The story of Chen Tianqun, a subsistence-allowance recipient in Chongqing, treating guests to a meal

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????In this photo from our website, Chen Tianqun cares for her paraplegic husband Gui Huangang at home.

On September 14, the day before China's traditional Mid-Autumn Festival, Gui Huangang and Chen Tianqun, a couple on subsistence allowance in Lianhe Village, Zhuangtang Town, Qijiang District, Chongqing, decided to lay on several tables at home to properly thank the neighbors who had helped them.

Gui Huangang, 50, was accidentally injured six years ago and is paraplegic, unable to care for himself. To look after her husband, Chen Tianqun has no choice but to stay at home, while their 20-year-old son works away from home alone, and his meager income makes it hard to support the family.

????In this photo, Chen Tianqun and the second-generation wild boars she raises.

To supplement the household income, Chen Tianqun began raising pigs three years ago. Because the family is poor, the money for buying piglets is only repaid after the pigs are fattened and sold.

The person willing to sell piglets to Chen Tianqun on credit is Jiang Wangju, a farmer in Guqi Village next to Lianhe Village. "I'm disabled too, and after seeing their family's situation, I had to give them a hand." Years earlier, Jiang Wangju worked away from home, and three fingers of his left hand were severed by a machine. He simply returned home to raise pigs and gradually became a well-known farmer in the area.

And so, the 4 pigs Chen Tianqun raises each year in two batches are all bought on credit from Jiang Wangju's pig farm. When Chen Tianqun runs into problems with disease prevention and treatment while raising pigs, Jiang Wangju also helps solve them.

In May last year, from the first batch of second-generation wild boar piglets produced at his own pig farm, Jiang Wangju picked out the two largest and sold them to Chen Tianqun on credit. "Second-generation wild boar meat sells for more than ordinary pork. If she raises them, she can earn more money."

More than a year passed, and the second-generation wild boars Chen Tianqun raised grew to around 400 jin. "I'm at home all the time, and I don't know whether this pork can be sold," Chen Tianqun said, a little worried.

"Don't worry, I promise I'll help you sell all the pork." Seeing Chen Tianqun anxious, Jiang Wangju stepped forward again. In early September, using the customer contacts he had built up over many years, he spread the news that Chen Tianqun was going to slaughter second-generation wild boars, and soon received nearly 50 orders, each for 5 jin or more.

"Add what the village neighbors buy, and one pig's meat is sold out." On September 14, seeing the second-generation wild boar meat completely sold, Chen Tianqun grinned from ear to ear. After doing the accounts, she made a net profit of more than 4,000 yuan on this one pig.

"While the market price is still decent, I suggest Chen Tianqun slaughter the second pig before National Day and earn another sum," Jiang Wangju said. Although his own family also has 8 second-generation wild boars ready for sale, in order not to compete with Chen Tianqun for "business," he put off considering his own for a while.

"Today we slaughter a pig, and all the neighbors come to help, catching the pig, killing the pig, selling the meat, taking the money. I don't have to worry about a thing, and they won't even take wages from me. All I can do is cook a meal to express my thanks," Chen Tianqun said. The neighbors have made it a habit to look after their family over the years, so no matter how hard things are, she must do her best to thank them.

????Chen Tianqun treats the kind neighbors to a meal. Though the dishes are not lavish, everyone is happy that this struggling family is gradually doing better. Reporter Deng Li, Correspondent Xia Changming