"先生,您想要一份报纸吗?"
一个半身材的男孩,戴着一顶脏兮兮的鸭嘴帽,背着一个巨大的皮革单肩包,出现在西蒙面前.这个男孩看起来大约十一二岁.他有些期待地看着西蒙,打开他的挎包,露出里面的报纸.这些孩子属于各种"头条"管理小组,其中"头条"一词不是指报纸头条,而是指这些报童的经理.他们通过某些关系,手段或其他方式,牢牢控制了某些地区的手机报纸销售市场.只有他们的报童才能在这里卖报纸,其他人是不允许的.报摊不是这种安排的一部分.每天早上,他们都会聚集在报社外面,把机器还热的报纸装到手推车上,把它们拉回他们的"基地",分发给这些半大的孩子,然后把他们带到街上.每个孩子都有一个销售配额.如果他们低于这个配额,他们就会被殴打或挨饿.只有当他们超过这个标准时,他们才能享受食物,但没有任何奖励.福利机构和一些贫困家庭剥夺了他们的工作报酬.他们所要做的就是尽可能多地工作,以换取一个避风避雨的地方和两顿饭来维持生命.有些人可能认为这是地狱,但与那些生活在更绝望的深渊中的孩子相比,这些孩子就像在天堂一样.西蒙从口袋里掏出一张一元的钞票,选了两份报纸——当地的报纸每份五十美分,全国性的报纸每份一元.报童不停地感谢西蒙的光顾,甚至摘下帽子鞠躬.对于西蒙来说,一元钱买两份报纸可能是生活中不可避免的一部分,但对于这个孩子来说,这是他每天最渴望的救赎.孩子正要离开,却被西蒙叫了回来."先生,我还能为您做些什么吗?"半个大小的孩子问道.像他这样的孩子往往比那些家庭背景不错,还在上学的孩子更能适应社会.看着那张略显稚嫩却又已经是现实诱发的笑脸,西蒙觉得有些感慨.这是最糟糕的时代,但也是最好的时代.他问:"你想赚钱吗?孩子立刻点了点头,"做梦了,先生,但我不会做任何违法的事情.哪里有光明,哪里就有黑暗.光明越亮,黑暗越暗.相反,亮度可以使黑暗更加黑暗.有些人利用儿童卖报纸,但另一些人利用儿童从事犯罪活动.这些不是秘密谣言;在社会的繁荣发展中,每个人都被财富蒙蔽了双眼.只要能赚到钱,总会有人愿意做任何工作.西蒙摇了摇头,"你有九十七美分吗?虽然报童犹豫了一下,但他还是很快从口袋里掏出了九十七美分.他的口袋里有一些零钱,是报童在他们离开时安排的.这笔钱不属于他们;当他们回来时,管理层会计算它.如果有人输了或缺钱,他们将面临饥饿甚至殴打.这让孩子们对金钱非常敏感.看到孩子手里的九十七美分——全是硬币——西蒙又拿出一块钱,放在孩子的左手上,又从另一只手里拿走了九十七美分."先生,你还差三美分.我现在就帮你找..."报童以为西蒙想要改变.城市交通一般有10美分和25美分两种车票,一种是五公里以内,另一种是五公里以外.公共汽车和地铁都没有给零钱.如果你付了五十美分,他们会给你两张票,而不是一张票和零钱.西蒙阻止了报童的动作,重复了一遍,"你想赚钱吗?报童还没有反应过来.这种第一次的,坦诚的,坦诚的优势,让他有些不安.犹豫了一会儿后,他点了点头,说:"是的,先生,我梦见了.我想要!西蒙的脸上渐渐浮现出笑容,仿佛太阳刚刚升起.不刺眼,光线柔和,但能够撕裂黑暗,照亮整个天空!"你有九十七美分吗?"他又问.报童激动得浑身发抖,赶紧从口袋里掏出九十七美分,捧在手心里.他的脸涨得通红,表明他现在很兴奋,很紧张,很忐忑,还有点怀疑.他半透明的眼睛看着西蒙,看着眼前的这个家伙,想知道他要做什么.西蒙又掏出一块钱,放在报童的手里,又从另一只手里拿走了九十七美分.他半笑半笑,又问道:"你想赚钱吗?这时,报童激动得浑身发抖.他连连点头,掏出所有能凑齐九十七美分的零钱,说:"都在这里,先生..."西蒙数了数十二块钱,把它们放在报童的手里,把所有的零钱都放进了口袋里."看来这就是你所拥有的一切."报童有些兴奋.虽然他只从西蒙那里兑换了十四块钱的零钱,但现在他已经有了四十二美分的收入,几乎是一块钱的一半.如果他在这份工作上做得很好,他不会得到一分钱.管理层将把所有报酬交给福利机构.This newsboy grew up in the welfare institution. According to the institution, they should do something for the institution. After all, the institution had raised them, and there were no requirements for any returns.Generally speaking, once children exceeded ten years old without being adopted, the chances of being adopted later were very small. Except for some girls, they were adopted for other reasons and purposes.However, the welfare institution would not interfere too much. When children exceeded fourteen years old, they could refuse adoption. At the same time, after surpassing sixteen years old, they had to leave here and enter society alone.In other words, boys over ten years old were basically on the edge of the welfare institution. It was challenging to earn adoption subsidies and adoption donations from these children. They had to work.They had to use work to compensate for the institution's efforts to raise them over the years. Whether this was right or not didn't matter, because no one cared. Everyone's eyes were only focused on things related to their own interests.How to quickly integrate into society after being kicked out of the welfare institution and find a place to survive was the most troublesome thing for these children at the moment.If they could get some money before leaving, not too much, just enough to get through a short period, they might have a chance to survive.Simon's action of exchanging change made this child discover a bright path, just like what he had asked before – Do you want to make money?And his own answer – Dreaming of it!After keeping the money, the newsboy hesitated and asked, "Sir, will you be here tomorrow?"Simon nodded, "I'll be here before lunch. If I'm not here, I'll be here the next day," he tapped his wrist, "You have enough time