I was struggling to adapt to life at the construction site. Although communication was gradually becoming smoother, my longing for my family remained undiminished. That day, my fellow villager, Afu, secretly came to the site to find me. Seeing his worried face, my heart skipped a beat, and a sense of foreboding washed over me.
Afu pulled me aside to a quiet corner and whispered, "Aqiang, something's happened at home. Mom's cough has gotten worse; she can barely breathe, and we have no money for medicine. The creditors are causing trouble again; they've come to our house and smashed the windows."
Hearing this news, my head buzzed, as if struck by a heavy hammer. My vision blurred, and I almost lost my balance. Images of my mother's frail figure, her painful cough, and the broken windows of our house flashed through my mind. I fought back tears and asked Afu in a trembling voice, "Is...is there really no way out?" Afu shook his head helplessly and sighed.
After Afu left, I hid alone in a corner of the construction site, tears finally streaming down my face. I buried my face in my hands and sobbed uncontrollably. Thinking of my mother suffering in her hospital bed, my sister living in fear, and me, far away in a foreign land, unable to do anything, I was overwhelmed by guilt and pain.
After crying for a while, I gradually calmed down, and only one thought remained in my mind: I had to send money home so my mother could buy medicine and so my sister could have a stable home. So, I decided to ask my boss for an advance on my wages.
With a heavy heart, I went to my boss's office. He was sitting at his desk, legs crossed, smoking a cigarette. I took a deep breath and mustered my courage, saying, "Boss, something's happened at home. My mother is very ill. Could you give me an advance on my salary?"
The boss's face instantly darkened. He glared at me and cursed, "Do you think this is a charity? You can't just give me an advance like that! Every month's salary is paid according to the rules. I won't break the rules for you!"
My heart sank, but I still pleaded, "Boss, I beg you, my mother really can't wait any longer. I promise I'll work harder to earn back the advance."
The boss frowned, pondered for a moment, then seemed impatient. He casually pulled 50 yuan from his pocket, threw it on the table, and said irritably, "That's all. Take it or leave it! I don't have any more."
Looking at the 50 yuan on the table, a wave of bitterness washed over me. This amount was a drop in the ocean for my mother's treatment, but at that moment, I had no other choice. I quickly grabbed the money, thanked the shopkeeper, and left the office.
Back in my dorm, I carefully put the 50 yuan away. I thought that, combined with the little I had saved, I could send some home to help a little. But even so, I felt it wasn't nearly enough.
That night, I lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. My mind was filled with images of my mother and sister, a mix of worry and guilt overwhelmed me. I secretly vowed to earn more money as soon as possible to go back and take care of my mother, protect my sister, and stop my family from suffering.
The next day, before dawn, I got up early and went to the construction site to start working. I worked even harder than usual, feeling like I had inexhaustible energy when carrying bricks. I knew that with every brick I carried, my family's hope increased. My coworkers were surprised to see me like this, but I didn't have time to explain; I just focused on my work.
I mentally calculated how long it would take me to save enough money for my mother's better treatment and to pay off the family's debts. Although the road ahead was full of hardships, I had no way out for my family; I could only grit my teeth and persevere, moving step by step towards my goal.