It took only a day and a half to get from Yangcheng to Zhancheng. After arriving in Zhancheng, they took a bus to Hongxian County and then took a tractor to Shangtang Village.
March in Beijing is still cold, but March in Zhancheng feels like summer, with scorching sun, hot and sunny.
As soon as the three got off the tractor, Song Ziyi saw a little girl dragging a bundle of firewood and moving forward with difficulty.
The little girl was dark, thin and small in stature, but judging from her facial features and movements, she should be about five or six years old.
It is heartbreaking to see such a young child struggling to move forward under such a scorching sun, dragging a large bundle of firewood that is not suitable for his age.
Song Ziyi quickly stepped forward and picked up the firewood the little girl was carrying. The little girl felt the weight in her hand lighten. Turning around, she saw her firewood being held by a big brother in military uniform. She was startled at first, then asked, "Do you want my firewood? You'll have to pay for it. Just a little money will do."
Song Ziyi weighed the firewood in his hand and asked, "Such a big bundle, only one pound of money?"
The little girl rolled her eyes and said immediately, "I was wrong. Five taels of silver."
Song Ziyi found it funny and stopped teasing her. "I don't want firewood. Where do you live? I'll get it back for you."
The little girl was a little disappointed, but soon became happy again. Even if the firewood was not sold, she would feel more relaxed with this big brother helping her to take it back home. She would have the strength to pick up another bundle of firewood in a few days. After a couple of days, she would ask Uncle Niu to take it to sell. When she had saved enough five dollars, she could send the firewood to her mother for medical treatment.
"Thank you, big brother. I live over there." The little girl pointed to a direction. At the edge of the village, about two hundred meters away from them, there was a medium-sized thatched hut.
"You live there?" Song Ziyi was surprised. The small thatched hut was the same as the cowshed where his parents lived in Heilongjiang Province.
The little girl nodded, "Yes, I live with my mother."
Song Ziyi asked: "Don't you have a house in the village?"
The little girl sighed like a little adult, "It used to be there, but now it's gone."
At this time, Ma Bomin and Xue Yuan came over and learned that Song Ziyi wanted to help the little girl take the firewood back home, so they agreed to go together.
Ma Bomin grew up in the village and was naturally familiar with the local conditions. When he saw the little girl asking for the straw hut over there, he said, "It seems we didn't have this straw hut before. Whose family are you from?"
The little girl was about to speak when she suddenly cried out "ouch" and lifted her foot to remove the stone that had bitten her foot. It was obviously painful and the girl's face wrinkled. However, she was strong and did not cry. She touched the stone a few times and it was fine.
Song Ziyi and the others discovered that the little girl was not wearing shoes and was barefoot. Her clothes were obviously too short and had many patches, which showed how poor her family was.
The little girl continued what she had just left unfinished, "I'm from the Ma family."
Ma Bomin smiled and said, "Most people in this village have the surname Ma. What are your parents' names?"
The little girl said, "I don't have a father. He died before I was born. My mother's name is Ma Xiaomei."
Ma Bomin froze as if struck by lightning.
He stared at the little girl. Her face was a little dirty and her features were hard to tell, but her eyes were similar to Xiaomei's.
She is Xiaomei's child. She said her father is dead, so—
"How old are you?" Ma Bomin asked in a trembling voice.
The little girl said, "I'm six years old. Uncle, what's wrong with you?"
Ma Bomin stared at the little girl, his eyes turned red and he opened his mouth but couldn't speak.
Song Ziyi reacted and asked hurriedly, "Uncle Ma, is this your daughter?"
Ma Bomin didn't know either, but he felt that this was his daughter.
At this time, a villager passed by and saw Ma Bomin. He was as surprised as if he had seen a ghost. "Oh my God, am I seeing things? You are Bomin? You are Bomin, right?"
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