With her father paralyzed and her mother battling cancer, a 13-year-old girl took on the role of “mother” to ensure her brother could finish college without worry. During a home visit, a teacher discovered that her frail shoulders silently bore a mountain of burdens and that her radiant smile masked an ocean of suffering. This girl’s strength moved the city of Hangzhou, and her story became a symphony of love and compassion.
Father collapses, 8-year-old girl supports her mother
Wang Guiqiang and Zhang Yongzhi, a couple from Pingyi County, Shandong Province, left their son with relatives and came to Hangzhou to work. Wang Guiqiang, who had driving skills, transported steel for a fellow townsman who ran a steel business in Hangzhou. In September 1997, they enrolled their daughter in Hangzhou Detian Experimental Primary School, where Shengjie consistently excelled academically.
One afternoon in December 1999, second-grader Shengjie came home from school to hear from the landlord that her father had been injured. A dispute over payment between the steel shop and a construction site had escalated, and Wang Guiqiang, who had spoken up for fairness, was severely beaten by two thugs. He sustained a life-threatening head injury.
From that day, the girl seemed to grow up overnight. She would wipe away her mother’s tears, saying: “We must do everything to treat Dad’s injury. If we don’t have money, we can borrow it. I’ll repay it when I grow up and earn money…” The construction site boss fled, and the perpetrators were still at large. The fellow townsman covered nearly 100,000 yuan in medical expenses, but couldn’t afford more. Zhang Yongzhi exhausted their savings of over 30,000 yuan and had to sell their second-hand truck at a loss.
Wang Guiqiang remained in a coma for over 40 days, kept alive by oxygen and medication. After school, Shengjie would collect empty bottles on campus to sell, earning about 8 to 10 yuan daily, enough to cover her school expenses.
On February 20, 2000, Wang Guiqiang miraculously woke up. Though conscious, he required more medical treatment. The culprits were eventually caught, and the court ordered them to pay 270,000 yuan in compensation, which they couldn’t afford. In March 2000, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital performed a craniotomy on Wang Guiqiang despite insufficient funds. He survived, but was left permanently unable to walk due to severe brain damage.
Unable to afford hospital care, Zhang Yongzhi brought her husband home. Shengjie massaged her father’s legs daily, hoping he might one day stand again. In early 2001, Zhang Yongzhi borrowed money to buy a tricycle to collect recyclables, earning about 30 yuan daily to sustain the family. The girl became even busier, preparing breakfast for her parents before school. That year, her brother was admitted to Linyi Normal University.
Mother falls ill, 12-year-old girl becomes the ‘mother’ to her parents
In September 2003, Shengjie entered Hangzhou Guangming Middle School with excellent grades. The girl ranked first in her class and was elected class monitor. However, in October, tragedy struck again. One night, Zhang Yongzhi felt extremely unwell. Shengjie took her to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with uterine cancer.
Seeing her mother in pain and her father’s helplessness, Shengjie’s heart ached, but she didn’t cry. The girl called her uncle for help. Her uncle, who worked in Linyi, covered most of her brother’s college expenses. A week later, he arrived with several bags of flour and over 2,000 yuan collected from relatives, which was still far from enough for Zhang Yongzhi’s treatment.
After her uncle left, Shengjie was burdened with the daily responsibilities of caring for her parents and managing schoolwork. Every morning, she washed her parents’ faces, prepared breakfast and lunch, and left the food within their reach. With no money for rice, they subsisted on the flour her uncle brought. Occasionally, she would make a meat soup or fry eggs to improve their meals. She studied from 7 to 9 p.m. and then helped her parents wash up before going to bed.
One yuan touches Hangzhou: The resilient ‘Shengjie’
Zhang Yongzhi’s condition worsened. In late March 2004, her uncle decided to take Wang Guiqiang to a hospital in Linyi for treatment. Shengjie stayed in Hangzhou for school while her mother remained bedridden. The girl massaged her mother’s legs and back whenever she was home, trying to ease her pain. She noticed her mother’s despair and her unwillingness to leave her. Shengjie knew she couldn’t save her mother with her current strength. She started riding a tricycle to school, collecting recyclables on the way home, increasing her daily earnings to over 12 yuan.
One day, the teacher asked students to bring their exam papers home for parental signatures. Shengjie was troubled because her mother was illiterate. She decided to teach her mother to write her name, “Zhang Yongzhi.” That night, her mother signed the exam paper. From then on, learning to read and write became her mother’s favorite activity. Shengjie checked her mother’s “homework” every night, marking mistakes with a big cross for her to correct.
In May 2004, Guangming Middle School organized a charity event for disabled children. Shengjie, as class monitor, donated her last yuan, her lunch money. That afternoon, she fainted from hunger. The school nurse found she had no illness, just severe malnutrition. Assistant Principal Jin Shuihan decided to visit Shengjie’s home.
Entering the small, cluttered room, Jin Shuihan was shocked. The room had three beds, a small table serving as both Shengjie’s desk and the family dining table, and a coal stove surrounded by kitchen utensils. The tricycle at the door was filled with recyclables. Jin Shuihan’s heart ached as she spoke with Zhang Yongzhi.
A ray of hope
Back at school, Jin Shuihan reported Shengjie’s situation. On May 22, school leaders visited the girl’s home, moved to tears by the family’s plight. The school refunded Shengjie’s tuition and provided a monthly stipend of 50 yuan, encouraging everyone to learn from her resilience. The Hangzhou Charity Federation also donated 2,000 yuan and supplies to Shengjie’s family. On June 24, the Youth Times reported the girl’s story, prompting anonymous donations from citizens.
Shengjie’s brother learned of their situation from the media, graduated, and came to Hangzhou in tears. Reunited, Shengjie wiped her tears and said: “I didn’t tell you before because you couldn’t help. Now that you’ve graduated, we can share the burden.”
Zhang Yongzhi is now receiving comprehensive treatment at Banshan Tumor Hospital. Doctors say her cancer has spread, requiring extensive surgery and long-term radiotherapy. Shengjie’s brother, Wang Runshan, plans to continue his studies for free next semester, determined to excel and give back to society. He said: “My sister’s spirit will be a lifelong source of strength for me.”
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