Related thematic articles: A 14-year-old boy posts a Weibo plea for help as he cannot afford the tuition of 600 yuan; A 20-year-old young man donates his organs after death and gives five people a new life.
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A 14-Year-Old Boy's Weibo Plea
Pushing open a thin wooden door, 14-year-old Sun Xiaosong is hunched over a table doing homework. Although he has been away from school for a year, he still studies on his own with Grade Six Chinese and English textbooks. He carefully circles unfamiliar idioms and words to ask his neighbor's older sister for advice. His grandmother sits by the bed, warming herself by a small coal stove in the room and occasionally drives away the hungry old cat lingering at the door. "We ourselves have little to eat and have to beg from others," she says.
By Wang Yingfei, Quick News Reporter
After leaving the hospital, he realized that he might not be able to continue studying
Sun Xiaosong left school in January last year. He points to his ankle, "It's all because I was too playful and hurt my foot." In late January 2011, while climbing Mount Mufu, he accidentally fell and exposed a large part of his bone. The doctor sewed up 24 stitches on his ankle, and it took him half a year to walk again.
This injury not only delayed his studies for half a year but also caused a long-term benefactor to stop financial support for unknown reasons.
"It's all because I was too playful," Sun Xiaosong blames himself and feels guilty every time he thinks about it. From the day he was discharged from the hospital, Sun Xiaosong realized that he might not be able to go back to school.
Sun Xiaosong's ancestral home is in Tonghe County, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province. Before he was born, his father developed mental illness and was sent to the hospital. Soon after, his pregnant mother divorced his father and returned to her hometown in Changzhou. Knowing she couldn't raise her son, she left the six-month-old Sun Xiaosong at the Shenyang Inn near Huangjiawei in Nanjing. After notifying Sun Xiaosong's grandmother, she left and never came back. Upon hearing the news, the grandmother, who sold popsicles in the north, immediately traveled thousands of miles with her eldest daughter and rented a house near the Shenyang Inn. Since then, they have lived in Nanjing, earning money by steaming buns, making pancakes, and washing dishes.
Under the guidance of his grandmother and aunt, Sun Xiaosong, who has never seen his parents, grew into an understanding child. At the age of eight, thanks to the sponsorship of a kind-hearted person, Sun Xiaosong attended Yucai Migrant Children School. The school was far from home, and he had to take more than half an hour of transportation every day, but Sun Xiaosong was very happy. He enjoyed being with peers.
Every day at home, he studied on his own and asked others when he didn't understand.
In second grade, Yucai School closed down, and Sun Xiaosong transferred to Mingguang Jindu Migrant Children School. Due to demolition of their original residence and to save on his daily commuting costs, Sun Xiaosong's grandmother moved the family to Yaoshangcun in Xiaguan District. They settled into a low house less than 10 square meters.
The room consists of a few short tables, short stools, and a large bunk bed. Every night, Sun Xiaosong sleeps side by side with his aunt, and his grandmother sleeps at their feet. In the middle of the room is a coal stove used by the family for cooking and heating when not cooking. "I'll take it out at night," the grandmother said, "I know it's dangerous, but this house leaks wind everywhere, it's too cold." They also opened a "skylight" on the wooden ceiling above their heads, covered it with transparent plastic boards, and thus had a natural "fluorescent light."
After leaving school last year, Sun Xiaosong began his self-study journey. A brand-new Chinese textbook has already been folded, and he uses a pencil to underline the idioms he doesn't recognize in the text, preparing to ask his neighbor's older sister later. The post-class characters are also checked one by one in the dictionary, grouped well, and marked behind the article. The same applies to the English book. However, he regrets not having received the next semester's English cassette tape, so he can't read the unfamiliar words.
Sun Xiaosong's radio is the most valuable thing in their house except for a small TV, and both were given to them by others. There is no refrigerator or washing machine at home. Usually, they eat pickled vegetables made by his grandmother. Clothes used to be washed by his grandmother, but after her hands were frostbitten in winter, Sun Xiaosong also took over the laundry.
Asking for help through Weibo: I want to go to school
Although studying diligently, Sun Xiaosong still has many questions he wants to ask his teacher. To attend school, Sun Xiaosong even asked a neighbor who could type to send a Weibo message: "I hope kind uncles, aunts, brothers, and sisters can help me. I want to go to school!"
The day before yesterday was the start of the school term. He specifically went to the school to negotiate with the teacher, hoping to delay payment of the tuition fee for a few days and start classes with other students first. But the principal politely refused him: pay 600 yuan tuition to return to class.
600 yuan is 50% of this family's monthly income. Between 2005 and 2006, Sun Xiaosong's grandmother was involved in three traffic accidents, breaking her wrist and pelvis. The physical condition of this 72-year-old woman has deteriorated significantly. She can no longer steam buns and now relies on occasionally collecting scraps for income. This impoverished family has received much help from the neighborhood and neighbors. People often give them food and clothes. A nurse in charge of a hospital even found a cleaning job for Sun Xiaosong's aunt in the hospital, allowing her to earn 1240 yuan per month. This almost became the family's entire economic source.
However, this money can only cover their living expenses, and there isn't enough left to support Xiaosong's schooling. Thinking about this, the grandmother feels sad for her grandson, "Just don't study anymore, don't go to school!" After saying these angry words, she immediately regretted it, "No matter what you do in the future, you need education." Sun Xiaosong's aunt decided that no matter how difficult it was, she would still support her nephew's education. She said that once she received her salary this month, she would let Xiaosong pay the tuition fee. With six days left until payday, Sun Xiaosong anxiously awaits.
Sun Xiaosong said that in the past, he wanted to become a bus driver when he grew up, but now with his injured foot, this dream is hard to achieve, "If I can't be a bus driver, I can do something else. Only with knowledge can I find a good job and support my grandmother and aunt."