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Year after year, the snow and ice adorned the isolated mountains, and the cold wind blew away wisps of cooking smoke. Before this year’s Spring Festival, in a orchard on the north side of Wangtuan Village in Wangtuan Town, Lingang District, Weihai City, Shandong Province, there was less silence than before. A group of firefighters shuttle through the orchard, clearing weeds and tying dead branches, with skillful and careful movements.
The owner of this orchard is called Yu Zhenxing, 76 years old this year. He and his wife have been operating the orchard for 24 years. For ease of management, the old couple has been living in a small house in the orchard. In December 2015, the weather was extremely cold, and the elderly couple burned their discarded apple bags for warmth. At night, Yu Zhenxing, who was still busy in the orchard, heard the dog barking fiercely in the yard. His intuition told him that something must have happened at home. With an eye disease, he couldn’t see the road clearly and stumbled back to the small house. However, it was too late, and the fire engulfed the entire house. Heat waves hit, illuminating the sky. He hurriedly dialed the 119 fire alarm number. After receiving the alarm, the Lingang District Fire Brigade of Weihai City quickly rushed to the scene and worked hard to extinguish the fire.
The big fire almost destroyed all of Yu Zhenxing’s belongings. “The water pipe for watering the ground, the spray for spraying pesticides, and various farm tools were all burned out. These things are not worth money in others’ eyes, but they are all tools for their lives…” When talking about the fire, firefighters with rural life experience felt sorry.
Through contact with the elderly, firefighters learned about the misfortune of the elderly couple… It turned out that in the early years of revitalization, they started a small business and were considered wealthy in the village. Their son also invested in running a small electronics factory. In 2013, the electronics factory suffered severe losses due to a sluggish market, and their son passed away due to a serious illness. The double blow completely devastated the family. “My son is a very independent person, and he has gained the support of me and my wife in doing business.” Speaking of his son, Yu Zhenxing choked up and couldn’t say a word. His eyes looked straight out the window, tears swirling in the old man’s weathered eyes.
“In those years, the operating efficiency of the electronics factory was not good, and the company was constantly losing money. My son was under a lot of pressure, and his body began to feel uncomfortable. Gradually, his vision declined and he couldn’t see clearly. After going to the hospital for a check-up, he found out that he had a cranial cyst, which was very serious and needed surgery.” Yu Zhenxing choked up.
“We only have this one son, as long as we can save his life, we are willing to face even the greatest difficulties, but the person is still gone…” The old man cried uncontrollably and couldn’t continue. In order to treat their son’s illness, the elderly couple changed hands on their son’s factory, took out all their savings, and borrowed over 100000 yuan in foreign debt from neighbors, relatives, and friends. However, in the end, they were unable to save their son’s life. The white haired man sent the black haired man away, but the only child suddenly left, causing a huge blow to the old man. Faced with the debt of over 100000 yuan owed, the old couple could only continue to support themselves with their elderly bodies and worked hard to manage the orchard.
The misfortune of the two elderly people has deeply sympathized with the firefighters. Their words still make Yu Zhenxing and his wife warm and memorable: “Grandpa, we will be your own sons in the future! If there is anything at home, please feel free to call us.” Yu Zhenxing still retains an old desk calendar because the back of the calendar contains contact information such as the phone and WeChat of the team leaders and firefighters. Although many years have passed, Yu Zhenxing and his wife are reluctant to throw it away because they received a group of “firefighter sons” that day. The hearts of the old couple and the “firefighter sons” are closely linked, and this old desk calendar is the best witness.
Since 2015 when the elderly couple became acquainted with firefighters, their assistance has never been interrupted. Every year during the Mid Autumn Festival and Spring Festival, firefighters from the nearest Kaiyuan Road Fire Rescue Station bring rice, noodles, oil, and daily necessities to visit the elderly and spend the holiday with them. Sometimes during the busy farming season, the elderly couple can’t keep up, so their “sons” take time to help the elderly harvest corn and apples… The team and rescue station members change one after another, and reporting to the Zhenxing family has become a traditional “inauguration ceremony”. The old couple is no longer lonely because of having so many “firefighter sons”, reigniting their courage and confidence in life.
Recently, the firefighters from the brigade came to the orchard again to help the elderly with farm work, clean the house, and chat with the elderly at home… “We are so lucky to have met these good children,” Yu Zhenxing said excitedly as he watched the firefighters busy in the orchard.
Snowflakes flew over the farmyard, as if smelling the fragrance of flowers and fruits. This year is another harvest year.