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voice_cd
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Tales of the Oft Forgotten

Tales of the Oft Forgotten--Which touches you the most?

Small Potatoes, Moving China
(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-01-23 11:26

An article called “2007 Moving China, top 10 impressive small potatoes” was posted on a forum on rednet.cn, listing 10 touching stories of ordinary people. The story caught netizens’ attention and admiration.

While CCTV, the government television channel awards winners handpicked by a carefully chosen group of dignitaries with a program called "2007 Moving China", this list of ordinary folk was created after a round of voting online.

"Compared to the models chosen by the media, these common people impress us even more," said one netizen on a posting.

Some of those listed didn’t make great achievements. Some showed bravery, while others resisted the temptation of money, and still others followed their hearts and did well in their careers.

These "small potatoes" move China. Though they are small in size, weak in power, sometimes even struggling for life, the online list of people moved the public because of these people’s high moralities and consistent kindness.

Which of the following stories touches you the most?

No. 1: The sole teacher in remote mountains for 22 years
(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-01-23 11:25

Bordering a bamboo forest and along some mountain paths are three shabby rooms made of stones. This is the only primary school of Mazhuang, a remote mountainous village in central China's Henan Province, one of the country's poorest provinces.

This is where Xu Yunling, the only teacher in this small village, has taught for the past 22 years. And in that period not a single student has ever dropped school. Some went onto high school or college; and a few even gained their Ph.D.

Graduated from senior high school and taught for two years, Xu took over the class of about 10 children as a temporary substitute in 1986. But the substitute lasted for 22 years.

Coming from the eight neighboring villages, the several school-aged children are divided into three levels, from pre-school to grade two. Xu taught in the only classroom and gives them assignments after every class. The subjects were not only compulsory ones, but including music and physical education.

Paid with slender wages of 32 yuan (US$4) every month in 1986 when she started teaching, Xu got small incremental raises. In 2007, she was only paid 200 yuan ($27.6).

Thought paid little, she tried to subsidize tuition for some of the poorer students, to ensure every school-aged child was educated. And for her efforts, Xu has been awarded the honor of “Excellent Teacher” for her contribution to education several times.

Still living in shanty, Xu used all her and her husband's 3,000 yuan ($438) in savings to build new classrooms for the students in 1993. Mining and carrying stones for construction all by themselves, Xu and her husband built three stone walled classrooms near her ramshackle cabin.

In 2005, Xu's son lost three fingers on his right hand from an accident; five days later, her daughter was diagnosed with a cyst on her thyroid gland and needed urgent surgery. As a result, Xu's family owed 40,000 yuan ($5,517).

A friend asked Xu to work at a kindergarten in Beijing, with a monthly pay of 1,000 yuan ($138), the amount equal to her whole year's earnings in this remote school. However, Xu still hesitated on the day of her departure. When she heard her students call her "teacher", she stayed.

Showing her unswerving dedication, Xu told a reporter, "Everything will be OK in my family. But those children cannot do without me. I won't let any of them drop out of school."

Image Attachment: teacher.jpg (2008-1-29 10:42 AM, 21.83 K)

2008-1-29 10:42 AM

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No. 2: Disabled woman's spirit inspires others
(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-01-23 11:22

Born in Hunan Province, Li Li had polio as a child and was not able to stand or walk properly. Even more unfortunate was that at the age of 40, she was seriously injured in a traffic accident, confining her to a wheelchair for the rest of her life.

However, this strong-minded woman never yielded to what seemed like an unfair fate. She is always trying to do something for her community.

She found many children were addicted to computer games and did not like to study. She established a studio called 'Li Li's home education" which helped students concentrate on their schoolwork. She also founded a website to answer some teenagers' psychological problems.

In addition, she held more than 100 hours of mental health lectures in schools, companies, prisons and communities for free.

One day last December, Li went to Hunan Women's Prison to give a speech. She encourages the criminals to reform themselves actively. "I am held in captivity by my body but you are imprisoned by your own psychological problems," she said. "Everyone has a good future only if she learns from the past and is confident to move forward."

Zou Xiaoling, a young woman who was convicted for taking part in the drug trade, was deeply moved by Li's difficult experience and optimistic spirit. "I didn't expect to hear such a strong-minded woman," said Zou, "We should all learn from her example. I am determined to cheer myself up."

"I am so lucky to find the best way to show my values," said Li. "I thank society and people because they helped me a lot, and they let me know the world is full of things worth cherishing."

Image Attachment: woman.jpg (2008-1-29 10:43 AM, 16.82 K)

2008-1-29 10:43 AM

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No. 3: Son saves father with his own skin

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-01-23 11:18

A father and son in Jiangsu Province not only share the same blood, but skin too.

Early last year, Yin Guang'an, was working in a chemical factory when he fell into a big cauldron full of boiling water by accident.

"I roared with pain!" recalled the 52-year-old father "Just from instinct, I grabbed the edge tightly to avoid falling into the bottom of the cauldron." Except for his head and arms, all the other parts of his body were submerged in the hot water. His colleagues tried to rescue him immediately. However, when they managed pull him out of the hot water, he suffered serious burns covering 85 percent of his body.

Doctors told Yin's son, Yin Wuyong, the only way to save his father's life was a skin graft operation. The only son just got married and was on his honeymoon, but he decided without hesitation to save his father's life even though he had to shave his thick hair and graft the skin on the scalp to put onto his father's burned body.

Yin's wife Zhen Hong, gave him support and comfort during this difficult time. She also took good care of her father-in-law and encouraged him to fight the pain and keep an upbeat mood.

"My wife did not say anything but cried when she heard my decision," said the young husband. "But I know she entirely agrees with me and will support me with all her heart."

"I worried a lot of things at that time," he continued. "However, I am the only son of my father, and he loves me so much. When he needs me, I must try my best to save his life."

"I had never cried before my family," Yin's father said in tears. "But when I heard my son decided to give the skin from his scalp to me, I cried. It must be very painful and also makes my heart ache. I am very proud to have such a filial son who gave me a second life."

Moved by the love of his son, the badly burned man endured the great pain and was determined to get better. After 14 operations, now Yin's father finally recovered.

To everyone's joy, Yin also regained his health after the operations. "Now look at me, I am OK." Yin smiled, "I always believe love can prevail against any difficulty. It's wonderful to see my father be well again!"

Image Attachment: son.jpg (2008-1-29 10:44 AM, 16 K)

2008-1-29 10:44 AM

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No. 4: A disfigured son sings to support family

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-01-23 11:15

Huang Xiaodong was a disfigured young adult paralysed from the waist down. He supported his mother by singing on the street, in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

His face and hands were seriously burnt and deformed in a fire when he was six months old. When he was 11, his father died of cancer. Then his only brother died in a traffic accident when he was 30 and his sister-in-law left home for work with the nephew, leaving his mother and the disfigured son to look after themselves.

However, misfortune did not keep him down. To support his mother, Huang, the only man in this single-parent family, began to scratch out a living by singing on the streets in 1998, tolerating the sneers and contempt of passerby.

In 2002, Huang received government subsidies for a minimum standard of living. Three years later, Huang couldn't speak or sing because of infections on the burn injury on his head. The government stepped in again and gave his mother the same subsidies and they were also offered an apartment.

Soon afterwards Huang died of the infections.

"When I first met him, I was astonished and scared by his appearance, but later I found him a responsible, considerate, and filial person. He respected the old and felt grateful for everyone who helped him," Huang's sister-in-law told a reporter after he died.

Image Attachment: disfigured.jpg (2008-1-29 10:44 AM, 15.15 K)

2008-1-29 10:44 AM

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No. 5: Filial son cares for sick mother

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-01-23 11:22

A 59-year-old unmarried son is still taking care of his mother for nine years who suffered a stroke.

This filial son is Hong Zulong from Jinjiang, a small county in southeast China's Fujian Province.

Since his mother was bedridden due to a stroke in 1999, Hong has accompanied and looked after her for the past nine years, feeding, cleaning, dressing and massaging her, washing, cooking and even changing diapers for her.

Hong said, "I would send mother to hospital if I had enough money, but I don't. So that's why I can't marry anyone."

Image Attachment: filian son.jpg (2008-1-29 10:45 AM, 19.67 K)

2008-1-29 10:45 AM

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No. 6: Heroic deed costs dear life

Yang Yingjun, a 30-year-old woman from the countryside in Hunan Province, central China, saved five children in an accident, but lost her own daughter.

Yang and her husband drive their daughter Huang Dan and several other students in a minibus to Xiang Meng primary school.

On September 12 last year, Yang's husband pulled the minibus up to the school. When she led the students to cross the street, a truck lost control and drove towards them. "Run!" Yang shouted, and threw herself to the stunned children.

She pushed five pupils away from danger. But when she turned to see what happened to the other children, the truck hit her. She immediately lost consciousness.

According to witnesses, it was rush hour when the street was crowded with pupils. Her accident with the truck prevented many more injuries to the children.

Yang's legs were badly hurt, with a palm-sized tear in her right leg, her calves were swollen and her ankle bones didn’t seem aligned. As she was carrying a four-month-old fetus, Yang could not be X-rayed, so doctors could not diagnose her internal injuries and only treat her external ones.

When she became conscious again in the hospital, she was told that thanks to her, five children were safe, preventing more injuries. But her six-year-old daughter, Huang Dan, died in the accident.

Despite her daughter's death, Yang said she didn't regret what she did.

Image Attachment: 001320d123930900f2ac27.jpg (2008-1-29 10:45 AM, 23.65 K)

2008-1-29 10:45 AM

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No. 7: Girl refuses adoption to care for mentally retarded brother

Although many people offered to adopt her, Lei Dongxiang, a five-year-old girl in Chongqing Municipality, Southwest China politely refused, as she wanted to look after her older brother.

In 2000, Dongxiang's father died of an illness. Unable to handle his untimely death, her mother had a mental breakdown. As a result the young girl shouldered the responsibility of caring for her mother and retarded brother.

For seven years, little Dongxiang went to school everyday, and did household chores while keeping an eye upon a mentally unstable mother and brother who was unable to look after himself.

"My elder brother is retarded and has epilepsy, and my mother has gone mad. Everyday, I looked after them after school. There was never a peaceful moment."

Dongxiang dares not recall how she survived the days after her father's death. "My brother often had epileptic seizures, sometimes several times in one day. Meanwhile, mom was causing trouble, and I didn't know whom to attend to first."

On a cold winter morning in 2005, Dongxiang's mother fell into a canal and died. She felt like she lost a pillar of strength. Though she was mentally insane, her mother was her spiritual crutch.

After her mother's death, many kind-hearted people wanted to adopt Dongxiang and give her a comfortable life. But when she knew they wouldn't take her retarded brother with her, the girl declined them politely. "Now that mom was gone, I will never leave my brother", she said.

In Dongxiang's delicate small body, there lies a strong heart. The 12-year-old girl has moved people because of her love for her family and bravery in facing a tough life.

Image Attachment: 001320d123930900f1a725.jpg (2008-1-29 10:47 AM, 24.34 K)

2008-1-29 10:47 AM

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No. 8: Risking her life to save 80 others

Fang Yuming, a village woman in Hubei Province, risked her life to stop two travel coaches from a dangerous rockfall.

The 36-year-old owned a water station in the mountains of Southwest of Hubei Province.

On the night of December 10, she was adding water for a truck and suddenly heard unusual sounds coming from the nearby mountain.

Fang immediately realized a landslide occurred. Just at that moment, a coach travelling on its way to Chongqing, drove towards the area in high speed, unaware of the danger ahead.

The woman didn't run for her life but stood in the middle of the road, waving and shouting to the driver to stop the coach.

However, the coach driver misunderstood her, thinking she was trying to get him to add more water into his vehicle and so he didn't stop. Fang was very anxious and ran after the bus shouting, "Stop! Danger! The rocks are going to fall!"

Finally the coach stopped. Fang caught up to the driver and trying to catch her breath said, "Look at the mountain, it's going to..." And before she could finish her sentence, hundreds of rocks began falling down the mountain, one of them landing just 10 meters away from the bus, which frightened the driver.

Just at that time, a second coach approached the first one. Fang turned around and stood in the middle of the road again to warn the driver stop. Luckily, as soon as the second one stopped, stones fell down in front of the bus but did not hurt anyone.

In the end 80 passengers were saved. Getting off from the coaches, many people who were in shock, trembled and cried. When they calmed down, many passengers tried to give Fang some money to thank her for saving their lives. But Fang declined.

And even though the provincial government rewarded her with 10,000 yuan ($1,370) for her heroic deed, Fang donated the money towards the repairs of a bridge in her village.

"I just did what I should do," said Fang. "If I fled and did not stop the coaches, all the 80 passengers would probably be dead or badly injured. In that case, I would not forgive myself for the rest of my life."

Image Attachment: 001320d123930900f0b521.jpg (2008-1-29 10:50 AM, 11.34 K)

2008-1-29 10:50 AM

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No. 9: 80-year-old keeps working

A series of photos called "an old newspaper woman in cold winter" was spread through the Internet and the independent spirit of the 80-year-old moved many netizens.

Huddled in a corner of the street, the elderly woman surnamed Zhao in the photos looked pale because of the cold weather. There were piles of newspapers surrounding this old woman which made her look like a beggar.

After looking these photos, thousands of netizens had great sympathy for the woman. Many went to see her and bought newspapers so that she could finish selling all her newspapers and go home earlier.

Some people thought the old woman was badly treated by her family and some blamed her children for not looking after her.

Surprisingly, the elderly Zhao told people that her children and husband treated her very well. And it was she alone who wanted to sell newspapers for eight years regardless of whether the weather was cold or hot, windy or rainy.

"I cannot stop her," said her husband Zhao Yongsheng, "Our children and I all oppose her selling newspapers and try to persuade her to live a comfortable life. Our retirement pay is 2,000 yuan which is quite enough for us so we are not short of money. However, she did not want to just stay at home. She wants to do something, and selling newspapers is a good choice for her."

"We have four sons and one daughter and they all treat us very well," he continued. "Our family once held a meeting to try to stop her selling newspapers. She promised us she would stop but the next day she still got up early to sell newspapers like before."

"I do not feel tired," said the elderly woman, " I just love to sell newspapers and want to do something for my family."

Image Attachment: 001320d123930900ef2a1d.jpg (2008-1-29 10:53 AM, 15.4 K)

2008-1-29 10:53 AM

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No. 10: Honesty hits the jackpot

Zhang Jianshun, a lottery ticket seller in Xiaogan city, Hubei Province in Central China, returned a 5 million yuan prize to a ticket-buyer.

A man surnamed Ming was a good customer of Zhang's. On January 16 Ming called Zhang to help him buy 108 lottery tickets. Ming said he would pay him back the money the next time he came into Zhang's stand.

However, on one of the tickets, Zhang didn't use the numbers Ming requested. But it turned out that was the winning ticket that hit the jackpot of 5 million yuan ($690,000).

According to the lottery regulations, if a ticket doesn't have a name on it, it cannot be declared lost. So Zhang could have won the money.

Instead he called Ming and told him the good news.

When the media and others asked Zhang why he gave the grand prize to Ming, Zhang felt it was the most ordinary thing to do. "It's the duty and proper ethic of a lottery seller," said Zhang with an honest smile on his face.

He adds about 10 percent of his customers are like Ming, calling him advance to buy lottery tickets and they pay him back later. "They phoned and bought tickets from me out of trust. It is simple, because there is mutual trust between us," he explains.

After he was laid off from a fertilizer plant, Zhang began selling lottery in 2004. He's far from rich - the 38-year-old lives in a 30 sq m house with his family.

"I know some people might think I'm a fool for not claiming the jackpot myself, but I don't think so I am happy with my life and will not go against my conscience," Zhang said sincerely.

On January 18, Hubei Sport Lottery Office recognized Zhang's honesty by giving him a 10,000 yuan ($1,370) reward.

"What makes me even happier is neither the appreciation of Mr Ming, nor the award from the Lottery Office, but the praise of my 11-year-old son," he said. "When I asked him whether he was mad at dad for returning a 5 million yuan prize to someone else, he replied in English, "You are wonderful!"

Image Attachment: 001320d123930900edd817.jpg (2008-1-29 10:56 AM, 14.6 K)

2008-1-29 10:56 AM

#10

cyberspook (Spook)
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number one for me , you cannot put a price on education and this lady knows this all to well , she has put others before her own giving them every chance at being productive members of their small community . well done .

2008-1-29 08:22 PM

#11

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QUOTE:

Originally posted by voice_cd at 2008-1-29 11:50
Fang Yuming, a village woman in Hubei Province, risked her life to stop two travel coaches from a dangerous rockfall.

The 36-year-old owned a water station in the mountains of Southwest of Hubei ...

The story of Fang Yuming touched me the most. She not only saved the lives of 80 people but gave a huge reward to her community to repair a bridge. A very honest and heroic person.

2008-1-29 09:11 PM

#12

thepeop
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This is pretty shocking reading... some of these are not 'moving stories', they are human tragedies. The question shouldn't be what touches us most but what outrages us the most. A disfigured boy having to sing on the street to keep his mother alive and then dying of infections? (I wonder whether those government subsidies covered hospital costs...). A man who looks after his mother 24 hours a day because he can't afford hospital fees? A girl compelled to look after her retarded brother? Of course these people can be admired, but every day on the streets you can see people who may have similar stories... and we should be angry that they are forced to live like this because no-one will support them.

2008-1-30 03:37 PM

#13

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Most of the characters in the above stories have been stricken with unfortune by life and they show their braveness and tenacity to the cruelty of life. That worths respect from all of us.

I picked the school teacher for the most touching stories. She has changed her student's destiny by her deeds. Education is the only way to change one's life if he or she was not born in a rich family.

My father was born in a poor family in the countryside. My grandparents tried their best to support his studies. My father did not let them down. He was among the first college stduents after the restoration of the University Entrance Examination. He also engaged in the field of education after graduation. He told me that most of his young playmates who was forced to drop out of school now still live pretty bad lives, whom he feels very sorry about.

2008-1-30 03:48 PM

#14

joyceice
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The ten tales are all impressive to me. I would choose No. 10 to be the most touched one if I have to, as there are too many crimes caused by greed.

We have been taught to be a honest person since we were at kindergarten, unfortunatly it seemed totally lost in this modern world.

And his behaviour explained how a moral person would act under such circumstances.

2008-1-30 05:04 PM

#15

tradervic (Uncle Laowai)
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QUOTE:

Originally posted by cyberspook at 1/29/2008 06:22 AM
number one for me , you cannot put a price on education and this lady knows this all to well , she has put others before her own giving them every chance at being productive members of their small community . well done .

I agree with cyber - there have been a few stories of 'barefoot teachers' like this around China. If my hazy memory serves, there was a thread about a male, one-armed teacher last year.

Regardless, more power to them, they need all the help they can get.

2008-1-31 01:20 AM

#16

seneca (seneca)
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I can't make up my mind as I know each of these heroes and heroines leads their life according to one thing they all have in common: A decent conscience.

2008-3-3 07:51 PM

#17

allenmiao
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impressive stories to all of us!
we all should take them as our role model in life,
and I agree with tradervic, they all need to get great help they can get,
this is not only our civil' responsibility, but also counrty' and government'

2008-3-20 05:30 PM

#18

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