"Even if she had the intention, was she physically capable of committing the brutal act? I highly doubt that," he said.

"She was easygoing and never argued with her husband or others. She was definitely a good wife," said Guo Liangbao, a 63-year-old neighbor.

Life in the dark

"This is Guangtouqiang. This is a big bear. This is Ultraman…" muttered Guo Bin, who is receiving treatment at a hospital in Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi, as he tried to identify toys donated to him by volunteers on Tuesday night. He guessed correctly each time.

While playing with his new toys, he also occasionally listened to stories played on a tape recorder or on toys with a broadcast function.

This is how the 6-year-old boy occupies himself 10 days after the vicious attack, resting in hospital on an intravenous drip and having eye drops applied every two hours.

Piled up in the corner of the ward are flowers, fruit, snacks and other gifts.

Guo Bin, however, does not know what is happening outside his hospital ward, apart from a few sounds, such as knocks on his door.

He has had visitors from all around Shanxi and even from Hebei, Shandong, Hubei and other provinces far from Taiyuan.

However, he cannot bear any long separation from his mother.

"Mum! Mum!" he calls if she leaves his side for long.

So many people have visited that the hospital has arranged security guards on duty 24 hours a day to prevent too many people from entering and to ensure a quiet environment for the patient.

Some visitors simply come, hand over what they call a "little something" and leave without saying who they are.

On a chair by the door is a notebook Guo Bin's parents are using to keep a record of the names of donors and the amount of their donations.

Guo Zhiping, the father, said the family has received 1 million yuan in donations since the attack became public.

Guo Bin has still not been told that he has permanently lost his eyesight.

"When can I go to school?" he asked, and occasionally, "Why can't I see now?"

His uncle, Wang Yuji, sometimes joked with the boy, saying, "Once you can see, you will see your mother. And your mother will probably blame you and spank you."

He added that the family is more concerned about the psychological scars the child may suffer than the physical ones.

Late on Wednesday, doctors told China News Service that Guo Bin has recovered well and is already fit enough to be discharged from the hospital. Implanting artificial eyes could be done as early as a month from now, they said.

The family decided to accept surgery to implant artificial eyes after they were visited by a team of three Hong Kong experts on Sunday, who said there is a possibility Guo Bin could regain some sense of light by implanting electronic ocular prostheses at a hospital in Hong Kong, his mother, Wang Wenli, said.

However, they have yet to decide where to have the surgery.

"He is still quite young. If he was born without eyesight, that might not be too cruel for him. But he could see before and now, suddenly, he can't see. That could be unbearable for him, or even for us adults," said Wang. "We will do anything and go anywhere so long as he can gain a little sense of light in his life."

Contact the writers at houliqiang@chinadaily.com.cn and xuwei@chinadaily.com.cn

Cheng Hong and Sun Ruisheng in Taiyuan contributed to this story.