Mr. Yu Dalin and his mother, Ms. Yang Qiangui, live in Yangping village, Chengchang town, Wuxi district, Chongqing city, China. In 2004, at the age of 66, Ms. Yang Qiangui became blind due to eye disease, and her life suddenly plunged into darkness. This event changed the lives of both mother and child.
Yu Dalin is taking care of his mother.
“At first, my mother often lost her temper and threw things,” Yu Dalin recalled.
The fact that the world around her was only black caused Ms. Yang to change her personality significantly. At first, she could not accept it, then became withdrawn. Seeing that, Mr. Yu Dalin was both worried and impatient. The only thing he can do is patiently stay by his side, encourage and take care of his mother.
“At that time, I was the only one who could take care of my mother.”
Mr. Yu Dalin said his sister got married, and his brother and father passed away one after another. Since 2005, there have been only him and his mother in the house. To take care of his mother, he did not go out to work like many other young men in the village but stayed at home to farm.
Before going blind, Ms. Yang Qiangui was the one who took care of all the cooking in the family. Later, all the cooking and housekeeping was done by Yu Dalin alone. Standing in the somewhat messy kitchen, facing all kinds of pots and pans, Yu Dalin was confused, not knowing what to do.
Under his mother’s guidance, he carefully took each utensil, washed the vegetables, cut the vegetables, poured oil, seasoned, stir-fried… After cooking, Yu Dalin fed his mother himself. To reassure her son, Mrs. Yang Qiangui always smiled when she tasted it. Even though the taste was not good, she still ate it happily.
After many years of practice, Yu Dalin can now not only cook family dishes but also cook his own special dishes. As his mother grew older and her teeth were no longer as good as before, he also paid attention to making food softer and easier to eat, waiting until the food was no longer hot before feeding it to his mother. He also knows how to combine foods to ensure his mother gets enough nutrients.
With the desire to help her mother adapt to a better life, Yu Dalin held her hand and explored every furniture in the house. He cleaned up all the items that could hinder his mother from moving. Ms. Yang Qiangui also gradually learned how to focus on listening and touching to reduce the trouble of not being able to see.
Life ahead is still very difficult. This year, Yu Dalin is 48 years old and still unmarried. Over the past 20 years, many people offered to match him, but he all refused because his family conditions did not allow it and he had to take care of his mother. To increase his income, in addition to farming, he also worked as a village ranger.
Yu Dalin patrols and protects the forest.
To be able to overcome the past 20 years and the future, you need to have an optimistic, positive attitude and a loving heart. Ms. Yang Qiangui said her son was always very considerate with her. Sometimes, she would just casually say that she hadn’t eaten something for a long time, and he would quickly go to the kitchen and make it for her to eat.
In the eyes of the neighbors, Yu Dalin was very patient with his mother. Even though she was in a bad mood or even angry, he always smiled and comforted her. They have never heard him say harsh words to his mother, “he is a very filial son.” Neighbors said they were very touched by the love and care Yu Dalin gave his mother.
Through many ups and downs, Yu Dalin has always tried her best to take care of and stand by her mother throughout the years of her life. He said that no matter what tomorrow brings, no matter how hard life is, as long as his mother is by his side, his happiness is complete.