Li Yanjin, 58, lives in Changli County, which is administered by Qinhuangdao, a city in North China's Hebei Province. Li Yanjin's father, Li Zhimao, is 94. Li Yanjin's son, Li Chunwang, got married in 2017, and he has since had a son and a daughter. The Lis make up a seven-member family living in happiness and harmony. Li Yanjin and his wife, Ji Xiufeng, are known in their community for their family virtues, including showing filial piety and gratitude to their elderly family members, and for being honest and always helping each other.

Companions

Li Yanjin was born in 1965 in Lichengzhuang, a village in Changli County. He married Ji when he was 23. The couple respects, loves and cares about each other. They show filial piety to each other's parents.

When Li Yanjin was a young man, he began living with his grandparents, so he could help his father and other relatives look after the elderly family members. Ji fully supported her husband. "I was close to my grandparents when I was a kid. I still remember the old residence of my grandparents was decorated with a board, inscribed with the words 'ji shan tang' (meaning 'hall of accumulated goodness'). Grandma used to tell me the importance of being friendly to others, and of doing good deeds. My family has inherited the virtues, such as showing filial piety and gratitude to elderly family members, and being honest and offering help to each other," Li Yanjin recalls.

Li Yanjin realized his father was not always a strong person, especially after his mother passed away. "My mother was not in good health. After she died, my father was depressed and easily lost his temper. I had to do something to help him walk out of the sorrow of losing my mother," Li Yanjin says. His wife also did her best to take care of her father-in-law. 

Li Yanjin accompanied his father on walks and when he did his exercises, and he taught his father how to use various body-building equipment. What's more, Li Yanjin accompanied his father during a visit to Qinhuangdao, and to neighboring cities in Hebei Province. Once, Li Yanjin took his father to Shenyang, capital of Northeast China's Liaoning Province, to visit their relatives and friends. Every time they took such trips, Li Yanjin noticed his father was curious and glad to see new things — just like a child was curious and glad to discover a new toy. Li Yanjin sometimes asked his son, Li Chunwang, to travel with them. Li Yanjin was happy to see his father regain his confidence and vigor during those trips.

Realizing a Dream

Ji's father died in 2004. She suggested her mother live with her, so her mother would not be lonely. Li Yanjin agreed, and said, "If elderly people can do something they are interested in, it will help them stay healthy and it will make them feel that life is rich and colorful."

Li Yanjin helped his mother-in-law find something she was interested in, and she was good at. "My mother-in-law embroidered, very well, traditional handmade shoes, the shape of which looked like a little tiger. I encouraged her to spend some time making those shoes. I helped her sell the shoes to tourists who visited our hometown. I took notes to record every deal. I told my mother-in-law that our customers liked her hand-embroidered shoes a lot. They praised her embroidering skills. She was very happy, as she heard the feedback," Li Yanjin said. He eventually bought an old-style textile machine and a spinning wheel for his mother-in-law, so she could make more embroidered shoes. Ji and her husband accompanied her mother for 15 years, while enjoying their happy life. Ji's mother passed away in 2018. 

Cherishing Time with Parents

Li Yanjin not only takes good care of the elderly members of his family, he also treats the parents of his friends well. He sometimes visits the homes of his friends, who work away from home, to check on their parents. He chats with his friends' parents, and he records and sends videos to his friends, so they can see their parents are well. "For me, there is an easy way to get along with the elderly, and that is to treat them the same way we look after our children," Li Yanjin explains. "Our parents looked after us, carefully, when we were young. Now it is our turn to take care of them, with great patience."

Recalling an experience, Li Yanjin says: "One day, I heard two strangers chatting. One said, 'I will buy something best for my father, after I earn much money.' I asked him if he had bought something good for his father before. He answered, 'Nothing special, because I did not have too much money.' I think we should not wait to show our filial piety to our parents. We should cherish the time we spend with our parents, when they are in good health. Never wait to do something good for our parents; otherwise, we will not have the chance to take good care of them if they pass away."

Li Yanjin and Ji impress their neighbors with their family virtues. In May 2022, their family was selected a National Most Beautiful Family.

Photos Supplied by Interviewee

(Source: The Department of Family and Children's Affairs of the All-China Women's Federation/Women of China English Monthly January 2023 issue)