Annihilation of the solar system

Lao Liu took a long drag on the cigarette, and the red light from the cigarette end reflected his vicissitudes of life. The tobacco burned violently and made a slight "hissing" sound. He exhaled the smoke, and the thick smoke shone in the dim light.

It was like a mist curling up in time and space that enveloped him. As the mist gradually dispersed, Lao Liu began his narration:

"I came to the city more than 20 years ago when Chengre was there. I learned a trade and worked in a factory. Break dancing was popular on the streets at that time, so I met Chaowen's mother there. Maybe she took a fancy to me.

Due to her hard work, or maybe she resented the marriage arrangement at home, she married me despite her parents' strong opposition.

Later we had Chaowen. In the beginning, life was fun. When Chaowen was three years old, he suddenly had a high fever and went to the hospital for examination. The results were that he had congenital heart disease, brain tumors and childhood leukemia. Oh my god.

It collapsed."

Zhou Cheng and Shen Manling sighed softly almost at the same time.

"We borrowed money from everywhere and used up all our savings. We performed the most important surgery on the brain tumor. The leukemia can only be controlled temporarily with drugs, waiting for bone marrow matching, and surgery for congenital heart disease cannot be performed until after the age of 7. We worked day and night.

I was doing several jobs without daring to think about the results.

It was an era of change at that time, and the lives of many people in the city were getting better and better. Chaowen’s mother and I had nothing to think about except working extra hard to save for medical expenses. Chaowen’s mother would borrow money from home from time to time, regardless of her parents’ bad attitude.

I have to pay for it, but I can see that every time she comes back, the dark clouds on her face will become heavier.

I know what she has gone through. Every time I want to comfort her, she just doesn't speak, lowers her head, weeps silently, and walks away silently. I know that it was my incompetence that allowed her to survive in the prime of life in that turbulent era.

Mao's age has led to such a hellish life."

Lao Liu's voice was choked with sobs, and Zhou Cheng and Shen Manling were also enveloped in a sad atmosphere.

“The good thing is that the child becomes sensible very early and can basically take care of himself by the time he is four years old. When we go out in the morning, we leave him enough food for the day, and we don’t have to worry about anything else.

He was also very cooperative when he returned to the hospital regularly for treatment. He always made sure that we didn't have to accompany him. There were nurses and aunties in the hospital who took good care of him and let us rest more. Every time we left the ward, we would cry so hard that we couldn't control ourselves for a long time.

It took nearly a year for the brain tumor to basically recover, but the leukemia began to worsen. The doctor asked us more than once to give up treatment and spend the last happy time with our child, and then start a new life.

Because even if a matching bone marrow is successfully transplanted, congenital heart disease may still be incurable, and complications may even occur when treating leukemia in children.

But every time I see Chaowen's skinny body and Chaowen who always tries hard to put a smile on his pale face, I will firmly tell myself that no matter how difficult it is, I can never give up on my child.

After waiting for more than a year, the matching bone marrow was finally found, but the cost of treatment was far beyond our ability to bear. The hospital leaders made great determination to reduce the surgery fee for us, and also exempted us from part of the postoperative recovery.

The hospital’s doctors, nurses and patients also generously contributed to the hospitalization expenses.

Even so, we are still short of a lot of money, and bone marrow waits for no one. If we can't raise the money, we will have to transplant it to the next patient in line. By then, we are in debt and can't borrow a penny."

In the dim light, a crystal teardrop slipped silently from Shen Manling's face.

"That night it was raining heavily, and Chaowen's mother and I knelt at the door of my father-in-law and mother-in-law. Finally, my mother-in-law opened the door with tears on her face and messy hair, and she pulled Chaowen's mother in.

I knelt alone in the rain and my tears mixed with the rainwater. The noisy sound of the heavy rain covered up my crying and prevented me from hearing what kind of quarrel was going on in the house. At that moment, I really wanted to hit the door and die. On the stone pillar in front of me, but I know that I am not even qualified to die, and I still carry the entire world of Chaowen on my shoulders.

I don’t know how long it took, but Chaowen’s mother came out with an umbrella. I hadn’t seen her dressed so beautifully for a long time. She asked me to go home and take care of the child. She had already thought of a solution for the surgery fee. At that time It was indeed very late, and Chaowen was home alone with a high fever, so I listened to her and went home to take care of Chaowen."

Lao Liu put out the cigarette that had burned to the filter in the ashtray, and Zhou Cheng handed another one over. He took the cigarette without lighting it.

"When I got up the next morning, Chaowen was already taking his own medicine. But Chaowen's mother didn't seem to come back all night. When I was worried, I saw a stack of food under the plate on the dining table. It seemed that the thick sum of money should be enough to cover the cost of the child's bone marrow transplant, but suddenly I felt nervous and felt something was wrong."

"Chaowen's mother never came back, right?" Shen Manling asked with a slightly trembling voice.

Old Liu nodded indifferently and sighed, his tone full of sadness:

"Yes, she didn't even leave a note, but I never blamed her. During the nearly two years since the child was sick, she used all her actions to show me her love for me and the child. I I can't bear to let her continue to struggle in this sea of ​​misery with no end in sight. I dare not continue to waste her years and let her live a miserable life with me that is not hers.

A few days later, I went to my parents-in-law’s house to inquire about the situation, but found that the building was already empty. A few years later, I heard from my father-in-law’s neighbors that they had also spent all their savings and even borrowed money from other people. .I have never resented my father-in-law and mother-in-law. They have done enough.

The first night I returned to the hospital, I got off work very late. When I arrived at the ward, Chaowen was still awake. His eyes were red. I gently touched his slightly hot head and asked him in a low voice if the treatment today was too heavy. It hurt. He shook his head slightly and said nothing, just sobbing quietly.

I leaned into his ear and whispered, "Then go to bed quickly. Dad came back late today. We have to do a lot of tests tomorrow and then we can cure the disease and go home." I was about to take my head away. Chaowen's childish voice said intermittently, "Mom...Mom...is it...no...is it back...is it...I am sick and make my mother angry..." ..',

At that moment, my mind went blank and my ears were buzzing. I didn't know how to answer the torture from this young but strong soul. I clearly remember that there was also a slight sobbing coming from the bed next to me.

I held back my tears and whispered to Chaowen, "No, why won't mom come back? Mom just went on a business trip to make money. She'll be back soon. Let's take a rest and get treatment, okay?" After I finished speaking, I waited. Before he could answer me, I quickly turned over and slept on the floor next to his hospital bed, because I was afraid that the tears that poured out would expose my lies."