"I haven't been back for five years, and my children don't know me. ”
"I'm not hungry, I don't work at night, I don't eat or not. ”
These are the two sentences that a man in Xi'an Railway Station who looks full of vicissitudes in his face said to the camera with a smile in 2017.
His name is Xing Wanqiang, 42 years old, from Xinyang, Henan Province.
He worked in Xinjiang for five years, because the travel expenses were too expensive, he was reluctant to spend money, so he had to endure the thoughts of his family, and spent five New Year's Holidays alone in Xinjiang.
However, seeing that the child didn't know who his father was, and seeing that his parents' gray hair was getting more and more, Xing Wanqiang finally decided to go home for the New Year this year.
But what he didn't know was that the journey back to his hometown would turn his life upside down.
It's a long way home
Before the Spring Festival in 2017, Xing Wanqiang called home.
The child on the phone shouted "Dad" crisply, but Xing Wanqiang's heart was mixed.
When he left home, the child was still very young, and he did make many phone calls with his family in the past few years, but he rarely saw the child from the video.
His wife sent him many photos of his children, and those photos became a ray of light in Xing Wanqiang's hard work life.
But looking at the children who are growing up day by day, Xing Wanqiang is really afraid that the children will be estranged from him, so he decided to overcome all difficulties and go home to accompany his family for the New Year.
However, Xing Wanqiang faced another difficulty next.
It's really hard to buy a ticket home.
In fact, Xing Wanqiang didn't go home for five years, not only because he wanted to save money, but because it was difficult for him to buy a suitable ticket.
The train from Xinjiang back to Xinyang takes about forty or fifty hours by train, but this kind of long-distance train ticket is almost difficult to buy, and it is the Chinese New Year period, Xing Wanqiang can't grab it at all. And the plane was too expensive, Xing Wanqiang was really reluctant to buy it, so the plan to go home was put on hold year by year.
And this year, Xing Wanqiang's process of buying tickets was also very difficult.
He doesn't know much about smartphones, so he can only go to the train station window to buy tickets. The queue in front of the window was very long, and Xing Wanqiang silently prayed in his heart that he must buy tickets this year.
Maybe God also knows how homesick Xing Wanqiang is, so after he queued for a long time, Xing Wanqiang finally got a ticket to his hometown.
Although he needed to transit in Xi'an, although he had to stand for more than 40 hours, it was enough to make Xing Wanqiang very excited.
Before leaving, Xing Wanqiang bought a few bags of instant noodles as dry food on the road. He usually works very hard, and he is not willing to buy himself some food to eat on the road.
However, for an adult, these instant noodles are not enough to eat, not to mention that Xing Wanqiang has no seat at all, and he is very tired after standing all the way, and his stomach is even hungrier. Therefore, before arriving at Xi'an Railway Station, Xing Wanqiang's instant noodles were gone.
However, Xing Wanqiang didn't think there was anything, in his opinion, as long as he didn't work at night, he could eat or not dinner. And there is not much left to go back from Xi'an, so I will endure it and it will pass.
At this moment, Xing Wanqiang has ignored his physical exhaustion, he is carrying large bags of luggage, shuttling through the crowded Xi'an Railway Station. In the afternoon, he will return to Xinyang, Henan Province, his hometown, and his relatives.
Xing Wanqiang, who was in a hurry and looked a little confused in the face of the electronic signs at the railway station, also attracted the attention of a station staff.
Meet a soft-hearted God
The young station worker's name was Chen Jun.
Towards the end of the year, migrant workers returning to their hometowns at the train station have become the mainstream among passengers. Many migrant workers are easy to get lost at the station because of their low education level or other reasons, so in this special period, the station has sent more staff to help migrant workers return home safely.
So Chen Jun noticed Xing Wanqiang, who was walking a little hard.
Xing Wanqiang was carrying a huge package on his back, which he said was his bedding roll in Xinjiang. This quilt weighed 15 pounds, and Xing Wanqiang carried him from Xinjiang to Xi'an. In addition, he was carrying several large bags of shoes, hats and clothes, which looked dusty, but they were full of Xing Wanqiang's temporary "home".
Seeing that a reporter came to shoot himself, Xing Wanqiang was very happy to show the camera the contents of one of his bags.
It turns out that most of the snacks are special snacks for children. Xing Wanqiang hadn't even eaten it himself, and he didn't know what these snacks tasted like, he just felt that he had to bring something to his children when he went home for the New Year.
Xing Wanqiang took out bag after bag of these snacks, and there were even some for the neighbor's children. This simple and unpretentious man is writing the word "kindness" with his practical actions.
Putting the snacks back untouched, Xing Wanqiang looked up with a simple smile. At this time, there was still some time before Xing Wanqiang's train departed, and Chen Jun led him to the waiting place.
Chen Jun asked Xing Wanqiang if he had eaten, Xing Wanqiang smiled shyly, and said the words that were hard to forget: "It's okay, anyway, if you don't work at night, you can skip eating." ”
After hearing this, Chen Jun's heart was very uncomfortable.
In a short conversation, Chen Jun learned that Xing Wanqiang's children didn't know who their father was, but only that there was a father.
At that moment, her inner psychological defense completely collapsed.
She is also from Henan, she also has her own children, and she has not been able to accompany her family during the Chinese New Year for several years in order to work.
She is very similar to Xing Wanqiang, both are guests who are adrift in a foreign land.
So Chen Jun came to the cafeteria quickly, asked for three meals in one go, and she also asked Xing Wanqiang for big chicken legs, she wanted to help her fellow villagers as much as she could.
After seeing Chen Jun come back with a full load of three meals, Xing Wanqiang's first reaction was to refuse. He said he couldn't eat so much, and that he was almost home, and he could bear it.
But in the end, he couldn't resist persuasion and accepted the meal.
Xing Wanqiang's eyes had already begun to have tears, looking at the chicken legs that Chen Jun had added to him, he smiled with tears in his eyes and said that he had not eaten chicken legs and meat for a long time.
Xing Wanqiang wolfed down a meal, and he had been saying that he was not hungry, and finally had a decent meal.
After eating, Xing Wanqiang couldn't help but say that he was home, it was so good to be home, and his heart was sweeter than drinking honey.
After eating and drinking, it was time for Xing Wanqiang to prepare to check in and get on the bus.
At this time, Chen Jun also made a decision.
The meaning of coming home
Chen Jun has been waiting by Xing Wanqiang's side, and she wants to get in the car with Xing Wanqiang and help him settle his luggage, so that Chen Jun can rest assured.
Looking at Xing Wanqiang's luggage, Chen Jun stepped forward and said to help him carry it, Xing Wanqiang excused himself again, and finally couldn't resist Chen Jun, and only handed her the lightest backpack.
Watching Xing Wanqiang's train slowly depart, Chen Jun was as happy as having completed a major task.
She hopes that Xing Wanqiang can get home safely, be close to his children, and spend more time with his wife and parents.
The pillar of this family also needs the comfort of his family.
And Xing Wanqiang, who had to stand on the train for several hours, was even more at this moment.
Although he worked hard along the way, he also met a kind fellow, he touched the large cup filled with hot water, remembering the delicious meal he had just eaten, Xing Wanqiang's heart was only grateful.
Although Pingshui met, this kindness Xing Wanqiang will remember it in his heart for a lifetime.
Looking at the scenery flying by at great speed outside the window, Xing Wanqiang thought of the children at home again. He took out his mobile phone and looked at the videos and photos sent by his wife over and over again, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously smiled.
In a few hours, he will be able to hold his child, he will finally no longer have to listen to the child call "Daddy" through his mobile phone, and he can finally hold the child and play around.
Although I have experienced hardships, my heart is full of happiness. Maybe that's what it means to go home.
As soon as Xing Wanqiang's story was broadcast, it caused heated discussions on the Internet. Because of the video of going home, Xing Wanqiang became popular and became well-known by more people.
However, there are different voices among the public.
Some people say that Xing Wanqiang is putting on a show, and some people say that he is sympathizing. However, Xing Wanqiang himself didn't care much about these voices.
Because he knows that he is revealing his true feelings, and there is no script or show element in it.
Fortunately, most netizens were moved to tears when they heard Xing Wanqiang say "it's okay to skip meals".
Everyone also expressed their deep admiration for him standing for 42 hours, just to return to Henan from Xinjiang and return to his hometown.
In addition to Xing Wanqiang, there are thousands of people like him.
Because they had to support their families, they had to leave behind their wives, children and the elderly, and travel around the country all year round. They are great and they are also very soft at heart. As long as they can see the smiling faces of their families, they are willing to endure even more hardships.
Perhaps this is the meaning of home, unpretentious, but full of power. It is said that love can withstand all difficulties, and it is probably like countless Xing Wanqiang.
epilogue
Xing Wanqiang's story is actually like a microcosm.
A microcosm of a Chinese migrant worker, a microcosm of a Chinese-style father.
They are kind and hard-working, unpretentious and have introverted feelings.
For the sake of the burden of the family, they can only choose to leave their families and children and go to other places to work and earn money to support their families, but in this way they will inevitably treat their families badly. But they have no other choice, because life never sets them a second option.
All they can do is work hard, work hard to make money, and then do what they can to compensate their families.
- Author: Gardenia
- Editor: Gardenia