After active treatment by medical staff, Wu Yuanbi was in much better condition following her re-hospitalization.
The Cao Yunhui family rented a room on the first floor of this old residential building.
Due to being unable to gather the 50,000 yuan needed for treating her ascites, she could only endure the pain. (Photo provided by netizens) Image source: Chongqing Morning Post.
To avoid dragging down her family, on Mother's Day, she took up the kitchen knife from this chopping board and slashed open her stomach...
"One slash and if I survive, I won't drag my family down anymore; if I die, then at least I won't be a burden any longer." A 53-year-old peasant woman from Chongqing named Wu Yuanbi, due to not having enough money for surgery, gambled with her life by cutting herself open to release the accumulated fluid in her abdomen. This is an extreme case of despair among migrant workers entering cities. Fortunately, her shocking act has triggered the usual pattern of assistance for people encountering difficulties: media reports —— leadership attention —— relevant departments taking action actively. She has now received treatment. However, the institutional flaws behind this incident cannot fail to make us reflect deeply.
With oxygen tubes in her nostrils and her abdomen wrapped in a large white bandage, Wu Yuanbi lay half-reclined on the hospital bed, eyes slightly closed.
Her husband Cao Yunhui stood guard beside the bed, constantly wiping sweat off his face. "This is good, now that we're in the hospital, there's no need to worry about anything else."
More than ten days ago, this 53-year-old peasant woman from Chongqing used a kitchen knife to cut open her own abdomen, releasing the accumulated fluid as self-medication, shocking the world.
On the morning of May 16, 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 District. The hospital authorities stated they would spare no expense in saving Wu Yuanbi's life.
However, on the night she cut herself open, Wu Yuanbi had completely embraced the idea of leaving it to fate when she slashed herself open. "One slash and if I survive, I won't drag my family down anymore; if I die, then at least I won't be a burden any longer."
The extreme choice made by the sick woman
"She told me she wanted to use a knife to cut open her belly, she initially didn't dare, cried for a while before acting, then decided to gamble —— anyway, doctors back then also opened the abdomen and drained the fluid inside," Cao Yunhui said. His wife had little education but was very stubborn, and when she was stubborn, he couldn't do anything about it.
The Cao Yunhui family lived in Room 31, No. 27 Building, Wuyi New Village, Shipingqiao, Jiulongpo District, Chongqing. Wuyi New Village was a residential area built by a large state-owned enterprise in the 1950s. Like many old buildings, most of the houses in this residential area were already quite dilapidated, especially the one where Wu Yuanbi rented a room, which was even more run-down.
Even during the day, walking into the corridor, it was pitch black. A strong damp smell mixed with the odor of household waste spread everywhere, and on the broken stairs, you could occasionally see cats. "There are over 40 households in the entire building. Those with means have bought new houses and moved away. Most of the residents here are migrant workers from other counties," Aunt Sun upstairs said.
Although the Cao family's room was only 16 square meters and extremely damp, their meager income forced them to temporarily reside here with Wu Yuanbi and their two children, and they had been living here for over ten years.
Recalling the scene of the incident that night, Cao Yunhui said that those few days were hot, and both he and his wife slept late at night. On the evening of May 8th, it was the same. He stayed at home for a while, saw Wu Yuanbi lying in bed wanting to sleep, so he left. But just after he spent a short 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 unconscious on the bed, her belly bleeding profusely with a large wound, and her intestines had come out. The bed and the floor were all soaked with yellow fluid. In panic, he quickly covered his wife's wound and called the police. A few minutes later, the municipal public security bureau 110 officers and the nearby Shipingqiao police station officers arrived at the scene, quickly contacted 120, and sent Wu Yuanbi to a nearby hospital. Fortunately, she was transported in time. After some emergency treatment, Wu Yuanbi regained consciousness.
Upon examination by the doctor, there were three cuts on Wu Yuanbi's abdomen, the longest nearly 10 centimeters, and a total of 37 stitches were needed. Recalling the situation at the time, Cao Yunhui said, "The yellow fluid that flowed out of her belly soaked through three thick layers of bedding, and the whole room was filled with yellow water. It took several rounds with a basin to finally clean the floor."
What shocked Cao Yunhui was that his wife had actually cut open her belly with a kitchen knife. After the incident, Wu Yuanbi told him, "If I survive this slash, I won't drag my family down anymore; if it costs my life, then at least I won't be a burden any longer." Fortunately, after being treated by medical staff, Wu Yuanbi had drained all the fluid from her abdomen and temporarily escaped danger. "She told me she thought about using a knife to cut open her belly, she initially didn't dare, cried for a while before acting, then decided to gamble —— anyway, doctors back then also opened the abdomen and drained the fluid inside," Cao Yunhui said. His wife had little education but was very stubborn, and when she was stubborn, he couldn't do anything about it.
Cutting open the belly with a half-pound kitchen knife
Wu Yuanbi later said: After cutting open her belly, the fluid flowed out of the wound, followed by her intestines coming out. Lying on the bed, she gritted her teeth and did not shout for help, then fainted from the pain.
Regarding the cause that led to her wife cutting herself open, Cao Yunhui mentioned a detail. Before the incident that evening, her granddaughter was playing at home. To get two pears on the table for the child, she barely got up, but because of the heavy abdomen, she fell and hit her head, causing it to bleed. Afterwards, he wondered if this incident might have triggered her wife to think about cutting her belly open with a kitchen knife.
At the Shipingqiao Police Station, this reporter viewed Cao Yunhui's alarm record at 12:30 AM on May 9th in the "Public Security Data Internal Affairs Office", which can be used to estimate that Wu Yuanbi likely cut open her abdomen between 12:00 AM and 12:30 AM. However, the details of Wu Yuanbi's injury mentioned by Cao Yunhui have different interpretations in public discourse.
Some informed sources claimed that as early as 2008, Cao Yunhui's son had rented a room on the second floor of Building 27 to live independently. "That evening, Cao Yunhui and his wife Wu Yuanbi were playing at their son and daughter-in-law's house. Later, Wu Yuanbi went downstairs alone and fell at the corner on the first floor, hitting her head. After the injury, they originally intended to wash Wu Yuanbi's wound, but for some unknown reason, they didn't. Later, Wu Yuanbi cut open her belly with a knife."
Cao Yunhui said that the kitchen knife his wife used was one he had bought recently for 15 yuan at a market, weighing half a pound. Because it was often sharpened, "the blade was very sharp." Even so, Wu Yuanbi had to slash a few times before cutting open her belly.
Cao Yunhui carefully recalled the entire process of leaving home that night.
He said, perhaps because of the heat, his wife was extremely uncomfortable lying in bed, unable to even turn over. Finally, she fell asleep, only to wake up suddenly again and lie down again. Before sleeping, Wu Yuanbi asked him to go play upstairs at their son's place and come back later. "Later, I realized she wasn't sleeping at all, but trying to send me away."
When Wu Yuanbi cut open her belly, the next-door neighbors were playing mahjong. Although the houses in this building were separated by wooden boards, the sound insulation was poor, yet that night, no one heard any noise from the Cao family's house.
Wu Yuanbi later said: After cutting open her belly, the fluid flowed out of the wound, followed by her intestines coming out. Lying on the bed, she gritted her teeth and did not shout for help, then fainted from the pain. It wasn't until her younger brother heard the commotion that he entered the room and discovered her.
Hoping that moving to the city would lead to a better life
Despite the hardships, those days were sweet. However, not long after, Wu Yuanbi suddenly contracted a "strange illness" —— her belly inexplicably swelled up, getting bigger and bigger. Gradually, it became larger than the belly of an eight or nine-month pregnant woman.
After Cao Yunhui transferred from the army in 1986, he was assigned to work at a munitions factory in Qijiang County. In 1989, he brought his wife and their six-year-old daughter and three-year-old son to Chongqing to seek opportunities. In his view, Chongqing was a big city with more earning opportunities. As long as he worked hard, he wouldn't worry about living well. Initially, he lived with relatives for a few years, but because of the cramped space, the four of them lived in extreme discomfort and poverty. Later, when he stabilized his job as a mover at a beverage factory, he moved out of his relative's home and rented a place at Building 27, Wuyi New Village, Shipingqiao.
"The house is only 16 square meters, but it's 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 worked part-time as a porter. Being a porter was exhausting, but the income was relatively high back then, "about fifty to sixty yuan a day."
With a monthly income of nearly two thousand yuan, Cao Yunhui saw the call of a happy future. He worked hard to earn money, while Wu Yuanbi sold fruits nearby and took care of the children going to school. Despite less-than-ideal living conditions, their life was relatively peaceful and comfortable.
Despite the hard work, those days were sweet. However, not long after, Wu Yuanbi suddenly contracted a "strange illness" —— her belly inexplicably swelled up, getting bigger and bigger. Gradually, it became larger than the belly of an eight or nine-month pregnant woman. Wu Yuanbi could no longer go out to sell fruits and had to stay home to take care of the children. Eventually, her swollen belly made it difficult for her to even cook for the kids.
To treat his wife, Cao Yunhui worked tirelessly. Initially, he took his wife to more than 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" in the gastroenterology department of Southwest Hospital. The disease is caused by impaired liver blood flow and affected liver function. The only way to treat it was through surgery to drain the ascites.
To pay for the treatment, Cao Yunhui had no choice but to quit his job and take his wife to the streets for help. In 2002, with the kind donations from some passersby and reduced fees from the hospital, Wu Yuanbi was hospitalized and managed to drain over 50 pounds of ascites from her abdomen. Who would have thought that shortly after, Wu Yuanbi's belly started swelling again.
Not eligible for "major illness assistance"
"These past few years, the cost of medication for my wife has been around one to two hundred yuan per month, all saved from the 'teeth' of our expenses. My son's salary isn't high, and he also needs to take care of his own family, so we rely on our daughter returning home to help." However, three months ago, the elder daughter also left home.
In the second half of 2010, when Wu Yuanbi's belly once again swelled like a drum, the Cao family didn't know what to do.
Eight years ago, Wu Yuanbi underwent an ascites drainage surgery due to Budd-Chiari syndrome, which depleted most of the family's savings. Faced with her belly swelling again, the entire family felt panic-stricken.
As Wu Yuanbi's belly continued to swell, Cao Yunhui also took her to the hospital, but they gave up each time due to the nearly 50,000 yuan surgery fee. "My wife didn't want to spend the money, and we didn't have it either," Cao Yunhui said. Although she was taking diuretic medicine prescribed by the hospital every day, Wu Yuanbi's belly didn't shrink at all; instead, it became heavier and heavier.
Within less than two or three months of swelling again, Wu Yuanbi was already struggling to walk. Based on Cao Yunhui's estimation, her belly had probably accumulated another 50-plus pounds of ascites. Since the doctor said that without timely treatment, the ascites could lead to abdominal rupture, Cao Yunhui was extremely worried. However, the family simply couldn't come up with the 50,000-plus yuan surgery fee, so they could only watch helplessly as her belly continued to grow.
In the months leading up to the self-inflicted incision, Wu Yuanbi was almost unable to do anything. Standing at 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. Not only could she not handle daily tasks like washing and cleaning, but her mobility was also severely limited. Because she rarely went out, many neighbors even thought she had moved away.
Chongqing Morning Post reporter Wang Shan told this reporter that Wu Yuanbi's story had been reported by the media earlier, but after the report, there was little impact, and the Cao family didn't receive much help. Later, a local TV station also planned to cover the story. In the month she self-inflicted the incision, the TV station was still arranging interviews, but unfortunately, just as the filming was completed, Wu cut her own belly open with a knife.
Cao Yunhui said that to treat his wife, at the beginning of this year, he took her to the Chongqing petition department. After the petition department contacted them, they were sent to the Qijiang county government. Regarding whether they would provide assistance, the local department believed his wife's illness did not qualify for "major illness assistance" and suggested they apply for the new rural cooperative medical insurance. However, because he found it troublesome and couldn't wait, he didn't apply.
"These past few years, the cost of medication for my wife has been around one to two hundred yuan per month, all saved from the 'teeth' of our expenses. My son's salary isn't high, and he also needs to take care of his own family, so we rely on our daughter returning home to help." Cao Yunhui said that their rent had been 100 yuan ten years ago, and after learning about their situation, the landlord never raised it.
After his wife fell ill, he worked outside and earned money as a porter, leaving the household to depend on his daughter. However, three months ago, the elder daughter also left home.
The realistic dilemma of self-treatment through self-inflicted wounds
The main issues faced by migrant workers entering the city include difficulty integrating into the community and urban life, low income leading to irritability and frequent disputes, bad habits such as littering; due to low educational levels, their ability to understand problems is limited, "they don't follow instructions," lack permanent residency status, and thus cannot enjoy many benefits." "I don't know how she is doing now." Mentioning his daughter, Cao Yunhui's eyes welled up with tears. He said he feels sorry for his daughter.
In Cao Yunhui's view, the departure of his elder daughter might be the deeper reason for his wife's self-inflicted incision. In their damp, shabby small house, this girl who should have enjoyed a happy life endured tough times at her mother's bedside, "probably because she couldn't bear it anymore, so she left."
The Shiping Village Community Committee believes that the current situation of the Cao family is also partly due to their own problems. "For these past dozen years, no matter how difficult it was, we've never seen him come to us for help, nor has he ever mentioned his wife's illness to us," said Zhang Guoqing, the party secretary and director of the community committee. He first visited Cao Yunhui's home in 2002. At that time, he was still a household registration officer at the Shipingqiao Police Station.
Upon learning that she needed to obtain a temporary residence permit, possibly fearing the cost of dozens of yuan, Wu simply replied: "(Temporary residence permit) I won't get it, my husband has all the necessary permits at the beverage factory."
"For years, if she had obtained the temporary residence permit and paid 120 yuan annually, she could have enjoyed urban-rural medical insurance, but for so many years, she hasn't done it," said Zhang Guoqing. Urban-rural medical insurance requires only 120 yuan per year, and major illnesses can be reimbursed at about 60%. Her irritable attitude essentially abandoned the opportunity.
In Zhang Guoqing's view, Wu Yuanbi had a stubborn personality, and Cao Yunhui's relationship with his neighbors wasn't great either. "In 2009, due to drinking too much, he accidentally caused a fire at home, resulting in the burning of most of the household items."
Once, a community resident complained to Zhang Guoqing about a mentally unstable person receiving welfare payments while renting out their house. So he went to the welfare recipient and informed them that if they rented out their house, they would lose their welfare benefits. The individual then cited Cao Yunhui, saying that they would only move back in if Cao Yunhui, who had set the fire, was driven away.
"There are over a thousand households in Wuyi New Village, and currently, at least 30% are rented by outsiders." Deputy Director Chen Yanling of the Shiping Village Community Committee said that since 2000, the number of outsiders in the neighborhood has gradually increased, with many coming from places like Qijiang and Fuling, approximately 80% of whom are agricultural population. With the increase in migrant workers, community issues have also multiplied.
Chen Yanling pointed out that the main problems with migrant workers entering the city include difficulty integrating into the community and urban life, low income leading to irritability and frequent disputes, bad habits such as littering; additionally, due to low educational levels, their ability to understand problems is limited, "they don't follow instructions," lack permanent residency status, and thus cannot enjoy many benefits; furthermore, there is the issue of exceeding birth limits, with some having three children within ten years, like Cao's son, who 'married' and had a child before reaching the legal age...
The 50,000 yuan surgery fee finally had a solution
"It's indeed beyond our capability to come up with 50,000 yuan at once for medical treatment. I originally thought that when we had saved enough money, I'd take her for treatment. Who would have thought she would value her life so lightly!" What made Cao Yunhui feel even more heart-wrenching was that after cutting herself open, Wu Yuanbi returned to the rented house after only three days in the hospital to avoid burdening the family further.
Wu Yuanbi's story is heart-wrenching and puzzling: compared to treatment costs often reaching hundreds of thousands of yuan, isn't 50,000 yuan for the Cao family really that unattainable, to the point of resorting to self-inflicted wounds?
In response, Cao Yunhui explained that working as a temporary worker and a porter, his monthly salary was less than 3000 yuan, but he had to support the entire family, leaving virtually no surplus. "It's indeed beyond our capability to come up with 50,000 yuan at once for medical treatment. I originally thought that when we had saved enough money, I'd take her for treatment. Who would have thought she would value her life so lightly!" What made Cao Yunhui feel even more heart-wrenching was that after cutting herself open, Wu Yuanbi returned to the rented house after only three days in the hospital to avoid burdening the family further.
A few days after returning home, her symptoms rapidly deteriorated. On the morning of May 16, Cao Yunhui suddenly noticed that his wife's deflated belly had swollen again, Sina Blog Space. "I shouted at her forcefully, but she was barely conscious and couldn't speak." Sensing something was wrong, Cao Yunhui immediately called his son, asking him to return home quickly. Neighbors also immediately pooled money, but as everyone was financially strained, they managed to collect only 900 plus yuan in three hours.
Just as the Cao family was feeling desperate, two ambulances pulled up in front of their house.
Originally, after Wu Yuanbi's story was disclosed by the media, it caught the attention of relevant leaders in Chongqing, who instructed that all efforts be made to save her, ordering the health system to spare no expense in treating Wu Yuanbi. After preliminary diagnosis by medical experts, it was found that Wu's lungs were already infected, and the accumulated fluid in her abdomen could burst the wound at any moment.
At 11:00 AM on May 16, Wu Yuanbi was sent to the hepatobiliary surgery department of the Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital for treatment. Gao Dan, the hospital president, stated that Wu's lung and abdominal infections were already very severe, her body's electrolyte balance was disrupted, and if not promptly treated, her life could be in danger.
On May 17, 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 rescue funds to Wu Yuanbi according to the highest standard of rescue. By the time this reporter went to press, there were already over 40,000 yuan in donations in Cao Yunhui's "love account."
It seems that the 50,000 yuan surgery fee finally has a solution.
"If this illness can be cured this time, then the few slashes Wu Yuanbi inflicted on herself will not have been in vain, and it could be considered turning misfortune into blessing," someone from Cao Yunhui's neighbors said.
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