Living a life where kindness defines value, Shen Xinling grew up in poverty and knows the struggle of having no money. Yet, when she earned her first million at 14, she didn’t spend a cent on herself. She understands the world’s darkness, but believes everyone can take small steps to improve it.
Born in the 1980s to a poor family, Shen Xinling was hailed as a genius for earning 1 million dollars at 14 and being featured in textbooks in her twenties. She is included in 13 Taiwanese textbooks, making her the most featured living person in the Chinese-speaking world. But this is just the beginning. Time Magazine calls her “An Angel Fallen from Heaven.”
Early life and family values
Born in Taiwan in 1989, Shen Xinling’s parents were apprentice tailors with little education. They once ran a small garment factory but fell into debt due to Taiwan’s economic downturn, leaving them only a temporary tin house for shelter. Despite their poverty, her parents never coveted money and often taught her to give more than take. Life was hard, and her mother would take her to temples to pray. She thought her mother would pray for wealth, but instead, her mother wished for a way to survive and promised to teach her child to treat others with love.
A story that left a mark
Once, while Shen Xinling’s parents were busy, she read a story that left a lasting impression. A king fell ill, and the doctor advised him to find a happy man’s shoes to wear to recover. The prime minister searched everywhere, asking many wealthy people, but found that wealth did not guarantee happiness, and none of their shoes cured the king.
One day, the prime minister saw a farmer singing while working and asked if he was happy. The farmer said he was delighted. The farmer was stunned when asked for his shoes: “I don’t have shoes to give you.” She found this amusing and joked with her mother about taking off her shoes to be happy. Her mother smiled and imparted wisdom, which Shen Xinling partially understood at six, but kept in her heart. Her mother meant that material possessions are temporary; what truly matters is what resides within us.
Her mother always showed her that she had things others didn’t, teaching her to accept her family’s lack as neither shameful nor repulsive. This taught her a simple yet essential value: contentment.
Shen Xinling: A computer prodigy emerges
At 10, Shen Xinling’s mother pawned a cherished jade bracelet to buy her a computer, saying that no matter how hard life was, her education should not be sacrificed. Grateful, she seized every learning opportunity, never using the computer for games, and became a computer prodigy, winning numerous competitions in Taiwan. Some say poverty affects people by making them love money or understanding the poor. Shen Xinling belongs to the latter. Poverty taught her life’s hardships, while her simple and kind parents planted the seed of goodness in her heart.
Turning challenges into opportunities
Shen Xinling’s grandfather made a living growing pomelos. One year, despite a bumper harvest, he was worried about low prices: “We grew too much, and if we can’t sell them, they’ll rot. What will we do for living expenses this year?” The perennial problem of unsold produce left many farmers like her grandfather without a livelihood. Shen Xinling naively thought: “If one person can’t finish the fruit, what if 100 or 1,000 people eat it together?”
Recalling seeing others sell online, she, with youthful determination, emailed many large companies, simply stating: “My grandfather’s pomelos are delicious. If you need them, you can order.” Unexpectedly, they received corporate orders three days later, delighting the family. Her grandfather repeatedly asked: “Is it true?” That year, they sold over 30,000 more pounds of fruit than usual, and the computer prodigy discovered the power of the Internet for the first time.
Building a business and a mission
Her parents opened a small grocery store in their tin house, but business plummeted when a supermarket opened nearby. She suggested they return to tailoring and helped them set up a clothing website. Within a year, their business thrived. She realized that helping others doesn’t require wealth; nurturing her skills to aid those in need is also a form of charity. Thus, she embarked on a philanthropic revolution! Living at the bottom, she knew that money alone couldn’t help the poor; knowledge is power. Only by giving disadvantaged students access to education could they escape poverty through their efforts.
Creating a free education platform
At 13, Shen Xinling began planning the “Anan Free Education Network,” aiming to create the first nationwide free education platform for all subjects in middle and elementary schools, providing a free learning channel for disadvantaged students through the boundless Internet. During the website setup, she often faced resource shortages and refused monetary sponsorship, bearing all the pressures alone. Her mother often wondered: “How much more pressure can her small body endure?”
Every night, Shen Xinling’s parents wanted to stop her from standing there all night, but this time, the usually obedient girl was determined, pleading with her parents to let her spend time on charity. Her mother said: “I realized this is her true happiness. Since she found what she wants to do, who am I to stop her?”
Through exploration and relentless effort, Anan became a popular educational website across Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China. It has helped nearly 5 million disadvantaged students, with countless grateful parents saying: “Thank you, my child’s grades have improved!”
Expanding her impact
But this was far from over. After launching “Yang Guo Generation English Free Learning Ground,” she planned and organized alone to provide free education to 75 disadvantaged students. Her fame grew, and more people sought help setting up various websites. In a short time, she earned a million dollars. After becoming a millionaire, this once-poor girl didn’t buy herself beautiful clothes, travel, or show off. Instead, she donated the money to help more struggling students; she was only 14 then!
Challenging the status quo
Seeing the low price of oranges, Shen Xinling bravely wrote to newspapers, eventually sparring with the Agricultural Committee and opposing the government in the media. Was she crazy? But she spoke out fearlessly, forcing the government to change its stance and promote the “National Orange Eating Campaign.” She reflected: “A small personal power can expand infinitely.” At 15, she unleashed this power!
See Part 2 here.
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