"On the day my mom paid off the debts, we bought a roast duck, a fish, and even some pig head meat to improve our family's life. It was the first time we had such a luxurious meal on ordinary days and during the Chinese New Year. My mom believed that until we cleared the debts outside, we didn't deserve to enjoy delicious food at home. Only by paying off the debts could we qualify to enjoy life."

As He Gang spoke, all of us—myself, Chen Yuanshan, and Xu Yan—nodded in agreement, acknowledging He Gang's mother as a woman with a strong sense of morality, someone worth learning from.

"For several years, my mom worked as a laborer with my third uncle on construction sites to earn money. On the second night after clearing the debts, while my mom and third uncle were returning home from the city on a motorcycle, it suddenly went out of control and crashed into a stone pillar on the roadside. My mom was thrown off from the back seat, her head hit the ground first, and she died on the spot. My uncle was relatively unscathed, only breaking his right arm and right leg, leaving him disabled with a limp and unable to use his right hand.

Since my mom had the accident on my uncle's motorcycle, and he was driving without a license, the motorcycle had no license plates and no insurance. Therefore, compensation was out of the question.

The funeral arrangements for my mom were funded by the villagers.

At thirteen, I became an orphan.

At that time, none of our relatives were willing to take me in. I had to live on my own.

The people in our village pitied me, and whoever made something delicious would send a portion to our home. Families also gave me clothes and shoes that their children had outgrown. I grew up with the help of everyone around me.

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The village chief treated me well. He arranged special financial aid for me and explained my situation to the teachers and principal at the school. They also provided me with significant support.

By the time I reached ninth grade, I didn't want to continue studying. Although I excelled academically and could easily get into high school, I realized that attending high school would require a substantial amount of money for accommodation and meals.

The government's subsidy for me was not much, just a few hundred yuan. While the school could assist me, I didn't want to rely on them. I decided to drop out, work, and support myself.

At this point, He Gang paused, took a sip of beer, and continued.

Because my parents divorced early, and my father didn't care about me, I envied those children whose parents picked them up from school, bought them treats, and gave them gifts. I felt the heavens were unfair to me, not granting me responsible parents.

Now, hearing He Gang's story, I felt fortunate. At least, at that time, I had my grandpa looking after me, while he became an orphan with no one to care for him.

In the second half of ninth grade, I dropped out of school. Although I had excellent academic performance and could easily enter high school, I thought about the considerable expenses for food and accommodation.

The government's subsidy was limited, to only a few hundred yuan. Even though the school could help, I didn't want their assistance. I wanted to drop out, work, and support myself.

After dropping out, I became an apprentice at a car repair shop in our town. I earned eight hundred yuan a month, with lunch provided. I considered finding a job in a factory, where I could earn more—around one thousand seven to eight hundred yuan per month. However, due to my young age, factories were hesitant to hire child labor, so I could only work at the car repair shop.

By the autumn of the second year working there, the village chief approached me, suggesting that I join the army. The military not only provided food and accommodation but also supplied clothing. After serving for a long time, I could retire and receive a pension. This way, I could have a stable life. I hesitated at first, but eventually agreed."

The Gang's story revealed the hardships he faced as an orphan and the tough choices he had to make to survive.