From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

Su Qing hesitated for two seconds, then immediately ran after me, keeping close behind.

The building isn't tall, only seven floors in total, and this hidden gem of a barbecue restaurant is located on the seventh-floor rooftop.

The door to the top-floor room was open. I knocked lightly twice and stepped inside.

Inside was an ordinary residential house, not very large, with simple and even somewhat cluttered furnishings.

In the kitchen, a bald man in his thirties, wearing a worn-out T-shirt, was busy in front of the barbecue grill.

Fortunately, the range hood was working well, and there was no thick smoke in the room, only a rich and tempting aroma of barbecue wafting in.

Su Qing followed behind me with an incredulous look, muttering under her breath, "This is clearly just an ordinary family's home, how come they've opened a barbecue restaurant without permission?"

I didn't respond to her, but instead smiled and greeted the man in the kitchen, "Brother Luo, busy?"

Hearing the voice, Brother Luo turned around, a familiar smile immediately spreading across his face: "Not bad, not many orders tonight, just one. Yezi, it's been a while since you've been here."

I replied with a smile, "I've been busy with things at the shop lately and haven't had time to come over. I just happened to have some free time today, so I brought a friend over to try your cooking."

Brother Luo glanced at Su Qing, who was following behind me, and seemed to have misunderstood the relationship between Su Qing and me. He jokingly said:

"Wow, Yezi, you've really made something of yourself! Your girlfriend is so beautiful, you have great taste."

I was about to explain when Su Qing beat me to it, quickly waving her hand to clarify, "Don't talk nonsense! I'm not his girlfriend, just a regular friend."

Luo Ge's smile froze instantly, revealing a hint of embarrassment.

I quickly tried to smooth things over: "She's really not my girlfriend, Brother Luo, don't misunderstand, she's just a friend."

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Brother Luo immediately apologized. "Don't mind me, miss. I'm just bad with words, I just said whatever came to mind."

Su Qing, being a generous person, gently shook her head, turned around and walked to the ingredient selection area on the side, looking at the fresh ingredients in the freezer.

Brother Luo immediately said to her, "Take whatever you want to eat! There's only one order ahead, it'll be quick."

I nodded and was about to pick out the ingredients with my basket.

A small figure ran over quickly, holding a clean bamboo basket and handing it to Su Qing. A childish voice spoke:

"Sister, here's your basket."

This is Brother Luo's daughter. The little girl's head is completely bald, and her face looks extremely pale and thin. She looks even worse than when I last came here, which makes my heart ache.

I sighed softly to myself. Every time I saw Tuantuan like this, my heart felt heavy.

Su Qing stared at the little bald girl in front of her, clearly stunned for a moment, and subconsciously turned to look at me, her eyes full of confusion.

She must have found it strange that a perfectly healthy child would be bald.

I didn't say much, but quickly walked over to Tuantuan, gently squatted down, and softly asked in a gentle tone, "Tuantuan, did you go to kindergarten today?"

Tuantuan nodded vigorously, her smile innocent and pure: "I'm going! Brother hasn't come to see Tuantuan in so long."

Looking at her innocent smile, my heart ached even more, and I gently asked, "Was kindergarten fun? Did you behave well?"

"Fun!"

Tuantuan responded crisply, then pouted slightly and said with a wronged look, "But... the other kids in my class laugh at me for not having hair, saying I'm different from everyone else."

Upon hearing this, my nose suddenly stung, and my heart clenched instantly.

I reached out and gently touched her smooth little bald head, trying to force a relaxed smile to reassure her: "Don't listen to them, Tuantuan is the cutest. Not having hair doesn't make you ugly at all. Look at Daddy, he's bald too, and he's so handsome. Our Tuantuan is a little beauty!"

I coaxed Tuantuan until her eyebrows relaxed and she showed a sweet smile again, so innocent that it melted my heart.

At this moment, Su Qing had already selected the ingredients, and turned to look at me with her small basket: "I've chosen these vegetables, see if it's enough? If not, you can pick some more."

I glanced at the ingredients in her basket; they were all vegetables.

I smiled helplessly, reached out and opened the freezer, grabbed a handful of beef skewers, pork belly, and sausages, picked out a serving of pig brains, and finally chose a fresh crucian carp, filling the basket to the brim.

I placed the ingredients on the countertop.

Brother Luo turned his head and glanced at them, then laughed and said, "You guys go up to the rooftop and wait there. It'll be ready soon and we'll bring it up to you."

"Okay, Brother Luo, take your time, no rush."

I led Su Qing around and onto the rooftop.

Upon stepping onto the rooftop, a completely different world unfolds before your eyes.

The empty rooftop is simply furnished with a few small wooden tables and plastic stools, surrounded by a ring of warm yellow LED strips.

A gentle evening breeze blew, the view was expansive, and the atmosphere was wonderful.

Su Qing was utterly astonished. Standing at the edge of the rooftop, she looked around and exclaimed in amazement:

"Wow! Who would have thought that such an amazing barbecue restaurant would be hidden on the rooftop of this old urban village! You have such a great eye for finding places! How did you even discover it?"

I casually found a clean table, pulled up a stool, and sat down, explaining, "I used to deliver food every day, and I only discovered this place by chance when I grabbed an order here. Don't worry, the taste is absolutely authentic, and it's clean and hygienic; I won't rip you off."

Su Qing continued to look around with great interest.

Nearby are old, low-rise houses, dimly lit and scattered, full of the lively atmosphere of a bustling city.

In the distance, towering buildings stand tall, neon lights flash, and the entire city's bustling night view is spread out before your eyes.

One broken, one new; one dark, one bright.

The collision of these two extreme visual styles creates a powerful visual impact.

Looking at the scene before me, a sense of emotion quietly arose in my heart.

When I was tired from delivering food, I liked to come here alone, order a few skewers of barbecue and drink a few bottles of beer.

Above us, the sky is filled with stars; below us, the lights of countless homes illuminate the night.

Sitting here, it feels like you can escape the monotony of daily life and look down on this bustling city from an outsider's perspective.

The city is bustling, but I am insignificant.

No matter how hard they try, it seems they can never break free from the constraints of this urban village.

Just as I was lost in thought and feeling sentimental, Su Qing beside me suddenly spoke softly:

"That little girl... how could she be bald when she's so young?"

Su Qing's voice abruptly pulled me back to reality. I turned to look at her and said in suspense, "Guess."

Su Qing frowned slightly and whispered, "She's probably seriously ill, isn't she? Look at her face, she's so pale and her complexion is so bad."

I nodded heavily and exhaled a long breath: "It's leukemia."

Upon hearing this, Su Qing's pupils dilated suddenly, her face filled with disbelief.

She instinctively lowered her voice, asking in shock, "How could this happen? She's so young, how could she get such a serious illness?"

"According to her father, Brother Luo, the condition was detected during a check-up when the child was one year old. It is a congenital type and is very difficult to cure."

Su Qing, who is usually fearless, rarely showed such distress at this moment. Her brows were tightly furrowed, and she remained silent for a long time.

After a long pause, she asked softly, "Is there still a chance to cure it?"

"I don't know, I only know that Brother Luo has never given up on her. The father and daughter came all the way from the north. Jiangcheng Children's Hospital is famous throughout the country, and the medical conditions are better than in their hometown. He risked his life to bring his child here for treatment."

Su Qing pressed on, "Where's the child's mother? I didn't see her just now."

I forced a bitter smile and shook my head gently: "After she was diagnosed with leukemia, her mother abandoned her and her father and never came back."

Su Qing was stunned for a moment, her voice instantly becoming agitated: "How can a mother be like this? She just abandons her own flesh and blood like that! How can she be so heartless!"

I gave another bitter laugh and said calmly, "The world is vast, and there are all kinds of people. Don't assume everyone is kind."