Yang Jingtang, born in 1979 in Minjia Town, Yushu City, has a story that began with the high school entrance exam in 1997. Although his scores exceeded those required for Yushu City’s key high schools, he chose to study Western medicine at the Siping Normal University in Siping, Jilin, because vocational schools guaranteed job placements upon graduation. “I didn’t think much of university until I visited Siping Normal University (now Jilin Normal University) with classmates and realized the gap between myself and university students.”
Early career struggles
Yang graduated from the vocational school in 2001, but it did not allocate jobs that year. Frustrated, he moved to Beijing to find work, but his vocational school diploma was a barrier. “I wasn’t even qualified for a pharmacy stockroom job, which required at least a junior college degree.” To survive, he worked as a water delivery man, did housework, and cleaned staircases. Eventually, he became a car washer, and a car owner advised him to return to a job related to his field of study. This advice deeply resonated with Yang, prompting him to return home.
Becoming a rural doctor
Back in Yushu City, Yang decided to pursue a career in healthcare. He worked as an assistant doctor at a private hospital, doing night shifts and writing medical records for a monthly salary of 400 yuan. Later, he became a doctor at Minjia Town Health Center, earning even less at 200 yuan per month, with no patients.
“I was a young doctor, and people thought I lacked experience. Some patients even doubted my abilities because of my educational background.” Determined to improve, Yang took unpaid leave in 2007 to study at major hospitals in Yushu and Changchun, shadowing doctors during the day and working night shifts at clinics.
After over two years, he returned to the town health center in 2010, gaining more patients and being considered for a deputy director position. He earned 4,000 to 5,000 yuan monthly. However, his thirst for knowledge grew stronger.
A mature student
Yang married Zhai Liping in 2004, who worked in the laboratory department at the Minjia Town Health Center. Their son is now 8 years old. Zhai mentioned that their life was peaceful, but during college entrance exams, Yang would become melancholic every year, inquiring about the scores of relatives and friends’ children. “Once, when a colleague’s child didn’t want to continue school, he was more anxious than the child’s parents and immediately went to persuade them.”
In November 2012, when a colleague’s child registered for the college entrance exam, Yang couldn’t sit still. He registered for the vocational college entrance exam as a social candidate, with subjects including Chinese, mathematics, English, computer science, and medical comprehensive. Having never studied high school courses, English seemed like a foreign language to him. Yang enrolled in a remedial class at Yushu Vocational Education Center to prepare, becoming the oldest student in the class. The afternoon he registered, he resigned and informed his family of his plans.
“Why go to college again? Just live well,” Zhai Liping said. Yang’s father, Yang Hongxi, also couldn’t accept it initially. But Yang was determined, studying English tirelessly, losing 15 kilograms in a few months. His perseverance moved his entire family. “Perhaps this is the power of dreams,” Zhai Liping said.
“The Big Brother of Acupuncture and Massage”
In June 2014, Yang finally entered the college entrance exam hall, applying for the highest-scoring medical vocational college entrance exam at Changchun University of Chinese Medicine. After the last English exam, he felt confident that his dream could come true. His score was 556, ranking in the top 20 in the province. His family was ecstatic, and his son admired him for getting into college. However, Zhai Liping used Yang as a cautionary tale: “I tell our son to study hard, or he’ll end up like his dad, going back to school in his 30s.”
When school started in September, Yang Hongxi wanted to accompany his son to register, but the younger Yang declined. “I’m a parent myself; having my parents accompany me to school feels awkward.” When he went to school, people were surprised and asked: “Why didn’t your student come with you?” Yang laughed, “I am the student.”
Yang was the last to arrive at the dormitory; he found his bed, organized his cabinet, and lay down. Jia Hengfeng, a roommate, said they initially thought this parent was unreliable, only to learn that this “big brother” was their classmate, Yang Jingtang. From that day on, the nickname “Big Brother of Acupuncture and Massage” spread.
A second teacher
Yang’s counselor, Shi Ruyu, initially thought this student, 10 years older than herself, was just there to get a diploma. However, Yang never asked for special treatment due to his age or status, whether during military training or in class.
Classmates were impressed by this “big brother.” “He participated in military training and choir and even joined us in cheerleading during the sports meet,” said class monitor Zhou Mo. When she called the roll in every class, Yang’s loud “present” would come from the front row, in the center seat. “He never missed a class the entire semester.”
Since the first day of school, Yang followed his schedule: waking up at 6 a.m., breakfast at 6:20 a.m., morning reading at 6:40 a.m., occupying a seat in the classroom by 7:40 a.m., going to the library when there were no classes, exercising at 6 p.m., and studying English at 8 p.m. “He’s stuck to this schedule without changing it due to laziness,” said roommate Mo Yifang, who tried following Yang’s schedule for a week, but couldn’t keep up.
“He has practical experience, and during anatomy class, he’s our second teacher,” said classmate Zhao Yuanzhen. This “uncle” is very caring; his dorm becomes a second classroom after class. “He shares medical practice and life stories with us. We also tell him about the life of the post-90s generation, and he’s becoming more ‘trendy.'”
Yang still has the opportunity to pursue graduate studies upon university graduation. He hopes to continue his education if he has the energy and financial means.
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