Villager perseveres to preserve family

It seems that Chen Yongbing, 54, has been unlucky since he was born.

When he was just a year old, he accidentally fell into a furnace. The accident cost him his hands, which were severely burned.

Then when he was in his 30s, branches pricked his right eye while he was chopping wood on a hill, causing blindness in that eye.

Indeed, Chen led a tough life in his native of Xinhua village in Shiquan county, Ankang, Shaanxi province. But the simple, unadorned man didn't suffer alone. His family also shared in his misfortune.

His sister-in-law, who had a mental illness, wandered off in 2004 and disappeared. She left behind her two children, Chen's 4-year-old nephew and 2-year-old niece at home. Two years later, his elder brother had a cerebral hemorrhage and became paralyzed.

Chen said he was in deep sorrow at that time. "I almost cried every day at the very beginning," he said. "But thinking of my mother, nephew and niece, I was convinced that I should shoulder the responsibility of taking care of the whole family."

From that day on, Chen chose to start off to work in the fields at dawn. He would help wash his brother and cook for the children at noon. And after lunch, he began taking some odd jobs for others outside his home, which often led him to return very late at night. Then in 2013, Chen's brother passed away.

"I thought about giving up at that moment," Chen sobbed. "I never received any education, and I had few friends. But in my mind, my family members are my precious jewels, and I have to keep them together, no matter how hard I need to work."

When he was weary, Chen often sang folk songs to the mountains. His favorite lyrics include: "The first month of the lunar year is the New Year, and the younger aunt enters the garden, with flower seeds in her hand." The lyrics and rhymes in the folk song, echoing in the valley, evoke Chen's feeling of loneliness.

Chen has been obsessed with singing folk songs since childhood. When he was little, he would imitate his uncles while they were singing.

His mind is so sharp that no matter how long a folk song is, he can memorize the lyrics after listening to it once or twice. He has learned more than 50 folk songs.

In 2012, Chen performed in the first folk song competition held in Shiquan. Chen impressed the audience with a melodious rendition of a "flower-scattering tune" and won first prize. Over the past decade, Chen has continued to support his family, including his mother.

In 2016, he borrowed 50,000 yuan ($7,637) from the bank and used it to build a pen and purchase 20 goats. He earned 30,000 yuan after selling the animals in 2018.

In 2017, Chen earned 22,000 yuan growing daylilies and raising 18 piglets. He bought another 20 piglets in 2019 after determining the swine market was growing.

His efforts lead him to earn more than 50,000 yuan in 2019.

"Although I'm disabled, I am still able to do something," Chen said. "Since our country has rolled out many supportive polices, I have no reason to rely on others. It's improper to wait for others to help you."

Wang Mengnan contributed to this story.