Chapter 176: Poverty's Affliction
Liu Guomin was full of sorrow.
Their life was hard, Liu Guomin had many health issues and couldn't do work at construction sites, and no other place would hire him, so he basically just farmed at home. With two kids in school, they really didn't have much savings.
The money they have now is mostly borrowed.
But he couldn't not save his child.
"Dad, don't worry. We have the money for these days' chemotherapy. If things go well, Dan's illness can be controlled soon."
Liu Xin said, "I'll go pay the fees first."
After saying this, he went to pay the fees.
After returning, Liu Xin gave the receipt and other things to Liu Guomin.
"Dad, mom, you stay with my little sister at the hospital. I'll go to school."
After saying a few words to his family and spending some time with his sister, Liu Xin left the hospital.
But he didn't go to school as he said, instead, he went to a construction site.
Leukemia is very costly, his family has already borrowed a lot of money, his parents can't earn much, and in such circumstances, he couldn't just stay in school peacefully.
Counting on the money earned from doing part-time work on Saturdays and Sundays was of no use at all.
He had tried several places before but was rejected.
"We don't need someone with just a high school diploma here."
"Your appearance doesn't meet our company's requirements."
Rejected for various reasons.
Liu Xin was only a freshman. He only had a high school diploma and was small and skinny.
The jobs he applied for were all high-paying ones, and naturally, those had high requirements for employees.
He didn't look at jobs with too low a salary; those wouldn't be of much use to him.
After some time of searching, Liu Xin eventually chose the construction site.
"Liu, you're here."
Seeing Liu Xin arrive, some people smiled and said.
Liu Xin was small and skinny, but his strength was not small. After all, he often did farm work at home, so he couldn't be that frail.
The construction site was very tiring and hard, but there was one advantage: the pay was relatively high.
Having worked here for several days, Liu Xin glanced at a part of a building under construction and quickly withdrew his gaze.
A plan was forming in his mind. Now, his sister was undergoing treatment, and whether to carry out this plan depended on the results of her treatment.
...
Time swiftly passed, and Liu Xin's sister smoothly underwent chemotherapy.
But the expected result did not appear; after chemotherapy, his sister developed severe bone marrow suppression.
"Xin, what do we do now?" Liu Guomin and his wife anxiously asked, looking at their son.
Liu Xin's parents were not very educated; they were honest people who had worked with farmland all their lives. When confronted with such a situation, they were utterly at a loss, treating Liu Xin as the backbone of the family.
They had borrowed almost all they could from others, and when they called relatives, they couldn't borrow a single penny. Some relatives even deliberately didn't answer their calls.
And now, with severe side effects after chemotherapy, a lot more money was needed.
"Dad, mom, don't worry, I'll think of a way."
Liu Xin was silent, but deep in his eyes was a hint of determination.
He visited his sister and stayed with her for a while.
"Brother…"
Looking at her brother, the little girl seemed to sense something and held onto his hand tightly.
"Dan, be good at the hospital. I'll come back at night." Liu Xin said with a smile.
He finally left the hospital and returned to the construction site.
"Liu, how is your sister?"
Some kind-hearted people at the construction site asked, as some of them knew about Liu Xin's family situation.
"It's okay," Liu Xin replied with a smile, "I have to earn more money to treat her."
"Alas, a good student came here to work."
"Hope your sister gets better soon."
Everyone comforted him.
These workers were decent folks, knowing that Liu Xin had gotten into a good university but came out to make money to treat his sister's illness.
Liu Xin looked timid and honest, nodding in gratitude to them.
His gaze inadvertently swept over to a place, the fourth floor of a building piled with some planks, where if not careful, one might step into a void.
He had noticed this before and kept it in his mind.
Because he had heard that someone had accidentally fallen downstairs, and the construction site had paid them hundreds of thousands.
An idea suddenly appeared in his mind at that time, thinking if he fell too, surely it'd be the same.
If there was compensation from the construction site, then there would be money for his sister's treatment.
Though Liu Xin appeared to speak little, he wasn't stupid. On the contrary, getting into Jiangyuan University proved his intelligence; he just kept everything in his heart.
During his time working at the construction site, he kept pondering whether he could put this plan into action.
His sister's medical expenses seemed like a bottomless pit; there would be a time when they couldn't borrow anymore. Without money, they would have to give up treatment.
This was an outcome Liu Xin absolutely didn't want to see.
If the treatment had gone smoothly before, he wouldn't execute this plan. But now, as unexpected issues arose in his sister's body.
In the future, much more money was needed, and they were out of funds.
There's a kind of illness in this world called the disease of poverty, which is incurable. When facing such a disease, there's no choice but to wait in despair.
This was the reality, an inescapable reality.
Thinking silently in his heart, at this time, a few people were inspecting the construction site.
Among them was a young man, with yellow-dyed hair and an earring; he was on the phone, looking quite impatient.
"Old man, what's the use of just giving me a million? What can I do with that?"
The young man complained.
"Haha, Li Wei, even a million is too little for you."
"It is a bit low. Probably will be gone after buying a car."
Others laughed as well. Listening to their conversation, it was clear these were some wealthy second-generation youngsters.
Walking by, Liu Xin glanced at them and heard their talk.
He had seen this Li Wei once before and heard from others that he was the son of the developer of the construction site.
But they didn't have any interactions, living in the same place yet existing in two different worlds.
For people like Li Wei, a million was little, probably only enough to buy a car, but for him, it was a matter of life and death.
"If I prepare, even if I fall, I won't die."
He looked up at the tall building ahead.
The fourth floor was already quite high, but if mentally prepared and familiar with the terrain below, Liu Xin was confident he wouldn't die, though his leg would suffer severe injury.
Of course, without getting injured, how could he get the money?
This spot happened to be right under a distant surveillance camera, so the construction site couldn't deny it.
Though this was a trick against the construction site, Liu Xin couldn't think of any other way.
His sister's illness couldn't be delayed.
Moreover, a serious injury was the likely outcome he anticipated; there was also a small chance of death.
"Liu, could you bring that thing up to the building?" Suddenly, a worker called out.
"Coming."
Liu Xin quickly replied.
He stepped onto the stairs, starting to climb to the second floor, third floor…
(Sigh, may there be no illness of poverty in this world.)
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