A UNIVERSITY freshman who helps his father sweep streets in Bao an District received an allowance of more than 10,000 yuan (US$1,520) from the Shajing Subdistrict Office and the city s Project Care Office on Tuesday after his story was reported by a local newspaper.
The two departments also said they would pay tuition fees for Liu Xiaojun to help him finish university, yesterday s Daily Sunshine reported.
Liu is studying at Jiangxi Agricultural University. He came to Shenzhen to visit his family during the winter vacation and helped his father sweep streets from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day. His father went out to borrow money for his next year s tuition fee.
Liu thought nothing of helping his father. When I first saw him cleaning the street in thin clothes, my heart ached, he said.
Perhaps in many people s eyes, my father is a humble man, but in my heart, he is the greatest and noblest man in the world. Although we are poor, he teaches me how to survive with his actions, he said.
To support Liu in his studies, the family lives in a tiny, 6-square-meter rented apartment. There is no furniture and the biggest home appliance is an old electric fan.
Liu Renhai came to Shenzhen in 1993 and worked at many jobs. His wife is now working in a factory in Bao an and the family s annual income is about 30,000 yuan.
I ll try my best to let him finish university because this is the only chance to change our fate, Liu Renhai said.
Liu Xiaojun spends only about 300 yuan a month at university. Since high school, he has worked part-time to support himself and his only luxury is a 100-yuan second-hand mobile phone.
Liu planned to enter postgraduate school after he graduates. This is my only hope and I want to make my parents proud of me. If I don t make it, I ll have to go out and work. No matter what, I will try my best to make a better life for my family, he said.
(Wang Yuanyuan)
