Every time I look through the photos I took of my mother, these touching story fragments will appear in front of my eyes. I am deeply moved by the tenacity and greatness of maternal love.
(1)
The image of Huang Nixian carrying his son Huang Bihua to school has always been deeply imprinted in my mind. This mother, who lives in Banjiangtun, Bankang Village, Aidong Town, Donglan County, Hechi City, Guangxi, carried her son Huang Bihua to school day after day with a thin body, from junior high school to university.
↑In Bankang Village, Aidong Town, Donglan County, Guangxi, Huang Nixian carries his son Huang Bihua on his back on a tricycle (photo taken on February 26, 2018).
↑In Guangxi Donglan County Senior High School, Huang Nixian carries his son Huang Bihua to the classroom on the 6th floor (photo taken on May 9, 2020).
On February 26, 2018, Guangxi Donglan County Senior High School is about to start. That day, when I arrived at Banjiangtun, Bankang Village, it was still dark, but Huang Niexian had already gotten up and made preparations, taking care of her son to wash, make breakfast, and pack his bags...
Her son Huang Bihua suffered from an illness in his lower limbs when he was in elementary school. Paralyzed, Huang Nixian's family is poor and her husband is in poor health. The couple is worried that their son with disabled legs will not be able to support himself when he gets old. "Studying is his only way out." They decided to let Huang Bihua, who had been out of school for three years due to illness, return to school. In primary school class, Huang Nixian's husband carries him to school every day.
When Huang Bihua was in junior high school, Huang Nixian and her husband rented a house near the school, working while carrying their son to school. When Huang Bihua was in junior high school, Huang Niexian's husband unfortunately passed away due to illness, and the burden of carrying his son to school fell on Huang Niexian.
After Huang Bihua went to high school in the county town, Huang Minxian lived in a dormitory provided by the school for free to mother and son. She carried her son to the classroom every day and took care of his son's life. In his free time, he worked odd jobs at the school canteen to earn some living expenses.
On February 26, 2018, the spring was cold and drizzle fell in Banjiangtun, Bankang Village. After Huang Naixian packed up, he put his son on his tricycle and rushed along the winding mountain road to the county town more than 20 kilometers away.
Arriving at Donglan County Senior High School, Huang Minxian took her son off the tricycle. As soon as he finished loading and unloading the luggage in the tricycle, the class bell rang. The 50-year-old mother carried her son through the campus paths, step by step. Walk towards the classroom. "Going to school is the only way out for him. I don't know how long I can recite it, but if I can recite it for one day, I will persevere." Returning to the dormitory from her son's classroom, this mother, who cannot read Chinese characters or understand Chinese, said, With the sweat on his forehead, he spoke to me in strong words.
↑In Bankang Village, Aidong Town, Donglan County, Guangxi, Huang Nixian drove his son Huang Bihua on his way to school in a tricycle (photo taken on February 26, 2018).
↑Huang Bihua arranges his mother Huang Niexian’s hat to protect her from the wind on the way to school (photo taken on February 26, 2018).
On May 9, 2020, I saw this mother again. At that time, Huang Bihua's classroom was on the sixth floor. Huang Niexian carried his son up and down the teaching building six times a day, and he was never late. "Sometimes, when they see that I am too tired to carry my back, the school teachers and classmates will take the initiative to help." Huang Nixian looked grateful.
The daily expenses of mother and son almost all fall on Huang Nixian alone. She has three acres of farmland at home and can only go back to take care of it during holidays. Usually, while taking care of her son, she picks up scraps at school and sells them to make money to supplement her living expenses. "No matter how hard or tired you are, you have to grit your teeth and persevere." Huang Nixian said.
↑In the dormitory of Donglan County Senior High School in Guangxi, Huang Nixian is choosing vegetables and Huang Bihua is reading (photo taken on February 26, 2018).
↑In Guangxi Donglan County Senior High School, Huang Naixian is collecting discarded items (photo taken on May 9, 2020).
What is gratifying is that Huang Bihua was admitted to university through hard work. Now, this mother, who has a thin body but a strong backbone, continues to accompany her son to complete his education.
(2)
The other mother in my camera is named He Dongyan.
He Dongyan is the mother of an autistic child. Her son Yangyang (pseudonym) was diagnosed with moderate to severe autism when he was 1 year and 8 months old.In order for her son to have better opportunities for rehabilitation training, He Dongyan took Yangyang around with her husband who worked in Guangdong.
When Yangyang was 3 years old, his father unfortunately passed away due to illness. All the burdens of this unfortunate family fell on He Dongyan, who was only 28 years old at that time. In order to allow her son to continue to receive rehabilitation training, He Dongyan came to rent a house in Nanning, Guangxi, and worked part-time to earn living expenses while accompanying her son to undergo rehabilitation training and go to school.
During this period, He Dongyan, who only had a high school degree, enrolled in a correspondence class at Guangxi Normal University in order to learn more professional knowledge, obtained a teacher qualification certificate, passed a self-study psychological counseling course, and obtained the "Special Vocational Ability Certificate in Psychological Counseling for Primary and Secondary School Students", etc. Qualification certificate.
On March 31, 2023, when I went to He Dongyan’s rental house in Nanning City for an interview, she was accompanying her son in rehabilitation training such as doing handicrafts and playing drums. Due to Yang Yang’s energy, it was difficult to concentrate on one thing for a long time. After a few minutes of working on a project, I have to switch to another project. When doing handicrafts, Yangyang always deserted, and now he wanted this thing, and now he wanted that thing. He Dongyan looked at his restless son and let out a long sigh, then touched his head and whispered softly. He persuaded him to do manual work quietly.
↑In a rental house located on Beihu North Road, Nanning City, Guangxi, He Dongyan and his son Yangyang are doing handicrafts (photo taken on March 31, 2023).
↑In a rental house located on Beihu North Road, Nanning City, Guangxi, He Dongyan teaches his son Yangyang to play drums (photo taken on March 31, 2023).
↑In a rental house located on Beihu North Road, Nanning City, Guangxi, Yangyang helps his mother He Dongyan pull out her gray hair (photo taken on March 31, 2023).
At that time, Yangyang was a junior high school student at Longhua School in Nanning High-tech Zone. In addition to taking care of her son on a daily basis, He Dongyan also took care of 8 children with autism, 1 child with Down syndrome, and two children with cerebral palsy at Longhua School. This woman had a rough life. The mother who strives for self-improvement on the way is busy around these children almost every day. She wants more unfortunate children like her son to get more help and see more hope.
↑He Dongyan is with the autistic students she takes care of at Longhua School in Nanning High-tech Zone, Guangxi (photo taken on March 31, 2023).
↑At Longhua School in Nanning High-tech Zone, Guangxi, He Dongyan teaches the students under her care to draw (photographed on March 31, 2023).
↑He Dongyan is with the students under her care at Longhua School in Nanning High-tech Zone, Guangxi (photo taken on March 31, 2023).
Now, in addition to taking care of her own son, He Dongyan also takes care of 16 children, including 6 children with autism, 2 children with cerebral palsy, 7 children with mental retardation, and 1 child with Down syndrome. She said that along the way, their mother and son received enthusiastic help from many kind-hearted people. What she does now every day is not only for life and gratitude, but more importantly, she wants to use kindness to infect more kindness and let more people "Children of the Stars" see the sun.
(3)
Zhang Qingxiu is also a mother who wants more children to receive warmth.
Zhang Qingxiu lives in Yucai Village, Zhonghua Town, Binyang County, Nanning City, Guangxi. She used to go out to work all year round. Her eldest son lived with her grandmother for many years, and her younger son also stayed with relatives in Liuzhou City, Guangxi. In 2010, when she returned home from working in Guangdong for the Chinese New Year, she noticed that her son looked at her as if he were a stranger, and his verbal communication was also very unfamiliar. At that moment, her heart was deeply hurt, and she decided to work at home while taking care of her children. No matter how little her income was, she would still give her children a warm home. While
was taking care of her children at home, she saw that there were many left-behind children in the village, and their eyes always had a touch of sadness. "At that time, an idea sprouted in my mind - I want to give 'a home' to the left-behind children in the village." Zhang Qingxiu said.
In May 2012, Zhang Qingxiu built the first "left-behind children's home" in the village, and mobilized local women to set up a "surrogate mother" volunteer service team composed of five people. Two-to-two or one-to-three pairing formats provide motherly care to left-behind children in the village.
↑In a "left-behind children's home" in Zhonghua Town, Binyang County, Guangxi, Zhang Qingxiu plays with children (photographed on March 5, 2024).
↑In a "left-behind children's home" in Zhonghua Town, Binyang County, Guangxi, Zhang Qingxiu (second from left) reads with children (photographed on March 5, 2024).
I visited Zhang Qingxiu’s “Home for Left-behind Children” three times for interviews. When I visited again on March 5, 2024, I just caught up with the children returning to the "left-behind children's home" after school. Zhang Qingxiu was busy helping them move their toys and playing with them. If there was any trouble, she hurried over. Give me some advice, and hug those who are crying and give them some comfort. The children were ready to go home. Zhang Qingxiu prepared a small cake for each of them. After receiving the cake, the children happily shared it together. The bustling "Left-behind Children's Home" was filled with childlike joy.
Today, Zhang Qingxiu, who has been on the charity road for 12 years, has changed from a mother of left-behind children to the "leading goose" of the local "surrogate mother" volunteer service team. The "surrogate mother" of this service team has grown from 5 It has grown to 147 people now, allowing more than 500 left-behind children to receive maternal warmth. The volunteer service team has been awarded the honors of the best national volunteer service organization, the national volunteer service demonstration team, and the national March 8th Red Flag Collective. Zhang Qingxiu also Won the national March 8th Red Flag Bearer and other honors.
"Old people are like old people, and people are old; young people are like young people, like people are young." Looking back on the past, Zhang Qingxiu wants to continue to warm the hearts of more left-behind children, so that they can grow up in a sky with more sunshine, rain, and dew. A little laughter.
↑Zhang Qingxiu communicates with children outside the activity room of a "Left-behind Children's Home" in Zhonghua Town, Binyang County, Guangxi (photo taken on March 5, 2024).
When I mentioned the stories of these mothers, I was filled with emotion and admiration. For the growth of their children, they chose to bear the burden; for the joy of more children, they chose to dedicate themselves selflessly.
On Mother's Day, I give my best wishes to all the mothers in the world.
Reporter: Lu Boan
(Xinhua News Agency)
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