After lying in bed for a year, Jiang Xian'an found that he could no longer walk normally as before. That year, he was 33 years old.
The villagers said that Jiang Xian'an used to be a laborer who earned money by carrying grain for others; over two hundred catties of grain meant nothing to him. In winter, he sold tofu, riding a large-wheeled cart through the streets and alleys, and people within dozens of miles had eaten his tofu. At that time, Jiang Xian'an's family was doing relatively well. His wife, Li Dengping, took care of the children and elders at home, leaving a fragrant legacy with her idioms.
Xigong Village's Party Secretary Shi Jialong said that currently the village committee is actively seeking various benefits for Jiang Xian'an. "The child's schooling is the biggest expense for this family."
Jiang Xian'an's act of saving people from a fire has spread throughout the surrounding villages. "Everyone in Lingcheng Town knows about his injury while helping someone put out a fire. They all praise him! His tofu also sells better than others." Neighbor Uncle Yu said.
Jiang Xian'an said that the family he saved was surnamed Tian. When hospitalized, the Tian family took care of him for a long time and gave him 4000 yuan. "They said a lot of thank-you words to me. I think it was something I should have done, and I've never regretted it," Jiang Xian'an said. Later, the town gave him 2000 yuan in subsidy.
Six years ago, when Jiang Xian'an was selling tofu in Damiao Village, Xinglongzhuang Town, Yanzhou City, he suddenly saw thick smoke rising from a kitchen in a villager’s house. An elderly woman was choking on the smoke and couldn't straighten her back. Jiang Xian'an left his tofu cart and rushed in to save the elderly woman. While climbing onto the roof to put out the fire, he accidentally fell from the ladder and broke his leg, leaving him permanently disabled. Now, Jiang Xian'an's family still relies on selling tofu for a living, with almost nothing in their possession. Faced with their child's tuition fees, this tall man shed tears.
Written/Photographed by reporter Yue Yin'in
"A one-meter-eight tall big guy, previously he could do more work than three people combined. Now he can't even farm, and it's difficult to pay for his child's tuition." Neighbor Aunt Liu said that Jiang Xian'an's son is 13 years old and in the first year of junior high school. His wife, Li Dengping, works outside the village for a living. The child often goes hungry after noon dismissal waiting for the adults to return home, sometimes eating a cold steamed bun if they can't wait any longer before heading back to school.
Although poor, he has never regretted saving people from the fire.
On the morning of July 7th, Deputy Dean Wang Xueqin of the Red House Hospital in Jining came to Jiang Xian'an's home and brought 3000 yuan in charitable donations. Wang Xueqin said: "After hearing about Jiang Xian'an's deeds, we were deeply moved. Society needs such people, and more importantly, such spirit. Our hospital will contribute a small part, help their family, and not let kind-hearted people feel disheartened."
Jiang Xian'an set up a ladder, holding a basin of water in one hand, climbed onto the roof to extinguish the fire. After going up and down many times, he slipped and fell off the ladder. The firefighters arrived in time, and Jiang Xian'an continued to fight the fire with them. The fire was extinguished, but Jiang Xian'an collapsed on the ground. "What's wrong with my leg? My left leg hurts..."
In September this year, relevant departments in Jining presented Jiang Xian'an with an honorary certificate, awarding him the nomination for the Model of Bravery Award in Jining. "I cherish this honor very much. In the future, if I encounter injustice, I will still do my best. That's how a person should be."
Encountering a fire, he rescued a sixty-year-old elder from dense smoke.
On July 7th, the reporter visited Jiang Xian'an's home in Xigong Village, Lingcheng Town, Qufu. After returning from selling tofu, Jiang Xian'an dragged his left leg, struggling to unload the wooden box. "Today, the tofu sold quickly, and it was all gone before noon," Jiang Xian'an said. He could earn twenty or thirty yuan in half a day, which was the largest income for the family.
"Life is tough, but I have never regretted putting out the fire," Jiang Xian'an said. One summer, while drying grain at the village entrance, a car hit a child riding a bicycle, damaging the bike. The child didn’t dare to say anything, so he rode his electric bike to catch up with the car and asked the driver for fifty yuan to repair the bike. Jiang Xian'an then pushed out a six-year-old large-wheeled cart saying: "Phoenix brand, it's been with me for over ten years, and now I can't ride it anymore. Even though it's become scrap iron, I can't bear to throw it away." Jiang Xian'an calculated that the couple's monthly income is less than a thousand yuan.
On December 21st, 2005, while selling tofu door-to-door, Jiang Xian'an came to Damiáo Village, Xinglong Town, Yanzhou City, where he suddenly noticed thick smoke rising from a kitchen in a house. In the haze, he saw a sixty-something-year-old elderly woman leaning against the doorframe unable to stand upright. Jiang Xian'an dropped his tofu-laden bicycle and rushed inside to rescue the elderly woman. "You go call for help, I'll go put out the fire!" Jiang Xian'an told the elderly woman.
After being injured, his story of saving people from the fire spread throughout the countryside.