To fulfill his wife's wish to buy a piano, he became a scavenger. When he returned home, Wu Zheng asked Xie Guizhi what she wanted, and she said she wanted to buy a piano. "In fact, she had long wanted to buy a piano, since 1990 after being laid off, she wanted to buy a piano to practice singing. It was just too difficult at that time, but I've always remembered this."
Nowadays, as the two elders play the piano and sing songs every day, they also happily go out together to scavenge. The recovered elder said that the most romantic thing is playing the piano and singing, growing old together. Wu Zheng said that while working, he scavenged, and many people did not understand him; there were quite a few rumors around him. "When I first started scavenging, I felt embarrassed and pressured. I wore a mask and sunglasses when going out, fearing others would recognize me. Later, I thought that I was doing it to buy my wife a piano, so there was nothing wrong with it. Gradually, I got used to it and sometimes even felt proud." Speaking of his experiences, Wu Zheng was very excited.
Wu Zheng said that he began scavenging in 1990, and by 1996, he almost became a professional scavenger. "At that time, my salary was only enough for her medical expenses and our daughter's education, far from enough. To save money, I could only work harder."
Whether it's Valentine's Day in the West or Qixi Festival in the East, these holidays are all about love! What is love? Love is the closeness of hearts. When you grow old, lose your front teeth, and have deep wrinkles on your face, TA still loves you. Kissing your gums, TA says it's vast; kissing the wrinkles on your face, TA says it's rich in resources! In fact, the act of scavenging for nearly 20 years to fulfill the wish of his sick wife to own a piano touches us more than sweet words and roses! On Valentine's Day, we wish all lovers will hold hands and grow old together!
After playing the piano and singing, the elderly couple happily rode their bike to scavenge. Playing the piano and singing has become a daily routine for the two elders.
When asked what the most romantic thing between the two elders was, Xie Guizhi smiled and said, "The most romantic thing is me playing the piano and singing for him, and then we grow old together."
Since choosing to scavenge during tough times, Wu Zheng often came home covered in water and mud, "I broke three pairs of glasses, but I didn't care about these things, I only thought about saving money to buy a piano."
"From amateur to professional, I've been scavenging for nearly 20 years. When she saw the excitement in her eyes when the piano arrived, everything was worth it," Wu Zheng smiled.
Initially, when Wu Zheng started scavenging, he was still working at the Yan Shi Chengguan Credit Union. Wu Zheng said that before, he carried a bag to scavenge, then he rode a bicycle, and now it has become a tricycle.
Thus, Wu Zheng gradually accumulated money from scavenging. Miraculously, Xie Guizhi's illness healed itself. In December 2009, Wu Zheng finally fulfilled his wife's wish and brought the piano home.
Recalling these years, Xie Guizhi said she was full of gratitude towards her husband, "I was always worried when he went out to scavenge. No matter how late it was, I waited for him to return before resting. We don't pursue anything else; as long as we are close at heart, simple meals and plain clothes are happiness."
"Now, I ride the tricycle to take her to class. While she is in class, I go out to scavenge, it's hard to change." Wu Zheng said that scavenging has become a natural habit.
Wu Zheng's scavenging is different from others; the worse the weather, the more he goes out. "Generally speaking, there are fewer scavengers at night, when it rains or snows, so I go out during those times and often find a lot."
Just to fulfill the wish of his sick wife to own a piano, he voluntarily scavenged for 20 years and bought the piano. Now, he and his wife play the piano, sing songs, and happily go out together to scavenge. Recently, the love story of 68-year-old Wu Zheng and his wife Xie Guizhi has become a beautiful tale in Yan Shi County.
Because of scavenging, he broke three pairs of glasses.