Liu Shengli said that the section from Xi'an to Tianshui is easy to run, so you have to run quickly. Once you get past Baoji, you won't be able to go faster even if you want, because it's all broken dirt roads.
Liu Shengli told Tie Jun that the Wangxing Village where Liao Xiangxiang lived was in the mountains. There were only about twenty households in the village, and they made a living by growing walnuts and peppercorns.
Since there are no roads, villagers can only rely on donkeys on their shoulders to carry walnuts and peppercorns to Huashiya Village down the mountain, where there is a purchasing station.
"Brother Liu, I have something to ask you. I don't mean anything else, so don't think too much about it!"
After listening to Liu Shengli's talk for a while, Tie Jun asked. Liu Shengli looked back at Tie Jun and smiled.
"If you say that, I know what you want to ask.
Do you want to ask, even if those children lose their father, they still have pensions, mothers, and grandparents, why do they still need our support?"
"Well, that's what I think. It's not just one or two, it's twelve!"
"That's because you don't understand Gansu, let alone the conditions in those mountainous areas and rural areas."
Mi Xiaodie, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, Liu Shengli nodded, and Tie Jun turned to look at Mi Xiaodie.
“What does this have to do with my understanding of Gansu?
The pensions for martyrs’ families and the support of martyrs’ children are clearly stipulated by the state. For example, Liao Xiangxiang should be raised by the Qingshui County government.”
"Yes, you are right. The state has provided money, but has anyone cared about where the money has been spent? Is anyone supervising it?"
"this......"
Tie Jun understood a little bit and was a little angry, but he had no way to vent it.
This is a fact. Who cares how you spend the money you exchanged for your son’s life and your husband’s life?
Let’s not talk about martyrs, but let’s talk about the eldest brother Tie Biao. It was precisely because of Ling Hua Niang and Lao Dong’s double pension and subsidy that he later opened a repair shop and slowly started struggling.
"The soldiers who went to the front line at that time received a subsidy of 250 yuan each after they came back.
The pension for martyrs is doubled: 500 yuan for soldiers, 550 yuan for platoon and company levels, 600 yuan for battalion levels, and so on.
Regarding the support of minor children, 20 yuan per month in large and medium-sized cities, 15 yuan in urban areas, and 10 yuan in rural areas is paid by the local government.
Xiaomi is right. This money goes into every martyred family, and no one really cares about how it is spent.
Just say that Liao Xiangxiang is a girl. Her mother has remarried and her stepfather has two boys. Do you think Xiangxiang can spend the 10 yuan per month?"
Liu Shengli explained, and Tie Jun was completely speechless. He turned to look outside. Mi Xiaodie looked back at Tie Jun.
"Don't get angry. You helped these children today. Tomorrow, these children will give you a surprise! Believe me, poor children know how to be grateful!"
When these words came out of Mi Xiaodie's mouth, Tie Jun felt strange, so he hummed and stopped talking.
At around four o'clock in the afternoon, when he arrived in Baoji, Liu Shengli asked Tie Jun that one of the kind-hearted businessmen was here and if he would be interested in meeting him.
Tie Jun nodded and said it would be good to take a break and have some hot rice on the way.
Tie Jun knew that Baoji was rich in minerals and thought that the person Liu Shengli took him to see must be a mine boss. However, he was shocked.
The car turned around and stopped in front of a courtyard. "Didi!" Liu Shengli honked the horn before opening the door and getting out of the car.
Tie Jun and Mi Xiaodie got off the car and saw a pair of paper-cut door gods on the two big red doors. Mi Xiaodie looked suspicious and asked Liu Shengli: "Has Grandma Tong moved Baoji?"
"Do you know Grandma Tong?"
Liu Shengli had a question mark on his face, Mi Xiaodie nodded, and just as he was about to speak, "Squeak!" the door opened, and a sixty-year-old woman with a red face came out.
"Shengli, you can't help but talk about it. The old lady scolded you yesterday for not coming to see her, but you came today, haha! Who are these two?"
"Mom Sui, you don't recognize me anymore. I am a big speaker and I am Xiaosi!"
Before Liu Shengli could introduce her, Mi Xiaodie turned to face the old woman and said.
"Xiaosi? Oh my god, you have grown so big and you no longer look like you were when you were a child. Where can I recognize my mother?"
The two talked about old times. Tie Jun and Liu Shengli were both a little confused. They looked at each other and shook their heads together.
"Mom Sui, this is Tiejun, my fellow from the Northeast."
After the two of them finished their greetings, Liu Shengli introduced Tie Jun.
"Hello, broken mother!"
Although I don’t know why they call this old woman Sui Ma, as the locals do as the Romans do, Tie Jun can only follow the call.
"Haha hello, let's go into the house. Don't keep the old lady waiting."
After the old woman finished speaking, she took Mi Xiaodie's hand and pulled her into the door. Mi Xiaodie kept giggling and followed the old woman across the threshold.
"Mom! Look, who is here?"
The old woman's voice, suddenly more than ten years old, sounded from inside the large door.
"Holy shit, Tie Jun, where did this Mi Xiaodie come from?"
Seeing the two people entering the hospital, Liu Shengli turned to ask Tie Jun.
"Brother, how did I know? Just like you, I just met her yesterday. Is her father famous?"
"I haven't heard of it. Let's go inside first and listen to what the old lady has to say."
Tie Jun hummed, and the two of them raised their feet and crossed the high threshold. Mi Xiaodie and the old woman had already entered the living room.
"Brother, is Sui Ma the businessman you mentioned?"
Seeing beautiful paper-cuts everywhere, Tie Jun asked Liu Shengli in a low voice.
"No, the old lady inside is."
Walking to the door of the living room, an old lady with gray hair hugged Mi Xiaodie and was wiping her tears. Mi Xiaodie cried even more exaggeratedly, grinning and speechless.
"Come in later!"
Tie Jun pulled Liu Shengli back to the courtyard. There were chairs next to them, and the two sat down.
"Grandma Tong is the descendant of Qishan paper-cutting. Her paper-cutting is considered a rarity all over the world.
Foreigners who come to Xi'an can buy paper cut by Grandma Tong herself, and it's so beautiful that it's hard to blow your nose out of it."
Tie Jun knew that there was no such thing as intangible cultural heritage yet, but if possible, Grandma Tong would be a folk artist.
"Don't underestimate this small paper-cut, let me tell you, foreigners are willing to spend money!
Let's put it this way, as long as Grandma Tong has scissors in her hands, there is nothing she can't cut out.
After a while, let Grandma Tong give you a side face cut, it doesn’t look like, I’ll eat it!”
"No, what you are eating is not paper, that is me! Brother Liu, I want that."
Tie Jun pointed to the four lifelike beauties on the left window and smiled.
"As lustful as a foreigner, I want four beauties when I see them."
"What you soldiers say is so rough. That's art. Can you please stop spoiling it?"
The two started arguing, and there was still whining in the living room. Sui Ma also joined in, and she didn't know when she would be able to call them.
After a while, Sui Ma came out with red eyes and told the two of them about their relationship with the Mi family.
After listening for a while, Tie Jun finally understood what Mi Xiaodie meant by being rich.
It turned out that her father was an old entertainer, and he could play the suona all over the country.