After the active treatment by medical staff, Wu Yuanbi's condition improved significantly after her second hospitalization.
Cao Yunhui's family rented a room on the first floor of this old family building.
Because she couldn't gather the 50,000 yuan needed for treating her big belly disease, she could only endure the pain. (Photo provided by netizens) Image source: Chongqing Morning Post
In order not to involve her family, on Mother's Day, she took the kitchen knife from this cutting board and cut open her stomach...
"After this one cut, if I get better, I will no longer be a burden to my family; if it costs me my life, then I won't be a burden either." A 53-year-old farmer from Chongqing, Wu Yuanbi, had no money for surgery due to her illness and risked her life by cutting herself open with a knife to release abdominal fluid. This is an extreme case of migrant workers in cities who are currently caught in despair due to illness. Fortunately, her shocking act of self-mutilation has initiated a general pattern of assistance for those in difficulty at the grassroots level: media reports - leader attention - proactive actions by relevant departments, and she has now received treatment. However, the systemic flaws behind this incident cannot help but make us reflect.
With an oxygen tube in her nose and her abdomen wrapped in a large silver-white bandage, Wu Yuanbi lay half-reclined on the bed, eyes slightly closed.
Her husband Cao Yunhui stood by her bedside, constantly wiping the sweat off his face, "Now it's good, we're in the hospital, so there's nothing more to worry about."
Ten days ago, this 53-year-old farmer from Chongqing used a kitchen knife to cut open her stomach and released abdominal fluid as a form of self-treatment, shocking everyone.
On the morning of May 16th, a week after the incident, under the attention of relevant leaders in Chongqing, Wu Yuanbi, who was still suffering at home, was sent to the Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital in Jiangbei. The hospital stated that they would spare no expense in saving Wu Yuanbi's life.
However, on the night of the self-cutting, Wu Yuanbi had completely embraced the idea of taking matters into her own hands with the knife. "This one cut, if it works, I will no longer be a burden to my family; if it costs me my life, then I won't be a burden either."
The extreme choice of the sick woman
"She told me she wanted to use a knife to cut open her stomach. She was initially scared and cried for a while before doing it, then said she might as well take the gamble —— anyway, the doctor also performs an operation to draw out the water from the stomach," Cao Yunhui said. His wife had little education, but she was stubborn, and when she was stubborn, he couldn't do anything about it.
Cao Yunhui's family lived in Room 31, Building 27, Wuyi New Village, Shipingqiao, Jiulongpo District, Chongqing. Wuyi New Village was built by a large state-owned enterprise in the 1950s. Like many old buildings, most of the houses in this residential area were already very dilapidated, especially the one they rented, which was shabby and run-down.
Even during the day, the corridor was pitch black. The heavy dampness mixed with the smell of garbage spread everywhere, and on the broken stairs, you could occasionally see cats. "There are over 40 households in the whole building. Those who can afford it have bought new homes and moved away. Most of the people living here are migrant workers from other counties," said Aunt Sun from upstairs.
Although their room was only 16 square meters and unusually damp, their meager income forced Cao Yunhui and his wife Wu Yuanbi, along with their two children, to live here temporarily, and they had been living here for over ten years.
Recalling the situation on the night of the incident, Cao Yunhui said that it was hot those few days, and they both went to sleep late at night. On the evening of May 8th, it was the same. He stayed at home for a while, seeing that Wu Yuanbi lying in bed was going to sleep, so he left. But just after he spent some time in his son's room on the same floor, he was suddenly called back by his brother-in-law, saying something had happened at home.
His brother-in-law also lived on the first floor of Building 27. When he hurriedly ran home, he saw his wife Wu Yuanbi lying unconscious on the bed, with blood all over her stomach and a large wound, intestines even protruding out. The bed and the floor were soaked with yellow liquid. In a panic, he quickly covered his wife's wound and called the police. A few minutes later, officers from the Municipal Public Security Bureau and the nearby Shipingqiao Police Station arrived at the scene, quickly contacted 120, and sent Wu Yuanbi to a nearby hospital. Luckily, she was transported in time. After a round of emergency treatment, Wu Yuanbi regained consciousness.
Upon examination by the doctors, Wu Yuanbi's stomach had three knife wounds, the longest nearly 10 centimeters, and a total of 37 stitches were required. Recalling the situation at the time, Cao Yunhui said, "The yellow water that flowed out of her stomach soaked through three thick layers of bedding, filling the entire room with yellow water. It took several rounds of cleaning with basins to finally clean up the floor."
What made Cao Yunhui feel terrified was that his wife had actually used a kitchen knife to cut open her stomach. After the incident, Wu Yuanbi told him that after this one cut, if she got better, she wouldn't be a burden to her family anymore; if it cost her her life, then she wouldn't be a burden either. Fortunately, after being treated by medical personnel, Wu Yuanbi drained all the abdominal fluid and temporarily escaped danger. "She told me that she thought about using a knife to cut open her stomach. At first, she was scared and cried for a while before doing it, then said she might as well take the gamble —— anyway, the doctor also performs an operation to draw out the water from the stomach," Cao Yunhui said. His wife had little education, but she was stubborn, and when she was stubborn, he couldn't do anything about it.
A half-pound kitchen knife cuts open the stomach
Wu Yuanbi later said: after the stomach was cut open, the fluid flowed out from the wound, followed by the intestines, she lay on the bed, gritted her teeth without shouting for help, and then fainted from the pain.
Regarding what triggered her wife's decision to cut open her stomach, Cao Yunhui mentioned a detail. That evening before the accident, their granddaughter was playing at home. To give her two pears on the table, she barely got up, but because of the heavy weight in her abdomen, she fell down, hit her head, and bled. Afterwards, he wondered if this event had stimulated his wife to think about cutting open her stomach with a kitchen knife.
At the Shipingqiao Police Station, the reporter viewed Cao Yunhui's alarm record at 12:30 AM on May 9th in the "Public Order Materials Internal Affairs Office," which can be inferred that Wu Yuanbi's self-inflicted cut should have occurred between 12:00 AM and 12:30 AM. However, the details of Wu Yuanbi's injury mentioned by Cao Yunhui have different accounts among the public.
Some informed individuals claimed that as early as 2008, Cao Yunhui's son had already rented a room on the second floor of Building 27 and lived independently. "That night, Cao Yunhui and his wife Wu Yuanbi were at their son and daughter-in-law's place playing. Later, Wu Yuanbi went downstairs alone and fell at the corner of the first floor, hitting her head. After the hit, they originally wanted to wash her head, but for some unknown reason, they didn't. Later, Wu Yuanbi used a knife to cut open her stomach."
Cao Yunhui said that the kitchen knife his wife used was one he had recently bought at a market for 15 yuan, weighing half a catty. Due to frequent sharpening, "the blade was sharp." Even so, Wu Yuanbi had to cut several times before opening her stomach.
Cao Yunhui carefully recalled the entire process of leaving home that night.
He said, perhaps due to the heat, his wife was very uncomfortable lying on the bed with her bloated stomach, and even flipping over was difficult. Finally, she fell asleep, only to wake up again shortly afterward, then lie back down. Before sleeping, Wu Yuanbi asked him to go upstairs to their son's place and come back later. "Later, I realized she wasn't sleeping at all; she was trying to send me away."
When Wu Yuanbi cut open her stomach, next door, a family was playing mahjong. Although the houses in this building were separated by wooden boards with poor soundproofing, that night, no one heard any noise from the Cao household.
Wu Yuanbi later said: after cutting open her stomach, the fluid flowed out from the wound, followed by the intestines, she lay on the bed, gritted her teeth without shouting for help, and then fainted from the pain. Her younger brother heard the commotion and came inside to discover her.
Originally hoped moving to the city would lead to a better life
Despite the hardships of those days, life was sweet. However, not long after, Wu Yuanbi suddenly contracted a "strange illness" —— her stomach inexplicably swelled up and kept getting bigger, eventually becoming larger than the stomach of an eight or nine-month pregnant woman.
Cao Yunhui's family lived in Longsheng Town, Qijiang County. In 1986, after being discharged from the army, Cao Yunhui was assigned to work at a military enterprise in Qijiang County. In 1989, he brought his wife, along with their six-year-old daughter and three-year-old son, to Chongqing to make a living. In his view, Chongqing was a big city with more opportunities to earn money, and as long as he worked hard, he wouldn't have to worry about living poorly. Initially, he stayed with relatives for a few years, but because of the limited space, the four of them lived in cramped and difficult conditions. Later, when he became a stable mover at a beverage factory, he moved out of his relatives' house and rented a place at Building 27 in Wuyi New Village in Shipingqiao.
"The house is 16 square meters, though small, but much more spacious and free compared to before," said the 55-year-old Cao Yunhui. At that time, to support his family, he not only worked as a mover at the beverage factory but also moonlighted as a "bang bang" porter. Although being a porter was tough, the income was relatively high at the time, "about fifty to sixty yuan per day."
An income of nearly two thousand yuan per month allowed Cao Yunhui to see the promise of future happiness. He worked hard to earn money, while Wu Yuanbi sold fruit near the community and took care of the children's schooling. Despite less-than-ideal living conditions, life was peaceful and comfortable.
Despite the hardships of those days, life was sweet. However, not long after, Wu Yuanbi suddenly contracted a "strange illness" —— her stomach inexplicably swelled up and kept getting bigger, eventually becoming larger than the stomach of an eight or nine-month pregnant woman. Wu Yuanbi could no longer sell fruit outside and had to stay home to take care of the children. Eventually, her swollen stomach made it impossible for her to even cook for the children.
To treat his wife, Cao Yunhui worked tirelessly to earn money. Initially, he took her to over ten hospitals multiple times, almost depleting all the family's savings, but still couldn't cure her. It wasn't until August 1998 that she was diagnosed with "Budd-Chiari Syndrome" at the Department of Gastroenterology at Southwest Hospital. This disease is caused by impaired liver blood flow affecting liver function, and the only way to treat it is through surgery to drain the ascites.
To treat her illness, Cao Yunhui had to abandon his job and daily take his wife to the streets to seek help. In 2002, with the generous donations from some passersby and reduced fees from the hospital, Wu Yuanbi was finally hospitalized and had over fifty pounds of ascites drained. But who would have thought that not long after, Wu Yuanbi's stomach began to swell again.
Not included in the "major illness assistance" category
"In recent years, the monthly cost of medication for my wife has been around one or two hundred yuan, all saved from 'between meals.' My son's salary isn't high, and he also needs to take care of his own family's life, so it's all up to our daughter to help when she comes home." But three months ago, the eldest daughter also left home.
By the second half of 2010, when Wu Yuanbi's stomach swelled up like a drum again, the Cao family was at a loss for what to do.
Eight years ago, Wu Yuanbi underwent an ascites drainage surgery for Budd-Chiari syndrome, which depleted most of the family's savings. Facing her enlarged stomach again, the whole family was filled with fear.
As Wu Yuanbi's stomach continued to swell, Cao Yunhui also took her to the hospital, but they always gave up due to the nearly 50,000 yuan surgery cost. "My wife didn't want to spend the money, and we didn't have it," said Cao Yunhui. Although she took diuretic medicine prescribed by the hospital every day, Wu Yuanbi's stomach never got smaller, instead becoming heavier.
Within less than two or three months of swelling, Wu Yuanbi had trouble walking. According to Cao Yunhui's estimation, her stomach likely contained over fifty pounds of ascites again. Since the doctor said that timely treatment was necessary to prevent the ascites from causing a rupture in the abdomen, Cao Yunhui was extremely worried. However, the family simply couldn't come up with the over 50,000 yuan surgery fee and could only watch as Wu Yuanbi's stomach continued to grow.
In the months leading up to her self-surgery, Wu Yuanbi was almost unable to do anything. Standing less than 1.5 meters tall, she weighed less than 40 kilograms a year ago, but by the time of the incident, her weight had reached 62 kilograms. Unable to handle basic daily tasks like washing herself, and finding walking exceptionally difficult, she rarely left the house. Many neighbors even thought she had moved away.
Chongqing Morning Post reporter Wang Shan told this reporter that Wu Yuanbi's story was reported by the media earlier, but the impact was minimal, and the Cao family did not receive much help. Later, a local TV station also planned to report on the story. In the same month she performed the self-surgery, the TV station was still in contact for interviews, but unfortunately, just after filming finished, Wu Yuanbi used a knife to cut open her stomach.
Cao Yunhui said that to treat his wife, at the beginning of the year, he had taken her to the Chongqing petition department. After contacting them, they were sent to the Qijiang County government. The local department believed that his wife's illness did not fall under the "major illness assistance" category and suggested they apply for the New Rural Cooperative Medical Insurance, but he didn't bother because of the hassle and impatience.
"In recent years, the monthly cost of medication for my wife has been around one or two hundred yuan, all saved from 'between meals.' My son's salary isn't high, and he also needs to take care of his own family's life, so it's all up to our daughter to help when she comes home," said Cao Yunhui. Ten years ago, their rent was 100 yuan, and after learning about their situation, the landlord never raised the rent.
After his wife became severely ill, he worked outside and earned money as a "bang bang" porter, relying on his daughter at home. However, three months ago, the eldest daughter also left home.
The real predicament of self-surgery
The main issues for migrant workers entering cities are the difficulty of integrating into communities and urban life, low income leading to bad tempers and frequent disputes, poor habits such as littering; due to low educational levels, they lack the ability to understand problems well, "they don't follow instructions," lacking permanent residency status, they miss out on many benefits." "I don't know how she is now." Speaking of his daughter, Cao Yunhui's eyes turned red. He felt he owed her.
In Cao Yunhui's view, the departure of his eldest daughter might be the deeper reason why his wife resorted to self-surgery. In the damp and shabby small house of the Cao family, this girl who should have enjoyed a happy life spent tough years by her mother's bedside, "perhaps she couldn't bear it anymore, so she left."
The Sheping Village Community Committee believed that the current situation of the Cao family was partly due to their own problems. "Over these past ten years, no matter how difficult things were, we've never seen him come to us, nor has he ever mentioned his wife's illness to us," said Zhang Guoqing, the party secretary and director of the committee. He first visited the Cao Yunhui family in 2002, when he was still a household registration officer at the Shipingqiao Police Station.
Upon learning that a temporary residence permit was required, possibly fearing the cost of dozens of yuan, Wu simply replied: "I'm not getting a temporary residence permit. My husband has all the permits at the beverage factory."
"If she had obtained the temporary residence permit and established the temporary relationship, paying 120 yuan annually, she could have enjoyed urban-rural medical insurance, but for all these years, she didn't obtain it," Zhang Guoqing said. Urban-rural medical insurance requires only 120 yuan annually, covering about 60% of major illnesses, yet her impatient attitude essentially abandoned the opportunity.
In Zhang Guoqing's opinion, Wu Yuanbi was strong-willed, and Cao Yunhui's relationships with his neighbors weren't great either. "In 2009, after drinking too much alcohol, he accidentally caused a fire at home, burning half of the household items."
Once, a community resident complained to Zhang Guoqing that a mentally unstable individual receiving welfare had rented out their house. So, he approached the welfare recipient and informed them that if they rented out their house, they would lose their welfare benefits. In response, the person pointed out Cao Yunhui, insisting that the arsonist must be evicted before they would return.
"Mayi Xincun has over 1,000 households, but at least 30% are now rented to outsiders," said Chen Yanling, deputy director of the Sheping Village Community Committee. Since 2000, the number of outsiders in the neighborhood has gradually increased, with many coming from places like Qijiang and Fuling, approximately 80% being agricultural populations. With the increase in migrant workers, community problems have also multiplied.
Chen Yanling pointed out that the main issues with migrant workers entering cities include difficulties in integrating into community and urban life, low income leading to bad tempers and frequent disputes, poor habits such as littering; additionally, due to low educational levels, their ability to understand problems is limited, "they don't listen to instructions," lacking permanent residency status, they miss out on many benefits; another issue is overpopulation, with some having three children within ten years, like Cao's son, who married before reaching legal age and already had a child...
Finally, the 50,000 yuan surgery fee had a solution
"It's really beyond our capability to come up with 50,000 yuan at once. I originally thought I'd take her when we saved enough money. Who would have thought she'd treat her life so lightly!" What made Cao Yunhui feel even more heartbroken was that after cutting herself open, Wu Yuanbi returned to their rented home after only three days in the hospital due to not wanting to burden the family.
Wu Yuanbi's situation was heartbreaking and puzzling: compared to treatments costing hundreds of thousands of yuan, was 50,000 yuan truly that difficult for the Cao family, to the point where she had to resort to self-surgery?
Cao Yunhui explained that as a temporary worker and a "bang bang" porter, his monthly salary was less than 3,000 yuan, yet he had to support the entire family, leaving almost no surplus. "It's really beyond our capability to come up with 50,000 yuan at once. I originally thought I'd take her when we saved enough money. Who would have thought she'd treat her life so lightly!" What made Cao Yunhui feel even more heartbroken was that after cutting herself open, Wu Yuanbi returned to their rented home after only three days in the hospital due to not wanting to burden the family.
A few days after returning home, her symptoms worsened. On the morning of May 16th, Cao Yunhui suddenly noticed that his wife's deflated stomach had swollen again. "I shouted at her, but she could barely speak." Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Cao Yunhui immediately called his son to come home. Neighbors also quickly gathered money, but since they were all struggling themselves, in three hours, they could only collect over 900 yuan.
Just as the Cao family felt hopeless, two ambulances pulled up in front of their home.
It turned out that after Wu Yuanbi's story was exposed by the media, it attracted the attention of relevant leaders in Chongqing, who instructed to provide full treatment, urging the health system to spare no expense in treating Wu Yuanbi. After preliminary diagnosis by medical experts, Wu's lungs were already infected, and the fluid in her abdomen could burst the wound at any moment.
At 11:00 AM on May 16th, Wu Yuanbi was sent to the hepatobiliary surgery department of the Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital for treatment. The hospital's president, Gao Dan, stated that the infection in Wu's lungs and abdomen was already severe, and her body's electrolyte balance was disrupted. If not treated promptly, it could endanger her life.
On May 17th, the hospital conducted a comprehensive physical examination on Wu Yuanbi while also initiating a donation campaign. It was learned that the Chongqing Emergency Medical Assistance Center had already sent 10,000 yuan in relief funds to Wu Yuanbi according to the highest standard of assistance. By the time this reporter went to press, Cao Yunhui's "love account" had already received over 40,000 yuan in donations.
It seems that the 50,000 yuan surgery fee finally had a resolution.
"If this time the disease can be cured