I am from a family, the members of which are from three generations. My mother is from the Uygur ethnic group, and my father is Han.

In Urumqi, capital of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, a husband and his wife, Zhou Zhiyong and Nu'erbubu Limahong, run a restaurant, which employs more than 100 people from several ethnic groups. The restaurant is like a big, harmonious family that has members from the Han, Uygur, Hui and Kazakh ethnic groups. The couple does an exceptional job balancing the raising of their happy family and managing their business.

My mother moved from a small village to Urumqi when she was 18. She became a waitress at a restaurant.

My father was a chef working at the same restaurant as my mother. He often helped my mother study Mandarin.

They got to know each other better, and their relationship grew closer.

Given her diligence and hard work, my mother was soon promoted to head waitress. She was sent by the company to attend training sessions hosted in other cities.

In 2014, my father and mother opened a restaurant of their own. The restaurant is now well-known in Urumqi.

The 100-plus employees of their restaurant are from different ethnic groups. They are united, like a big family.

My mother cares about disadvantaged groups; in particular, hearing-impaired children. She says, "Every kind deed may bring positive changes to a person's life."

My family does its best to pass on kindness, and to help those in need.

(Women of China English Monthly October 2021 issue)