The saying goes, "In the face of death, one's words are always good." I originally thought that Shi Dashan had repented, but I didn't expect him to remain stubborn and unrepentant, refusing to change his ways even on his deathbed.
"Do you have any money? Give me another 300 yuan before I go."
As soon as these words were spoken, both Shi Jingxia and her mother burst into tears, turning their faces away without saying a word.
Struggling with all his might, Shi Dashan tried several times to lift his head, but ultimately lacked the strength to do so.
"I'm in so much pain. Please give me 300 yuan. I beg you."
As a day of kindness between husband and wife, Shi's mother finally relented.
Shaking her head, sighing, tears streaming down her face, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a rolled-up bag of Qiangqiang brand laundry detergent. With rough hands, she unfolded it and took out a bundle of banknotes, throwing it onto Shi Dashan's face.
"Shopkeeper, you're not human."
With the money in hand, Shi Dashan's eyes lit up. Rolling off the bed, he stumbled out into the night.
Regardless of what Shi Dashan had done, he was Shi Jingxia's biological father. Thousands of years of ethical norms prevented Shi Jingxia from standing idly by, because while a father may not be kind, a child cannot be unfilial.
Shi Jingxia wanted to go out to find Shi Dashan, but I stopped her, saying, "You stay at home, I'll go find him."
"He's my dad. I want to go."
"It's too cold outside, and your wounds aren't fully healed yet. Let me go. Don't worry, I'll bring Uncle back for you."
It was very late at night, and the wind was blowing. There were few people on the road. I chased Shi Dashan's rented house.
The door was locked, and it was pitch black inside. I knocked on the door, but there was no answer. I didn't know where he had gone, so I could only sit at the door and wait for him. The weather was very cold, and my hands and feet were numb from the cold.
The distant sound of a clock rang out. It was just past midnight, and not far away, there was a barking of dogs. Following the sound, by the dim light of the street lamp, I saw a person lying on the roadside, surrounded by several stray dogs barking incessantly.
Running over to take a look, it turned out to be Shi Dashan. I didn't know when he had fallen here. There was already a layer of frost on his body, his hair and beard were all white, and his face was bruised.
However, he was tightly holding a syringe in his hand, and the needle tip gleamed with a cold light. I hurriedly picked up Shi Dashan, who was almost frozen into an ice stick, and carried him back.
"Uncle, wake up. It's me, Xiaodu."
Shi Dashan slowly regained consciousness, but his eyes kept staring at the table. There was something covered with a white cloth on it, hiding its true appearance.
I uncovered the white cloth, revealing the object inside. It almost blinded my titanium alloy dog eyes. It was the jade beauty.
The jade beauty was about thirty centimeters tall, made of top-quality white jade, exquisitely crafted, natural and elegant, with a noble and luxurious aura.
However, half of the jade beauty's face was red, which was very eye-catching and made people's hearts tremble. I couldn't help but think of that nightmare-like night, when Shi Jingxia's blood had stained the jade beauty's face red.
"Hurry, give it to me."
I handed the jade beauty to Shi Dashan, but his hands had already stiffened, and his fingertips had begun to necrotize and turn black, making it impossible to grasp it. In the end, he simply held it with his arms.
Shi Dashan's mouth moved slightly, as if he had something to say. I bent down and leaned my ear closer.
"I...I'm about to die. Will you promise me two things?"
"I can see that you and Xiaojing...you both have feelings. I'm handing her over to you. Take care of her, take good care of her."
I nodded in agreement.
Suddenly, Shi Dashan struggled a few times like a fish out of water, and his breathing became rapid. With one hand tightly gripping the edge of the bed, he gasped for breath, trying to calm himself down. He turned his wrist over and revealed the syringe.
"There's one more thing. Help me...push it in for me."
I firmly refused, "No, absolutely not."
"Xiaodu, I'm in so much pain. Let me...let me die more comfortably, okay? Please..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Shi Dashan began to convulse all over, froth coming out of his mouth, his eyes wide open, and he began to wildly jab the syringe.
He attempted to speak, yet the froth choked his mouth and nose, causing intense agony.
With clenched teeth, I extracted the needle from his hand, ruthlessly piercing it into his arm.
After a dozen minutes, Stone Dashan finally ceased his movements, though his eyes remained open wide, his mouth gaping, presenting a ghastly sight.
Overwhelmed with fear, I nervously smoked a cigarette, summoning courage to shut his eyes and mouth firmly.
As the old saying goes, fortune never comes alone; a greater calamity befell us, as Stone Jingxia's home caught fire.
The scene turned into chaos, with evacuated residents clad in nightclothes, barefoot, faces wrought with fear, and the sound of children's cries filling the air.
Tongues of fire spewed from the windows, thick smoke billowing upwards, as firefighters, wielding hoses, directed three massive streams of water through the windows.
A police cordon was established at the scene, barring my entry.
"Let me in, there are still people inside."
"It's already in a raging inferno, it's too dangerous inside, you cannot enter."
"I don't care, let me in, I must save them."
"Calm down, we will spare no effort to rescue everyone, please trust us."
Just then, a firefighter emerged from the billowing smoke, carrying Stone Jingxia on his back.
"Jing, are you alright?"
Unconscious, Stone Jingxia was immediately lifted into the ambulance and rushed to the hospital.
The next day, Stone Jingxia awoke, inquiring about Stone Mother's condition. I shook my head, her grief suppressed, then she asked about Stone Dashan's fate. I turned away, unable to face her.
With a loud wail, Stone Jingxia burst into tears.
The investigation concluded that Stone Mother had forgotten to turn off the stove, causing the fire due to high temperatures.
We rented a house outside, each with our own room, desolate and bleak, even the New Year passed without joy.
Outside, drums beat and firecrackers resounded, as if in a different world.
On New Year's Day, I wanted to make a feast of dumplings, but it turned into a simple soup. Stone Jingxia said nothing and ate it anyway.
On the morning of the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Stone Jingxia knocked on my door for the first time.
Opening it, I was shocked to see she had removed her veil. Though scars remained, makeup had made them less noticeable.
"New year, new beginnings. From today, I shall embark on a new life."
"Yes, one must look forward. Your outlook is admirable, making the world seem brighter."
Overwhelmed, I felt like crying. These past days had been too oppressive.
With a gentle smile, Stone Jingxia said, "Shall we go to the Red Light Welfare Institute today? I'll accompany you."
Despite it being the fifteenth day of the lunar new year, taxi fares had increased. When we arrived, many people were already present, including numerous philanthropists from various fields. Our arrival didn't attract much attention.
Volunteers were rallying donations on-site. I gave Stone Jingxia 1000 yuan to donate in her own name.
After donating the money, she was pulled away by the children to play a game of catch.
Several journalists surrounded Bai Ruoshui, firing off questions one after another. Bai Ruoshui handled them with ease, answering each one flawlessly.
Feeling bored, I wandered past the classrooms to the office area.
One storeroom caught my attention. In the corner lay a pair of distinctive thousand-layer sole cloth shoes.