The story dates back more than a year: In September 2018, an elderly couple in Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei Province, transferred three million yuan (US $428,571) to an account in Mulan, a county in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. The story about the couple, both of whom are in their 80s, was eventually reported by media in China. Their story is remarkable; the couple, over the years, has donated a combined 10 million yuan (US $1.43 million) to help improve education and public welfare in Mulan County. But who are they? Ma Xu and her husband, Yan Xueyong, both retired cadres from the military command of Hubei Province.

Thrifty Life

"Living thriftily throughout her life, but giving her love to society in a most generous way" was one of the comments about Ma when she received the "moving China personage" award in 2018.

Ma and Yan live in an old bungalow in the countryside in Hubei. The furniture in their house is simple, including the worn-out sofa and hard bed. Books and notebooks, in piles at both ends of their bed, are the most "valuable" possessions in their eyes.

They eat simple foods daily; for example, porridge, noodles, steamed buns and vegetables. They like to wear their military uniforms. Ma says her best pair of shoes are a pair of old boots.

"Some people think our life is too hard, others think we are too 'mean' to ourselves. But I think the knowledge we have acquired is the best 'treasure' we have. I am never 'mean' to myself when I buy books, especially the good books I want to read. I have donated all of my savings to Mulan County, my beloved hometown, from where I was sent to join the army. I hope to see more and more people in Mulan obtain strength after they acquire knowledge," Ma says.

Around 2 p.m. on April 8, 2019, Ma and Yan went to a bank in Wuhan — again. They transferred another seven million yuan (US $1 million) to Mulan County. In addition to the three million yuan (US $428,571) they transferred in 2018, the elderly couple fulfilled their wish to donate 10 million yuan (US $1.43 million). Leaders from the local government of Mulan said they discussed the donations with Ma, and they decided to use the money to build a cultural and art center, in Ma's name, in Mulan. The purpose of building the center is to promote education on revolutionary history and organize cultural and art activities.

First Woman in New China's Airborne Troop

Ma was born in Mulan County in 1933. She joined the Eighth Route Army in 1947, when she was less than 14 years old. She participated in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-1953). She received a commemorative medal for her performance in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea and a commemorative medal for safeguarding peace. It was during wartime when Ma met Yan, who would become her life partner.

Ma returned to China after the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea ended. In 1957, she became a military surgeon, and she served at a hospital under the military command of Wuhan.

In 1961, the People's Liberation Army of China was about to form its first airborne troop. Ma, who stood 153 centimeters tall and who weighed 38 kilograms, applied, but was rejected because her physical condition failed to meet the required standard. Still, Ma refused to give up on her dream. Her constant, and sincere, requests to take the parachuting tests won her an opportunity: If she could perform better than the other soldiers during parachuting tests, she would be approved and admitted to the unit.

Ma was encouraged. She began practicing hard, every day, for more than six months. She eventually passed the tests, which included jumping with a 40-kilogram parachute pack from a hot-air balloon, at 500 meters above the ground, and landing safe and sound, successively, five times. She became the first woman soldier of the airborne troop of New China. During the following two decades, Ma fulfilled more than 140 parachute-related missions. "My fellow comrades and I jumped over the Yangtze River, over forests and highlands," Ma recalls, excitedly.

Dedication to Scientific Research

Ma and Yan got married in 1963. They both retired from the army, each with the rank of senior colonel, in the 1980s. After their retirement, the couple dedicated most of their time to researching medical sciences. More than 100 academic essays and other articles, written by the couple, have been published. Ma and Yan have also done their best to put the results of their research into practice.

In 1989, the couple obtained a national patent for the air-inflated ankle pad they invented. By wearing the pads, paratroopers can reduce the risk of wrenching their ankles when landing. In 1996, the couple obtained another national patent, for the oxygen-supply vest they invented for soldiers to use when parachuting above highlands. "Throughout my life, all of the dreams I have fulfilled, and all of the honors I have received, have been closely related to the support my husband has provided me," Ma says, gratefully.

When Efforts Sparkle

Ma left her hometown, in Mulan County, when she was a young girl. She thought about her hometown a lot. Several years ago, she and her husband bought an apartment in a nicely built complex in Hubei. However, they later realized they were more comfortable living in their simple bungalow in the countryside. They decided not to move into the apartment. Instead, they sold the apartment for four million yuan (US $571,429). Ma decided to donate that money to her hometown.

"I joined the army when I was young. Without the Communist Party of China, and our nation, we could never have the happy lives we enjoy today. I want to do something to give back to society," Ma explains.

Ma told Yan she wanted to donate the money to help improve education in Mulan County. Yan supported his wife's decision. In addition to the four million yuan they received from the sale of the apartment, Ma and Yan donated almost all of their savings, for a total of 10 million yuan. Ma said she hoped the money would be used to improve the education provided to children in Mulan County. If children could have a better education, her hometown would have a brighter future, she once said.

Now, Ma and Yan enjoy their simple, everyday life. They spend two hours doing exercises in the morning. When they are at home, they like to read newspapers, magazines and books together. During weekends, they go to a local university, for senior citizens, to participate in dances and calligraphy courses.

"Compared with life in the past, now we have enough food and clothes. We feel grateful and satisfied for what we have today," Ma says. If a person can do something to help others, and for society, his/her efforts will sparkle like a fire. In this way, his/her life will be more meaningful, she adds.

(Women of China English Monthly December 2019 issue)