The "Liangshan Boy" who carried his brother down the mountain started a new life
Our reporter Tian Jianchuan and Wang Ruiping
Do you remember this photo?
In February 2018, a reporter from Xinhua News Agency encountered Ji Jue Jizhu, a 9-year-old boy of the Yi nationality, trekking in the snow with his over 1-year-old brother while he was covering the snow in Daliang Mountain, Sichuan. They were moving with their mother to help the poor. Lives with his grandfather.
The picture story of "Down the Mountain, Brother Carrying You to Your New Home" broadcast by Xinhua News Agency hits the heart directly and made countless netizens cry.
This group of photo reports won the 29th China News Awards.
While praising the country's poverty alleviation policy, people also deeply remember this "Liangshan boy" with firm eyes.
How is the "Liangshan Boys" family now?
After the Spring Festival, the reporter rushed to Daliang Mountain to pay a return visit to them.
Out of the mountains and move into a new home
As an independent relocation household, Jijuejizhu's family received a housing subsidy of 30,000 yuan for "Yijia Xinzhai".
Today, they bid farewell to the adobe houses in the deep mountains and moved into a spacious and sturdy brick-concrete new home in March 2019.
The new home is located in Nanqing Town, Yuexi County, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. This is a flat valley basin with convenient transportation. You can reach Yuexi County in ten minutes by bus.
The old village where they lived was more than 2,800 meters above sea level, and the environment was harsh. People were digging in the soil, and the barren dry land could only grow potatoes and corn.
The old village is 80 kilometers away from Yuexi County, and it takes more than 5 hours to ride the shuttle bus. It takes nine turns and eighteen bends.
From the map, the route came out like a rope.
Poverty, like a rope, restrained the feet of the masses, "it is difficult for one side to support the other."
Under the action plan of the country's east-west poverty alleviation cooperation, the counterpart assistance to the Guangdong Foshan City in Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province invested 10 million yuan to build Dabu New Village in Nanqing Town.
In 2016, a total of 314 people from 63 poor households in Dab Village implemented relocation for poverty alleviation.
As a registered household, Jijue Jizhu's family has been out of poverty in 2014.
His father worked in other places and saved some money over the years.
In 2018, Jijue Jizhu's father decided to move voluntarily and built a new house beside the county road next to Dabu New Village.
Go down the mountain and start a new life.
"The mountain is really nice, there is a great basketball court"
For the three brothers and sisters, the biggest change after the independent relocation comes from education.
Ji Jue Jizhu, who is handsome in appearance, is a "celebrity" of the Nanjing Town Central Primary School he attended. He is the main player of the school's basketball team and has many "fans".
On the school basketball court, a basketball game is going on.
He dribbled the ball under the crotch, made a pass, and made a three-step layup. His skillful skills drew a burst of applause.
Who would have thought that before moving down from the mountain, Ji Jue Ji Zhu had never seen a basketball.
At that time, the elementary school he was studying was in Shenguo Township at the foot of the mountain, 200 meters away from his home.
Due to the steep and rugged mountain roads, Jijuejizhu spends about one and a half hours in school every day.
"The way home from school is to climb the mountain. It is very strenuous. I can't walk. I have to rest eight or nine times in between." Jijue Jizhu said.
Now, he and his sister only need a 15-minute walk to reach the Nanqing Town Central Primary School where they are studying.
Jijuejizhu spent his childhood in the mountains, using slingshots to hit birds, climb trees, and dig potatoes with his friends.
He never went to kindergarten because there was none in the village.
When he first moved down from the mountain, he was uncomfortable. Since he could only speak a little Mandarin, he didn't have many friends.
But Jijue Jizhu learns very quickly, and now he and his sister can communicate with others in fluent Mandarin.
During the reporter's interview, they also acted as the mother's translator.
Jijue Jizhu loves basketball very much. The school's standard basketball court is a stage for him to release his confidence and vitality.
"The mountain is great, there is a great basketball court, but there is none on the mountain," he said.
Today's Jijue Jizhu has been exposed to more "outside world".
I have a TV at home, a 4G network and a smart phone.
He met Kobe, James, and Curry and regarded them as idols.
His dream is to become an excellent basketball player who can represent the country to compete.
Now, my sister who is in the fourth grade joins the school choir, and the youngest brother goes to kindergarten in Dabu New Village.
The children’s good educational environment makes Ji Jue Ji Zhu’s father Ji Zu Shiri very grateful.
His wife has never read, and he has only reached the first grade of elementary school.
Because he doesn't know Chinese characters and can't speak Mandarin, his wife still has trouble going out to work.
The intergenerational transmission of poverty will be blocked by education in this era.
Under the care of educational programs such as the "Three Exemptions" for compulsory education, living allowances, and nutrition improvement programs, the three brothers and sisters are growing up happily and vigorously like young saplings.
The rape blossoms, spring is here
In August 2020, while working at a construction site in Suqian City, Jiangsu Province, Jizu Shiri fell from a tower over 9 meters high and was in a coma for 23 days.
After being discharged from the hospital, he was identified as a Grade 8 disability and is currently recovering at home.
Not dying in catastrophe, Jizu Shiri bluntly said that this is a blessing in misfortune.
He was also very anxious at one time, the "pillar" of the family collapsed, what should he do in the future?
What about the children?
Life will always encounter ups and downs, but the times are different.
The local cadres quickly came to investigate and understand his situation, and initiated the dynamic monitoring mechanism for the return to poverty.
At the same time, the town and village cadres also helped Ji Zu Shiri contact public welfare lawyers to help deal with the aftermath of work injury compensation.
As soon as school started this spring, Ji Zu Shiri’s wife was arranged to cook in the cafeteria of the Central Primary School in Nanqing Town, earning 2,000 yuan a month.
While increasing family income, it is also convenient for her to take care of her husband with limited mobility.
"After he recovers from his illness, we will consider various ways such as arranging public welfare posts according to his physical condition to prevent the family from returning to poverty due to illness." said Wu Niu, the mayor of Nanqing Town.
Under the sunshine of poverty alleviation, the destiny of Jijue Jizhu's family changed.
The rape blossoms, spring has come.