China / China

Love shines through life’s hardships

(chinadaily.com.cn) Updated: 2011-05-19 16:48

In Zhuangzigou village, Beishan county, in Northwest China's Qinghai province, Li Shancun, 50, who has been blind since the age of 3, holds his wife's face, May 12, 2011. Zhao Chuangjie, 43, has been suffering from cerebral palsy since the age of 4, causing the paralysis of her limbs. Li gets up about 7:30 am every day, gropes for his clothes and walks 1 kilometer to bring two barrels of water back from a well, a route Li has walked for many years, while Zhao can only use her knees to move around without Li's help. To let Zhao see the sun, Li always brings Zhao outside to sit in her wheelchair. They married seven years ago, and their love shines through the sound of the suona horn (a Chinese traditional instrument), which Li plays for Zhao, and through Zhao's muffled words that only Li can understand. They had their first baby five years ago. However, that added more pressure to their already hard life, supported by a small piece of farmland and subsistence allowances, as they need to pay for the child's tuition and other expenses. Fortunately, the couple receives a lot of help from their neighbors, social organizations and local government. No matter what kind of difficulties lie ahead, Li said, he will never leave his wife. “She is my eyes and I will help her walk,” said Li. [Photo/Xinhua]