The picture shows a family sunbathing in the yard, with Longlong (the son of Suo Weili and his current wife Zhang Ruifang) imitating Yang Kun's singing of "Whatever," causing everyone to burst into laughter. This photo was taken by Ma Jiqian and published on China News Service on January 14th in Handan.
Fifteen years ago, Suo Weili's ex-wife passed away. Because of a promise made at her bedside, he has been taking care of his frail father-in-law and mother-in-law, as well as his ex-wife's brain-damaged younger brother, while also raising the disabled son and daughter he had with his ex-wife, alongside his current wife. After 15 years, his filial piety remains unchanged.
Suo Weili, 43 years old, is an ordinary employee of the Hebei Jizhong Energy Han Mine Group Tao No.2 Mine. As usual, after work, Suo Weili rushed to the home of his father-in-law Fang Wanmin. He measured the blood pressure of the elderly couple, checked if there was rice in the rice container, if there was enough oil in the oil bottle, and if the clothes and bedding needed washing. His current wife Zhang Ruifang prepared dinner, and the whole family ate together. Then, he fed his severely brain-damaged brother-in-law from his ex-wife. After everything was tidied up, he and his wife left his father-in-law's house and returned to the Tao No.2 Mine residential area to rest.
It is understood that Fang Wanmin and his wife could not have children, so their daughter Fang Huali and son Fang Baoliang were adopted. Soon after Suo Weili married Fang Huali, they had a lovely son, and in 1996, they added a daughter. However, just one week after giving birth to their daughter, his wife suddenly developed a high fever and fell into a coma. Forty days later, she left her daughter and son behind.
Fang Wanmin said that during his daughter's critical illness, Suo Weili comforted her by saying that he would always be part of this family and always take care of it. After burying his beloved wife, Suo Weili knelt before his in-laws and said, "Father, Mother, as long as Huali is here, I am your son-in-law; even if Huali is gone, I am your son. If you are sick, I will take care of you, and when the time comes, I will see you off."
In the winter of 2002, Fang Wanmin suddenly suffered a cerebral hemorrhage in Guan County, Shandong. Upon receiving the call, Suo Weili took out all the savings from his home, borrowed several thousand yuan from relatives and friends, and hurriedly traveled alone to Guan County. His father-in-law required continuous intravenous fluids for 24 hours, so Suo Weili stayed awake for 24 hours straight, using chili peppers to stay alert when drowsy. He remained by his father-in-law's bedside day and night, calling out repeatedly, praying for a miracle. Seven days later, his father-in-law finally woke up. Under Suo Weili's careful care, his father-in-law was able to get out of bed and was then transferred to the Taoyuan No.2 Coal Mine Employee Hospital for rehabilitation treatment.
With tears in his eyes, Fang Wanmin told the reporter: "Huali is gone, leaving us two elderly people at home. After my stroke, I had difficulty moving, and my wife had low blood sugar, often feeling dizzy. Huali's younger brother Baoliang suffers from congenital cerebral palsy. Although his intelligence is the same as an ordinary person, his entire body is curled up, making him completely unable to take care of himself, needing assistance for eating, drinking, urination, defecation, and sleeping. The son that Weili had with his ex-wife was diagnosed with cerebellar atrophy at the age of a dozen or so. He was bedridden for six years and passed away this May. What kind of family is this! Two paralyzed members, two sick members, and two young ones. In such a family, only Weili and his current wife Zhang Ruifang are normal."
Suo Weili's current wife Zhang Ruifang told the reporter: "Back then, Weili worked secretly at a nearby mine to supplement the household income, often exhausted to the point of falling asleep while walking. Regardless of how tired he was, his in-laws' home was a place he visited every day."
Speaking about her connection with Suo Weili, Zhang Ruifang said: "My brother-in-law is Weili's team leader. Knowing that Weili is a good person, he introduced him to me. I had heard about Weili's story before. I thought, if he could be so good to his deceased wife's family, how could he not be good to me?" After some time of getting to know each other, they decided to get married. After marriage, Zhang Ruifang quit her job in Handan and joined him in supporting the family, where a group waited near the ATM to assault and rob citizens withdrawing money (with photos).
Since then, the in-laws' home gained another daughter. She helped Weili massage the son from his previous marriage who suffered from cerebellar atrophy. When the son was constipated, Zhang Ruifang manually removed the blockage, and at night, she slept with him. The passing of her son this year also became a painful spot in her heart.
Under Suo Weili's full-hearted care, life continued. With his kindness and simplicity, Suo Weili continues to write a legend of love. In this seemingly ordinary rural courtyard, an affection without blood ties still persists. (End)