To the eighteen "children" of the Zhang family: No matter how busy you are with work, you can always spare a few minutes to give your father or mother a call or send them a text message. Please believe that your greeting is the elixir to heal the heartaches of your parents; your voice is the miraculous medicine to prolong their lives. After the interview, several reporters and netizens took a group photo with the Zhang Pilen's family. The couple felt they were not alone, as millions of people across China were concerned about Ninghai, and countless others shared their sorrows. We wish you could dry your tears, stop grieving, take pride in your son, feel proud of him, and continue living happily and healthily for a longer time.
During the interview, Uncle and Aunt of Ninghai also came to offer flowers to Ninghai. Neighbor Old Xu, who has been with us until the end of the interview, was holding back tears. The whole morning, we reporters and all of Ninghai's relatives were immersed in sorrow. It's hard to imagine how Mr. and Mrs. Zhang endured this long year.
While speaking, Zhang Pilen flipped through the reply messages on his phone to show us: "Zhenzhen, Shuchang, I just saw the message. Thank you for your concern. Please don't send things anymore. Your sincerity is the greatest comfort. Sending a message or making a call is better than anything."
After Zhang Ninghai's sacrifice, there was much talk about the actions of the 18 rescued hikers. Many people thought it wasn't worth it for the hero. But the good news is that those eighteen rescued college students have now become new children of the Zhang family. They call Zhang Pilen "Dad" and Zhao Caiqin "Mom."
A netizen named "Yafeng" gave Zhang Ninghai's parents a carefully made CD titled "The Footprints of the Hero - A Year Memorial for Martyr Zhang Ninghai." As the scenes recording Zhang Ninghai's deeds appeared before Zhang Pilen and Zhao Caiqin's eyes, they couldn't help but shed tears while watching.
Zhang Ninghai, a clerk at the Hot Spring Police Station of the Huangshan Scenic Area Public Security Bureau, unfortunately sacrificed his life on December 13, 2010, during a rescue operation on the cliffs of Huangshan Mountain for 18 lost hikers from Shanghai. He was posthumously recognized as a "Revolutionary Martyr." His story moved many people after being reported by the media. Time flies, and a year has passed. Just before the anniversary of Zhang Ninghai's death, reporters met with several netizens who had been paying attention to the hero's family and revisited the Zhang family to learn about the recent conditions of the two elderly people. Recalling their son's lifetime, Zhang Ninghai's parents were deeply saddened; however, the gratitude shown by the 18 rescued students, even recognizing the couple as their parents, brought some comfort...
In the Zhang family, we saw letters written by these eighteen university students to their parents. Mr. and Mrs. Zhang showed each letter to us one by one, clearly remembering which was the first, which was collective, and what was written inside. Especially the first letter writer, Xu Ruosheng, and the regular correspondents, Shuchang and Zhenzhen. When talking about them, Zhao Caiqin pulled out a large cardboard box from the inner room, saying this was the footbath machine sent by Shuchang and Zhenzhen.
Before this interview, we hesitated, fearing to stir up the inner pain of Zhang Ninghai's parents. When we expressed this idea, Zhang Pilen answered with tears streaming down his face and choked voice: "No, no, no, you did well to come. I welcome you very much. It shows that everyone still thinks of Ninghai and cares about us."
Zhang Pilen told us about his last meeting with his son. That time, Zhang Pilen and a leader were passing by Huangshan Mountain on business and decided to visit Ninghai casually. Father wanted to call Ninghai to ask for leave, but Ninghai said the station was short-staffed and too busy, then left with a small bag. This time, when passing by Huangshan, he insisted on having a chat with his child. The father waited in the hotel for Ninghai to come down and meet him, preparing to have lunch together. Around noon, Ninghai was still busy working, so they went directly to the Hot Spring Police Station. It was almost 12 o'clock when they arrived, and Ninghai was holding a teacup and lunch box, ready to eat. There were two small pieces of meat and a few cauliflower blocks over the rice, and the teacup contained plain water. When asked why Ninghai didn't come down to eat together, he replied: "It's too busy at the station, only me on duty, just finished dealing with a few matters, really can't leave."
Mr. and Mrs. Zhang endured their grief and told us many stories about Zhang Ninghai before and after his death. "This child was too considerate, for us two old ones, he could think of things others wouldn't." In addition to buying mobile phones and bracelets for his parents, Zhang Ninghai regularly transferred 600 yuan to his mother's account every month until October this year when his salary card balance ran out.
This time, before the trip to Huangshan, Ninghai's chief had arranged to solve the ticket issue, but later, the father learned that both the tickets and the cable car tickets were bought by Ninghai himself. Another more admirable fact is that although Zhang Ninghai was a clerk at the Hot Spring Police Station of the Huangshan Scenic Area, he had never bathed in the hot springs.
At around 7 p.m. on December 12, 2010, the command center of the Anhui Provincial Public Security Department received a report: 18 college students got lost while hiking and exploring in the Huangshan Scenic Area, requesting emergency rescue. After receiving the report, the local party committee, government, and the Scenic Area Public Security Bureau immediately organized more than 230 police officers, firefighters, armed police, and garden workers with equipment to carry out a full-scale search and rescue mission. At 2:37 a.m. on December 13, after arduous searching, the rescue team successfully found the 18 lost college students in the No. 1 area of Yungu Temple in the scenic area. Considering the severe weather, dangerous terrain, and the physical and mental condition of the lost individuals, the rescue team decided to lead the college students out of the danger zone immediately. At around 3:26 a.m. on December 13, Officer Zhang Ninghai of the Huangshan Scenic Area Public Security Bureau fell off the cliff and died instantly while escorting the group, sacrificing his precious life at the young age of 24.
Reporter's Notes