Chapter 44 Jinna buys her biological daughter's bone marrow for one million.
Chu Yanxi and Lu Zhe's fundraising plan did not progress smoothly in Jiangcheng in 2005.
The provincial newspaper published the report as scheduled. The article, titled "Tong Xiaobin, a Leukemia Patient: The Long Wait for a Bone Marrow Transplant," used simple language to depict the hardships that single mother Lin Rong endured to save her son and the enormous medical expenses she faced, appealing to society to lend a helping hand.
The report had a certain effect. In the days following its publication, the community workstation did receive some inquiries from concerned citizens and a few small donations sent through the post office, ranging from a few hundred to several tens of yuan. There were even pocket money sent by elementary school students with a note saying, "Go, Brother Xiaobin!"
These small acts of kindness are heartwarming, but they are undoubtedly a drop in the ocean compared to the hundreds of thousands of yuan needed for a transplant.
In 2005, the internet was far from widespread, let alone online fundraising. Charity relied mainly on appeals from traditional media and offline channels. Large public fundraising foundations had high thresholds, complex procedures, and long approval cycles, making them insufficient for individual cases like Xiaobin's, who urgently needed funds.
Donations from private enterprises largely depend on the personal goodwill and social responsibility of the business owners, and are usually limited in amount. Lu Zhe contacted several well-performing local companies, and after expressing their sympathy, most of them said they needed to "study it out" or "go through internal procedures." In the end, apart from the company that donated 10,000 yuan, only one small private enterprise was willing to donate 5,000 yuan, with the soft requirement of needing publicity attached.
This amount of money won't last long compared to the daily expenses for chemotherapy, checkups, and nutrition. Chu Yanxi and Lu Zhe had already used their savings, and now they were powerless to help.
The harsh reality put immense pressure on the two of them.
Meanwhile, the community work station began to show signs of dissatisfaction with Chu Yanxi's frequent trips out to help Lin Rong. That morning, Chu Yanxi had just finished making a round of phone calls seeking help for Xiao Bin when the work station director, a middle-aged woman surnamed Wang, called her into her office.
“Xiao Chu,” Station Chief Wang tapped the table, his tone carrying a hint of official jargon and a subtle nagging, “some colleagues have had complaints about your recent work performance. I know you have a kind heart and want to help that child with leukemia, and that’s a good intention. But you need to understand, you’re a community worker, not a philanthropist. Our community has thousands of households, and every family has its own difficulties. Lin Rong’s family isn’t the only one facing hardship. If you devote too much time and energy to her alone, how will you get your other work done? Other residents will complain when they come to you for help and can’t find you. Be mindful of the impact and find the right balance!”
Chu Yanxi tried to explain the special and urgent nature of Lin Rong's situation, but Station Chief Wang waved his hand, interrupting her: "Which family doesn't have special circumstances? We must adhere to principles and fairness! You can't take up a lot of public work time just because you sympathize with someone. How's the preparation of the records for next week's civilized district inspection? And have you followed up on the stability control work for several key petitioners? Xiao Chu, personal feelings cannot replace work discipline."
Emerging from the stationmaster's office, Chu Yanxi felt a lump in her throat. The rigid rules and egalitarian thinking within the system seemed particularly inflexible and cold in this emergency requiring special handling and concentrated resources. She understood the stationmaster's difficulties, but the sense of powerlessness bound by the system, and the questioning of "why he singled out Lin Rong," left her feeling incredibly stifled.
At noon, when no one was in the office, she dialed Lu Zhe's number.
"Hello?" Lu Zhe's voice came quickly, the background noise was a bit noisy, as if he was also out running around.
Chu Yanxi's voice carried a hint of undisguised fatigue and irritability: "It's me. I was just called in for a talk by the station manager. He said I've been running around too much lately because of Lin Rong, which is affecting my other work, and he told me to be careful about the impact."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Lu Zhe's gentle and steady voice: "As expected. That's how grassroots work is; it's all about finding a balance. Don't take it to heart. We'll just do what we think is right. Things aren't going too smoothly for me either. I visited two more companies, and their attitudes were ambiguous. News coverage is waning, and relying on sporadic donations from society is too slow."
Chu Yanxi leaned against the cold wall, her voice unconsciously carrying a hint of vulnerability: "Xiao Bin's next round of intensive chemotherapy is about to begin, and the cost will be even higher. We haven't heard anything from the bone marrow registry either. The little money we have won't last more than a few days."
Lu Zhe pondered for a moment and then said, "I'll go see my mother."
Chu Yanxi was slightly taken aback.
“She now runs a housekeeping company and has a certain level of financial resources and social connections. Moreover, she has experienced hardship herself, so she might be able to better understand Lin Rong’s pain and be willing to offer help,” Lu Zhe explained, his voice carrying a subtle, complex emotion.
It takes immense courage to face the world and his mother, who has completely forgotten him.
Chu Yanxi was silent for a few seconds, then agreed: "Okay, let's give it a try."
That afternoon, Lu Zhe made an appointment to visit Shen Jing through the publicly listed phone number of "Jing'an Household Services". He lied and said that he was a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and wanted to learn about the development of the household service industry. The meeting place was a quiet teahouse near the company.
When the silence appeared, Lu Zhe's heart skipped a beat.
The mother before him looked much younger than he remembered. She was in her early forties, dressed in a well-fitting business suit, with light makeup, and her demeanor was capable and elegant. Her eyes were bright and confident, making her a completely different person from the woman who cowered in Lu Youkun's shadow.
"Hello, Researcher Lu." She sat down with a calm smile, her attitude polite but distant.
Lu Zhe steadied himself and, as planned, asked some questions about the domestic service industry. He answered calmly and fluently, demonstrating the demeanor of a successful entrepreneur. After chatting for a while, Lu Zhe changed the subject, his tone becoming serious: "President Shen, actually, I have a personal matter to ask you for help with today."
He briefly described Lin Rong and Xiao Bin's situation, focusing on the critical condition of Xiao Bin's illness and the huge shortfall in medical expenses, as well as Lin Rong's helplessness and strength as a mother.
Listening quietly, the polite smile on her face gradually faded, her brows furrowed slightly, and genuine sympathy appeared in her eyes. She gently stirred the tea in her cup and sighed, "Alas, it's truly pitiful. This disease is a bottomless pit for children. Back then... I also went through a very difficult period, and I know that feeling of being utterly helpless."
Lu Zhe felt a pang of bitterness as he thought of his mother's suicide in his previous life and the domestic violence he suffered in the last world.
After a moment of quiet contemplation, he said, "How about this, I'll donate 20,000 yuan in my personal capacity. It's not much, but it's a small token of my appreciation. Also, I can post a call for help in our company's customer group to see if anyone is willing to lend a hand. Some of the families we serve are well-off, and the owners are kind-hearted. As for more... my capacity is limited. The company is just getting on track, and we need funds for many things."
Twenty thousand yuan was a considerable sum for Shen Jing's current financial situation, demonstrating her sincerity. Lu Zhe was filled with mixed emotions, including gratitude and a bittersweet feeling. He solemnly thanked her, "President Shen, thank you so much! On behalf of Lin Rong and Xiao Bin, thank you!"
She waved her hand calmly, her tone gentle yet distant: "Don't mention it, I'll help in any way I can. I hope the child recovers soon."
After saying that, she glanced at her watch: "I have a meeting in a bit, so I'll stop here for today?"
Lu Zhe knew it was time to say goodbye. He stood up, looked at his mother's familiar yet unfamiliar face, and finally simply reached out to shake her hand: "Thank you, President Shen. Take care of yourself."
He nodded calmly and politely: "You too, Researcher Lu."
Leaving the teahouse, Lu Zhe was filled with mixed emotions.
He received a donation of 20,000 yuan, which relieved his immediate crisis, but his mother's kind yet clear sense of boundaries made him realize that in this world, he was ultimately just a stranger.
The next day, Lu Zhe, carrying Shen Jing's donation of 20,000 yuan, arrived at the hospital with Chu Yanxi. They handed the money to Lin Rong and conveyed Shen Jing's greetings and their intention to mobilize customers to donate more.
Lin Rong held the thick envelope, her hands trembling violently, tears welling in her eyes, and repeatedly expressed her gratitude. However, when Chu Yanxi casually mentioned that the donation came from a successful female entrepreneur named Shen Jing, and briefly explained how Shen Jing overcame her difficulties and founded her own company, Lin Rong's eyes instantly changed.
“Chen Jing, President Chen, she’s truly remarkable.” Lin Rong repeated the name softly, her tone complex, a mixture of gratitude and a hint of barely perceptible… stinging pain.
In the afternoon, Shen Jing, carrying several thousand yuan in donations from her client group, visited Lin Rong and Xiao Bin at the hospital. She spoke gently, encouraging Lin Rong to be strong and saying that the difficulties were temporary. Sharing her own experiences of facing adversity and overcoming it step by step, she tried to give Lin Rong strength.
However, Chen Jing's quiet testimony, her elegant attire, her composed and confident demeanor, and the aura of a successful entrepreneur served as a clear mirror, reflecting Lin Rong's current state of disarray, helplessness, and despair. The gentler and more encouraging Chen Jing was, the more Lin Rong felt a profound sense of shame and inferiority.
—Look, others can climb out of the abyss and live a radiant life, so why am I so useless? I can't even save my son's life?
After seeing Shen Jing off, Lin Rong stayed alone in the restroom for a long time.
Looking at the haggard, pale woman with fine lines around her eyes in the mirror, and then recalling Chen Jing's well-maintained, vibrant face, a strong sense of self-loathing and resentment grew wildly in her heart.
Why is fate so unfair to her? Why can others meet benefactors and turn their lives around, while she can only sink deeper and deeper into the mire? The quiet glamour is like salt sprinkled on her already bleeding wounds.
As Lin Rong stepped out of the restroom, she bumped into several people at the corner of the corridor leading to the hematology ward. She instinctively tried to duck to avoid them, but a sharp, familiar voice froze her in place.
"Oh dear, slow down, slow down! Don't bump into Jinna. She's going to donate bone marrow to Jinbao, she can't afford to get hurt!"
The speaker was Jinbao's mother, Li Chunjuan. Today, she was wearing a brand-new fuchsia cashmere dress and a bright gold chain around her neck. Standing next to her was a girl who looked about thirteen or fourteen years old, with a pale face, delicate features, and a timid expression.
The girl was very thin, wearing a worn-out cotton-padded jacket, a stark contrast to Li Chunjuan's glittering jewelry. Beside the girl stood a middle-aged woman, simply dressed, with a haggard face and features somewhat similar to the girl's, looking at her daughter with concern and her lips tightly pressed together.
Leading the way was Wang Fugui, his belly protruding and his head held high. Clutching several test reports, he impatiently turned back and urged, "What are you dawdling for! Hurry up, the director is waiting for the results! Jin Na, hurry up, don't delay things!"
The girl called Nana seemed to flinch slightly and whispered, "Okay, Dad."
Lin Rong instantly understood. This girl was Jin Bao's half-sister, the daughter of Wang Fugui and his ex-wife, and the bone marrow donor who was a perfect match for Jin Bao and was about to donate. The haggard woman beside her was clearly Wang Fugui's ex-wife, the girl's biological mother.
Just as the two groups were about to pass each other, Wang Fugui's ex-wife, Zhou Yumei, tripped because she was distracted. The simple cloth bag she was carrying, containing an old water cup and a towel, fell to the ground, scattering the contents.
"Mom!" The girl, Jinna, quickly bent down to pick it up.
"Oh dear, she's so clumsy, doesn't she know where she's going?" Li Chunjuan exaggeratedly jumped to the side and complained in a shrill voice, "Wang Fugui, look, I told you not to let her come along and cause trouble. We could have just brought Jinna along, couldn't we? She had to come along and just delay things."
Wang Fugui frowned, glared at his ex-wife with disgust: "Zhou Yumei, can't you be a little more careful! Jin Na is going through a critical period right now, can't you be more responsible? If anything goes wrong, let me tell you, you can't have that money!"
Zhou Yumei's face turned even paler. She hurriedly squatted down to tidy up, her hands trembling, and she apologized in a low voice, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."
Lin Rong stood a few steps away, taking in the entire scene.
She looked at the girl named Jinna, who was only twelve or thirteen years old, yet she was going to donate bone marrow for her half-brother who was spoiled rotten.
She looked at the woman named Zhou Yumei, who, like herself, was a mother whose luster had been worn down by life. At this moment, in front of the glamorous mistress and the heartless ex-husband, she was as humble as a speck of dust.
Just then, Li Chunjuan, perhaps to show off in front of outsiders, or perhaps simply to humiliate her ex-wife, deliberately raised her voice and addressed Zhou Yumei, but said it so that the passing nurses and others could hear: "Sister Yumei, don't feel wronged. We had an agreement: Nana will donate bone marrow to Jinbao, and Fugui will give you this amount in one lump sum."
She held up one finger and waved it smugly. "One million! That's enough for you and your daughter to live a good life. Don't you think about how much you can earn sweeping the streets? Does Nana's education not cost money? You won't find a better deal than one million even if you searched with a lantern. Besides, it's just donating bone marrow, it won't kill you. The doctor said she'll recover with some rest. You've really gotten a great deal!"
Zhou Yumei lowered her head even further, clutching the old water glass she had just picked up tightly, her knuckles white, her lips moving but unable to utter a single word in rebuttal.
One million.
This number was indeed astronomical for Zhou Yumei, enough to lift her and her daughter out of their current predicament and give her daughter a slightly better future. However, looking at her daughter's pale face, and thinking about the suffering and potential risks of donating bone marrow, her heart felt like it was being fried in oil. She knew Wang Fugui and Li Chunjuan were shameless, using money to buy her daughter's bone marrow, but what could she do? She was powerless to protect her daughter…
Jinna gently tugged at her mother's sleeve and whispered, "Mom, I'm okay. I'm willing to donate. If I donate, my brother will get better, and we...we'll have money too." The girl's voice was soft, but it carried a maturity and resignation beyond her years.
"Listen to this, an adult isn't as sensible as a child." Li Chunjuan immediately beamed and reached out to touch Jinna's head, but the girl slightly turned her head away. She didn't mind and turned to Wang Fugui, "Honey, they are siblings after all. When Jinbao gets better, we must thank his sister properly."
Wang Fugui snorted, which was taken as tacit agreement, and urged, "Stop talking nonsense and let's go."
Watching the large family walk towards the director's office, Lin Rong stood there like a stone statue, her whole body ice-cold.
One million... to buy bone marrow from my own daughter.
Her son, on the other hand, couldn't even scrape together the hundreds of thousands of yuan needed for his life-saving treatment, and could only rely on charity, waiting for a slim hope.
Wang Fugui's face, which solves everything with money and treats his ex-wife and daughter like dirt; Li Chunjuan's smug and mean-spirited manner, showing off by stepping on others' sore spots; Zhou Yumei's humiliation and helplessness in being forced to sell her daughter's health for money; Jin Na's maturity and paleness in having to sacrifice for her family at such a young age... All of this is like a carefully orchestrated, bloody satire playing out before her.
She herself was the most pathetic audience member, unable to even afford a ticket, forced to watch helplessly from a cold, dark corner as others manipulated their fate with money.
Her son, however, didn't even have the basic means to survive.
Why should I?!
Why can they so brazenly trample on others, buy their lives with money, and then put on a condescending attitude?
Why should her son have to endure the torment of illness and struggle between life and death, while their son can easily obtain everything, including his sister's bone marrow?
Why is it that in this world, money can buy anything, while poor people like her have to kneel down and beg for even the most basic rights to survival and medical treatment?
The long-suppressed negative emotions, a mixture of despair, resentment, anger, and jealousy, erupted like a flame doused with hot oil, instantly consuming all of Lin Rong's reason.
The sting of quiet success, the difficulties of community work, the struggle to raise funds, Xiao Bin's increasingly frail appearance... all of these things, under the contrast of this extreme injustice, became fuel.
Kidnapping Jinbao!
Demand their money! Demand one million! Make them spit out all the money they've swallowed! No, make them spit it out double! Make them kneel before you, begging as humbly as Zhou Yumei!
Even if they beg, Jinbao must not be let off the hook. Those two scoundrels must taste the agony of losing a son!
This crazy idea was no longer a vague shadow, but had become a clear, concrete, and alluring plan.
Lin Rong's gaze involuntarily followed the direction of Jinbao's ward. Her eyes were icy, like a mother wolf eyeing her prey in a desperate situation. She began to calmly calculate the distance, the timing, the obstacles she might encounter at each step, and the solutions...
These subtle yet dangerous changes did not escape the eyes of Chu Yanxi, who happened to be there to discuss the next steps of the fundraising plan. Standing at the top of the stairs not far away, she watched Lin Rong's stiff back and her suddenly unusual gaze, and alarm bells rang in her heart.
Lin Rong's psychological defenses are crumbling rapidly under the stark, brutal contrast of reality, plunging her into a dangerous abyss. If the resentment and despair in her heart, capable of destroying everything, cannot be resolved, if she cannot see a way out other than mutual destruction, then even if enough money is raised for the surgery, the tragedy may still unfold in an even more devastating way.
How can we both save Xiaobin's life and stop Lin Rong from sliding into a life of crime?
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