The warm-hearted Old Liu, the warm-hearted Old Liu.

“The water’s out again! The water’s out again!” Aunt Zhang shouted from downstairs, calling out unit by unit.

Yes, the water was out again. The Garden Community was so old that in a building with four units, three of them often faced water outages.

What could be done when the water stopped? The residents of the three units had once jointly petitioned the community’s managing authority, who in turn blamed the water supply company. The water company, however, pointed fingers back at the community for not providing funds, saying they had no money for repairs. Thus, responsibility bounced back and forth.

Residents, the community management, and the water company were locked in a stalemate. Each side had its reasons, but from their own perspective, only their reasons held weight.

Frequent water outages severely disrupted the residents’ daily lives. As the saying goes, people can move to survive, but a tree withers if uprooted.

Whenever the water went out, representatives from the three units would head to the community office to fetch water. After all, it was public water; if the authorities couldn’t resolve the problem, the residents would just take it directly. Could the public really leave the people without water?

The community leaders, unable to resolve the issue with the water company, turned a blind eye. Since it was all public water, if they couldn’t fix it, they would just have the government reimburse the costs.

The water company merely patched things up here and there, treating water issues as a matter between residents and the community management. Since it was government-owned water, any amount used would be reimbursed. The water company collected fees from the government as usual, suffering no loss.

Whenever Lao Liu explained this convoluted logic to his son, Xiao Ming, the boy never quite understood who this “public” was and why he was so unlucky.

Tonight, the water was out again. It happened to be Sunday, and the summer heat was at its peak. Residents from the three units gathered outside—not only to fetch water but also to chat with neighbors and vent their frustrations about the water company.

Thus, a small courtyard soon filled with a dozen or so families cooling off. Meanwhile, the water-fetching team prepared to set out. Tonight, Lao Liu was leading. Xiao Ming finished his homework quickly and went downstairs to play hopscotch and toss beanbags with friends, though his thoughts remained mostly on his father.

Xiao Ming knew well that every time his father led the water-fetching, all the neighbors’ water jars were filled to the brim—except his own, which was only half full. Was there a time limit on how long they could fetch water? Was it some kind of game with strict rules? If they exceeded the allotted time, were they forbidden from taking more?

Each time Lao Liu returned with water, Xiao Ming stared in confusion at the half-empty jar at home. Was his father’s ability limited? Did their jar leak? Or were they simply not favored?

Xiao Ming couldn’t understand. Was this what it meant to sacrifice oneself for others?

Tonight, Lao Liu set out again. Xiao Ming was still lost in the joy of playing with his friends when he noticed his father was the only one pulling the water cart. Instantly, Xiao Ming’s playful spirit vanished, replaced by a wave of helplessness.

Was it going to be another night without water at home?

He quickly left his friends behind and climbed onto the three-wheeled cart, grabbing the plastic water bags with practiced hands. “Dad, I’ll come with you today!”

Lao Liu turned around and said, “Why are you coming? You’re too weak. You’ll just get in the way. Go back downstairs!”

Then came a scolding. Xiao Ming wanted to explain, but being reprimanded in front of everyone left him full of confusion and resentment. A grim feeling settled in his heart—tonight, there would be no water for their home again.

He resented his father for not being able to fill their jar to the top. He resented the “public” for always setting rules that hurt their household’s water supply.

Xiao Ming no longer cried, but he was puzzled. Why be kind to others but not to his own family? Was his father fetching water for the public all along?