Every day, the wife gives Wu Chuansheng a therapeutic massage, hoping for a miracle that her husband will recover. Photo by reporter Shaoy Xiaoxin: Wu Chuansheng, Hu Cuilan, and their youngest son in a family photo. In Yongding Village, Jiajiazhen Town, Junjia Village, Hu Cuilan and Wu Chuansheng's couple has become a symbol in the village.
Wu Chuansheng has been paralyzed for nearly 20 years, and Hu Cuilan has been taking care of him without leaving his side for 20 years. "It may seem unremarkable to outsiders, but I know how hard it is," said Wu Chuansheng. Unwilling to see his wife suffer, he proposed divorce more than ten times, but his wife laughed at him and said, "I will take care of you until the last moment of my life."
At this moment, love and affection have intertwined together. In the quiet little village, people often see such a pair of figures: Hu Cuilan pushing Wu Chuansheng strolling around the village, slowly walking step by step along the winding paths in the village...
This report was written by Tong Hui, a reporter from the Hunan Morning Post, with communication from Xie Xiangyou, Zhou Lu, and Zhangjiajie.
The second year after marriage, the husband became paralyzed.
Wu Chuansheng's couple runs a grocery store in the village. Wu Chuansheng sits on a wheelchair every day, leaning his head against the door. All over his body, even his head cannot move. Day after day, the door has been leaned on so much that there is an indentation. Above the doorframe in his home, the four words "perseverance" are written below, "self-motivation for Wu Chuansheng."
Wu Chuansheng is 44 years old this year. He served in a certain field army unit in Menghai County, Yunnan Province. During a training exercise, he fell and injured his head, causing damage to his neck and nervous system. Later, he was discharged due to illness and returned to his hometown.
In March 1990, Wu Chuansheng met Tujia woman Hu Cuilan from a neighboring county through a matchmaker. Hu Cuilan knew about Wu Chuansheng's condition at the time.
"He is upright, good at writing and accounting, and also eloquent, considered a talented person back then, and full of confidence in curing his own illness." Hu Cuilan thought that since Wu Chuansheng's illness was acquired, it should be curable. Therefore, they officially got married in November of that year.
In 1991, Wu Chuansheng received treatment at a hospital in Jishou. The newlywed couple was short on money, and they had to borrow 1500 yuan for the surgery fee.
This surgery failed. Wu Chuansheng lay in bed for 45 days, unable to turn his head. Hu Cuilan, who was pregnant at the time, busied herself around, wiping his body, feeding him, and taking care of his needs.
Wu Chuansheng recalled that for three whole months, Hu Cuilan stayed by his bedside. Due to lack of money, Hu Cuilan ate porridge every day but managed to save money to buy him nutritious food.
"As long as I am here, you don't need to fear anything"
In the first few years, Wu Chuansheng could still take care of himself, but his condition worsened. By the fifth year of their marriage, he became completely paralyzed. Feeling pessimistic, Wu Chuansheng's temper became increasingly irritable, whereas Hu Cuilan became even gentler towards him.
"Better than before marriage." Wu Chuansheng said that was when he first proposed divorce to his wife, but Hu Cuilan replied, "As long as I am here, you don't need to fear anything. I will take care of you until the last moment of my life."
Her warmth made Wu Chuansheng rekindle hope for life. For a period of time, when he was bored, Wu Chuansheng took up playing cards. Unable to hold the cards himself, he asked others to play on his behalf while he gave instructions from the sidelines. Despite Hu Cuilan's repeated persuasion, it proved fruitless.
In a fit of anger, Hu Cuilan took their son and went back to her parents' house. Regretting deeply, Wu Chuansheng chose to go on a week-long hunger strike until he fainted and was rushed to the town hospital for emergency treatment. His family had no choice but to ask Hu Cuilan through intermediaries. Eventually, Hu Cuilan heard the news and rushed to the town hospital.
Since then, the couple has never quarreled again. Hu Cuilan discussed with her husband and decided to open a daily goods store in the village. With Wu Chuansheng's hands and feet being inconvenient, he couldn't help customers pick up items or handle money transactions. The couple placed a basket in the supermarket where customers could find change and pick up items themselves. Wu Chuansheng only helped calculate the accounts, making it a truly "unmanned supermarket." Since Hu Cuilan has good relationships with the villagers, most of them prefer to shop at her store, which has now become the main source of income for Wu Chuansheng's family.
"In the next life, we will still be husband and wife"
"We have been married for 20 years, I have been paralyzed for 20 years, and my wife has taken care of me for 20 years. It's really not easy," Wu Chuansheng said. Although his words sound simple, the difficulties involved are unimaginable for ordinary people.
When getting up, Hu Cuilan has to first lean her husband, who weighs almost twice as much as she does, against herself, then struggle to get up, and finally help him slide onto the wheelchair. When going to bed, Hu Cuilan uses herself as a cushion to prevent her husband from falling.
From morning to night, Wu Chuansheng rarely sees his wife idle. In the morning, she helps him wash his face and feeds him. After arranging him properly, she goes out to work in the fields. At noon, she returns home to eat, feeds him, and wipes his body. In the evening, she prepares the next day's meals and washes the clothes to make it convenient for their son to study and attend school.
Days passed like this, and Hu Cuilan never complained, continuing to seek medical help for Wu Chuansheng. Wu Chuansheng said that seeing all this, he feels guilty all the time. He didn't want to drag her down, so he repeatedly proposed divorce, but Hu Cuilan firmly refused. He hopes that in the next life, they can still be husband and wife, so he can compensate her for everything she has done for him.
Villager Xiong Hongqiang often witnesses such a scene: Hu Cuilan carefully wipes Wu Chuansheng with a towel, and the two are as affectionate as newlyweds, often teased by the villagers, saying that although they are an old couple, they are still like lovers.
[Interview with Wu Chuansheng]
"I always feel guilty"
Hunan Morning Post: Your wife is so good to you, why do you still propose divorce?
Wu Chuansheng: The better she treats me, the more guilty I feel, all the time. Seeing her working hard every day, I don't want to burden her.
Hunan Morning Post: You've proposed divorce so many times, aren't you afraid your wife will be sad?
Wu Chuansheng: If I can't give her happiness, why should I drag her down?
Hunan Morning Post: If your wife really leaves, aren't you worried that no one will take care of you?
Wu Chuansheng: (Pausing for a moment) I didn't think about this at the time, I would hire someone to take care of me.
[Interview with Hu Cuilan]
"I will not abandon this family"
Hunan Morning Post: Does it make you angry when your husband always talks about divorce?
Hu Cuilan: (Laughing) He likes talking about divorce, but we're already an old couple, why divorce?
Hunan Morning Post: Your husband is completely paralyzed, haven't you ever thought about giving up?
Hu Cuilan: Never. I always believe that his illness can still be cured, and we are still raising money.
Hunan Morning Post: What if his illness can't be cured?
Hu Cuilan: When he couldn't move, I consoled him, telling him that as long as I am here, he doesn't need to fear anything. I will take care of him until the last moment of my life. I will not abandon this family.
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