Left-behind women in Fuzhou

Chapter 13 Alian's Story (7)
We took a taxi and came to a unit building, but there was no signboard in front of the building.The girl led us into a house with only one bed covered with white sheets.She said that being hospitalized here saves money and is convenient.Several of us could live in this house.Then, she walked out.

We looked at this poorly furnished "ward" suspiciously. There were only three legs left on a table standing against the wall. There was an old poster on the wall. An obese woman stood next to an equally obese Little girls, they look similar, and at the bottom of the poster is a line of scarlet words - only one is good.

I went out and saw a vertical wooden cabinet in the opposite house, and the squares on it were piled up with various bottles filled with medicines.The girl was busy inside, looking at the label on the bottle for a while, and writing something on a piece of paper for a while.

I went back to the room, and the girl also came in. She held a handwritten case sheet and said with a smile, the medical fee for the first course of treatment was 8000 yuan, the lowest price in the city, so pay the money first.She smiled very sweetly, and her face bloomed with sincerity and charm like a flower.

Alian opened the handbag, and I blocked her and said, we are not here for the hospital anymore, you can't make people feel at ease here.I picked up Nana and walked out of the room.

The girl suddenly lowered her face, and said fiercely, what's wrong with us here, where can you find it at such a low price?
I didn't bother to say a word to her, so I went out, followed by Alian and Fang Ting.

We all have a sense of being cheated, anger and pain in our hearts.

Nana said in my arms, uncle, what's wrong with me?I'm in the hospital, how can I still go to school?

My tears almost flowed down, I quickly turned my head away and looked away.

Later, I went to that hospital for an unannounced visit and found out that the so-called professor was actually a veterinarian.Today, when livestock are getting scarcer, it is difficult for him to make ends meet, so he put on a white coat and transformed himself into a hematologist.And all the departments of that hospital were contracted out to individuals.Contractors are free to hire doctors and nurses from the society.Hospitals don't care whether the people they hire have medical skills or not, and they don't care if there is a medical accident. The hospital just charges a certain amount of money every month.

And that girl is the daughter of a veterinarian.The ward they took us to was rented by others.In that house, three mothers died of excessive blood loss.

I used to only know that there is a shady scene in the medical system. I didn't expect the shady scene to be so dark, so deep, and so painful.

We walked on the street blankly, not knowing where to go.

I thought of a reporter from the newspaper office running the medical system, and I called to inquire. The reporter said that it is best to go to Fuzhou General Hospital.That is the best hospital in Fuzhou.

Later, Nana was hospitalized in Fuzhou General Hospital.She never returned to school.

Alian and Nana spent the whole spring and summer of that year in the hospital.

All of Alian's savings was only 10 yuan. In the first month of Nana's hospitalization, all 10 yuan was sent to the hospital.Then, she entrusted others to sell the houses in Fuzhou and Fuqing. Because she was eager to sell, she sold them at very low prices.

In those days, money quickly turned into water like melting snow.Those expensive medicines to sustain life, with meager hope, were injected into Nana's body to fight against the terrifying death.Alian spends thousands of yuan every day.

Just like a disease like leukemia, it is difficult for a wealthy family to afford huge medical expenses, let alone an ordinary family.I remember a scene I saw in a hospital in Xi'an.When an old man from a mountainous area heard that it would cost 2 yuan to cure his disease, he took his son by the hand and walked out of the hospital silently. I asked him why he didn’t treat him. Better to let him die.The travel expenses for his visit to Xi'an this time were borrowed from others, and he could only pay them back after the autumn when the crops were sold.

I often go to the hospital to visit Nana. Nana, who has always been very lively, lies quietly on the hospital bed, like a doll.Her big eyes looked at the ceiling, and there was a sadness in her eyes that a child should not have.She never knew what disease she was suffering from, and maybe she wouldn't understand the seriousness of the disease even if she knew it.In those days, the most she said was, Mom, when can I go to school?
Once, when the doctor was performing a bone puncture operation on her, she looked at Alian who was crying beside the bed, and comforted her by saying, Mom, it doesn't hurt, and she will be fine soon.She has a strength that ordinary children don't have.Every time the doctor hung up the needle for her, she burst into tears in pain, but she never cried.

Alian said, God gave me such a good daughter, why should she take her away now?
Summer came, and due to constant chemotherapy, Nana's body became fatter and her hair fell out.She couldn't fit all her clothes.In order to save every penny, Alian didn't buy her any clothes, and just wrapped her in the hospital bed with a bath towel every day.I bought new clothes for Nana. Nana smiled happily after taking the clothes in her arms. She said, save such beautiful clothes for me to wear when I go to school.I don't need it right now in my hospital bed.We all shed tears.The child doesn't know, she may never enter the school gate again.

We hold a glimmer of hope every day, we work together, we use all our courage to fight against the disease, we imagine that a miracle will happen, we will thwart the disease, pull Nana back from the death line, and take Nana from the disease. return.

For several months in a row, Alian never took a step out of the ward, and she became haggard and bony.One night, she leaned on my shoulder and said, I'm going to lose it, I'm going to die.I'm so tired, so tired, exhausted both physically and mentally.I gently supported her back, comforted her, turned my head, and suddenly found that she had fallen asleep.

The doctor said that three courses of treatment are needed to treat this disease. However, after five months, the second course of treatment has not yet ended, and Alian has nothing left.Her savings, donations and loans from friends, and money from the sale of two houses were all sent to the hospital.Nana is still dying.

Nana was discharged from the hospital on a dusk in early autumn, and it was very windy that day.The weather forecast says that the biggest typhoon of the year is coming.Bright red notices are posted on the streets and alleys, which read precautions such as closing doors and windows and going home early.There are few pedestrians on the street, and the few pedestrians are also in a hurry.Leaves, confetti and plastic bags rampage on the empty street, and the wind blows on the face, causing a cold, hard pain.

A-Lian can no longer afford the expensive daily medical bills, she has nothing but the sick Nana.She was carrying a cloth satchel, which contained all her belongings.A few clothes, hers and Nana's, and Nana's textbooks.I hugged Nana, and she walked silently behind me.

Nana lay quietly in my arms, seemingly very tired. She looked at the unfamiliar street with soft eyes.Without money, Nana was forced to leave the hospital.The course of treatment is not over yet.

I took Alian and Nana back to my rented unit in Leek Lane. They used to live in affluence and luxury and were now homeless.I don't know if Nana's life can be continued, I don't know how to go in the future, I don't know how long this homeless life will last.

Many days later, I can still remember the typhoon that night.That night, the typhoon landed in Fuzhou.The sky and the earth are dark, only the howling wind roars from the streets, from the rooms of the buildings, and from the tops of the trees. It is like a crazy giant, punching and kicking anything that blocks it. , roaring endlessly.It kicked the billboards on the roof to the ground, tore off all the branches passing by, and kicked down the low houses.It stumbled and bumped against the towering buildings, screaming in pain, hugging the tall buildings and shaking them vigorously, trying to turn them into powder, but failing to achieve its goal, it became angry from shame and smashed the glass of every window.Then, still angry, it continued to roam the streets of Fuzhou, staggering, panting, viciously destroying everything that could be destroyed.

The wind had just died down, and the heavy rain followed.First, one by one, they fell from the sky rapidly, hitting the ground and the roof fiercely, making a sound like popping beans.Then, the raindrops were dense, like thousands of troops coming, like a flash flood rushing down, like a sky falling and an earth breaking.The jagged lightning split the dark sky, connected the tall buildings and the sky, illuminated the pale rain curtain outside the window, and illuminated the trees struggling in the wind and rain.After the lightning came thunder, the thunder exploded in the sky, and the buildings trembled in fear...

A-Lian and I sat in the room, looking at the earth-shattering wind and rain outside the window. The windows and doors were tightly closed. We tried to keep our fears out of the door. However, every sound of thunder made our hearts shrink into a ball.With the help of lightning, we saw that the tall banyan tree downstairs was crooked by the strong wind.We were worried that the thunder would wake Nana who was sleeping soundly, so we walked to the bed and saw that Nana's eyes were wide open. She hadn't fallen asleep.What is she thinking?
That night, in that house under the storm, we had no sleep.We didn't say a word, but with heavy hearts, we sat and waited for daylight.

After dawn, the streets were full of people, and there were trees that had been blown down by the strong wind, one after another, lying crookedly in the dim yellow stagnant water.Workers roll up their trousers and wade through the water with difficulty.It was still drizzling in the sky.

The typhoon raged for three days.Three days later, the clouds cleared and the fog cleared, and Fuzhou was already in a mess.

Three days later, Alian must move out, she said, she can't affect my life, she moved down to a private house in Cangshan.Cangshan is the poorest place in Fuzhou.The tall factory buildings are surrounded by low and simple houses, and many migrant girls live in those houses.

Cangshan is far away from the newspaper office where I work. During that time, I began to participate in some major planning of the newspaper office, and I often went out for interviews, and the number of times we met gradually decreased.

I heard the news of Alian's divorce from Fangting. The stubborn Alian would never show weakness in front of me, nor would she easily tell me her pain and sadness.

Fang Ting said that just one month after Alian and Nana moved to Cangshan, her husband Chen Linfeng came back from Japan to go through the divorce procedures.There was also a short Japanese woman who came back with him. That Japanese woman was in her 40s, with a thick layer of makeup on her face, which could hardly conceal her vulgarity and oldness.The woman was full of jewels and arrogance, and when she looked at people, she always tilted her head and squinted her eyes, looking angry.They walked up and down the streets arm in arm, chirping, quacking, chatting in Japanese as if there was no one else around, regardless of the sideways glances and contempt of the people around them.I heard that the woman is the daughter of the chairman of a consortium in Hokkaido, Japan, and she is more than 20 years older than Chen Linfeng.

Chen Linfeng proposed to divorce A-Lian in the private house that A-Lian rented.The Japanese woman stood outside in the sunlight, squinting at the old low house where A-Lian lived, with a mocking and disdainful look on her face.Chen Linfeng didn't sit down. In fact, there wasn't even a stool in that room. If he wanted to sit, he could only sit on the creaking bed.Chen Linfeng spoke to Alian in broken Chinese, with a few words of Japanese mixed in from time to time.He said that he has not spoken Chinese for a long time, and he has forgotten Chinese.

A-Lian's expression was calm, she had been looking at Chen Linfeng with that kind of empty eyes.No joy, no sorrow.She seemed to be listening to Chen Linfeng telling other people's stories, and she didn't seem to know Chen Linfeng.Chen Linfeng was extremely frightened, she didn't dare to meet Alian's eyes, he looked at the roof, covering up his inner panic with arrogance.Nana was sleeping on the bed, she was already skinny.

Chen Linfeng said, I don't want anything, I will give you the house deposit.

Alian said nothing.

Chen Linfeng said, the daughter belongs to you too.

Alian still didn't say a word.

Chen Linfeng smiled awkwardly and said, all you need to do is sign the divorce agreement.

Alian still didn't say a word.

Chen Linfeng took out a wad of money, put it on the bed, and said, I know you will have a hard life in the future, so I will leave the money to you.

A-Lian suddenly picked up the money and threw it in Chen Linfeng's face. She said, take the money and I will sign it.

A-Lian got divorced just like that, and the four-year marriage left A-Lian with only one sick and disabled child.Marriage is a gamble, and in this gamble, A-Lian lost everything she had.

In those days, due to the busy work, A-Lian and I communicated by phone.I rarely go to her rented home in Cangshan.Every time I go to see this pair of mother and daughter in distress, I cry secretly.Nana was getting thinner and thinner, her hair didn't grow back, and her skin was so pale that it was almost transparent.Every time I go, she pesters me and asks me to tell a story. She sits on a small stool in front of the door, her chin resting on her knees, and her eyes are shining brightly.However, she fell asleep within a few minutes of hearing it.I put her on the bed and quietly wiped away the tears.

Alian seldom spoke, her cheeks were sunken, her hair was dry, and her expression was dull. At 25, she looks as old and tired as she does at 52.

Every time I go, I will secretly lift the lid of the pot to see what the mother and daughter are eating. They don’t even have tofu except vegetables and potatoes.I secretly put all the money on my body under Nana's pillow and left.

In September of that year, I have been interviewing in northern Fujian.The 50 mu of mountain forest in northern Fujian was forcibly auctioned by the relevant department to an individual, and this individual was actually the leader of the local forestry department.Through interviews, I also learned that this so-called leader who was elected as a deputy to the National People's Congress forged his documents and diplomas to sneak into the civil service and obtained a prominent position by paying bribes.Behind him is an intricate chain of official interests.I interviewed hundreds of insiders and recorded tens of thousands of words of interview notes.Return to Fuzhou, write the manuscript, and prepare for publication.However, when I went back to Fuzhou, they had already followed me.They were driving a Mitsubishi off-road vehicle with 50 yuan in the car, and they put [-] yuan on the desk of the newspaper leader, please raise your hand.The leader of the newspaper took the money and put my manuscript in the trash can.

I feel humiliated like never before.I have imagined my feat of exposing the shady scene in the newspaper office many times and then slamming the door. However, for the sake of living, I can only make a compromise.I don't want to do interviews anymore, and I don't want to risk my life for those sensational manuscripts.I learned to muddle along.

One day, as usual, I was lying in bed thinking, when I suddenly received a call from the newspaper that a local woman had married a Taiwanese man in a fake marriage and wanted to go to Taiwan privately, but was arrested by the border police station.I don't want to interview, I have lost confidence in this newspaper, I am waiting for the opportunity to leave at any time.However, they said that this kind of manuscript is the most suitable only for me, because there is an emotional component in it.But I declined, so I had to go.

At the police station, I saw the policeman who cracked the case. He looked smug. He said that the man was from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and worked as an engineer in a foreign company in Fuzhou. He was over 50 years old and had a wife in Taiwan.And that woman is a native of Fuzhou, 25 years old.

I said, bring that woman in, let me meet, I want to interview, why do these young women like to go outside?
The sound of protracted and lengthy footsteps was heard outside the door, and the woman came in.I didn't expect that she was Alian.

Alian said that the Taiwanese man was the dark-skinned person who often visited her house.He is very nice and kind.She didn't want to marry him, he had a family and she didn't want to destroy his family.She just wanted him to take her to Taiwan.She has no diploma and cannot find a job in Fuzhou. She wants to work in Taiwan, where the salary is high.During Nana's illness, she borrowed a lot of money from others, and she went to Taiwan to work to earn money.

I asked, what about Nana?

Alian hesitated for a moment, and said, dead.Just last month.

Looking at Alian with a sad face, I couldn't say a word.

After Alian walked out, I quietly asked the police, how will Alian be punished?
The police said that he would be sentenced to at least half a year of forced labor, which is located in the mountains of northern Fujian.

After that, Alian went to northern Fujian.

Before I left Fuzhou, I went to all the labor camps in northern Fujian to look for her, and the police told me that there was no one named Lin Fenglian.

I haven't heard anything from her from her friends either.

I don't know if she still lives in this world.

(End of this chapter)