The house was tightly shut.
On January 2, Zhang Dayong was wearing a pair of cotton trousers, a large cotton coat, and covered with a thick quilt, lying on an electric blanket, still shivering from the cold.
As a patient with ankylosing spondylitis, the last time 58-year-old Zhang Dayong went out was the one he was carried downstairs by several burly men more than three years ago.
Previously, Li Yuchun revealed that he was suffering from the disease, which was later brought under control.
But for Zhang Dayong, he missed the treatment period. This "undead cancer" has caused calcification of his spine, and more than 30 joints in his cervical spine and hips are stiff and stiff. His body is afraid of cold, and he cannot turn his head, sit up, or walk. ...slowly turned into a "breathing mummy".
He can't go out and lives in an "isolated island", but he is eager to connect with the outside world: he created the earliest website for tracing people in China; he wrote and published the book "My Mother"...and he is best known for, The "Anonymous Dead Database" website created in the summer of 2011 contains information on more than 6,300 unknown remains: male skeletons found in mountains and forests; sixty-year-olds suspected of hanging themselves; naked female floating corpses; unknown persons who died in traffic accidents...
For ten years, Zhang Dayong collected these information and photos every day, accompanied them, and finally returned more than 100 unnamed remains to their roots.
And he himself found the meaning of living in this lonely career.
Discovered that lying at home can also help people outside
The "Anonymous Dead Database" website has kept more than 200 messages, most of which are similar to this:
"Looking for the missing brother, male, about 180cm in height, 60kg in weight, born in 1998, and lost contact after jumping off the Yangtze River Bridge in Wuhan on August 31, 2022. I hope kind people will help to pay attention to reposting."
"Mr. looking for the shipwreck: My husband disappeared in a shipwreck in the Qinzhou Port area on January 28, 2022. He is 30 years old, 174cm tall, and weighs about 160kg. There is a tattoo on his left wrist. I also have the same tattoo. If you see You can contact me to take pictures to confirm, thank you!"
On October 21, 2022, after breakfast, Zhang Dayong lay sideways on the colored striped sheets, and used his right index finger to turn on the computer beside the bed. The screen instantly changed from blue to white, and he entered the "Database of Unknown Dead" website. Then one after another news about death "rushed on my face".
When he first started looking at these information and photos, he also had trouble sleeping and eating for several months, and often had nightmares... However, he has become accustomed to it now.
Every morning, Zhang Dayong ate breakfast in bed, worked on the computer for a while, and then got up to make lunch.
The room where he works and lives is about ten square meters. There is a bookshelf full of books on the right side of the entrance. Inside is a computer desk with a computer on it. He was lying in the middle of the eighty-five meter.
Because he doesn't know how to dress himself, Zhang Dayong never takes off his clothes when he sleeps, but it is still difficult to get up.
He hooked up the slippers with an arm extender, a wooden stick more than 1 meter long with a hook, and stuffed his stiff feet into it.
The feet are purple and black due to poor blood circulation, dry and peeling, peeling off like fish scales.
After putting on slippers on his feet, he rotated his crotch vigorously, tilted his body, and then landed on his legs, grabbed the crutches with both hands, propped up his upper body vigorously, and finally stepped on the ground with his feet.
He said happily: "I got up!"
Zhang Dayong remembers that after he fell ill, he got up like this for the first time, and it took half an hour without success.
Now the movements are much more proficient, and I can get up in ten minutes.
He used to be able to walk normally.
In July 1991, 27-year-old Zhang Dayong had a persistent high fever and was paralyzed in bed ever since.
One day in February 1997, a female body was found under the Chuhe Bridge tens of meters away from his home, with her hair permed and wearing a red sweater.
During those two days, Zhang Dayong heard a missing person announcement broadcast on TV. After a couple in Luoning County quarreled, his wife ran away from home.
The husband's description of his wife's clothing and hairstyle was exactly the same as that of the female corpse at the bottom of the bridge described by his mother and younger brother.
There was no phone at home, so Zhang Dayong asked his younger brother Zhang Xiaoyong, who was working in a state-owned enterprise at the time, to contact the husband and told him to contact the Luoyang City Public Security Bureau, saying that his wife might have been killed.
A week later, Zhang Xiaoyong called again to confirm that the man's wife was the woman in red.
Zhang Dayong recalled that he discovered for the first time that he could help people outside by lying at home.
A pair of scissors hidden under the pillow
In September 1964, Zhang Dayong was born in an ordinary family in the suburbs of Luoyang City, Henan Province, with a younger sister and a younger brother.
His father is a carpenter in a construction company, and he is away all year round, while his mother works as a farmer at home.
Zhang Dayong grew up with his grandmother in Zhuge Village, Yanshi City (now changed to a district).
The grandmother is Cai Yunzhi, and she is the protagonist of "My Teacher" written by the writer Wei Wei.
Zhang Dayong still remembers that when he was a child, his grandmother taught him to tell couplets and guess riddles; when he made mistakes and admitted his mistakes, his grandmother praised him for his honesty; on summer nights, the door of the house was cleaned and mats were spread out.
He was lying on the mat with his grandmother, looking at the stars in the sky, while his grandmother was waving a cattail fan, while telling stories about astronomy and the heavenly palace.
His happy childhood came to an abrupt end when he was ten years old.
That year, Zhang Dayong suffered from pain in the socket of his right thigh, and the village doctor diagnosed it as "Yu Kou" (sound).
According to the village doctor's instructions, grandma simmered big green salt in an iron pan, put it in a cloth bag, put a towel on it, and put it on the sore spot of his right thigh, and the pain was relieved.
At the end of 1975, after his grandmother passed away, Zhang Dayong returned to his parents in Luoyang.
When he was in the second year of junior high school, the pain in his legs worsened, and he could hardly walk. He was suspended from school for the first time and was hospitalized. He was diagnosed with a rheumatic immune disease.
I received anti-inflammatory injections and hormone drugs every day, but it didn't improve.
After two months of treatment, Zhang Dayong had to be discharged from hospital and return to school.
Later, due to repeated illnesses, he was suspended from school and hospitalized several times, and returned to school after being discharged from the hospital, but he did not fail to study, and he was still a class cadre in the class.
In 1983, Zhang Dayong, who was in high school, suspended school for the fourth time due to illness, and has never been able to return to school since then.
The doctor told him that he was suffering from ankylosing spondylitis, but he had missed the best treatment period.
Zhang Dayong's dream of going to university and doing scientific research vanished for a while.
When the pain was severe, it was like a hammer hitting his nerves. He couldn't turn sideways, sit up, and lay in bed for 24 hours without eating or sleeping.
He waited until the pain subsided before he could drink a little vinegar and eat a few wilted apples the size of eggs, which were sour and astringent.
In those days, Zhang Dayong cried, cursed, despaired, and thought about dying.
Once, mother Wang Yuping found a pair of nail-cutting scissors hidden under her son's pillow.
For a long time, she didn't dare to go out day and night, fearing that her son would be overwhelmed and do stupid things.
Wang Yuping encouraged his son: "People have two spines, one is the skeletal spine, and the other is the spiritual spine. If the skeletal spine is sick, the spiritual spine can stand up, and people can still be tall and straight."
In order for his son to find the courage to live, Wang Yuping encouraged him to study more, go to the newspaper office to read the news, and go to school to attend classes, so that he can see the world farther away and learn more and richer information.
When the pain relieved, Zhang Dayong went to the reference room of the newspaper office, read newspapers from all over the country, borrowed books from the school reading library, and even worked as a correspondent of the newspaper office.
In my younger sister Zhang Qianqian's impression, my mother cared for my brother very much, and the old man noticed any mood swings in his eyes and would enlighten him at any time.
In contrast, she and her younger brother received much less love and care.
In the summer of 1991, after Zhang Dayong was completely paralyzed, he started a life of eating, drinking and lying in bed.
He recalled that for the next ten years, he did not speak more than 70 words a day.
In June 1996, my father passed away due to illness, and the burden of life fell on my mother alone.
For a long time, Wang Yuping went to various units, schools, and residential areas to buy used newspapers, including "People's Daily", "China Youth Daily", and some evening papers, digests, magazines, etc., and dragged them home with a cart for Zhang Dayong to read. .
Zhang Dayong said that he estimated to have read at least 10 tons of newspapers and saved 3 cartons of clippings, looking for the meaning of life from them, and finally found the courage and direction to live.
More than 50 people were squeezed into the small room
By reading newspapers and magazines, Zhang Dayong discovered many anecdotes and anecdotes, and compiled a 500,000-word "Chenis (Chinese transliteration) Chinese Records Encyclopedia"; he collected many missing person notices, big and small, and made three books "Looking for people photo album" collection, I hope to go to school to hold an exhibition, to educate children not to run away from home.
Zhang Dayong introduced that in the 1990s, many students were influenced by martial arts novels and ran out to "travel into the world" and lost contact with their families.
He has been paying attention to this problem, hoping to find a solution.
In May 1998, Henan's "Dahe Daily" reprinted a message from "Xinhua News Agency": "National Center for Missing Children in the United States" established the first tracing website in the United States to help lost children find their families.
After Zhang Dayong saw it, he thought, this is so convenient, why don't I make China's first people tracing website?
Soon, his younger brother Zhang Xiaoyong was laid off from the state-owned enterprise.
Zhang Dayong suggested that his younger brother should learn computer first, and then find a job. By the way, he should work together on "China's first people tracing website".
Zhang Xiaoyong followed his brother's advice and spent a year learning about computers: he went to the library to read related books, and attended computer classes at Luoyang University.
In January 2001, Zhang Xiaoyong stayed up all night in an Internet cafe for three nights. According to his brother's idea, he built the first "Chinese tracing website" and opened a "tracing hotline".
At that time, there was no computer at home, and Zhang Dayong, who was lying in bed, could not see the newly-built website.
Until October of that year, the Luoyang Disabled Persons' Federation donated a 12-inch computer to him, which was placed on the table in the room.
Zhang Dayong lay sideways on the bed, and saw the computer screen glowing with white light, with the name of the website on it, and a row of photos below, with a few lines of small characters... He was very excited.
People-finding websites include "home search", which includes family members looking for people who have run away from home and lost mental patients, etc., and "people search home", which includes helping people who have been detained or deceased anonymous people find homes, etc.
For a long time, the website was maintained by his younger brother Zhang Xiaoyong.
Zhang Dayong learned how to use a computer. It was only after changing to a second computer in 2009 that he began to type and update the website.
Meng Liang, a reporter from "Dongfang Today" at the time, remembers that Zhang Dayong was unable to turn over and get out of bed at that time, and his condition was worse than now, but he had a strong heart and did many things that normal people could not do.
After meeting Zhang Dayong in 2004, Meng Liang often visited the mother and son at home, and was later regarded as relatives by the other party.
The media's successive reports made this man who had been lying in bed for ten years suddenly become popular.
Some people ran to their homes and told Zhang Dayong their stories, hoping that he could help find their relatives.
"At the most, more than 50 people rushed into the house at one time, filling the small room."
In the following ten years, Zhang Dayong's people-finding website helped more than two hundred people find their homes for free.
But no one knew that Zhang Dayong soon fell into depression.
He went to see a psychiatrist, and the other party said that he had too many dreams, which overwhelmed his body, and advised him not to put too much pressure on himself.
"There are so many things I want to do, it seems that suddenly, the whole world is not enough for me." Zhang Dayong recalled, he reflected on it later, learned to do what he could, and then slowly adjusted.
In 2007, Zhang Dayong participated in the China Cultural Olympics Tourist Souvenir Design Competition. His design of the "2008 China Year God Seven Olympic Commemorative Sign", which included the two elements of the Beijing Olympics and "God Seven Flying Apsaras", won the most creative and design gold award.
After CCTV reported his deeds, the owner of a company in Guangdong contacted him and sponsored him to go to Beijing for two operations, replacing both hips and knees with titanium artificial joints.
Only then did he learn to get up and walk again, relying on crutches and other tools, he was able to do some simple movements gradually.
Lying in China
On January 2 this year, Zhang Dayong was infected with the new crown and had a fever of over 39 degrees.
In those two days, he didn't get out of bed, took two antipyretics he had prepared before, drank water and ate some snacks when he was hungry.
During this period, he had a headache, couldn't sleep well, and even vomited once.
For more than a month before that, he had refused anyone to visit.
But two days later, his condition began to improve, and he is now basically back to normal.
Before the cold weather last year, the Shenzhen Jianhui Foundation installed plumbing and heating in his home.
Compared with before, the home is warmer, and there is hot water at any time.
This foundation, established in 2016, targets individual do-gooders who have "helped others for a lifetime, but now face difficulties themselves".
Beginning in 2006, Zhang Dayong received more than 100 yuan a month for subsistence allowances, which has risen to 600 yuan a month now.
In addition, he also has a disability subsidy of 120 yuan per month.
But still unable to maintain the family's expenses, the website was closed several times due to arrears.
Until the beginning of 2017, the foundation began to subsidize Zhang Dayong, 1,000 yuan a month, and visited and expressed condolences at home from time to time.
"Zhang Dayong has clear eyes and a pure smile. After being sick, he went out no more than ten times, but he can use the Internet to do public welfare." Li Canxue, head of Jianhui Foundation Luoyang, sighed.
Li Canxue remembers that once, several ladies from the foundation went to visit Zhang Dayong with him, and saw him lying on the bed, his legs were all purple and black, and they were so sad that they cried.
Zhang Dayong didn't take it seriously, telling them that now is his best time.
A few years after the establishment of his first "China People Tracing Website", family-finding websites have sprung up like mushrooms in various places.
Zhang Dayong found that the part of "people looking for a home" was not done by anyone, and it needed more attention from the society, so he decided to do this part alone, named it "Anonymous Dead Database", which is available for free inquiries by families looking for relatives and related units.
At that time, her younger sister Zhang Qianqian did not agree with this, but she felt that it was not easy for her brother, so she couldn't bear to stop him.
In order to collect the data and information of the unknown deceased, Zhang Dayong called and wrote letters to funeral parlors, hospitals, public security bureaus and other relevant units in various places, but received few replies.
The information he hopes to collect mainly includes the approximate age, physical characteristics, clothing, cause of death, time, and place of the unknown deceased.
It wasn't going well, but he wasn't discouraged.
In September 2010, Zhang Dayong participated in the "Million Youth Entrepreneurship Plan" competition.
His idea of collecting database information of the unknown deceased won the first prize, a prize of 30,000 yuan.
In the autumn of the second year, accompanied by his sister and brother-in-law, and with the help of various volunteers, Zhang Dayong lay down and went to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Fujian, Guangdong... He contacted and visited nearly 100 health, public security, and civil affairs departments. and other units.
Recalling the 45-day "Walking in China" operation, Zhang Dayong said that he only collected more than 500 pieces of data information from the Guangzhou Funeral Management Office, but the follow-up reports of the media made this operation attract the attention of the society and made it more popular. More people have learned about the issue of "unknown dead".
However, this experience did not leave a good memory for his sister and brother-in-law.
Zhang Qianqian remembered that her husband said that when she finally came out, she went to either the crematorium or the funeral parlor, and she still took pictures in that place!
But my brother has a dream, and Zhang Qianqian hopes that he will realize his dream.
Previously, some netizens commented that asking a disabled person to do this showed the lack of humane care of the relevant departments, and also reflected that the relevant work was not solid.
But Zhang Dayong doesn't think so. He thinks that funeral management regulations are different across the country, and this is a remote thing that needs someone to do it, and he may be the most suitable person.
In August 2011, 36-year-old Zhang Xiaoyong died of a sudden illness.
Because he couldn't go out, Zhang Dayong didn't see his brother for the last time.
Meng Liang felt that Zhang Dayong felt guilty towards his younger brother and the whole family, but he never said it, but continued to work hard to do meaningful things.
In the summer of the following year, the "Anonymous Dead Database" website was officially launched.
"If you give up, there will be no one else to do it"
The "Regulations on Funeral and Interment Management" promulgated by the State Council expressly stipulates that the cremation of the remains must be based on the death certificate issued by the public security organ or the medical institution specified by the health administrative department of the State Council.
Some remains lacked "death certificates" for various reasons, resulting in a serious accumulation of corpses in hospital mortuaries and funeral parlors across the country.
On the one hand, family members are looking for relatives and the remains of relatives; on the other hand, it is difficult for the public security organs to detect murder cases, and the unknown deceased cannot "find a home."
Zhang Dayong said that in recent years, before most public security organs issue the death certificate of the unnamed remains, they will issue a claim announcement on the local media, but the population is highly mobile, and many unnamed dead may be from other places, and family members may not be able to see the information.
The "Database of the Unknown Dead" founded by Zhang Dayong hopes to make up for the corresponding deficiencies. As a national professional information platform for the unknown dead, family members can find the remains more conveniently.
But ten years later, not many people know about the site, and gathering information is as difficult as ever.
Most of the time, Zhang Dayong looks for information from other websites and organizes it on his own website. So far, there are more than 6,000 information on the unknown deceased.
Occasionally he received a call from someone who claimed to be a policeman, saying that he wanted to publish information on the unknown deceased on his website, but when the other party found out that the website was run by him personally, nothing happened.
In the past few years, due to economic pressure, Zhang Dayong thought about giving up the website many times, but he was unwilling to give up. "If I give up, there will be no second person in the country to do it."
Someone suggested that he add funeral advertisements to the website, but Zhang Dayong refused, because he didn't want to make money from the dead.
Even so, Zhang Dayong is glad that he persevered.
This public welfare project, which is cold, biased and niche, even makes the readers' backs shivers, and brought at least one hundred "unnamed dead" back to their roots.
Zhang Dayong felt that receiving a thank you call from his family was the happiest moment for him.
Volunteer Mao Quanhong said that many people will become secular and numb after living to this age, but Zhang Dayong always maintains a sensitive heart and does something meaningful.
She often ignores that the other person is a disabled person.
For a long time, Zhang Dayong and his mother Wang Yuping depended on each other.
About 20 years ago, Wang Yuping suffered from breast cancer and endometrial cancer one after another.
Six or seven years ago, her breast cancer recurred, her left arm was swollen due to rheumatism, and her cervical spine and head pain were unbearable. However, she never complained or complained in front of her son, but only encouraged him.
Occasionally, Wang Yuping secretly called Meng Liang, saying that his parents were short-tempered.
She worried that after she left, it would be too difficult for Zhang Dayong to live alone, sometimes even crying.
"Her life was too miserable. Her husband passed away early, and her two sons were not married and had children. One died early, and the other was disabled due to illness." Meng Liang said.
In recent years, after rehabilitation training, Zhang Dayong can get up by himself, cook and cook at home with a cane, and help his mother make medicine.
But he still couldn't sit up, bend over, or go down stairs.
On August 8, 2022, Wang Yuping fell at home and was sent to the hospital for treatment.
Ten days later, she was discharged from the hospital and moved into an apartment for the elderly.
Zhang Qianqian said that because her mother was inconvenient at home, someone took care of her in the senior apartment, and she would go to chat with her every day.
On October 4, Wang Yuping's condition suddenly worsened, and he was sent to the hospital and died.
In the last days of his mother, Zhang Dayong did not see her, nor did he see her for the last time, let alone go to the cemetery to worship her... On October 21, 2022, Zhang Dayong recalled his mother, the woman who encouraged him to find his dreams, Accompanied him for most of his life, and now he has left him.
Zhang Dayong lay alone on the bed, and silently opened the "Database of Unknown Dead".
"This is my dream," he said.
(Zhang Qianqian is a pseudonym in the text)
(The Paper reporter Ming Que video editor Wu Jiaying intern Wang Jiaying The Paper)