In 1991, Lei Zhenyu was born in a small place called Jue County, Sichuan Province, and his parents were ordinary farmers who farmed for a living. The family is poor, and food and clothing are problems, but his parents are full of love for Lei Zhenyu.
Lei Zhenyu has been particularly filial since he was a child, and often takes the initiative to do farm work to reduce the burden on his parents. But when Lei Zhenyu was 15 years old, an accident changed the fate of this small family.
On that day, my father was working in the fields when he accidentally fell off a ladder and broke his leg bone. The doctor said that surgery was necessary, but the cost of the operation was as high as tens of thousands of yuan, which was tantamount to a bolt from the blue for the poor family.
Lei Zhenyu's eyes were red, he knew that the money was astronomical for the family. Walking out of the hospital, Lei Zhenyu wandered around the town alone, thinking about how to raise money, but he couldn't do anything.
At this time, Lei Zhenyu was only 15 years old and still in high school. He knew what would happen to his mother and sister if the family lost his father's pillar. So, he resolutely decided to drop out of school and work in the county.
During the day, he worked as an apprentice in a small workshop; In the evening, I went to a restaurant to wash dishes and serve dishes. The salary is meager, but Lei Zhenyu never complains. He remitted every penny back home, hoping for a speedy recovery for his father.
Lei Zhenyu got up early and worked late, worked overtime, and dedicated his whole life to work. But his body could not bear such exertion, and he soon fell ill. It turned out that he had a serious stomach problem and needed surgery.
After spending his savings, Lei Zhenyu also owed a huge amount of medical bills, which made him blame himself and despair. He didn't want to drag down his family, so he could only hold this breath alone.
The winter of 1997 was particularly difficult for Lei Zhenyu. On this day, my sister called and said that she wanted to celebrate the New Year with her brother. Lei Zhenyu's heart immediately softened, thinking that his parents must also be looking forward to the reunion of the whole family.
But he now has empty pockets and only a few dollars left on him. Lei Zhenyu wanted to refuse, but after all, he couldn't bear to destroy this ordinary and simple wish. So, he decided to walk home to save money.
The snow is fluttering and the wind is cold. Lei Zhenyu tightened the old cotton clothes on his body and trekked the country road. His stomach had already protested, and he hadn't eaten properly for two days.
The cold and hunger made Lei Zhenyu's body weak, and he shivered under the tree on the side of the road. At this time, a large truck carrying coal hurriedly drove by, giving Lei Zhenyu the illusion that perhaps hijacking the car could make him regain his warmth and satisfaction.
Lei Zhenyu quickly dispelled this dangerous thought, how could self-condemnation give birth to such an evil thought. He set out on his way home again, but it was difficult to get rid of the erosion of his demons.
Finally, at a deserted fork in the road, reason collapsed, Lei Zhenyu attacked a resting truck driver and forcibly took 890 yuan from him.
Afterwards, Lei Zhenyu was swallowed up by self-blame and fear. He knew that the shadow of this matter would always hang over him.
After the robbery, Lei Zhenyu was like a rabbit being chased by a hunter, unable to live in peace, so he could only hide in Tibet. He first fled to Luzhou and worked odd jobs at a restaurant.
However, the good times did not last long, and in order to avoid the investigation of the public security organs, Lei Zhenyu left in a hurry. He got a fake ID card, assumed the pseudonym "Dong Weilei", and came to the unfamiliar Shanghai to work hard.
In Shanghai, Lei Zhenyu lived a precarious life, living in a simple shed. He moves bricks at construction sites during the day and washes dishes in restaurants at night. Although it was hard, Lei Zhenyu didn't dare to complain, for fear of attracting attention.
He is like a fish that splashes vigilant ripples with a gentle shake of the water. At the slightest disturbance, Lei Zhenyu will quickly change to a restaurant job. My colleagues didn't know much about this honest young man, and it was difficult to make friends.
Lei Zhenyu was always concerned about his family, but he didn't dare to set foot in his hometown. In 2002, he was added to the online list of wanted criminals, which made Lei Zhenyu more cautious.
He left Shanghai and went to Beijing and then to Hangzhou. Although I got a full-time chef job in Hangzhou and my income increased, I was still feeling fearful.
Until 2021, Lei Zhenyu still didn't dare to go home, so he could only sneak through the crack of the old house door and find that his relatives had run away from home, and his heart was like a knife.
In 2008, a magnitude 8 earthquake suddenly occurred in Lei Zhenyu's hometown of Wenchuan. The catastrophe claimed tens of thousands of lives and left behind untold suffering. Faced with the desperate scene in the disaster area, the sense of justice that had been sleeping for a long time awakened in Lei Zhenyu's heart.
He decided to venture back to his homeland, looking for his family who might still be there, and wanting to do something for the suffering land.
In the disaster area, Lei Zhenyu joined a rescue team of 13 people, and was soon elected as the captain because of his calm and reliable. In the continuous rescue missions, Lei Zhenyu witnessed too many life and death.
He saw the women crying bitterly as they hugged their cold children, and he saw the father smiling as he protected his daughter from the rubble. All kinds of scenes deeply touched Lei Zhenyu, and he seemed to have found the meaning of life.
After this rescue baptism, Lei Zhenyu has a deeper reflection on his crimes 11 years ago. He realized that he could not always run away from the judgment of the law, but should face it bravely.
After the rescue, Lei Zhenyu made a difficult decision - to voluntarily surrender and end all these years of living in the shadows. He was to be subject to legal and moral scrutiny, and to be held accountable for that mistake.
In court, Lei Zhenyu truthfully confessed his crimes back then. After 11 years on the run, he has long felt deep remorse for what he has done.
Therefore, when the judge read out the verdict of 3 years in prison and 4 years of probation, Lei Zhenyu was not surprised, but relieved. Compared with the condemnation of conscience, the physical punishment made Lei Zhenyu feel a little relieved.
After being released from prison, Lei Zhenyu compensated the truck driver for the loss and apologized as promised. The driver was a kind-hearted person who not only forgave Lei Zhenyu, but also encouraged him to be a new person.
Accompanied by his girlfriend Xiaoding, Lei Zhenyu found a job as a restaurant chef and began a simple life. Instead of running away from his past, he is actively re-energizing himself and living a meaningful life.
Lei Zhenyu also regained contact with his family. At first, the parents were still bitter about what their son had done. But under Lei Zhenyu's bowed head and down-to-earth performance, his parents also opened their minds and accepted this lost son.
The drums of the funeral followed the festive gongs and drums, and the family was finally reunited. Today, Lei Zhenyu lives an ordinary and contented life, and he actively participates in public welfare, hoping that his story can help more lost people find a way back.