Due to malnutrition since birth, Dayxiang Zhongxiaogui grew up thin and small. His poor eyesight, slow reactions, and unattractive appearance made it difficult for him to be adopted, leading to disdain from everyone, including caregivers at the orphanage. Being bullied by other children at the orphanage became routine for him.
Dayxiang Zhongxiaogui often entertained thoughts of suicide, but every time he attempted it, he was either discovered and stopped in time or rescued and sent to the hospital. After several failed attempts, signs of mental breakdown began to show.
Dayxiang aimlessly wandered through life, his presence leaving behind a foul odor wherever he went. Eventually, the orphanage, unable to tolerate him any longer, sent him to a local mental hospital, marking the second time he was abandoned at a young age—at just ten years old.
In the mental hospital, away from the verbal abuse of the orphanage caregivers and the constant bullying of other orphans, Dayxiang felt a rare sense of relief and ease. With reduced mental pressure, his condition gradually improved, and he actively participated in therapy. The hospital became his home, and he lived there for ten years.
During his time at the hospital, Dayxiang acquired some knowledge through therapy sessions and began to yearn for the outside world. With stable mental health and no suicidal thoughts, the hospital approved his discharge, allowing him to return to the outside world.
Now in his twenties, Dayxiang was still small and thin, wearing thick glasses and not particularly bright. Despite various jobs with community assistance, he struggled to keep employment, often causing accidents wherever he went.
One such incident at a construction site resulted in him breaking his leg, leaving him bedridden for over a month with a slight limp as a reminder. His coworkers showed no sympathy, and even the labor department couldn't help him recover his withheld wages.
Facing rejection and exploitation, Dayxiang turned to odd jobs and even resorted to begging to survive. A decade passed, leaving him exhausted from life's hardships. Remembering the mental hospital as his sanctuary, he decided to return, hoping to find employment there.
Unfortunately, the hospital had burned down in his absence, replaced by a high-end private clinic where he wasn't welcome. Homeless once again, Dayxiang continued scavenging for a living.
One day, a homeless relief organization found him and helped him secure housing and a job as a garbage collector. Through this job, he met a woman with a similarly tragic fate, and they found solace in each other. They married, and soon after, his wife gave birth to a son, bringing tears of joy to Dayxiang's eyes.
Dayxiang couldn't help but sigh with emotion. After more than thirty years of suffering, life finally took a turn for the better. It turned out that he could also have good luck. It turned out that he could also live a happy and fulfilling life! Dayxiang gently kissed his child's forehead, beginning to envision a future filled with even more happiness and joy.
This year, Dayxiang Zhongxiaogui is thirty-six years old.
After having a child, Dayxiang became even more cheerful. He worked harder, aiming to earn more money for his wife and child to provide them with a better life. He started working overtime tirelessly, not complaining but rather enjoying the extra work because it meant more money. With more income, he could afford better food for his family and send his son to a better school for a brighter future. Dayxiang Zhongxiaogui, while efficiently collecting garbage, continued to dream of a better future.
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Little did he know, the happiness he currently enjoyed marked the beginning of a new nightmare.
A year passed by happily. Today, Dayxiang Zhongxiaogui's son finally turned one year old. Dayxiang took the day off to return home early for his child's birthday. On his way home, he first picked up the birthday cake his wife had ordered for their son. Then, he stopped by a gift shop and chose a nice headband for his wife. Finally, humming the tune his wife used to sing to their son before bedtime, Dayxiang returned home with a slightly limping but cheerful gait.
However, upon eagerly opening the door, he was met with a scene he would never forget. The pot was simmering with their favorite potato curry, and his exhausted son was still asleep by the window. But his wife was lying unconscious on the floor.
Dayxiang dropped everything in his hands and rushed to check on his wife. No matter how he called out, she no longer responded with a smile. Dayxiang held his wife's body close, crying helplessly. He couldn't accept the sudden loss of his wife. How could their hard-earned happiness be shattered so mercilessly?
Ultimately, the hospital determined through an autopsy that Dayxiang's wife had died of sudden myocardial infarction while preparing dinner. Furthermore, due to the hereditary nature of her heart condition, their son was also at risk. To prevent a similar tragedy, the doctors advised Dayxiang to bring his son in for a comprehensive physical examination promptly.
Though still immersed in the immense pain of losing his wife, Dayxiang knew her death was irreversible. Just like when his parents died when he was young. Now, he had to pull himself together and muster the courage to continue living. He had to protect his child with all his might, ensuring both his and his son's well-being so that his wife could rest in peace. Thus, Dayxiang accepted the hospital's suggestion and, after handling his wife's funeral, took his son to the hospital for a comprehensive examination.
As the saying goes, misfortune never comes alone. The second blow struck Dayxiang Zhongxiaogui with the examination results. While his son didn't have any potential heart issues, he was unfortunately diagnosed with a congenital brain tumor.
Due to their poor economic situation, Dayxiang and his wife couldn't afford regular check-ups for their son after his birth. This meant they were unaware of his condition and missed the ideal time for treatment. Consequently, the tumor had been growing unchecked in his brain for a year after his birth.
According to the examination report, given the tumor's current rate of growth, it would only be a matter of one or two years before it deteriorated into a malignant tumor. The consequences at that point would be unimaginable. Considering the severity of the tumor, the doctors urged Dayxiang to start treatment for his son as soon as possible.
Upon hearing this news, Dayxiang Zhongxiaogui felt like a nuclear bomb had exploded in his head. Besides the deafening roar, he couldn't hear anything else. Just a few days after his wife's sudden death, Dayxiang suffered another heavy blow. All the hopes for a bright future shattered. He couldn't even bear to think about how he would carry on if anything happened to his son. Meanwhile, holding the diagnosis report and contemplating the enormous medical expenses required for his son's treatment, Dayxiang felt like he was falling into an abyss.
Why? Why did the fleeting happiness disappear so inexplicably? Why did the seemingly happy life bring such despair? Dayxiang couldn't believe the cruelty of it all, happening silently to him, just like when he lost his parents without a sound. Dayxiang Zhongxiaogui held his one-year-old son tightly, sitting paralyzed in a corner outside the hospital, silently shedding tears of helplessness and pain.
Since learning about his son's brain tumor, Dayxiang began to work even harder, hoping to earn more money. He scrimped and saved, sometimes even skipping meals to save money for his son's medical expenses. But how could the meager wages of a bottom-tier garbage collector suffice? So, Dayxiang resorted to secretly collecting bottles and cans from the garbage for extra income.
In the following months, Dayxiang struggled to cover his son's medical expenses with his salary and the additional income from selling recycled bottles and cans. However, his good fortune didn't last long. The garbage collection station soon discovered Dayxiang's unauthorized collection of recyclables from the garbage. Faced with his serious violation of rules, the garbage collection station didn't hesitate to take strict action against him.