Xinhua Net Commentary: Ordinary people always move us the most.

Release Date:

2024-01-06

What does a uniform signify in times of crisis? Amid the torrential rain, railway attendant Zhao Yang answered with a voice choked with emotion yet resolute.

How much is a single podium worth in the depths of the mountains? Village teacher Yang Hongjun has answered that question by quietly dedicating 39 years to his post and guiding more than twenty graduating classes.

How long can a single act of kindness endure? “Volunteer barber” Jia Chaojiang has answered with 60 years of footsteps that have taken him far and wide across the country.

……

Though it is the depths of winter, the stories behind the recently announced “China Internet Stories: Touching Figures of 2023” have warmed the hearts of countless netizens: “It is ordinary people who always move us the most.”

Ten Person of the Year, ten lives, ten spirits.

Zhu Peijuan, who gave up a teaching career at a prestigious public school, became the “mother to more than 80 children” at a children’s welfare home. She says the word “mother” carries meaning—worthiness. At 73, volunteer barber Jia Chaojiang has been walking the path of Lei Feng for 60 years; through the passage of time, his original aspiration remains as firm as ever. Mo Rifan, the first secretary who was petitioned three times by villagers to stay on, keeps his heart rooted in his community and lights up countless homes. And Zhu Yanchun, a veteran turned “screwdriver volunteer,” writes an extraordinary story through the ordinary days of his life. With the “benevolence” in their hearts, they illuminate the love that sustains life.

In the midst of torrential rain, Zhao Yang, a steadfast “railway blue,” radiates warm strength with her slender frame when trains are stranded. She says she must live up to the uniform she wears. Tu Kaifeng, a compassionate yet resolute anti-fraud police officer, races against time to combat cybercriminals and safeguard the financial security of countless households. Meanwhile, Zhou Zhou, a Douyin influencer with millions of followers, uses short videos to boost rural revitalization, cherishing her hometown and paving the way home for every wanderer far from their roots. With a sense of duty etched in their very being, they shoulder the weight of their responsibilities.

Yang Hongjun, a village teacher who has steadfastly stood at the podium for 39 years, kindles the lamp of knowledge in the mountains and forests, illuminating countless children’s paths to learning and ensuring that every dream is no longer lonely. Wang Ping, a model of filial piety and familial love, grew up in a home brimming with warmth and, in turn, repays her adoptive parents with boundless care, embodying the profound compassion that transcends blood ties. And “Grandpa Storyteller” Wang Zhongxiang uses heartfelt sincerity to pass on history, bringing the brilliance of red‑heritage tales back to the hearts of all. Through the cultivation of propriety, they nurture virtue and carry forward the timeless beauty of both ancient and modern traditions.

They are all ordinary people around us—unremarkable in their daily lives, yet brimming with passion. In their eyes, one can always discern a spiritual strength that embodies greatness and reflects the boundless beauty of the world.

As the mighty river of history flows on, certain spirits continue to shine through the ages, growing ever more vibrant with time and passed down from generation to generation. May every person who strives to shine in the ordinary moments of life become a star—lighting up both their own path and the paths of others.

The stars, strung together like a chain, outline one breathtaking scene after another.

[Editor-in-charge: Ma Ruohu]

Source: Xinhua Net

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