In a Chinese family, the patriarch died tragically, leaving his wife with two children. Mia, the eldest daughter, was only five years old. The family’s main source of income was the market sale of medicinal herbs. A small apple orchard brought a small additional income, which became their sole source of income for living. Every day, the mother and her two children went apple picking and sold them at the local market.
However, their family’s problems returned. The mother of two small children fell gravely ill. Mia was nine years old at the time. Her frail shoulders bore the burden of caring for her sick mother and younger brother. The children picked apples, and the girl carried them to the market. The disease spread quickly, and the local doctor insisted on performing diagnostics in the city because their small hospital lacked the necessary equipment.
The trip and diagnostics cost around $4,000, which was a significant sum for their low-income family. The sick woman decided that her family would never be able to afford such a sum and silently awaited her death. However, the little girl could not accept such a decision from her sick mother and decided to work to earn the required amount. She continued to sell the harvest, but the price was completely unexpected. When the buyers inquired about the price, the girl calmly stated that it was $9 USD for one kilogram.
People eventually stopped in front of her baskets of red and juicy apples. Mia was advised by an elderly lady sitting next to her to sell apples at the standard price of $1.50 per kilogram. The depressed young lady told her her story. So, after about a month, the girl stopped bringing money into the house, but she refused to return to the previous price, as if hoping for a miracle.
She couldn’t believe it when she heard a male voice ask her about the cost of apples. Mia paused for a moment, unsure whether to tell him a high price or sell them at a regular price for fear of losing a rare buyer. However, after a few seconds of thought, she proposed a price of $9. To the man’s surprised question, the girl replied, barely holding back her tears, that she was very sorry, but she couldn’t sell apples any cheaper.
Mia expected the man to leave right away, but to her surprise, he continued to stand up and stare at her. Then an elderly neighbor approached them, concerned about the presence of a stranger next to the girl. The man inquired about such a high price, and in response, he heard the girl’s family’s tragic story. He looked at Mia for a long time after she finished speaking and then abruptly asked her to show them their apple orchard and the entire harvest. The surprised girl brought him home quietly.
When he saw his sick mother in bed, he no longer questioned his decision and told the girl that he was willing to buy the entire crop for $ 9 per kilogram. He also left her his phone number, promising to assist his mother if she needed it. The children’s mother received the necessary treatment, and the family’s long-awaited joy and peace returned. The small family is extremely grateful to a random passer-by who could not ignore the children’s anguish.