"May I have your name?"

"Kong Xiuya."

"Where do you live?"

“Garybong-dong, Guro-gu.”

Glancing at Kong Soo-ah, who had her head lowered, she never expected that a delinquent girl would live in Garibong-dong, Guro District, which is relatively remote and is one of the poorest areas in Seoul.

Most of the people living there, especially young people, are embarrassed to admit that they live there, just like many young people will go to Gangnam District to take a few photos and post them on social networking sites, lying that they live in Gangnam District.

Same.

Although the district covers an area of ​​30 hectares and is only separated from other districts by a road, it is completely hidden under the prosperity of Seoul. In 1988, Seoul hosted the Olympic Games. In order to beautify the city, the government relocated some of the poorest residents in Seoul.

When it comes to Guro District, most of the residents in the district are coolies or casual workers, and many are jobless vagrants who make a living by scavenging, especially the elderly.

Garibong-dong is the largest and poorest neighborhood in Guro District. It is home to tens of thousands of immigrants, or foreigners whose ancestors were immigrants. Most of them are Chinese, and there are an equal number of local Koreans. They all have a

The common characteristic is that they are poor, have no extraordinary academic qualifications or skills, can only do some relatively cheap labor, struggle to survive in a prosperous metropolis, live a life that can be seen at a glance, and place all their hopes for the future.

For my children, I hope that they will study hard, get into a good university, then work for a big company or the government, climb up the ladder step by step, and eventually become successful, leave the poverty and backwardness of Guro District, and move to a prosperous place where the upper class gathers.

It is best to live in the most prosperous Jiangnan District, and be neighbors with those powerful people.

Seoul is bustling at night. An old bus is driving along the street. In the simple carriage, Yuan Xudong and Kong Xiuya are sitting side by side. Yuan Xudong is sitting on the side near the aisle, and Kong Xiuya is sitting inside.

, close to the window, she was curling her mouth and saying unhappily:

"Hey, Mr. Prosecutor, can you stop being so stingy? You can take a taxi when you take those two beautiful sisters home, but you can take a bus when you take me home. Isn't this too different?"

"Otherwise? Do you want to sit in the police car?"

After glaring at Kong Xiuya, Yuan Xudong leaned back on his seat, closed his eyes, and said:

"Taxis in Seoul are so expensive, and you live far away. Taking a taxi costs tens of thousands of won, but taking a bus only costs two thousand won. The price difference is ten or twenty times. Why should I waste my money?"

"Hmph, stingy!"

With a snort, and seeing Yuan Xudong closing his eyes and ignoring her, Kong Xiuya waved her fist at him a few times, then turned her head and looked out the window, supporting her body with her right hand against the lower edge of the window, and touching the window with her left hand.

On the glass, he stared at the lights and feasting on the street in a daze. He didn't know whether he was thinking about something or not thinking about anything at all. He was just in a daze, thinking about a way out.

As time goes by, some old buses stop and go. After crossing a six-lane highway, the bustling streets and tall buildings outside the bus window suddenly disappear from view, replaced by old streets and dilapidated low-rise buildings.

, Guro District is here. A six-lane highway runs between prosperity and poverty. On both sides of the highway, it is like two completely different worlds. Prosperity and poverty are clearly distinct. It is difficult to imagine that there is such a poor and backward place in the economically prosperous city of Seoul.

.

"Ding dong, we have arrived at Qingchunyuan Community in Garifengdong, Guro District. Passengers who want to get off the bus, please be prepared!"

Looking at the familiar street outside the car window, Kong Xiuya came back to her senses, a smile burst out unconsciously on her face, and even her eyes became lively. She pushed Yuan Xudong, who had closed his eyes to rest, and reminded:

"Hey, wake up quickly, we have to get off the car!"

"Reached?"

Yuan Xudong opened his eyes and looked out the window. Seeing that he seemed to have just woken up, Kong Xiuya couldn't help but rolled her eyes and complained in her mouth a few words. Yuan Xudong didn't care. After the bus stopped,

He followed Kong Xiuya out of the car and started walking towards her home.

Soon after, Kong Xiuya's home arrived. It was an old residential building with no elevator. The large rusty iron door at the entrance to the stairwell was also open and rusty. Anyone could come in and out at will. The walls on both sides of the stairs were covered with

There are colorful small advertisements, and even some blatant advertisements for special services. It is unclear whether the information above is true or false.

After a casual glance, Yuan Xudong walked upstairs. Before he could take a few steps, Kong Xiuya, who was lagging behind, grabbed his clothes, lowered her head and whispered in shame:

"My family lives down there."

"What?"

Yuan Xudong didn't hear clearly, and Kong Xiuya didn't continue to explain. She turned around and walked downstairs. It turned out that after entering the residential building, Yuan Xudong habitually walked upstairs. After all, it was the first floor, but he didn't expect that he could continue going upstairs.

Walking down, Kong Xiuya’s home is on the first floor of this residential building.

Following Kong Xiuya, she walked into the house. It was a basement of about sixty square meters. It was dark and humid, with no windows. There was only an exposed vent leading to the outside, separated by an iron fence, and a milky-white fluorescent light that kept flickering hung from the ceiling.

Stick lamp, the room was filled with cardboard boxes, mineral water bottles and other recyclable garbage that could be sold to the waste recycling station for money. She found a bench and wiped it for Yuan Xudong to sit down. Kong Xiuya walked around the waste paper boxes and the toilet filled with beverage bottles.

Snakeskin Bag walked to a bedroom, knocked on the door gently and said:

"Grandma, I'm back, are you asleep?"

"My little darling is back, grandma will open the door for you!"

There was a sound of footsteps, the shabby door creaked open, and an old woman with a face full of vicissitudes of life walked out of the bedroom, with a pair of reading glasses hanging around her neck, wearing a pair of gray and white shabby clothes, walking excitedly

When she came to Kong Xiuya, she wanted to reach out and touch her face. However, she noticed the calluses and stains on her hands and wanted to retract her hand. Kong Xiuya quickly took her right hand, put it on her face, caressed her face and said coquettishly:

"Grandma, have you eaten?"

"Have you eaten? Have you eaten? Have you eaten?"

"Well, I ate in the school cafeteria and ate two large pieces of delicious and cheap fried pork chops!"

"That's good. You are growing, but you can't starve yourself!"

Noticing the bright red dress Kong Xiuya was wearing and the heavy makeup on her face, Kong Xiuya’s grandma said with some confusion:

"Xiuya, what's wrong with you?"

Without waiting for grandma to finish, Kong Xiuya explained directly:

"Grandma, it's like this. Our school held a literary competition today. I wore this outfit and went on stage to perform. Oh, by the way, I won first place in the competition, and the school awarded me 200,000 won!"

After that, Kong Xiuya took out the 200,000 won given to her by Yuan Xudong from her shoulder bag and stuffed it into her grandmother's hand and said with a smile:

"Here, take it, aren't you going to the hospital to get medicine this week?"

"Xiuya, grandma is sorry for you!"

Looking at the 200,000 won in her hand, Kong Xiuya’s grandmother wiped away her tears, stuffed 100,000 won into Kong Xiuya’s hand, and said with a choked voice:

"Xiuya, I'll just take 100,000 won. You can use this 100,000 won to buy yourself two pieces of clothes, buy some food, and go out to play with your classmates. If your parents are still alive, you also need to spend money."

You don’t have to suffer with me, an old woman, it’s grandma who has dragged you down, grandma is sorry for you!”

"Grandma, what did you say?"

Kong Xiuya put the 100,000 won back into her grandma's hand. She held her grandma's arm and shook it gently:

"Grandma, you have raised me since I was a child. Without you, wouldn't I be an orphan? Use these 100,000 won to check your health and buy medicine. You must live a long life and wait until I make money in the future.

Don't worry about being filial to you, didn't I say that? I am now working part-time in a convenience store and I can make money to support myself!"

"Xiuya, my little darling, grandma is really shameless to see you, you are still so young."

After listening briefly to the side, Yuan Xudong walked out from behind piles of waste paper boxes and plastic bottles, looked at Kong Xiuya's grandma with white hair, and greeted with a smile:

"Grandma, hello, I am."

Afraid that Yuan Xudong would scare her grandmother by telling the truth, Kong Xiuya quickly interrupted before he could finish speaking:

"Grandma, he is a teacher at our school. He is here for a home visit and wants to talk to you!"

"teacher?"

After that, she saw her grandma looking at Yuan Xudong who suddenly appeared. Kong Xiuya stood behind her and looked at Yuan Xudong with a pleading look on her face. She clasped her hands together and bowed repeatedly. Seeing how pitiful she was, Yuan Xudong smiled and cooperated with her.

:

"Yes, I'm Xiuya's class teacher. I'm here for a home visit. Sorry for disturbing you!"

"Don't bother, don't bother!"

The first time a teacher came to visit her home, Kong Xiuya’s grandma was a little excited and at a loss as she said:

"Teacher, I don't have anything to entertain you at home. I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay, it's okay, I'm disturbing you!"

"Xiuya, quickly pour the teacher a glass of hot water!"

"oh!"

Instructing her granddaughter to pour a cup of hot water for Yuan Xudong, Kong Xiuya's grandma took a bench and wiped it for Yuan Xudong to sit down. She sat opposite and looked at the suit and leather shoes. The gentle Yuan Xudong smiled and said:

"That's great, teacher, is our Xiuya doing well in school?"

"fine!"

Looking at the expectant old man, Yuan Xudong smiled and said:

"Xiuya is very well-behaved and sensible, and she studies hard. She is a rare good child!"

"That's good, that's good!"

Hearing Yuan Xudong, the head teacher, personally praise her granddaughter, Kong Xiuya's grandma's face was filled with joy, and then she sighed and confided with some sadness:

"Xiuya, her parents died early, and I, an old woman, was the only one left to raise her. I am old now and my health is not good. I have to go to the hospital every month to check my health and buy medicines.

In order to support me, an old woman, she went out to work at a young age. I have never seen her spend money to buy food and clothing for herself. She spent all the money on my medical expenses. Sometimes I really want to

She is about to die, but she is also worried about leaving us Xiuya all alone, what should she do?"
To be continued...