces of passersby like whips. The bare branches, covered in frost and snow, were adorned with silvery icicles, like silver bars hanging from the trees. Long icicles gleamed coldly in the pale sunlight beneath the eaves.

Winter temperatures plummeted, and the weather turned bitterly cold. Although the sky appeared azure and clear, and the sunlight remained bright and dazzling, it couldn't dispel the chill of winter. The nights were especially cold, requiring thick clothing and warm clothing to ward off the chill.

Winters in the south are especially damp and cold, and there's no central heating. During the day, people would burn a charcoal fire for warmth, but at night, with doors and windows tightly closed, they dared not burn the charcoal fire for fear of carbon monoxide poisoning and fire. At night, they could only put hot water bottles under their feet to sleep, and cover themselves with a heavy, thick cotton-padded coat, making it difficult to even turn over.

At dusk, the elderly members of the neighborhood committee would patrol the streets and alleys, banging on wooden clappers and shouting, "In the cold winter months, be careful with fire, keep water tanks full and stoves clean!" to remind people to take precautions against fire.

This tragedy truly happened. In the dead of winter, a spark from burning charcoal ignited a fire on clothing. Since most of the houses were wooden structures, the fire, coupled with the howling north wind, engulfed the entire street in flames. A few buckets of water were simply not enough to extinguish the fire; they could only watch helplessly as it burned to ashes, leaving behind only charred ruins. Those who escaped clung to the boxes and belongings they had managed to salvage, crying out in vain.

That winter, tragedy struck. Xiao Huai'an caught a cold from playing too much and fell seriously ill.

Huai'an initially had a slight cough, which gradually progressed to fever and runny nose. The medication did not help, and the condition eventually worsened to the point that he was bedridden.

An old traditional Chinese medicine doctor took the pulse, shook his head, and said, "Insufficient endowment, weak physique, occasional abdominal pain, excessive phlegm, slow cough, and poor appetite... This is childhood tuberculosis." In fact, it was pulmonary tuberculosis, but at that time it was a very difficult disease to treat.

Huai'an has been taking Chinese medicine for a month straight. The bitter taste makes her suffer every time she drinks it, and she vomits immediately after drinking it.

Xiuzhi also shed tears upon seeing this. Although she felt a pang of sorrow and reluctance, she still insisted on feeding Huai'an his medicine.

Xiao Huai'an knew her mother had a hard time and didn't want to upset her, so she always obediently said, "Mommy, don't cry, An'an will be good." Then, she put a piece of rock candy in her mouth, frowned tightly, and forced herself to swallow the medicine, as if she were a brave and fearless warrior facing a life-or-death battle.

Seeing how sensible Huai'an was, Xiuzhi felt even more heartbroken. She couldn't bear to see her daughter suffer like this, and tears streamed down her face.

She gently stroked Huai'an's head and comforted her tenderly, "An'an, be good. Once you get better, we won't have to take bitter medicine anymore."

Huai'an nodded, a hint of determination and courage flashing in her eyes. She believed that as long as she persisted in taking the medication, she could overcome the illness and regain her health. Although she had to endure the pain of taking medicine every day, she was willing to do her best for her mother's peace of mind.

But after a month of medication, Huai'an still didn't get better. The violent cough made his small chest rise and fall uncontrollably, like a small boat in a storm, teetering on the brink of capsizing. Sometimes the cough was so severe that he could hardly breathe; each inhale brought a violent cough, as if his trachea was being torn apart.

Sometimes, when his nose was blocked and he couldn't breathe, lying flat made it even harder for him to toss and turn and not sleep. So Xiuzhi would sit on the bed all night, holding Huai'an and letting him lie half-reclined in her arms until his breathing became easier. Both of them grew thinner and thinner, and Shi Renmei also suffered from insomnia and loss of appetite.

After stopping the medication for a while without improvement, they were taken to the pediatric department of the hospital, where Western medicine diagnosed them with severe pulmonary tuberculosis.

Shi Huai'an stayed in the hospital for another half month, but the injections and medications had no effect. His hands and feet were covered with bluish bruises from the needle marks, a heartbreaking sight. He still suffered from recurring high fevers and was on the verge of death.

The doctor quietly told Xiuzhi, "With current medical technology, there's no way to cure it. There's an extreme shortage of anti-tuberculosis drugs, making it very difficult to cure completely. You should take your child home to recover; there's no need to waste any more money."

This news was a devastating blow to Wang Xiuzhi and her husband, leaving Xiuzhi completely stunned. She couldn't believe that her lovely and intelligent An'an would leave her like this. She even seriously doubted whether she was truly cursed with having children, wondering why she couldn't keep any of her children one by one…

Good heavens, what kind of fate is this? Why is fate so cruel to her? She was completely unable to withstand the sharp arrows of fate and burst into tears.

Shi Renmei stood there, trembling, unable to believe what she had heard. It was as if she had been struck by a heavy hammer, her heart already shattered and unable to think.

His life seemed to have lost its purpose, leaving one feeling utterly hopeless and unable to pull oneself together.

Hospital beds are scarce, so this incurable disease can only be treated at home.

On their way home, the three of them were surrounded by swirling snowflakes. Long icicles hung from the branches and eaves, and the road was covered with a thick blanket of white snow. Adults and children chased each other and had a snowball fight, throwing snowballs at one another. Laughter and cheers echoed in the air.

All of this made them feel infinitely desolate and sorrowful. The vast white world seemed like a silent funeral, giving rise to immense grief.

Happiness belongs to others, while fate, like a sniper, has its sights set on them, relentlessly pursuing them and bringing them misfortune upon misfortune, making it impossible for them to escape their doom.

Shi Huai'an, who was almost four years old, did not understand his parents' grief. Instead, in Shi Renmei's arms, despite his own heavy breathing and coughing, he looked enviously at the children in the snow and said, "Daddy, Mommy, the nurse said I can't play in the snow, but the snow is so white and soft. I want to touch the snow, okay?"

Xiuzhi held back her tears and forced a smile, saying, "Okay." She scooped up a handful of snow from the low wall by the roadside and let Huai'an touch it. Huai'an laughed and said, "It's soft, just like snow."

Shi Renmei felt a pang of pain in his heart. He forced back his tears and pointed to a stall in front of him, asking, "Want some?" He really wanted to give his daughter the best of everything, but was it all too late? Was it all too late?

"Mmm." Huai'an smiled brightly, nodded vigorously, hugged her father's head and said, "Dad, you are the best dad in the world."

The three of them laughed, and Xiuzhi said reproachfully, "They say daughters love their fathers the most, and it seems to be true."

Huai'an gave Xiuzhi another kiss and said, "Mom is the best mom in the world..."

"Yes, he's really my good boy..." Xiuzhi dared not speak anymore, afraid that if she spoke, she would burst into tears. Her tears welled up and flowed to the corners of her mouth, tasting salty.

"Mom, why are you crying? Did I make you angry?" Huai'an asked, staring at Xiuzhi's face in confusion.

"No, it's just that snow got into my eyes, and it flowed out when the snow melted." Xiuzhi wiped away her tears and smiled, "Hurry up and buy it, the uncle will be closing up shop soon."

They went up to the stall and bought a ball for five cents.

The man was an older man, his nose red from the cold, but a happy smile on his face. He poured a spoonful of white sugar into the machine, which whirred and made a clicking sound. Soon, a large cloud-like mass of sugar floated up inside. The man used a long wooden skewer to twirl it around and pulled out a large, white mass, which he handed to Huai'an. It was quite magical.

"So sweet!" Huai Anxi's eyes sparkled. She licked it with her tongue and smiled brightly. Her parents' hearts were breaking. They tried hard to control their overwhelming sadness and went home with red eyes.

Night fell quietly, and moonlight streamed into the room through the window. Huai'an lay curled up in bed, coughing violently every now and then. Her face was as pale as paper, and her forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat. Each cough seemed to be trying to cough up her lungs, a heartbreaking sight.

Shi Renmei and Wang Xiuzhi sat quietly on the edge of the bed, their eyes fixed on Huai'an. Their eyes were filled with worry and helplessness. The two sat there blankly, neither of them speaking, and the whole room fell into a deathly silence.

Time passed slowly, and Huai'an's cough gradually subsided until he finally fell asleep, exhausted. However, Shi Renmei and Wang Xiuzhi's hearts remained heavy. They knew that Huai'an's condition had not improved, and the days ahead would be filled with hardship and suffering.

Life at this point was like a giant quagmire, trapping the family deep within. No matter how they struggled, they seemed unable to escape the shackles of their predicament. Each day was so long and unbearable, with no end in sight and no way out.

It was past ten o'clock at night when there was a gentle knock on the door. Amidst the sound of wind and snow outside, Shi Renmei was momentarily startled. Then, after a moment of silence, there was another knock, followed by He Shuyi's questioning voice: "Xiuzhi, are you home?"

Xiuzhi wiped away her tears and quickly went to open the door.