The 'Heartless Abandonment' in the Worn-Out Passbook

Qiang Zhou and his younger brother, Lei Zhou, had relied on each other since childhood. To support his brother's university education, Qiang worked three jobs a day. However, on the very day Lei received his acceptance letter to a prestigious master's program, Qiang had a huge argument at home, accusing his brother of being a blood-sucking freeloader. Qiang threw Lei's belongings out of the house in front of everyone and took all of his brother's scholarships, coldly stating, "I've served enough. Your life and death from now on have nothing to do with me!" Lei left his hometown filled with hatred and humiliation. Driven by sheer determination, he fought his way into the tech industry and, in just a few years, became a high-level executive earning a million dollars annually. But just as he was preparing to return home to "show off and get revenge" on his brother, he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and his life hung in the balance. Fortunately, the bone marrow registry quickly found a perfect match, and the transplant surgery was extremely successful. After recovering, Lei returned to his hometown with immense arrogance, wanting to show his "cold-blooded brother" his current achievements. However, all he found was a desolate earthen grave. An elderly neighbor, crying, pressed a worn-out passbook and a diagnosis certificate into Lei's hands. The truth instantly shattered everything: Qiang had been diagnosed with late-stage ALS. Knowing he could no longer take care of his brother and would drain all his savings, becoming a burden, he deliberately staged the "heartless abandonment" act to force his brother to leave and pursue his own life. He secretly set up a trust with all his earnings from working to secure his brother's tuition. Upon learning of his brother's illness, Qiang endured the pain of his disease and immense suffering, donating his bone marrow in his final moments. Lei clutched the passbook tightly and knelt before his brother's grave, sobbing uncontrollably.