Filial Zhang Sen massages her grandmother's back.
City Evening News, Tonghua Edition - Eighteen years ago, the couple Zhang Yude from Shidayingzi Village, Qiaodong Town, Bozhou City, Anhui Province, found an abandoned female infant in a park in Bozhou City who was born without a left arm. Despite their two sons' objections, the elderly couple decided to adopt her. When the girl was five years old, due to a flood disaster at home, the couple moved to Tonghua City and worked hard as scavengers to raise the girl, providing for her education. This year, the girl scored 586 points on her college entrance exam and successfully enrolled in a high school in Tonghua City.
Eighteen Years Ago >>
An Abandoned Infant with One Arm Found in the Park
In the early winter of 1993, Luo Xianlan, wife of Zhang Yude, went to Yang Park in Bozhou City with her son and grandson. As soon as they entered the park, they heard the cries of a baby. Luo Xianlan approached and saw a two-month-old baby wrapped in a single layer of clothing placed on a stone bench. There was 100 yuan next to the child and a letter indicating the child's birthday.
Luo Xianlan could no longer bear it. She picked up the child and walked away, but her son immediately grabbed her, "Mom, you can't take this child. Our family relies on a few acres of land to survive; where do we have money to support this child?" Luo Xianlan's heart tightened, her eyes moistened, she undid her coat and tightly held the child in her arms, "This is a life! Saving lives is most important!" Luo Xianlan took the baby home, unwrapped the swaddling clothes, and was greatly shocked: the child was a beautiful big-eyed little girl but was congenitally missing part of her left arm.
Without blaming his wife for bringing home the abandoned baby, Zhang Yude said, "Let's give the child a meaningful name. Her left arm is missing a piece, so let's call her 'Zhang Dazeng,' meaning increase." To ensure the child had enough to eat, Luo Xianlan would pop rice into flowers, grind it into powder, mix it with milk powder, and feed it bit by bit to Dazeng.
Scavenging >>
Hardships in Raising the One-Armed Girl
In the blink of an eye, Dazeng turned five. Unfortunately, that autumn, the Dahe River flooded, many houses collapsed, and large tracts of crops were submerged by the floodwaters.
Luo Xianlan's two sons packed their bags and went to work elsewhere. Not long after, torrential rains collapsed their house. With no home left, the three generations had no choice but to leave their hometown. They traveled with the help of kind-hearted people and arrived at the border city of Tonghua.
With no relatives in Tonghua, they passed by a scrap recycling station where the owner, seeing that Grandpa Zhang was strong and honest, hired him and provided him with a free donkey cart to collect waste. However, the path of scavenging was arduous. The elderly Zhang Yude and Luo Xianlan started their days early and returned late, carefully keeping an eye out for even a single water bottle or a piece of broken plastic.
Some kind-hearted people, upon learning of their situation, occasionally gave them some clothes. The Zuo'an Village Committee of Tonghua City also helped them rent a small flat for 80 yuan per month.
Eighteen Years Later >>
Admitted to High School with Excellent Scores
In the blink of an eye, the child reached school age. Zhang Yude, who hadn't received much education himself, wanted his granddaughter to attend school. "Dazeng is adopted, though disabled, since fate has brought her to us, we must be responsible for her!"
In September 2000, eight-year-old Dazeng, accompanied by her grandparents, began her education at Zuo'an Primary School in Tonghua City. Her grandmother also gave her a melodious name, Zhang Sen. After starting school, Zhang Sen became even more considerate. Every morning, she woke up early, prepared washing water for her grandparents, and quietly reviewed her lessons. After graduating from elementary school, Zhang Sen smoothly entered Tonghua No. 9 Middle School, where both teachers and classmates cared for her deeply, resulting in excellent academic performance. Now 18, Zhang Sen was admitted to Tonghua No. 1 High School this year with a score of 586.
One-Armed Girl >>
"Grandpa and Grandma Have Been Very Good to Me"
"My two sons are still in Anhui. I feel Northeast China is quite good, so I don't plan to return. As long as we two elders can move, we will continue to collect scraps and sell them to support Zhang Sen's education. This child is our hope," Luo Xianlan said.
Now, Luo Xianlan is 64 years old, and Zhang Yude is 66. Due to limited income, the couple's daily meals consist of pickled radish strips and steamed buns, occasionally stir-fried bean sprouts or cabbage to improve Zhang Sen's diet. In the reporter's visit to Luo Xianlan's home, the old dilapidated flat was filled with collected waste. A small wooden bed in the room served as Zhang Sen's "bedroom," and without a study desk, Zhang Sen did her homework while crouching over the heated brick bed.
Zhang Sen told the reporter, "If it weren't for Grandma saving me, could I even be alive? Grandma takes care of me like a 'mother.' I always want to call Grandma 'Mom,' but Grandma's grandchildren are older than me, so Grandma doesn't allow it. Grandpa and Grandma have been very good to me! I don't plan to look for my biological parents. When I go to university, I'll apply for student loans and won't trouble Grandpa and Grandma. After I start working, I'll buy a big house and invite Grandpa and Grandma to live with me."
Ideal >>
Helping More Disabled People in the Future
When talking about her ideals and aspirations, Zhang Sen said, "I want to study hard, and in the future, I want to become a civil servant to help more disabled people."
In today's information age, 18-year-old Zhang Sen does not know how to use the internet, chat on QQ, or even use a mobile phone. After school, she helps her grandma wash clothes, chop vegetables, and cook. The reporter observed that Zhang Sen placed the washed cucumbers on the chopping board, using a towel under her left shoulder to prevent them from rolling, then skillfully slicing cucumber slices with her right hand holding the knife. "At first, when I learned to cut potatoes, they were as thick as chopsticks. But later, after practicing, now I can cut them thin and fast," Grandma smiled.
Currently, with the help of the Tonghua Disabled Persons' Federation, Zhang Sen has been granted a low-income allowance, receiving over 200 yuan monthly, and her household registration has been transferred to Tonghua City.
(Peiyue, Reporter Wang Yaohui, Report/Capture) Welcome to post comments, I want to comment, Weibo recommendation | Today's Weibo hot topics