A promise made 16 years ago

An old woman scavenges for trash and raises an abandoned baby

Grandma Zeng carefully takes care of Xiaoxia in the ward

Grandma Zeng's house is full of things she picked up from scavenging

A touching story similar to the TV series "The Wrong Car"

Continued in Guixi Town, Dianjiang County

On the streets near Yingchun Bridge in Guixi Town, Dianjiang County, no matter it's sunny or rainy, every day there is a hunched old man, holding a black bag and hunching over, searching through trash cans one by one, searching for cartons, plastic bottles and other trash that can be sold for money.

She is well-dressed, has two children, and at the age of 78, she should have been enjoying her old age at home. Why does she go out to pick up trash every day despite her children's opposition?

"Don't underestimate these garbage. A plastic bottle can be sold for 10 cents. A little bit adds up to a lot." Everyone around knows that the old man is Zeng Xianhua. He picked up garbage for a promise made 16 years ago.

What is going on?

Garbage Granny

In the rain and fog, a hunched old woman is looking for a garbage can

Yesterday at 12:20 noon, it was foggy and rainy. Just as everyone was enjoying a hot lunch, a staggering old woman appeared near Yingchun Bridge in Guixi Town in the light rain, carrying a black plastic bag.

Holding the "trophy" in her left hand: an empty plastic oil drum, a few cardboard boxes, and a black plastic bag full of empty beverage bottles, the old woman looked around, and suddenly her eyes lit up and she walked straight to the roadside garbage can.

She picked up a beverage bottle on top of a trash can, took off the bottle cap and poured out the liquid inside, then skillfully put it into a black plastic bag, then bent down to look into the trash can, reached into the trash can with her right hand and dug for a long time, and took out a small piece of cardboard.

She opened the black plastic bag and counted the number of empty bottles. There were 13 in total. The old man seemed dissatisfied with the harvest and continued to walk towards an old residential area. There is a trash can in front of every household here, which is almost full of leftovers and other household garbage. The old man walked around for a long time but didn't get anything.

Finally, he found a cardboard box next to a laundry trough on the side of the road. As if he was afraid that someone would get there first, the old man quickly stepped forward, bent down, picked up the cardboard box, opened it, flattened it, and tucked it under his left armpit.

"Grandma Zeng, business is not good today, so I only found this little." "Yes, I came out late today, and others picked it up." The old woman's name is Zeng Xianhua. The residents on the street are very familiar with her, and people greet her wherever she goes.

For 16 years, a touching story like the TV series "Taking the Wrong Car" has been circulating here. This story starts with Grandma Zeng picking up garbage.

Grandma and grandson halfway

They are not related by blood, but have lived together for 16 years

Grandma Zeng lives at No. 185 Yingchun Bridge, Guixi Town, across a small alley, in an old 5-story building. Grandma Zeng lives in a 20-square-meter one-bedroom and one-living room on the ground floor. Many cardboard boxes are piled high by the window of the living room, blocking the light. A bed is placed on the other side of the living room, which looks very crowded.

There is also a bed in the inner room. Although the furnishings are simple, they look orderly. The most valuable things in this family are an old TV bought for 100 yuan three years ago and an electric fan given by someone else.

"If I sell these waste products, I can buy some meat for my granddaughter to supplement her body." Grandma Zeng said while sorting out the cardboard boxes and plastic bottles she picked up.

The granddaughter mentioned by Grandma Zeng is called Xiaoxia. The neighbors all know that this child has no blood relationship with her.

Grandma Zeng originally had 6 children. The son and daughter-in-law of the eldest daughter are both deaf and dumb, the husband of the second daughter is dumb, and the 4 sons are in the countryside. More than 20 years ago, Grandma Zeng went to Dianjiang County to work as a nanny and take care of children. One day 16 years ago, an acquaintance came to her with a newborn baby girl and hoped that she would help take care of the child. This child was Xiaoxia.

Grandma Zeng told reporters that the person who brought the child was called Li Zhongming (sound), who worked as a barefoot doctor in Gao'an Town. Due to the opposition of her family, she had no choice but to give the abandoned baby she found to Granny Zeng for raising. Li Zhongming paid 140 yuan of living expenses every month. "He is also doing good things. The child is pitiful. Doesn't he care?" "I will help you take care of it!" Granny Zeng said that she readily agreed at the time. Unexpectedly, for this promise, she began to depend on Xiaoxia for 16 years. She said that Li Zhongming initially agreed to 140 yuan of living expenses per month, but later it was sometimes not, and then Li Zhongming's family moved away.

Several children are not well off. Granny Zeng has always lived a self-sufficient life. Now there is a "granddaughter" out of thin air, which makes the already difficult life even more stretched. Granny Zeng began to pick up garbage and sell it to supplement the family income, and she has been picking up garbage for 16 years.

"When she heard other grandchildren call me grandma, she also called me grandma." Granny Zeng said that Xiaoxia has lived with her for 16 years and has become an inseparable family.

Sensible girl

A child without a mother is like a grass, and her "grandmother" supports a family for her

Grandma Zeng said that Xiaoxia grew up slowly and reached the age of primary school. Suddenly one day, Xiaoxia ran home crying. After repeated questioning, it was learned that Xiaoxia was bullied by classmates at school.

"The child is ignorant, and people often say that she was picked up and that she has no parents." When talking about this, Grandma Zeng's eyes were full of tears. After that, Grandma Zeng picked up Xiaoxia from school every day and persisted for seven or eight years. "Although she has no parents, she has me as her grandmother." Grandma Zeng said.

Grandma Zeng received more than 200 yuan in subsistence allowances every month, plus the money from selling waste, the monthly living expenses of the grandmother and grandson were only 300 to 400 yuan.

Grandma Zeng quietly told the reporter that they only spend about 100 yuan a month on food and have to save about 200 yuan a month. "Sometimes you have to pay for materials or books for studying, and you have to buy her some meat." Grandma Zeng said that Xiaoxia loves to eat twice-cooked pork.

In the eyes of Grandma Zeng, Xiaoxia is very simple and sensible. She never asks for anything. All her clothes are given by neighbors and relatives. After finishing her homework, Xiaoxia always takes the initiative to help with housework, and collects empty plastic bottles to take home in her spare time.

Misfortune comes

A girl with good grades has a cyst on the arachnoid membrane of her brain

Xiaoxia cherishes her life very much and studies very seriously. She was admitted to the third middle school of Dianjiang County with a score of 615 in the high school entrance examination. The god of fate still seems to have not favored this ill-fated child.

On February 3 last year, Xiaoxia suddenly had a fever. Grandma Zeng took Xiaoxia to the People's Hospital of Dianjiang County for examination. The doctor suspected that Xiaoxia had something growing in her brain. On February 5, Grandma Zeng and her family took Xiaoxia to the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University for a follow-up examination. The doctor diagnosed her with arachnoid cysts. The surgery would cost more than 100,000 yuan, and the risk was high. Without the surgery, she could only live for a few years at most.

Grandma Zeng could not afford the high cost of the surgery. After returning home, Xiaoxia's illness became more and more frequent. "It would be great if I could bear it for her, but every time I can only sit beside her and accompany her." Grandma Zeng's eyes were full of tears.

Grandma Zeng had to go through the procedures for Xiaoxia to take a leave of absence and let her rest at home. In order to alleviate Xiaoxia's pain, Grandma Zeng sought medical treatment everywhere and asked her acquaintances to find an acupuncture master with a good reputation to give Xiaoxia acupuncture. The effect was very good. After a few days, Xiaoxia's condition was relieved and she no longer had convulsions. After learning about Xiaoxia's situation, the acupuncture master waived the cost of acupuncture, but surgery was the only way to cure Xiaoxia.

Love relay

Good-hearted people donated more than 60,000 yuan, and the hospital waived the cost of the surgery

In September this year, after an enthusiastic citizen learned about Xiaoxia's situation, she posted her story online. The Dianjiang Forum website took the lead in organizing a charity donation activity for Xiaoxia, and raised more than 60,000 yuan in charity funds in less than a month. After communication, Dianjiang County Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital accepted Xiaoxia.

On October 16, Xiaoxia was pushed into the operating room. After an 8-hour craniotomy, the cyst in Xiaoxia's brain was successfully removed. Yesterday afternoon, the reporter came to the 22nd bed of the neurosurgery department on the 14th floor of the inpatient department of Dianjiang County Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital and saw Xiaoxia who was in the recovery period.

Wearing a cotton hat, Xiaoxia on the bed kept shouting in pain. Grandma Zeng hurriedly sat down by the bed, holding Xiaoxia's right hand with both hands, and comforted her softly. Perhaps it was because her grandmother felt safe around her that Xiaoxia slowly fell asleep.

Grandma Zeng said that now she and her second daughter take turns to take care of Xiaoxia. Although there are kind people who care about her, Grandma Zeng feels that people should not always trouble others. After Xiaoxia was hospitalized, Grandma Zeng could only use her lunch time to go out and pick up waste.

The reporter learned from the publicity department of Dianjiang Chinese Medicine Hospital that Xiaoxia's operation was relatively successful and she is currently recovering well. The hospital not only organized employees to donate money for her, but also reduced her surgery costs and later rehabilitation costs.

She is a kind-hearted person

Even wild cats need to be taken care of

Raising a child who is not related by blood for 16 years, Grandma Zeng admitted that her family more or less did not understand.

Grandma Zeng's granddaughter Li Xiaomei told reporters that she admired her grandmother for raising Xiaoxia. Her child is about the same age as Xiaoxia. As a mother, she would think of her own child whenever she saw Xiaoxia.

"The family is most worried about her health. She is so old, what if she falls down while picking up trash?" Li Xiaomei told reporters that some kind-hearted people saw her grandmother's hard work and advised her to send Xiaoxia to a family with better conditions to raise her. The grandmother always said: "What if the other family has a bad temper or treats her badly?" In the eyes of the grandmother, Xiaoxia is no different from her own child.

Li Xiaomei said that her grandmother is a kind-hearted person. When she sees the stray cats outside with hungry stomachs, she will pick up some leftovers to feed the cats. Over time, these stray cats will come to her house on time when it is time for meals.

Plastic Industry Video