Jiang Xian'an said that the family he saved was surnamed Tian. When they were 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 what I did was something I should do, and I have never regretted it," Jiang Xian'an said. Later, the town gave him 2000 yuan as subsidy.
"Life is hard indeed, but I've never regretted saving people from the fire," Jiang Xian'an said. One summer, while drying grain at the village entrance, a car hit a child riding a bicycle and damaged the bike. The child didn't dare to say anything. He chased the car on his electric bike and asked the driver for 50 yuan to let the child repair the bike. Jiang Xian'an then pushed out a big wheel cart that had been stored for six years and said: "Phoenix brand, it has accompanied me for more than ten years. 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 was less than 1000 yuan.
The story of Jiang Xian'an saving people from the fire spread throughout the neighboring villages. "All of Lingcheng Town know about him getting injured while helping others save from the fire. Everyone praised him! His tofu also sells better than others," said Brother Yu, a neighbor.
Although poor, he has never regretted putting out fires.
By/Photos by Reporter YUE Yin-yin
On July 7th, the reporter came to Jiang Xian'an's home in Xigong Village, Lingcheng Town, Qufu City. Jiang Xian'an, who had just sold tofu, dragged his left leg and struggled to unload the wooden box. "Today the tofu sold quickly, it was all gone before noon," Jiang Xian'an said. In the morning, he could earn twenty or thirty yuan, which was the biggest income for the family.
In September this year, relevant departments in Jining City gave Jiang Xian'an a certificate of honor, awarding him the nomination prize for Jining City's model of bravery. "I cherish this reputation very much, if I encounter injustice in the future, I will still try my best, one must be like this."
On the morning of July 7th, Wang Xueqin, deputy director of Jining Red House Hospital, came to Jiang Xian'an's home and brought 3000 yuan of love donations. Wang Xueqin said: "After hearing about Jiang Xian'an's deeds, we were deeply moved. Society needs such people, and even more so, this kind of spirit. Our hospital will do its bit, help them out, and not let good people feel disheartened."
Jiang Xian'an climbed up the ladder with one hand holding a basin of water, climbing onto the roof to put out the fire. After climbing up and down many times, suddenly his foot slipped, and Jiang Xian'an fell off the ladder. Firefighters arrived in time, and Jiang Xian'an still helped them extinguish the fire together. After the fire was put out, Jiang Xian'an collapsed on the ground. "What's wrong with my leg? My left leg hurts..."
He lay in bed for a year and found that he could no longer walk normally like before. That year, he was 33 years old.
"A tall man over 1.8 meters, he used to be able to do three people's work. Now he can't even farm, it's difficult to pay school fees for his children," said Neighbor Liu. Jiang Xian'an's son is 13 years old this year and is in the first year of junior high school. His wife Li Dengping works in another village for livelihood. The child often goes home hungry after school at noon waiting for adults to come back, sometimes they can't wait and just eat a cold steamed bun before going to school again.
Xigong Village's Party Secretary Shi Jiulong said that currently, the village committee is actively striving for various welfare benefits for Jiang Xian'an. "Children's schooling is the biggest expense for this family."
Six years ago, when Jiang Xian'an was selling tofu in Damao Village, Xingwangzhuang Town, Yanzhou City, he suddenly saw thick smoke rising from a villager's kitchen, and an elderly woman around 60 years old was bent over due to the smoke. Jiang Xian'an threw down his tofu cart and rushed in to save the elderly woman. "You go call people, I'll go put out the fire!" Jiang Xian'an said to the elderly woman.
After being injured, his heroic fire-saving deeds spread throughout the countryside.
Villagers said that Jiang Xian'an used to sell physical labor, making money by carrying grain for others. Two hundred jin of grain wasn't a problem for him. In winter, he would sell tofu, riding his big-wheel cart through 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, with his wife Li Dengping taking care of the children and elders at home.
Six years ago, when Jiang Xian'an was selling tofu in Damao Village, Xingwangzhuang Town, Yanzhou City, he suddenly saw thick smoke rising from a villager's kitchen, and an elderly woman around 60 years old was bent over due to the smoke. Jiang Xian'an threw down 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 to make a living. Faced with his child's tuition fees, this tall man shed tears.