It’s no use. There’s no cure
On the afternoon of October 19, pedestrians and cars were streaming through the streets, and the sun was lazily spreading over the city, casting cool shadows under the viaduct.
On the dirt floor beside the concrete stone pier of the viaduct, Lao SAN lay motionless on a thin, dirty piece of luggage, playing with his mobile phone. He did not even look up from the strangers’ visit. Xiao Wu sprang to his feet and stared at him warily.
There were two concrete piers under the viaduct, and Lao SAN and Xiao Wu lived on the nearest one. They were alone that day. A few days ago, the third brothers didn’t have so few neighbors. Before the chengguan clean up, here a busy, POTS and pans, but also attracted the attention of the media, “just a few days ago to a few reporters”, Xiao Wu to the second group of reporters visit puzzled.
“I am of Jiangxi Jiujiang, come here not a few months.” The interview routine to the media, xiao Wu seems to have quite understood, without asking questions, he said.
Before coming to Kunming, Wu said, he went to live with his older brothers and sisters because they worked in Shenzhen and Shanghai. Due to the lack of physical mobility, Xiao Wu has been engaged in suit manual work, such as cutting thread and stitching buttons. Come out to work these four or five years, already trained a body skilled craft.
They gather here and they make it their home, and when they have nothing to do, they sit on the old sofa
On June 23, 2012, Xiao Wu arrived in Kunming by train from his hometown — a date he remembers exactly.
That night, after getting off the train, he stopped in the piazza next to the station and met a middle-aged homeless man who asked to share his space. Small force did not refuse, tramp and small force left after chatting for a while, but return again in a few minutes, claim mobile phone is lost, rummaged in the bed of small force, from this and small force produced conflict. Eventually, the two sides went to the police station.
It was a little cold at night in Kunming. A few days later, Xiao Wu moved under the viaduct. He was clean-dressed and well-spoken, though he insisted that he had only been to primary school for four and a half years.
Before coming to Kunming, Xiao Wu had never lived in an elevated bridge. “I came to Kunming in late 2009 and stayed with a friend who had a dental clinic for four months,” he said. But this time he wanted to be on his own, not to bother anyone.
“Look, this is how I came to start,” xiao wu said, leaving the bed and moving quickly on the ground. Now the only thing he could do was to stay under the viaduct day after day. Thus, nearly four months passed.
Sleeping in the side of the old three with thin dirty quilt wrapped lower body, absorbed in playing mobile phone, accumulated thick black on the face, two eyes deep. Occasionally he would stop and brush with his left hand the yellow pus that flowed from the back of his swollen right hand. “It’s no use, there’s no cure,” he would say, and the third brother would treat the pus as casually as a stranger breaking in. “Elder brother, you really need not care me, already have no use.” Face the medical alcohol that sends and antiphlogistic medicine, old 3 pull open right crus pants, the yellow pus that showed layer upon layer superposition scabs.
In the street, people are in a hurry, hiding in the cool shadows under the viaduct, while Lao SAN and Xiao Wu occasionally look out to see the insignificant busy world.
The rules under the bridge, this is not someone’s home
On the afternoon of 22nd, there were two more people under the viaduct: Xiao Zhang and Xiao Feng. Xiao Zhang is 40 years old, but Xiao Wu still refers to him as “Xiao Zhang”.
Under the viaduct, Xiao Wu has a say, and zhang, who is able-bodied, helps him buy meals every day at a fast food restaurant in a nearby village. Xiao Wu said that he and the other people under the viaduct is different, he does not drink and do not take “medicine”, occasionally drink only a little beer, drunk, he will teach the old third, Xiao Zhang they, “but, they let me”.
Xiao Zhang, 40, who has lived under the viaduct for four or five years and comes from Qujing Fuyuan, said that when he came to Kunming to work, he was bought to work in the dark. “I could not get a penny, but I was beaten”. Since then, Xiao Zhang chose self-imposed exile, living under the viaduct, panlong River every day under the net fishing for a living, in exchange for some wine money. He drinks two 3.50 yuan bottles of rice wine a day and spends the rest to buy noodles, which he cooks after the chengguan leave work at night.
Xiao Wu’s generosity and generosity earned him respect under the viaduct, even though he was surrounded by many able-bodied tramps.
At the end of June, when he first moved under the viaduct, Xiao Wu gradually made many “friends” : some drivers who lived under the bridge like him, and others who ran transportation nearby. “Those who drove and pulled goods also came to chat with us.” just arrived in Kunming, Xiao Wu is still enough in hand, and a driver happy exchange after an afternoon, xiao Wu proposed to ask everyone to sing karaoke.
20 or 30 people came to a NEARBY KTV with great force, the security guard at the gate prevented this dress dirty and untidy team to enter, small wu jumped down from the friend’s back, went to the front with the security theory. “I told security, we have plenty of money, don’t you just open KTV to make money? Why shouldn’t we be allowed in?” After three or five rounds of confrontation, xiao Wu with the team successfully opened a large private room, we sing a night of joy, xiao Wu spent more than 1000 yuan for this.
The next day, the driver came under the viaduct to find Xiao Wu, he said, “You have a disability can be so generous, I have to invite you to play.” that night, small wu and hailed 20 or 30 people, again powerfully go to THE KTV. Xiao Wu said that those were the happiest days when he came to Kunming.
One evening in late July, a drunken tramp descended from the viaduct, trying to squeeze a space between Xiao Wu and the sick man who lived next to him. “I told him that this was not a place for anyone to live in, but we really couldn’t squeeze in now, and there was someone who was sick, and I wouldn’t let him.” Thus the two began to quarrel, and the able-bodied drunk stood under the concrete pier to “invite” a small fight. In a rage, xiao Wu sat on the cement pier, two fists broke each other’s ribs. This matter let xiao Wu into the police station for the second time.
Not even a 13 – or 14-year-old kid
Among the four people under the viaduct, Xiao Wu claimed that he and Lao SAN were good friends, although he did not even know the age of Lao SAN; The little zhang who is not very talkative will help the little martial arts meal silently every day; The old and small peak and claimed to be a brother, similarly, he also do not know who is big between himself and small peak.
“Come and go as you please and don’t interfere in each other’s private affairs.” ‘This is the rule for people under the viaduct,’ Mr. Wu said.
22 afternoon, the second time to meet, the third waved at a distance – his hand of the mobile phone has disappeared. He said he sold his mobile phone to the owner of a nearby mobile phone shop for 200 yuan on the night of The 19th.
The bed of old three sleeps small peak, this day, the steel plate on small peak foot begins to torment him again, he covers head to sleep motionless, “he is my sworn brother, the foot hurts him not to talk, the more painful the more not to talk. That’s my brother.” The third said.
In the washbasin by the pillow of small peak, put a few “bosom friend”, “sex joke” the magazine such as. Old 3 say, small peak likes to read these books at ordinary times. Two or three years ago, while walking in his hometown in Guizhou province, Xiao Feng was hit by a truck and broke his left calf. The man who caused the accident could not pay for the medical expenses, so the steel plate on his foot was never taken off. Not long ago, some good samaritans said they would like to subsidize the cost, help him take out the steel plate, but small peak dont want to owe a favor, secretly ran out, now every time when the foot hurts badly, small peak regret.
Tramps under the viaduct
Before 2007, the third brother had no freedom. He moved around the country with the eldest brother, feeling bags and stealing goods.
Lao SAN said that he lived a happy life before the age of 6. His father opened a street stall selling nang bread in Urumqi. Every year, his parents would celebrate his birthday. After being abducted at the age of six in Xi ‘an, he embarked on a different path. To complete the task that the eldest brother gives, go out every time “work” before, he should drink a few liquor, in dizzy drunk state, just dare to make a move.
At the age of eight, the third brother tried to escape and got on the train, but was caught by three adults. After catching back, the eldest brother in his healthy left leg stabbed a knife, not to give him medical treatment. From then on, the third brother gave up the idea of running away because of polio’s right hand, right leg and the left leg injured by the eldest brother.
In 2007, the Xi ‘an police found the bodies of three children under the eldest brother’s bed, which led to the collective arrest of the gang. “Three or four hundred people were arrested,” he said. “The eldest brother was sentenced to death, so we children found our own way to life.”
Free, the third return home, found that both parents have died, brother and sister have their own lives. “I’ll go to my brother’s house. My brother is close to me, but my sister is not; Go to your sister’s house. Your sister is your own sister, but your brother-in-law is not.”
When Lao SAN was in Henan, he often went to eat in a restaurant and met the owner’s daughter, who was also from Xinjiang province. Over time, the boss’s daughter became his girlfriend. They had broken up two years before, and he did not want to talk about the unhappy past.
Because of the festering of his limbs, the third son only went to work at 4 or 5 p.m., when the sun was weak. His skin would itch and hurt where it festered. In the past, the third brother had been a good fighter, able to fight two adults; Now, “I can’t fight a 13 – or 14-year-old kid.”
Although he had no stable income, the third brother was not worried at all and could live from day to day. His most long-term plan was to save some money and go to Henan. He has been in Kunming for two or three years and doesn’t want to stay any longer.
The shadow of death is everywhere
Death, to the “third brothers”, is a common occurrence. In 2012 alone, he saw two deaths.
The first time, it was a drunk. “The man got so drunk that he staggered off to his feet, fell down and never woke up.” The third wife did not know the man’s name or where he had been taken, though he had lived with him under the viaduct for months.
The second was an old tramp, a drunken old man who had stumbled to the village barbecue stall to get something to eat that afternoon, collapsed dead in front of a bank.
The third brother did not care at all about those who died or broke in under the viaduct. A few days ago, and a tramp in the old three bedside suddenly fell, afraid of being questioned by the police, the old three and small peak quickly hid the luggage in the roadside, and then ran out to play. When he came back in the evening, nothing happened. Turns out, the man wasn’t dead.
A few days later, the third brother saw the tramp stagger to borrow money for drinks. “If he asks me to lend him money to buy food, I will, but I know he wants to buy wine, certainly will not lend him.”
I’ve seen a lot of deaths, I’ve seen a lot of journalists, and I don’t care about people, and I never expect to be cared for. After his rescue in Xi ‘an in 2007, Lao SAN said he had appeared on local TELEVISION and newspapers, and since then his life has gone on as usual.
Speaking of his limbs festering, the third brother lowered his voice, “I’m afraid that if I say it, you will dislike me.” After a moment’s hesitation, the third brother spoke out a surprising incurable disease name, which was a few years ago, the loving person took him to the hospital for examination.
The third brother said he had had sex since he was 14. “At festivals, the old lady would take us to see the young lady. Now I shall suffer from one day to another, and you shall leave me alone till I die.”
The third suspect is to find miss sick, he also suspected that his ex-girlfriend brought him this disease. Of course, he and his girlfriend didn’t break up because of illness, which hadn’t yet been diagnosed. “Their family used to control the children and make money, so I could see that what their parents meant was that They wanted me to stay with their daughter and let me continue to do what I used to do and get money for them,” he said.
On the evening of October 24, the third brother whispered that he was “only 23”.
I’m totally different now
Xiao Wu said he did not have a girlfriend, also dare not to think about those things. What I want most now is to settle down in this city like spring all the year round and live a normal life, so that my parents in Jiangxi can rest assured.
Like so many young people, Xiao Wu and Lao Sou also have their own QQ space, and their space album shows a variety of clean and handsome photos.
In April 2009, Xiao Wu opened QQ space. In a “space talk” in June of that year, he said: “Friendship, family affection and love are the most sincere.”
In August 2010, he wrote: “Why did I give her up? Maybe it was my destiny. I’m sure one day she’ll see what I mean. I don’t know why I miss her.” This claims not to expect love of the small wu, in fact, and most ordinary young people, eager for love.
After coming to Kunming, he sent several “space talk” one after another. In a post in July this year, he encouraged himself: “Stick to what you’re seeing… Only perseverance can win!!”
The third brother kept saying that before he was ill, his body was very strong, “You go to see my space, and now completely two people”.
In his space, there are nearly 400 photos from 2009, in which he is a full circle fatter than the man in front of him. “My ex-girlfriend was pretty, too,” he says, beaming. His space has photos of him posing with members of the opposite sex.
The third brother said he could not read and could only chat on the Internet by voice. On April 5, 2011, Lao SAN sent his last message in “Space talk”, but it was a string of symbols that he could not understand.
At around 8 p.m. on Oct. 24, Zhang was left alone under the viaduct. “The second time you came, Xiao Wu left that night.” Xiao Zhang said, xiao Wu has been love people to take away, is about to start a new life, he waited for four months, finally came to the opportunity. “I don’t know why, but I have a strong sense of identity with Kunming, and I feel I can survive in this city.” “This time, I will cherish this opportunity and I will never let those who care about me down,” He said.
“When I was 24 or 25 years old, I was digging coal in fuyuan coal mine. I broke my back and my legs. I couldn’t do hard work, so I came to Kunming to work and was cheated. Xiao Zhang said he was out of luck, since they are so, simply do not struggle, anyway, there are no parents, wife and children at home, he live one day at a time.
Old three and small peak come back. The third time we met, the third brother seemed to have a lot to say, but stopped short.
“How many words are true in this world? People in the rivers and lakes, there are a few tears is true?” The third nodded quickly and slightly, and his eyes glistened in the darkness.
(The characters in this article are pseudonyms)
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