Liu Ximeng is a postgraduate student at Harbin Normal University, in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. What makes the 25-year-old student different from her classmates? Liu is juggling her studies and taking care of her mother, Wang Yanchun, who is bedridden. Wang has been confined to bed for more than 20 years. Despite everything, Liu and Wang remain strong and optimistic, even when they are facing the harshest storms of life.
Keeping a Brave Smile
Wang, who was born in 1972, worked as a primary school teacher in Daqing, a city in Heilongjiang Province, decades ago. Back then, she liked copying the calligraphies of Wang Xizhi (303-361), who was hailed as the Sage of Calligraphy. "My students liked my handwriting. They said my 'handwriting was dancing.' In those days, my life was as bright as sunshine," recalls Wang.
However, great misfortune befell her. Shortly after Wang gave birth, in 2001, she suffered from severe rheumatoid arthritis. Swollen and stiff joints made it difficult for her to perform her daily activities, such as getting out of bed, getting dressed and walking. Eventually, she was unable to care for herself.
Relatives and neighbors provided assistance to Wang and Liu. "My aunt took care of me until I was aged 3. After I returned to my mother, our relatives came in the morning, to help us prepare meals for the day. Later, I learned how to do household chores and cook simple dishes," Liu recalls.
Every day, Liu rose early to prepare meals, and she helped her mother get washed and eat breakfast. She placed a lunch, packed in a thermal box, on a chair within her mother's reach before she went to school.
After school, she rushed home to cook dinner and feed and take care of her mother. They talked about Liu's school day. To better care for her mother, Liu learned how to give massages and perform cupping therapy. She was just 10 years old.
For Liu, massaging and cooking for her mother have been part of her daily routine for more than a decade. She has never stopped taking care of her mother, not even when she was preparing to write the national college entrance exam.
"I felt guilty I could not take good care of my daughter. Instead, I put a heavy burden on her. She has always faced difficulties alone. Because of my daughter, I can embrace the future with confidence," says Wang.
Receiving Love, Warmth
Many people helped Liu and her mother. "I still remember a down coat, which was a gift from Li Min, my head teacher when I was in the second grade. The coat was so soft and warm. I wore it for several years," Liu says.
While a primary school student, Li often praised Liu for being a "dab hand" at doing household chores, which caused Liu to be admired by her classmates. While a middle school student, Liu's teacher, Li Zhijun, praised her for her optimistic attitude toward life. Once, after she fell and sprained her ankle in high school, her teacher, Li Haiyan, helped her buy medicine and meals.
"In the past, I received a great deal of help and warmth from others, including my classmates and teachers. They helped me become a better person. So, after the national college entrance exam, I applied to Harbin Normal University. I hoped to become a teacher, to help more people, and to pass on the love and warmth I had received," says Liu.
In 2019, after Liu was admitted to the university, someone suggested she place her mother in a nursing home, so she could receive proper care while Liu would be away from home. Liu refused, without hesitation. "I have always been grateful to my mother, who brought me into the world. I will never leave her alone, wherever I go. It's my duty to care for her," Liu said.
Liu took care of her mother while she was in university. She rented a small apartment near the university. With the help of university staff, she obtained student loans, and she took on several part-time jobs to cover household expenses and her mother's medical fees.
Even though Liu had to bear a far greater burden than her classmates, she still achieved an excellent academic performance. She often ranked first in the comprehensive quality assessment of her department. The assessment covers GPA, competition and research, social practice, volunteer service, the participation of cultural and sports activities, and other aspects. She also served as Youth League branch secretary of her class, and she was a member of the university students' union.
"Liu studied hard, and she never complained about her life. As Youth League branch secretary, she conducted class affairs in an orderly manner. Her optimistic attitude inspired her classmates, making them more mature and more concerned about their family members," Shi Xufu, Liu's university counselor, has been quoted as saying.
Giving Back
Given her excellent academic performance, Liu was admitted to a master's program at the university's School of Marxism. However, after she graduated, with a bachelor's degree, Liu joined a provincial-level, volunteer-teaching team. She served as a volunteer teacher at Jidong County No. 2 Middle School, in Jidong, a county in Heilongjiang's Jixi City, for one year.
"Whenever my mother and I encountered difficulties, the Party (Communist Party of China), the local governments, and kindhearted people, from all segments of society, offered us their considerate care and assistance. I hope to repay the warmth and kindness to others," says Liu. "Home is where mother is. I took my mother with me again."
While she was a volunteer teacher, she often had heart-to-heart talks with her students, especially those who were facing difficulties. She shared her experiences about work and life during her university years, and she used her own experiences to encourage her students to solve their problems.
While she was a volunteer teacher, she also participated in a public-welfare project, aimed at caring for rural children, especially those whose parents work away from home. She made time to get together with the children, to draw pictures, create handicrafts and make paper-cuts.
Her practice of filial piety has earned her the titles of National Positive and Kind Youth and National Moral Model. In 2022, she was awarded the China Youth May Fourth Medal. In recent years, she has given dozens of lectures, in schools and communities, to share her personal experiences and promote the traditional virtue of filial piety.
"During the past years, the kindhearted people have given me the strength to overcome the difficulties in my life. My mother often tells me to strive to do everything well, to realize the value of life through hard work, and to do my utmost to give back to society. In the future, I hope to dedicate my youth and passion to my hometown," says Liu.
Photos from Interviewee
(Women of China English Monthly February 2026)
Editor: Wang Shasha
