Blind NPC deputy's courage helped me 'see'

Editor's note: China Daily reporters recall events or stories from the past year that have left a deep impression on them.

National lawmaker Wang Yongcheng is blind, but when I talk to him face-to-face or over the phone I think he can see. However, his kind of "seeing" does not involve eyes, but the heart.

In 1985, when Wang was 18, he lost his sight due to an accident at a construction site. Recalling the initial days after he became blind, the 56-year-old native of Sanming, Fujian province, told me, "It was like falling into an abyss, and hard to climb back out."

He said that he didn't want to talk to anyone at that time and even wrote a farewell letter, as being "invisible" made him feel inferior and irritable. It was like a dark cloud hanging over his family, he said.

"I felt so unlucky. I didn't know what my life was going to be like, let alone how to live," he added.

His attitude changed in late 1986 when he met Zhou Jianfa, a healthy woman four years younger than him, in his hometown. Unlike others who discriminated against him, Zhou was friendly and spoke with him about interesting subjects.

During my interviews with Wang, his voice rose every time he mentioned Zhou, and once he started talking about her he couldn't stop.

He said that it was Zhou's persistence that convinced her parents to accept their marriage, despite their initial resistance. "It was also her courage that inspired me to restart my life," he added.

After a few months studying Braille with Zhou's strong support, Wang went to Henan province in 1992 and was accepted into a massage school for the blind. In 1995, he completed his training and returned home with outstanding massage skills.

With the aid of the disabled persons' federation in Sanming, he soon opened the first blind massage and healthcare center in the area. A year later, he began providing free massage training for visually impaired people to help lift them out of poverty and live better lives.

"I was so lucky to meet Zhou. She lifted me out of the darkness, so I want to be the light for other people," he told me. "I wish I could see her, and I believe she must be beautiful. But I think I've seen her with my heart."

In early 2023, Wang was elected as a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress, China's top legislature. He is the only visually impaired NPC deputy.

Over the past year, he has spoken for people with disabilities on education and employment issues. His suggestions were accepted by the top legislative body when it was formulating and revising laws.

After one of the interviews, I thanked Wang and said, "You've taught me a lot."

He smiled and said, "I thank my wife, as she helped me find myself and taught me to face real life, irrespective of whether it's painful or joyful."

The answer cheered me up, making me think of a well-known saying by French writer Romain Rolland: "There is only heroism in the world: to see the world as it is and to love it."

Life is full of accidents and suffering, and it also brings surprises and gifts. It is Wang's misfortune he cannot see, but fortunately, he met Zhou, the "gift" in his life. More importantly, he appreciates this "gift", and knows how to love her.

caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn