In the county town, she saw a computer school recruiting students for a two-month crash course with a tuition fee of 140 yuan per month. "With skills, earning money will be easier and more efficient." In Luo Dengyu's memory, her mother was capable and talented. She taught her and her sister to draw and took vegetables from home to sell in the market. All big and small matters at home, including building a house, were arranged by her mother.
Besides, the local government of Nanyang provided her with a 2000-yuan scholarship. "I now have 4000 yuan, and I still need 3000 yuan for tuition fees. I plan to pay 3000 yuan myself and keep 1000 yuan as living expenses. The remaining 4000 yuan will come from student loans." When saying these things, she had a smile on her face, unusually calm, and the hardships of her family had already made her mature beyond her age.
After falling ill, her father did not step out of the house again. Eating and sleeping were almost all he did every day, over and over again. "I don't want wages, just meals. I'll help when you're busy!" At the age of thirteen, her father suffered from mental illness and often couldn't recognize his own children.
Relatives and friends did not support her pursuit of education. In their view, Luo Dengyu should work to support the family. Nanyang was unfamiliar to her, and she even couldn't distinguish directions. She asked around at the train station for several days, and no one knew where this school was.
Before coming to Zhengzhou, a government staff member in Nanyang helped her contact a decoration company where she could intern. "I just learned this major, so interning is good. I think they will give me some salary."
Self-reliance: Working while studying
When other kids of the same age were playing and surfing the internet, she stood in the supermarket promoting products. Every time she went out, she would inform the uncles and aunts in the school canteen and arrange for her sister to draw in the dormitory and go to eat on time.
The teacher was moved and prepaid 1500 yuan for her tuition. She was not a student of this school but a freshman at Zhongzhou University. Since Zhongzhou University hadn't started classes yet, Luo Dengyu stayed in a classmate's dormitory to look for elementary schools nearby that could accept her sister.
Luo Dengyu's family of three owned two good plots of land and one poor plot, which they rented out for 420 yuan a year.
That day was the darkest day in Luo Dengyu's life. She said she felt very desperate and even thought of following her mother.
At that time, she and her sister lived in her uncle's house in the same village.
Her father suddenly suffered from mental illness and became irritable. He often didn't recognize his family members, refused to take medicine, refused treatment, and even forced her healthy mother to take medicine. Whenever he was dissatisfied, he would beat and kick them. Once, he tied up Luo Dengyu and locked her in the room.
At the age of fifteen, her mother, unable to bear the pressure, chose suicide.
During the narration, Luo Dengyu kept smiling, showing maturity and strength beyond her age due to her frail body.
Now, having received the university admission notice, there are still two major problems facing her: tuition fees and her sister Luo Xiaoli. Tuition is 5600 yuan, accommodation fee is 800 yuan, and book fee is 550 yuan.
On the third day, she spent 7 yuan taking a taxi to find the school, which was the most extravagant thing she had ever done.
However, part-time jobs did not affect Luo Dengyu's academic performance.
Childhood life was like that of other rural children, left behind at home, colorful. Her parents worked in Guangzhou, saving and renovating their tiled house into a bungalow.
Luo Dengyu said laughingly that she wasn't worried about tuition fees.
She approached a restaurant shyly and asked, "Do you need any help?" The boss said no. "Your business is so good, isn't it busy?" "Sometimes!"
She said the taste of home was the taste of the New Year.
She said she often got so busy that she forgot to eat. Once, she fainted in the supermarket.
But, seeing the younger sister who timidly called her "sister" while hugging her leg, she couldn't bear it.
Luo Dengyu said that if there had been no family changes, her lifestyle would have followed the way of young people in the village—graduating or dropping out of junior high school, heading south in groups, hiding in large and small factories, working, earning money, until getting married and having children.
Everything changed suddenly in 2004.
Previously, this physically weak girl was slightly shy and had never dealt with anyone alone.
During the summer vacation, she worked as a promoter in a supermarket in Nanyang and earned 2000 yuan. "I used to work in this supermarket, proficient in business, doing two people's work, and the supermarket paid me two people's salaries."
Sisters squeezed on a single bed, normally going to school separately. After school, they went to the school cafeteria together and ate something simple.
Among the year, only during the New Year, did her parents return. At that time, the family was warm. Although her father was quiet, like most rural fathers, and even didn't know what grade his daughter was in, the family's life was peaceful and harmonious.
Luo Dengyu's initial idea was to graduate as soon as possible and earn money as soon as possible. She asked her teacher, "Can I skip grades?"
Unfortunately, the strong mother didn't survive the "disease". After borrowing debts everywhere to treat her father, without improvement, she chose a desperate way - suicide.
One day in 2006, this strong mother in the hearts of her children left. She left behind a lonely Luo Dengyu and her sister, and a father who couldn't recognize his family.
She picked up the school promotional page someone threw on the ground and saw a school "Henan Province Economic Management School", with a major in "decoration, interior design".
Difficulties: Can my sister go to school in Zhengzhou?
"That only changed her once 'if admitted, go to school; if not, work' thinking. The tender shoulders began to bear the heavy burden of the family, working while bringing up her younger sister and pursuing education."
At the age of 15, she found the village party secretary and contracted out her family's three mu of responsibility fields. "Good land costs 150 yuan a year, bad land costs 120 yuan a year."
She found a part-time job in a supermarket as a promoter, working on Saturdays and Sundays. In good cases, she could earn more than 40 yuan a day. This was their main source of income.
Now, she is just thinking "how can I find a school for my sister?"
She gnawed on a sweet potato at the school gate and said that she missed the lunchtime at the canteen and could only buy a two-yuan sweet potato to tide over.
Since childhood, she liked drawing and felt she had found the direction of her life. That was the first time she clearly thought about her future direction after her mother left.
She told her teacher simply about her family situation and her wish to study. And the reality of having no money.
For three days in Nanyang, when hungry, she bought a pancake simply. In the evening, she slept on a bench in the waiting hall of the train station.
Originally, Zhongzhou University wouldn't start classes until September 4th. On September 1st, she entrusted her sister temporarily to a neighbor and came to Zhengzhou. "First, I wanted to find a school for my sister, second, I wanted to ask the school if I could get a student loan."
"I can take my sister to eat, and my sister can stay with me at night. Besides studying, I will also work outside to earn our living expenses."
This summer, during her work, she personally found the director of the Civil Affairs Bureau of Dengzhou City and applied for low-income assistance for her family of three, "50 yuan per person per month, totaling 150 yuan."
Her biggest concern is how her sister can go to school in Zhengzhou.
Evening Paper reporters Wang Zhanlong and Yuan Shuai have never asked about their sisters, and even don't recognize them.
Her clothes were simple and clean. During the conversation, she often smiled and brushed away the occasional sadness on her face.
Until the end of that year's college entrance examination, a group of senior high school students also came to the computer school to study. During the break, they talked about which university to apply for. Luo Dengyu suddenly had a thought: why can't I go to college? "After going to college, I can find a good job and then provide for my sister's education. My sister won't suffer anymore."
"But the situation at home has changed, and so have my thoughts. I want to learn more knowledge and be better than others." Luo Dengyu said, "I must let my sister be like other little girls, go to school normally, and not worry about tuition and life like me."
Afterward, during normal times, she attended classes at the computer school, and her sister stayed alone in the dormitory drawing pictures. After school, she took her sister straight to the restaurant to help wash dishes and have a meal.
She is the first person in both sides of her parents' relatives to be admitted to college.
Until the end of the college entrance examination that year, a group of senior high school students also came to the computer school to study. During the break, they talked about which university to apply for. Luo Dengyu suddenly had a thought: why can't I go to college? "After going to college, I can find a good job and then provide for my sister's education. My sister won't suffer anymore."
"But the situation at home has changed, and so have my thoughts. I want to learn more knowledge and be better than others." Luo Dengyu said, "I must let my sister be like other little girls, go to school normally, and not worry about tuition and life like me."
Afterward, during normal times, she attended classes at the computer school, and her sister stayed alone in the dormitory drawing pictures. After school, she took her sister straight to the restaurant to help wash dishes and have a meal.
She is the first person in both sides of her parents' relatives to be admitted to college.
Luo Dengyu went to Dengzhou, a county not far from the village, hoping to find a job to support her family.
Actually, she had grown up the day her mother left.
Her goal was simple and clear: "I want to be stronger than others, learn more knowledge, go to college, and let my sister be like other little girls, go to school normally, and not worry about tuition and life like me."
In August 2010, she was admitted to the decoration design major at Zhongzhou University with a score of 490, ranking third in the entire school.
"On the second day of September, Henan Finance College, short sleeves paired with jeans, simple and clean.
On the first day of September, Luo Dengyu arrived in Zhengzhou and wandered around near Zhongzhou University. She found two primary schools, one public and one private, but "the results were not ideal."
Her father's illness did not improve after her mother's departure. He still often failed to recognize his children and threw everything out of the house.
"To attend a public primary school, a teacher in the office said that classes had been ongoing for two weeks, and the students were already full, making it impossible to enroll. Even if enrolled, one would have to start from the first grade. My sister is already nine years old and has finished the first grade, so how could she go back to the first grade? Private schools require an annual payment of 5000 yuan, which I cannot afford." Luo Dengyu was helpless. Luo Dengyu
On September 2nd, Henan Finance College, short sleeves paired with jeans, simple and clean.
Just arriving in Zhengzhou on September 1st, Luo Dengyu immediately wandered around near Zhongzhou University and found two primary schools, one public and one private, but "the results were not satisfactory."
With the help of her school teachers, her sister found a nearby primary school and was accepted for free education.