Guo Aiping and Chen Jun, in the face of difficulties, the couple have stood by each other.
Happiness
"He is still alive, he can still talk to me, I am very content with that." For happiness, Guo Aiping has very low requirements: her life cannot be without Chen Jun.
Seventeen years ago, they were an envied couple in the same class at Northeastern University of Finance and Economics, as loving as honey.
In 1993, the poor young man from Xiaogan, Chen Jun, was admitted into the undergraduate program for Business Management at Northeastern University of Finance and Economics. Guo Aiping was his classmate. She was beautiful, sincere, and admired by many boys in the class. In 1994, Guo Aiping suddenly contracted a contagious case of measles. Without hesitation, Chen Jun carried her to the hospital for treatment, winning her heart.
In the year 2000, due to traffic blocking their wedding car in the neighborhood, Guo Aiping, dressed in her wedding gown, took a taxi herself, so eager to marry Chen Jun. He promised: "Wife, we will change to a bigger house in five years, and drive a small car ten years later."
Despair
After eating breakfast, Guo Aiping started doing housework, mopping the floor, washing dishes... Chen Jun lay on the sofa, staring at his wife motionlessly.
"Can you help me do something?" Since Chen Jun became ill, the naturally gentle Guo Aiping's temper had become increasingly worse.
Seeing his wife upset, Chen Jun shakily got up, discount sunglasses in hand, and started sweeping the floor. Before he could sweep three times, Guo Aiping stopped him: "Forget it, forget it, just rest." She snatched the broom away.
In 2003, Chen Jun, who was the general manager of a company in Wuhan, was diagnosed with a serious illness. The next year, Professor Gui Xien from Central South Hospital confirmed that he had a rare terminal disease — primary sclerosing cholangitis. There are less than 100 confirmed cases of this disease in China, and from onset to liver failure, it usually only takes three to five years.
Guo Aiping still remembers that dark day clearly, "At that time, my mind went blank, my eyes went black, I cried all day."
Chen Jun's collapse plunged Guo Aiping into despair. Countless nights, Guo Aiping told herself: one day, he will walk ahead of me, don't cry, don't be afraid of loneliness. But, tears always flowed uncontrollably.
"We have lived together for 17 years, my life cannot be without him."
Rescue
By the end of 2004, Chen Jun's condition worsened daily.
"I'll give him half of my liver." At Tongji Hospital, Guo Aiping was desperate to save her husband.
At the time, the doctors at Tongji Hospital kindly warned her: "This disease cannot be cured, continuing treatment will not only drag you down, but also drag down your family and his family." At one point, Chen Jun refused further treatment, as the disease had already depleted their savings, "I don't want to drag her into an abyss."
Once, Chen Jun fainted in the bathroom. Although she had made the worst-case scenario mentally, when it really happened, she couldn't face it. "I thought he was really dead, ignoring me forever." Her heart-wrenching cries made her realize how much she couldn't bear to lose Chen Jun.
Guo Aiping didn't want to give up, but deep down, she knew: her rescue might lead to a fatal outcome like a moth flying into fire.
On January 9, 2005, Chen Jun prepared for a liver transplant, costing 200,000 yuan. Guo Aiping raised the money alone. Family, classmates, and friends helped generously. Finally, she sold their own home to a university classmate.
Guo Aiping's hair turned almost entirely white overnight, those days were spent in torment.
Torture
The real difficulties began after the surgery.
"His immunity is weak, in summer, he can't get too hot or too cold, air conditioning can't be used, I have to fan him through the night, unable to sleep."
What troubled Guo Aiping most was the lack of funds. In the first year after Chen Jun's surgery, he needed imported medicine and a biliary stent replacement, with monthly medical expenses reaching over 20,000 yuan. "I've spent over 200,000 yuan, barely saving him, it's impossible to give up now." From the first month after Chen Jun's surgery, Guo Aiping pondered every day - where would tomorrow's medical fees for Chen Jun come from?
With a thick face, Guo Aiping again sought help from family and friends, "Even if it's just a few dozen yuan, I'll borrow it."
Some friends and relatives once advised Guo Aiping to remarry, "When will this end? You've done your best, you should think about your own future." To date, she has spent nearly 500,000 yuan.
On March 26, according to the scheduled date, Guo Aiping was supposed to take Chen Jun to Tianjin to replace the biliary stent. But by March 25, Guo Aiping only had 2,000 yuan in hand, far from the more than 20,000 yuan required for the operation.
Recently, Chen Jun's urine has turned coffee-colored, and surgical treatment has become urgent. To save money for Chen Jun's treatment, Guo Aiping hasn't bought clothes for eight years, living on steamed buns. Due to the inability to bear more economic pressure, the 38-year-old Guo Aiping abandoned having children, giving up the opportunity to be a mother.
Hope
Fortunately, under Guo Aiping's careful care for many years, Chen Jun's recovery has generally stabilized. "Now, the biliary stent needs to be replaced every three months; if treated well, it can be replaced every six months or a year." Chen Jun hopes that when his condition improves a bit more, he can start working and earning money.
In 2007, Chen Jun enrolled in Wuhan's medical insurance, significantly reducing the cost of subsequent treatments. Guo Aiping said that many classmates and friends have been quietly sponsoring them. Although the house changed hands, the classmate still lent them the house rent-free.
Currently, Guo Aiping, who has been unemployed for two years, is actively looking for work. She hopes to find a suitable job near Nanhua Lake, which would make it convenient to return home and take care of Chen Jun.
What continues to trouble Guo Aiping is the debt of over 200,000 yuan, "I believe, as long as I live, nba jerseys, these monies must eventually be repaid to everyone."
Regarding life, Chen Jun remains calm, "For someone with my condition, the longest survival after surgery is 13 years, generally 5 to 8 years, now I've survived for 6 years, it's a bonus."
But Guo Aiping dreams that Chen Jun will create a miracle in life, holding her hand until they reach the age of 60.
Reported by journalist Zhang Yongjun, intern Zhang Zehang, and correspondents Cheng Guirong, Wei Yunxuan, Liu Ling
At 7 o'clock in the morning on March 25, Guo Aiping opened her eyes and counted twice the 2,000 yuan in her pocket. She was worried: tomorrow's hospitalization fee still requires 20,000 yuan, but all possible loans have been exhausted.
In the toilet, Chen Jun's urine had already turned dark coffee color. His complexion was sallow, and he felt weak all over, requiring immediate surgical treatment.
Helplessness and despair surged towards Guo Aiping like a flood. She got up, slowly went downstairs, and hid in a corner of the neighborhood, sobbing. At 38 years old, her hair was already gray.
In the Songtao Garden community of Nanhua Lake, Wuchang, the story of this devoted wife who saved her husband for eight years moved many deeply. Over the past eight years, she sold her house and incurred debts to help her husband undergo a liver transplant and regain life. Over the past eight years, she has never left her husband's side.
Despite all this, Chen Jun's life still counts down... (Editor: SN021)
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