This article is a fictional novel, the pictures are all network pictures, and the names of people and places are all apocryphal.
1
My name is Li Qiang, I am 42 years old, a taxi driver in a city.
My daily routine is to go out early and return late, and the cycle repeats, and what life gives me, in addition to shuttling to all corners of the city, is full of loneliness and loneliness.
During those long nights, with just me and the radio in the car, I began to yearn for a warm home and a sincere companionship.
This thought was like a seed taking root in my heart, gradually covering the voice of reason.
One day, I heard about a distant intermediary who could help "build bridges" for 8,000 yuan.
Without even thinking about it, I decided to try this method to end my lonely life.
Through an intermediary, I met Xiaofang, a 20-year-old rural girl from Guizhou.
I sent a bank transfer to her family and completed the so-called "marriage" between us in this way.
I used the money I had saved to bring Xiaofang to my rented apartment, and I had an indescribable expectation and apprehension in my heart.
Xiaofang looks very weak, with the innocence and simplicity characteristic of a country girl.
In the first few days of her arrival, she showed great restraint and uneasiness about this strange city and this "husband" whom she had never really known, and seemed to be very resistant to approaching me.
I can also understand that, after all, she is a young girl, and it is normal to be afraid of strange men.
Out of respect, I didn't do anything out of the ordinary, but treated her with respect.
Xiaofang is very hardworking, whether it is cooking or laundry, she completes it quietly and seriously.
Slowly, we gradually developed a relationship, and she didn't want to hate being close to me like she did at first.
Occasionally, when I look back, I will find that innocent smile on her face, and at that moment, I feel that all the efforts have become meaningful.
However, the good times did not last long, and the differences between us slowly became apparent.
Xiaofang always likes to mess around the house, and I want the house to be tidy and tidy, and every time I ask for it, she is silent; She likes to listen to her hometown's folk songs in the evenings, but I need a quiet rest for the next day's work.
As time went on, these little things in life became potential problems between us, and Xiaofang became more and more reluctant to communicate with me, and her eyes flashed with an insurmountable fear of me.
I began to regret that I didn't have a more comprehensive understanding of Xiaofang's life background and habits, and that I didn't take into account the impact of doing so on her.
I realized that I thought it was to find myself a partner, but I didn't expect to put an innocent girl in such an embarrassing and painful situation.
In the dead of night, I would see Xiao Fangse huddled in the corner, losing the innocence she had when she first arrived, and the guilt and self-blame in my heart could not stop surging into my heart like a surging river.
Since I got married, every time I go out to drive, I always think over and over again, what did this "marriage" bring to Xiaofang?
is from a warm home to a foreign place full of unknowns and fears; Or from her impoverished home to a place where she could obtain material satisfaction but was unusually spiritually empty?
I began to wonder, is this kind of life really worth it for the two of us?
2
Living in this noisy city, I, Li Qiang, are running around every day for a living.
I traded my sweat for every penny, and this feeling of loneliness seemed to become a part of my life.
I never imagined that my life would be turned upside down because of Xiaofang's arrival.
Xiao Fang's fear of me seems to deepen every day.
Sometimes, I can read her loneliness and helplessness in her dodgy eyes.
One afternoon, as the sun slipped into our humble rented room, I felt a pang of heartache when I saw Xiao Fang smashing a cup in a hurry, her frightened and helpless appearance, like a trapped beast.
At that moment, I deeply felt that her fear of me had gone deep into my bones.
On a rainy night that month, I came back drunk, full of unspeakable troubles and confusion, and unconsciously said the words that made Xiaofang leave.
Xiao Fang stood in the dim light, her figure looked so fragile, at that moment, she did not choose to leave, but stood quietly, with an indescribable firmness in her eyes.
My anger vanished in an instant and turned into deep remorse.
Just when I thought that this marriage was coming to an end, Xiaofang calmly told me that she was pregnant.
At that moment, my world instantly became still, and an emotion that I had never felt before stirred in my heart.
I was surprised, lost, and overwhelmed, but at the same time full of anticipation and responsibility.
From that day on, I began to change myself.
I tried to learn more about Xiaofang's feelings, went to the hospital with her for a check-up, carefully recorded the doctor's recommendations, and bought the nutritional supplements that I needed back home.
Every time the night is approaching, I will sit on the edge of Xiaofang's bed, gently touch her belly, and talk to the unborn child, and the whole family presents an unprecedented warmth and harmony.
On that cold winter day, Xiaofang suddenly felt abdominal pain, and I took her to the hospital in a hurry, and in the cold corridor, I held Xiaofang's hand tightly, and kept comforting her, telling her that everything would be fine.
After countless check-ups and waiting, the doctor told us that Xiaofang and the baby were healthy.
At that moment, looking at the relieved smile on Xiaofang's face, I knew that all the efforts were worth it.
I began to think deeply about how to make Xiaofang feel the warmth and safety of this home.
We started planning for the future together, and gradually, I noticed that Xiaofang's smile became more frequent and she was willing to share her feelings and thoughts.
Although our life is still simple and ordinary, the warmth of that home and the expectation of the future make this small family more and more loving.
Now, I stand in this home, looking out the window at the scenery, and my heart is full of gratitude.
I am grateful that this special experience in my life has taught me to understand and tolerate, and it has also taught me what it really means to be at home.
Although the beginning between Xiaofang and I was not good, we chose each other, chose this home, and chose to face every challenge in the future together.
3
In those days full of love and warmth, the small happiness that Xiaofang and I built together was like a flash in the pan.
That day, the sun shone warmly on Xiaofang's pale face through the hospital window, as if comforting her.
She struggled painfully with a difficult birth, and I, who stayed up all night, spent countless anxious moments on the hospital bench.
Finally, the doctor walked out of the operating room, and the heavy words shattered all my hopes - the child had not been able to hold on to the rope of life and left us.
My heart is like a knife, but the bigger blow is yet to come.
Xiaofang's body was hit hard by dystocia and her life was in danger.
In the last hours of her life, I held her hand, and her eyes were full of tenderness and serenity.
She told me that she felt happier than she had ever felt during this time, and thanked me for giving her a warm home.
These words, like the evening breeze blowing through the quiet lake, are forever engraved in my heart.
Soon after, Xiao Fang left me forever.
Xiao Fang's departure seemed like a sudden withdrawal from an important part of my life.
Every night is a mixture of memories and nightmares.
In this empty home, I replayed our bits and pieces over and over again, every smile and every word as if it were yesterday.
However, the reality is cruel, Xiaofang is really gone, and I seem to have lost the direction of my life.
After spending a long time in such decadence, followed by the fraud charges of Xiaofang's family, it was like a bolt from the blue that caught me off guard.
The police came to my house and took me away.
In court, I almost despaired until Xiaofang's brother showed up, and he stood up for me and told me not to plead guilty.
During this time, I experienced unprecedented inner struggle and pain, but in the end, the court acquitted me.
The moment I stepped out of the courthouse, the sun was still so warm, but my heart could never get back to the feeling it used to be.
Xiaofang's death plunged me into deep self-blame and remorse, but her gentleness and strength during her life were like a ray of light, illuminating my way forward.
I understand that even if Xiaofang is gone, I have to continue to live and repay my debt to her in my own way.
Step by step, I began to try to return to my normal life and start my life again.
Every night, when I look up at the bright starry sky, I believe that Xiao Fang is somewhere in it, quietly watching me.
I said to myself that I must live, to live strongly, to live with dignity, and to look forward to one day meeting Xiaofang in another world.
Now, as I walk home, every shadow under the streetlamp reminds me of Xiaofang.
Although there is still an indelible pain in my heart, I also have the courage and strength to move forward.
The love she gave me, like the most precious treasure in this life, guided me to move forward bravely in the journey of life.
This story is purely fictional, the names and events in the story are fictional, and the purpose of using place names is only for the purpose of describing the plot and making it easy to read and understand.