From Aunt Ge’s intermittent sobbing, Tu Hengsha gleaned that Ge Yun could no longer endure such hopeless and bitter days. She had beco involved with another man and planned to take her child and leave with him. Such situations had occasionally arisen in the village before, because once n contracted pneumoconiosis, most of them were rendered inhumane. Many suffered and beca akin to covert mistresses, whether they were known to others or not. Previously, it was like watching the excitent in other families. When other families discovered the illness in their n, they secretly felt relieved if it wasn’t affecting them directly. However, it seed that fate spared no one.
Fortunately, Aunt Ge’s household situation was slightly better. Ge Yun’s brother, Ge Zhuang, had second-stage pneumoconiosis and was actively cooperating with the treatnt. Uncle Ge was still relatively healthy and could work in the fields, and Ge Zhuang’s wife was earning a decent inco working in the county, as long as there was so money left at ho, and people were alive, there was still hope.
Aunt Ge left in tears, thanking her for her hospitality.
Tu Hengsha felt heavy-hearted and continued her visits throughout the afternoon. She roughly estimated that about half of the n in the village were sick, while the other half either hadn’t worked in the mines or hadn’t been there long. Now, everyone turned pale at the ntion of the mines.
Tu Hengsha also t quite a few patients, who mostly showed typical characteristics of physical laborers—dark-skinned and rough-looking. However, they no longer possessed the robustness of those fit for physical labor; all that was left were frail husks.
So of them were gasping for air, so groaning while clutching their chests, so coughing incessantly, and so sat in the sunlight at their doorsteps, idly trying to catch the rays with their fingers, unresponsive to family mbers calling them...
She also t Ge Yun’s brother, Ge Zhuang. When she arrived at the Ge Family ho, Ge Zhuang was coughing and eventually coughed up blood, the shocking crimson color striking to behold.
But Ge Zhuang was optimistic. Hearing about the morning’s events from Aunt Ge, he even smiled at her gratefully for speaking up for his sister, "Life isn’t easy for the n in our village, and it’s even harder for the won."
A simple phrase, "It’s not easy," those light three words, yet they fully expressed the human suffering.
Tu Hengsha could empathize sowhat with the pain of their illness, having suffered similar ailnts herself for many years. Yet, her experiences couldn’t compare to theirs.
She revealed her identity as a journalist, and though she had no credentials on her, the villagers were simple folk; when she spoke, they believed her.
"A journalist? That’s great!" Ge Zhuang’s eyes sparkled, "Please, we need you journalists to report this properly! Everyone...says we’ve got this disease! The mines must take responsibility! They should compensate us... But...the mine operators refuse to pay! Those who went to demand compensation... even widows and orphans were beaten! My mother... my mother was injured!"
Ge Zhuang was already breathless, and speaking so much in one go nearly made him faint.
"Ah! A forearm can’t twist a thigh!" Aunt Ge sighed while helping her son breathe, "This mine is run by relatives of the village chief! Of course, they have the final say!"
He struggled to breathe and forced out, "She is...a journalist...help... speak for us..."
Aunt Ge looked at her with tearful eyes, "My dear, you must help us seek justice..."
Listening to these heartfelt words, Tu Hengsha choked up.
"I will thoroughly investigate and try my best to speak up for you!" She turned off her recorder, and with Ge Zhuang’s permission, used her phone to take several photos, "You must never give up hope. Focus on getting better!"
"We will! Lingling...it’s hard..." Ge Zhuang said.
Wiping her tears, Aunt Ge added, "Lingling is my daughter-in-law, she works in the county to earn money for his treatnt. He feels sorry to see his wife working so hard, eager to recover and lighten her burden."
Ge Zhuang nodded vigorously.
"If the mine could provide so compensation, my daughter-in-law wouldn’t have to work so hard..." sighed Aunt Ge.
Reviews
All reviews (0)