Revisiting

Zong Minna and Du Qianglong are both recipients of Care Action Macao's support. I am familiar with their special financial circumstances through regular updates. On February 16th, I heard the news that Zong Minna's mother had returned from chemotherapy in Lanzhou. I went to visit them at their rented house and learned that the primary cancer had spread to her brain, causing headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. I encouraged her to focus on her two daughters who are attending university and her son who is serving in the military, and to be a strong presence for them. I reminded her that once she recovers, she will have the joy of holding her grandchildren. With tears in her eyes, she smiled and expressed her fear of not being able to wait for that moment. I reassured her that it is entirely possible. Recently, she returned from another round of chemotherapy, and her condition has improved significantly.

On March 14th, I heard that Du Qianglong's grandmother had been discharged from the hospital and returned home. I went to visit her and upon arriving, I noticed that the tidy living room had no sofas, tables, or decorations. There was only a single bed, clearly meant for sitting and sleeping casually. It was evident that the government housing had indeed been allocated to the targeted poverty alleviation households. The situation in the bedroom shocked me. How could she be back in bed right after being discharged? Upon inquiry, I learned that the elderly grandmother had slipped and injured her hip bone near the bathroom. An 86-year-old person cannot withstand such an accident, and her face was worn out as she groaned in pain.

Her son and daughter-in-law had initially planned to leave her in the county town for easier care, but an unexpected incident occurred. Within this minimally furnished government housing, Du Qianglong, who had already graduated from university, had emerged, and his sister was preparing to enter the threshold of higher education. The modestly furnished building harbored the hopes and future of the family, also reflecting the essence of valuing education, filial piety, and caring for the elderly and young.

On March 18th, at 7 o'clock in the morning, accompanied by Zong Minna's father, I departed from Huining. After a two-hour journey, we arrived at Zhongwan Village. We didn't have time to linger at home and immediately went to Du Qianglong's house. The waiting time was not long, and Du Qianglong's mother, covered in dust from planting garlic, came back. She led us into the courtyard, with walls and yards made of earth and a house with an earthen kang bed, reminiscent of the last century. This is the foundation of Du Qianglong's family's life development. The rich yellow soil here has nurtured generations for over a hundred years and now nurtures descendants toward happiness.

Subsequently, we visited Zong Minna's house. The front gate was overgrown with dense weeds, indicating that it had not been inhabited for a long time. The earthen kang in the house was exposed, and some roof tiles were broken. I asked if they needed renovation, and Zong Minna's father said not for now. His wife needed long-term chemotherapy, and it was inconvenient to live here as they couldn't even find transportation when emergencies occurred. They had already applied for low-income housing from higher authorities, and it is estimated that next year they will move to a government housing in Head Village Town. The living conditions of Zong Minna's family will soon undergo a significant improvement, bidding farewell to the rented house they had lived in for over a decade while supporting three university students.