The summer of 1967
I was born in an ordinary family in the countryside. My father is a carpenter and my mother is a housewife. We have 6 siblings, a total of eight people.
My eldest sister is 20 years older than me. She was studying in the Physical Education Department of Shandong Normal University (now Shandong Normal University) and came back from vacation.
My second sister worked at home as a farmer after finishing junior high school. However, she was very artistic and joined the Mao Zedong Thought propaganda team in the village. This photo was taken by the second sister who called people from our commune photo studio to our village and left us this precious family photo.
At that time, the eldest brother was in high school, the second brother was in a rural middle school (similar to a technical school), and the third sister was in junior high school.
What I am holding in my hand is a glazed duck toy that my eldest sister bought for me. There are also some colorful flowers inside the duck, which are very beautiful. Because my family is poor, I can’t wear my own clothes for photos. I had to temporarily borrow the clothes of a neighbor's child and put them on for the photo shoot. My family is very poor, and it makes me sad to think about it now.
My father is a carpenter. He earns work points in the production brigade Wood Industry Co., and supports the family by himself. My father did not enjoy a few days of happiness. He died of illness in the second month after I was admitted to the military academy. I had just reported to the People's Liberation Army Luoyang Foreign Languages Institute. My family did not notify me, so I was unable to see my father off for the last time. Perhaps, my father knew that I went to the military academy and felt relieved to leave.
My mother is a housewife who works non-stop for a family of eight. She makes pancakes almost every day to feed the family, and she works hard without complaining. After my father left, my mother lived almost alone in her hometown.
The three sisters were all married, and the two brothers later joined the army in the same year, got their jobs, and started a family.
After I graduated from the military academy, I married a female classmate in Urumqi. After I gave birth to a son, I took my mother to take care of the child.
My wife is very filial to her mother-in-law. She cuts hair and makes clothes for the elderly. When she comes back from get off work, she watches TV and chats with her. He also cured the old man's toothache and knee pain. The old man had a bone spur on his finger. He was so frightened that he thought it was cancer. My wife took the old man to Urumqi to find his comrade's father, a military doctor, who performed small acupuncture and was cured. The old man was very happy.
My mother passed away on May 1st, 2008. It’s been 14 years in a flash.
Life is not long or short. Everyone should cherish the present moment, honor their parents, and don't "don't care for your children when you want to support them", and leave no regrets. Husband and wife love each other and stay together for a lifetime.
