On April 8, in Changyang County, Yichang City, Hubei Province, an elderly man with white hair walked into the County Charity Federation. Slowly, he took out 3,000 yuan in cash from an old shoulder bag. "Please donate this to the Major Illness Care 100 Fund," he said. His voice was quiet, yet his tone was firm.
The man is named Qin Shihou, and this day marked his 85th birthday. This is the 14th consecutive year he has celebrated his birthday in this manner.
Hu Liqiong, a staff member at the Changyang County Charity Federation, recalled that Mr. Qin arrived very early, before the staff had even started work. The elderly man went straight to the office door on the eighth floor to wait, and upon seeing the staff, he immediately handed over the donation.
When the staff member attempted to take a photo, the elderly man repeatedly waved his hands to decline. "No need for photos, my partners are waiting for me to have breakfast," he said. The "partners" he referred to were his old friends from his morning exercise routine. With that, he hurriedly departed.
In an interview with a reporter from Jimu News, Hu Liqiong shared that Mr. Qin lives on his pension, which is not a generous income. When he made his first donation in 2013, his monthly pension was only a few hundred yuan, yet he persisted in giving. From 2013 to the present, the elderly man has donated a total of 31,200 yuan. Year after year, on his birthday, he turns the occasion into a day of charity, performing acts of kindness with his modest means.
Hu Liqiong once tried to persuade him, saying, "You are getting on in years; you don't have to donate this much every time. You should keep more money to improve your own life." Mr. Qin replied, "There are many of us siblings, and life was very hard when we were children. If it weren't for the Party's good policies, I wouldn't be living such a stable life today. I may need money, but there are others who need it even more than I do."
Mr. Qin's daughter-in-law told a reporter from Jimu News, "Every time he comes home after making a donation, my father-in-law is in high spirits. We are very supportive of him." For 14 years, Mr. Qin's kindness has become a habit.
