Du Baoying's story of changing her life through diligence

Du Baoying was born into a farming family in Shijiazuo Village, Qijiazuo Township, Tang County. From childhood she was diligent and hardworking, and she loved reading, but she never had the chance to attend university. After failing the college entrance examination in 2000, she went to work at an enterprise in Shijiazhuang, where she met Lin Xuekun from Wuzhuang Village, Maozhuang Town, Laoting County. The two were kindred spirits, gradually became sweethearts, and tied the knot in 2008.

Later, Du Baoying followed her husband to Laoting, but the poverty of her in-laws' home was far beyond what she had expected: three low, dilapidated brick rooms with no courtyard wall to guard the yard stood in sharp contrast to the tall, spacious concrete-cast houses of the neighbors, and inside there was not even a decent home appliance. What chilled Du Baoying even more was that the betrothal gift money for the wedding had all been borrowed from uncles. But Du Baoying deeply understood that marriage is destiny and also responsibility; since she had taken his hand, whether in poverty or in wealth, she would grow old with him.

A year later, after giving birth, Du Baoying noticed that the young people in the village were all running to the village library, and many had made their fortunes by growing vegetables in greenhouses, living better and better lives. So she too conceived the idea of building a greenhouse, and discussed with her husband that they should change the unchanging planting model of the older generation and get rich through science and technology.

Once she had the idea, she put it into action. Du Baoying left her child in her mother-in-law's care and ran to the village library, where she found a large number of science and technology books and read them earnestly day and night. In addition, she often attended science and technology lectures and learned from growers, and she quickly mastered the basic planting techniques.

Taking into account the family's financial situation, Du Baoying chose to grow chives, which cost less and brought quicker returns. In the first year, she planted 1.8 mu of chives. To save on costs, she did not hire skilled workers but instead mobilized her parents-in-law and her husband's younger brother to join in, and following the planting techniques in the books, she did the sowing herself. When the seeds sprouted and emerged from the soil, no one else's chives had seedlings as even and uniform as hers.

Next, Du Baoying managed the chives according to the instructions in the books. The couple worked from sunrise and rested at sunset, making the 1.8 mu of chives thick, sturdy and verdant, growing beautifully.

Around the Beginning of Winter, Du Baoying began planning the work of cutting back and covering the greenhouse. Chives under a covered greenhouse need more meticulous management, so Du Baoying not only made great efforts to devour books but also learned from experienced elders. She worked both quickly and carefully, going into the greenhouse every day to check the temperature and humidity, inspect for disease, and deal with problems promptly. In the end, the 1.8 mu of chives she managed had a bumper harvest, and after deducting costs, that year's income was more than 30,000 yuan.

In the second year, Du Baoying, full of confidence, increased the planting area to 5 mu, and the income from growing chives reached over 100,000 yuan... In addition, Du Baoying and her husband also used their slack farming season to work at a brick factory, adding 50,000 to 60,000 yuan in income each year.

After several years of struggle, Du Baoying not only paid off the debts owed from their marriage but also added various home appliances, a three-wheeled farm vehicle and an electric tricycle. Last spring, they built three large concrete-cast rooms, complete with bedroom, kitchen, toilet and bathroom, and the interior decoration was modern, stylish and beautiful. On July 21 this year, they also bought a family car.

A young woman from Tang County, a thousand li away, relied on her own diligence and love of learning, got rich through science and technology, and not only changed her family's impoverished life but also created a wonderful space of her own, winning everyone's praise.

Liu Yixia