"Both of us come from poor backgrounds and don't know how to talk about big principles. We donate to make ourselves feel at ease. Helping others makes us happy and blessed!"

There are no sofas or air conditioners; the lighting is dim old-fashioned light bulbs, the handles of the wardrobe are shaky, and several thermoses are rusty; the interior walls are simply painted with lime, the stove is a mix of bricks and mud, and the firewood is neatly stacked next to the living room... It is hard to imagine that an old couple with such simple furnishings in their home has donated more than 200,000 yuan in total over the past 50 years. In the old house in Sandian Village, Jinghe Street, Dongxihu District, Wuhan City, Lan Zhibai talked about the donation journey of him and his wife.

Helping others

"Life was so hard before, and others helped us; now we have spare energy, of course we have to help others"

Lan Zhibai is 76 years old this year. He and his wife Fan Zhengzhi are both retired employees of Wuhan Institute of Technology. "For them, donating has become a habit." A community cadre from Guantangjiao Community, Jinghe Street, Dongxihu District, told reporters.

On August 3, 2014, he donated 1,000 yuan to the earthquake-stricken area in Ludian, Yunnan. In January 2007, he purchased gravel, coal slag, etc., and repaired the road from Sandian Farm to Renjia Store many times, spending more than 1,000 yuan. On January 4, 2005, the Indian Ocean tsunami broke out, and he donated 600 yuan to the Hubei Red Cross...

In Lan Zhibai's home, donation receipts and records like this filled a plastic bag. Some of these receipts have turned yellow, and some have blurred handwriting. After a rough look, the reporter found that there are more than 100 receipts, ranging from 50 to 1,000 yuan. The earliest receipt is dated December 5, 1991, and it reads "I have received 80 yuan from Comrade Lan Zhibai to donate education funds for Dongxihu District", and the signature is the Office of Hubei Agricultural Reclamation School.

"In fact, we didn't have the idea to keep these materials at the beginning," said Lan Zhibai. In the late 1980s, when he went to the Hubei Provincial Civil Affairs Department to donate money, an old comrade suggested that he keep these receipts. If there were no receipts, he should make a record, "first to record the whereabouts of the money; second to set an example for future generations." Since then, Lan Zhibai has gradually developed the habit of keeping receipts.

Li Siquan, deputy secretary of Guantangjiao Community, said that the community had counted Lan Zhibai's bills, "Over the years, Lan Zhibai's donations are conservatively estimated to have exceeded 200,000 yuan."

"I lost my mother when I was 2 years old, and my wife lost both her parents when she was 7 years old, becoming an orphan. We grew up eating and wearing clothes from many families. In the past, when life was so hard, others were willing to help us; now that we have spare capacity, of course we have to help others even more." During the interview, Lan Zhibai repeatedly emphasized, "We both came from poor backgrounds and don't know how to talk about big principles. We donate to make ourselves feel at ease. Helping others makes us happy and happy!"

In 1955, 17-year-old Lan Zhibai started working at the Wusan Farm. Lan Zhibai recalled that not long after he received his first month's salary, he met a disabled teenager with broken hands and feet on the road, and he immediately gave him 5 yuan. At that time, his monthly salary was only about 18 yuan.

Unexpectedly, Lan Zhibai's good deeds have been unstoppable since then. Orphans, disabled people, seriously ill patients, disaster victims... these are all the recipients of Lan Zhibai's donations. In 1960, Lan Zhibai and Fan Zhengzhi got married. So far, the two old people's love and charity have involved Hubei, Sichuan, Yunnan and other places. Even during the Indian Ocean tsunami, Lan Zhibai donated 600 yuan.

Spreading love

"Helping others does not seek rewards, but hoping that they can also help the poor and needy"

"We have received your remittance of 300 yuan. Thank you for your care for our hometown. Please rest assured that we will make good use of every donation to rebuild homes for young people." This is a thank-you letter from the Yunnan Provincial Civil Affairs Department. There are many letters like this in Lan Zhibai's family. These heartfelt words from all directions are silent witnesses of the old couple's years of charity.

Fan Zhengzhi, with a full head of silver hair, said, "Seeing the students I once donated to find a job, get married, and have children, I am as happy as seeing my own children succeed."

More than 10 years ago, Lan Zhibai and his wife received a letter from Yu Xuyuan, a colleague many years ago. The letter said that his wife was seriously ill and hoped to borrow some money. Lan Zhibai did not hesitate and sent the money immediately. In the following years, Yu Xuyuan's wife's illness became more and more serious, and Lan Zhibai sent more and more money.

They never asked Yu Xuyuan to pay back the money until he died. Although Yu Xuyuan is gone, the relationship has not been broken. Lan Zhibai said that Yu Xuyuan's children took the initiative to contact them and often visited Wuhan during festivals.

Lan Zhibai can treat snake bites and is well-known in the local area. Usually many patients come to seek medical treatment. Not only did Lan go up the mountain to collect herbs, he also prepared and applied them himself. When he met patients who were far away or had difficult families, he often stayed at home for treatment.

When treating snake bites for others, Lan Zhibai and his wife often did not charge a penny. Some kind-hearted people advised them, "When you treat others, at least charge the cost of buying medicine." In response, the couple always smiled and said, "We help others without seeking rewards. We just hope that they can lend a hand when they meet people in trouble."

In April 2008, Lan Zhibai suffered a sudden cerebral hemorrhage and was admitted to the hospital. He remained in a coma. When he woke up, it was not long after the Wenchuan earthquake. Lying on the hospital bed, Lan Zhibai immediately called his son to donate 2,000 yuan to the earthquake-stricken area on his behalf after seeing the news.

Fan Zhengzhi told reporters that the family was not well-off at the time, and the money for the youngest daughter to buy a house was used to pay for the treatment. But Lan Zhibai felt that his family's difficulties were only temporary, while the difficulties of his compatriots in the disaster area were extremely urgent.

Lan has not fully recovered yet. In August last year, he was hospitalized again. To prevent accidents, the old couple moved to Hankou to live with their son. "My children understand and support us very much. They sometimes volunteer and do what they can to help others." Lan Zhibai admitted that the understanding of their family is an important factor in their persistence in doing good deeds.

Selfless dedication

"Money, fame and fortune are all floating clouds. As long as we can get by, it's enough."

Having donated so much money over the years, has Lan Zhibai never thought about using it to improve living conditions or leave it to his children? Lan Zhibai said: "We are very satisfied with the life we have today. Moreover, we also told the children that your parents made money to support you when you were young, but once you grow up, you have to rely on yourself." Later, when the four children got married, Lan Zhibai didn't give a penny.

In the room at the entrance of the old house, there are a lot of bamboo and firewood. This is their kitchen. The old couple who have lived in the countryside for many years are still used to cooking with firewood. Although their children bought them liquefied gas and rice cookers, the couple still don't want to use them.

"No matter how much money you have, the key is to spend it on useful things." Fan Zhengzhi said, "Things that you can't bring with you when you are born or when you die, if they can't play their value, are just a pile of waste paper."

Talking about the topic of whether to help an elderly person who falls, Lan Zhibai seems particularly excited. "Anyway, every time I see such a thing, I will help. If you don't help and I don't help, how good can the social atmosphere be?" Last June, at the entrance of the Qiaokou Talent Market, a man fell on his back and foamed at the mouth and lost consciousness. Lan Zhibai, who was passing by, immediately rescued him, pinching his Ren Zhong and rubbing his stomach. He was busy for nearly half an hour before he regained consciousness.

During the event, an onlooker reminded him, "Be careful of people pretending to be sick to extort money from you!" Lan Zhibai said, "If he scratches me, there's no skin (Wuhan dialect, meaning no) left; if he bites me, there's no flesh left. I'm just an old man, what can he do to me?" Some people say that society is becoming more and more indifferent, but Lan Zhibai said he doesn't think so at all, "There is justice in the world, and we can't deny everything because of one or two individual incidents."

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