With the help of college student volunteers, the children made rapid progress. He clearly remembered a poor-performing student who was自卑due to poverty and became disinterested in studying because of this自卑. Wu Qingshan encouraged him by sharing his own story. Later, the child's academic performance improved dramatically, leaping into the top few.
The acts of kindness are still ongoing.
Through everyone's persistence, the "Love School" gained fame throughout Wuhu. Gradually, 21 communities established branches.
Wu Qingshan listened with great sorrow but remained very determined. Finally, the Hongmei New Village community agreed, becoming the first community where the Love School entered.
To this day, the "Love School" has continued to grow, not only becoming a brand for the school but also a scenic feature of Wuhu City.
"What exactly can we give the children?" Wu Qingshan always pondered this question. "I think what we can give them is care and confidence."
Seven years ago, when he was in his second year at Anhui Normal University, he decided to do something within his means for poor children. After discussing with classmate Hu Xin, the two founded the country's first free tutoring organization - the "May Fourth Love School." He organized volunteers on campus, using weekends and holidays to provide one-on-one assistance to impoverished children. The "school" ran successfully, and to date, more than 4,400 college students have volunteered, with over 2,400 students receiving help.
On May 4, 2010, Wu Qingshan was awarded the Fourteenth "China Youth May Fourth Medal" by the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League.
In the cold wind, more than 20 students were already dressed neatly, looking at him uniformly. Wu Qingshan felt a shock in his heart.
Looking at the grateful and eager eyes of the parents and children, Wu Qingshan felt full of guilt. He secretly resolved that no matter how difficult it was, he would continue the free tutoring, "Even if I am the only one left, I must persevere."
In 2007, before Wu Qingshan graduated from university, to ensure the continuous operation of the Love School, he and the volunteers explored a long-term mechanism - electing a chairman every year. Candidates must have a year of volunteer teaching experience and have served as the head of a community sub-education point for a year. This way, successive leaders of the association could be continuously elected, allowing the public welfare cause to achieve "a permanent camp, flowing volunteers."
At the age of 27, Wu Qingshan had a knot in his heart. Whenever he thought about the nearly five-year-old commitment of the 70-year-old branch secretary to voluntarily repair roads (with photos), he felt an ache.
His older brother, now a chef at a large restaurant in Shanghai, "knows what I've been doing these past few years, feels very gratified and supportive," said Wu Qingshan, "After I start working, I want to properly repay him."
With a burst of enthusiasm, everyone worked enthusiastically, but as time went on, some volunteers couldn't keep up. Weekends were originally times for part-time work; the volunteers needed to give up working, prepare their lessons, pay for transportation themselves, print materials themselves, and provide door-to-door services, making it inevitable to have doubts.
Now, Wu Qingshan is in his third year of graduate school at Anhui Normal University. Reflecting on the seven years of free tutoring, he said he feels delighted and gratified.
"We study teacher education. Only by getting close to the students can we accumulate front-line teaching experience. Additionally, in order to teach the children well, we need to supplement a lot of knowledge in our daily lives." Wu Qingshan said, "There's a saying, 'Giving roses to others, hands remain fragrant,' actually, we are also beneficiaries."
Wu Qingshan also experienced "wavering." Remembering a winter morning in 2005, feeling the cold weather, he thought lying in bed, "It's so cold today, there probably won't be any volunteers gathering." But as the team leader, he still reluctantly went to the gathering spot.
Inside the community, more than 20 children were already seated, waiting for a long time. A parent holding a thermos pot, said emotionally: "You college students really aren't easy. We don't have much to offer you, so we'll just give you some hot water."
Entering the community, more than 20 children were already sitting, having waited for a long time. A parent held a thermos and said emotionally, "You college students are really tough. We don't have anything valuable to give you, but let us offer you some hot water."
In 2009, Wu Qingshan was admitted to the Graduate School of Literature at Anhui Normal University. He again became a key member of the Love School, taking volunteers to remote mountainous areas for teaching during each winter and summer vacation.
In late 2009, Wu Qingshan advocated for the establishment of the "May Fourth Love Fund," raising funds through donations to help children in the mountains facing the risk of dropping out of school.
Next year, Wu Qingshan will graduate, and he wishes to stay in the school to help the "May Fourth Love School" and the "May Fourth Love Fund," which he personally founded, to continue to grow stronger.
He often holds sharing sessions with volunteers, and everyone agrees that helping poor children requires combining knowledge dissemination with psychological counseling. As long as the attitude towards learning is correct, improving grades becomes a natural result.
Wu Qingshan and his volunteers also benefit. Going outside the school gates for tutoring opens the door for students to understand society.
Finally, his older brother wiped away tears and dropped out of school. The sight of his brother turning around and boarding the bus remains unforgettable to Wu Qingshan.
However, in the beginning, he encountered quite a few rejections. In Wuhu, where the university is located, he visited various communities and neighborhood committees talking about free tutoring, encountering far more skepticism than praise. Some communities spoke harshly: "You university students just put on a show, organize an event, carry a big banner, take a photo, and leave after a few days. Who would believe you could keep going?"