“Change to the rank of private, put on Kevlar, put on the bullet bag, and go to the training ground. The first five kilometers of running, the lap after lap of the track could not see the end, heavy breathing, lead-filled legs, sore muscles, scorching sun, sticky sweat stains on clothes are the long-awaited ‘smell of soldiers’…”

A few days ago, Xie Shaoliang, director of the Xi County Customs Work Committee, received an article on the public account of the 81st Group Army in his WeChat, entitled “Steel Quenching, When Peacock Blue Meets Camouflage Green”. He clicked on the text, and a quiet and handsome girl wearing camouflage clothes and glasses “jumped” out, isn’t that Gao Lihua?

Xie Shaoliang was very happy and dialed the video call: “Xiao Gao, you wear a camouflage uniform and look heroic, and the army training is hard!” Over there, Gao Lihua was very excited, “Thank you grandpa!” Carrying a pen from Rong will not regret in the end, and hardship is accompanied by strong will. The army is a melting pot, I grew up here! He said and playfully made a “heart comparison” motion.

Gao Lihua is a child who Xie Shaoliang has cared for and helped, and when she was most difficult, it was Xie Shaoliang who extended a caring hand and helped her realize her dream of going to school. Since then, she regards Xie Shaoliang as her own grandfather, and will share all important moments in her life with him.

In July 2012, Gao Lihua, a student of Xixian No. 3 Middle School, took the middle school entrance examination and became the first in the county with a score of 663. After the results were announced, Taiyuan No. 5 Middle School invited her for an interview, a high school in Yuncheng invited her to go to school with a high scholarship, and the experimental class of Linfen No. 1 Middle School also sent a notice. But because of the tuition fees, the Koryo family was helpless.

The Goryeo Hua family is in the village of Pang Jia Jia in Wu Town, Xi County, the father is a humble farmer, and the mother suffers from congenital visual impairment and almost lost the ability to work. Gao Lihua is the eldest daughter, all three sisters are in school, the family only relies on her father to farm, plus years of treating her mother’s eye disease, the family is already heavily in debt. Gao Lihua never spends a penny indiscriminately in school, turning over the homework book when it runs out, and the pencil is used by others and throwing away, she picks it up and cuts it and uses it again. Seeing that she had to go out to school, where the tuition, accommodation, and living expenses came from, she was at a loss…

Xie Shaoliang heard about Gao Lihua, and a sense of responsibility to care for the next generation was born. He walked to Lihua’s home and watched the family worry about their children’s schooling, and his heart was very uncomfortable. He was thinking, how can such a good seedling delay growth? Children must succeed in their studies in order to change the status quo in the family.

Xie Shaoliang dialed the mobile phone of Gong Chuanhai, an entrepreneur in Tangshan City, Hebei Province. After hearing about Gao Lihua’s situation, this caring person immediately decided to lend a helping hand and provide 500 yuan a month to sponsor Lihua to go to school. The bridge of love was connected, and Lihua choked up and thanked Gong Chuanhai: “Uncle thank you, I will definitely study hard and never forget your great kindness.” Over there, Gong Chuanhai’s voice was very hearty, “Child, don’t worry about going to school, uncle will put money on your card on time every month.” ”

Gao Lihua is about to go to high school, and Xie Shaoliang comes to her home again to see what else her children need to go to school. When he found that the clothes prepared by Lihua were very thin, he contacted the owner of the Ailei clothing store in this county and sent the child Ailei down jacket. After the start of school, Xie Shaoliang rushed to Linfen No. 1 Middle School to visit Gao Lihua in his busy schedule, bought her school supplies and daily necessities, and reported her situation to the school, which reduced Gao Lihua’s tuition fee for three years. He repeatedly advised Lihua: “Study with peace of mind, don’t worry about tuition fees, wait for you to return to the society after your academic success in the future, and then help more people in need, you must not live up to the expectations of well-wishers for you.” ”

“You can’t live up to the expectations of well-wishers for you”, this phrase has always been engraved in Ko Lihua’s heart. In the three years of high school, she studied hard and worked hard, and was admitted to Tianjin University of Commerce with excellent grades to study software engineering. She became the secretary of the league branch in her class, the deputy director of the school club, and also won the National Innovation and Entrepreneurship Award and applied for a national patent. In the military assistant engineer examination held at the end of June 2019, she was successfully selected with the first score in the written test and the first in the interview.

Now a civilian in the Army Armament Department, Gao Lihua began the journey of quenching 100 steel. A photo came, running five kilometers, climbing wire, drilling tunnels, explaining the knowledge of weapons and equipment to the officers and men of the unit, she was confident and resolute, and she did everything very well. She said to Xie Shaoliang, “Grandpa, you gave me courage and strength, and I will help more people realize their dreams in the future.” Xie Shaoliang was very pleased, “Great! You have achieved the leap from a weak woman to an iron warrior, and grandpa believes that you are an elite born for a strong army, and you will make greater contributions to the country and society in the future…”

Original title: “Grandpa, you gave me courage and strength” – the story of Xie Shaoliang, director of the Xi County Guan Work Committee, and the girl he was helped

[Editor: Xiawen]