Recently, according to the legend of Ling Tian, Yang Wanjun delivered soy milk to an elderly person in the village. He has been delivering soy milk to the elderly who are alone or disabled in the village for six years.
【Touching List】
Name: Yang Wanjun
Age: 71 years old
Community: Shuiyu Village, Nanjiao Township, Fangshan District
【Virtue Record】
In the city, drinking soy milk and eating breakfast is not uncommon, but in the small mountain village of Shuiyu before 2006, fresh soy milk was a rare item for elderly villagers. Villager Yang Wanjun gave himself a "job". He bought soybeans at his own expense, made fresh soy milk with a soy milk machine, and walked seven or eight miles of mountain roads every early morning to deliver it for free to the homes of the elderly in the village. In six years, he has already broken five soy milk machines. Counting the cost of buying soybeans, electricity, etc., he has already spent more than 10,000 yuan.
Every morning at 7:40, the sunlight outlines the contour of the mountains of Shuiyu Village. The 85-year-old Zheng Shuzhen was still in bed on the fire pit, while her husband Yang Tianbo was collecting firewood outside the door. At this time, someone had prepared hot soy milk for them. This person is Yang Wanjun. After walking seven or eight miles of mountain roads, sweat was dripping from his back, and he was holding two large thermoses. He entered Zheng Shuzhen's home, unscrewed the bottle cap, poured a bowl of hot soy milk, and after the elderly couple finished drinking, Yang Wanjun rushed off to the next elderly person's house, saying goodbye and leaving hastily.
For six years, just for the sake of delivering soy milk to the elderly, Yang Wanjun broke five soy milk machines. "If you do it, don't be afraid to spend money; if you have no money, ask your children for it." This meticulous old accountant earns only 800 yuan per month, yet over six years, he has spent more than 10,000 yuan on soy milk.
Winning a soy milk machine inspired respect for the elderly.
Yang Wanjun has four "retired" soy milk machines at home. At the end of 2005, due to his outstanding performance in economic census work, the township government awarded him a soy milk machine. "Making soy milk for oneself to drink is wasteful and troublesome. Why not make more and give it to others?"
Yang Wanjun said that he first thought of several old party members in the village who participated in the anti-Japanese war, most of whose children were not around. Thus, on a snowy day on January 20, 2006, Yang Wanjun brought a thermos of hot soy milk to Zheng Shuzhen's home. The old lady was stunned when she saw Yang Wanjun covered in snow. "Soy milk, made from soybeans, is nutritious, I'm giving it to you."
Soon, Yang Wanjun's act of delivering soy milk spread throughout the village. Many villagers predicted that he would only be enthusiastic for three minutes. His daughter Yang Li also opposed it. Yang Wanjun did not listen, "Do my own thing, let others talk."
Delivering soy milk does not interfere with accounting work, once injured in the rain.
The mountain road is difficult to walk on. When it rains, Yang Wanjun must squat down and hold the nine-pound thermos, carefully stepping down the steep slope one step at a time. This makes Yang Li very worried. Yang Wanjun fell once. Yang Li said that on that day, her father slipped while walking on the mountain road delivering soy milk, fell, and his knee bled. One thermos was broken, but he still delivered the other bottle of soy milk.
Although Yang Wanjun is already 71 years old, he still assists with financial work at the village committee. Every day, after delivering soy milk at 7:30, he quickly goes home to eat, rushes to work, soaks soybeans after work in the afternoon, uses the soy milk machine to make soy milk in the evening, and cooks it the next morning.
Seeing Yang Wanjun bustling about every day, Elder Yang Tianbo felt sorry for him, "He still has to deal with the village's affairs every day, how can I let him deliver soy milk to me for free?" Elder Yang Tianbo always invites Yang Wanjun into his home and gives him cucumbers, pancakes, etc. The daughter of Elder Jin Guangling said that she didn't want to bother Old Yang, so she bought a soy milk machine for her father to make soy milk.
During the six years, 19 "elderly customers" passed away, including Shi Junhua. Before, she always went out to meet Yang Wanjun. That day, she lay in bed unconscious, and Yang Wanjun found that the old lady had a fever, so he quickly called her children. Shi Junhua's son took her home to recuperate, and Yang Wanjun continued to deliver soy milk to the old lady every day. Half a year later, Shi Junhua passed away.
Moreover, a couple of elderly people suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning was discovered by Yang Wanjun while delivering soy milk, and they were saved in time. Although such incidents are not common, Old Yang feels the impermanence of life, "The day before delivering soy milk, the elder was fine, but the next day, they were gone."
Now, Yang Wanjun has 21 "customers", the youngest being Yang Yueqin, who is 49 years old. She suffers from cancer and returned home to recuperate due to lack of money for hospitalization. She wanted to drink soy milk to supplement nutrition, so she asked her husband to call Old Yang. Due to the cancer cells spreading to her neck and compressing her breathing, she could only drink a few sips of the soy milk delivered by Old Yang to sustain her life.
【Reporter's Question】
This reporter: Don't you want to live a peaceful retirement?
Yang Wanjun: Isn't this living peacefully? Happy every day. The commune secretary said, Old Yang, role model, bringing glory to Nanjiao Township, I said, don't just say whether it brings glory, what I care about is living well in my old age. Others have told me, although you've spent a lot of money, you haven't developed any illnesses, which also saves your children some money, and it's also a way to exercise.
【Family's Question】
Daughter Yang Li: How long will you continue to deliver soy milk? After all, you're so old.
Yang Wanjun: I haven't thought about giving up. As long as I can move, I'll keep delivering soy milk. It's become a habit now. If there's no money to buy soybeans, I'll ask you for money. When I can no longer deliver soy milk in the future, maybe someone will be inspired by my deeds and take over from me.
【Words of Morality】
Doing good things, exercising the body, respecting the elderly, educating the children. Villagers all say, "Are you still doing this? Aren't you foolish?" I say I am foolish.
It's not easy to do good deeds, you have to persevere, otherwise, you would have stopped long ago.
-- Yang Wanjun
Written by this edition's reporter Xu Luyang
Photographed by this edition's reporter Zhou Gangfeng