A hard but happy life: Quake survivors build memorial to dead spouses

"We are on good terms with the children," she says, adding the black shirt she wears was bought by Lin Ling, who works in a restaurant in Chengdu, the provincial capital.

The tuition fees of the two sons amount to almost 10,000 yuan (1,466 U.S. dollars) a year, a heavy burden for the family, who rely on a government subsidy of 200 yuan per mu (1 hectare equals 15 mu) of his 30-mu farmland every year for a farmland-to-forest project. Lin's post as the village head of militia recruitment earns about 1,000 yuan a year.

"No matter how difficult life is, we will support our children's education," says Li. "All our hope for the future lies with the children."

The quake also destroyed a third of Lin's 2-hectare forestland. The trees would have been ready for harvesting in a few years, he says.

The township government recently gave the family 60 kilograms of rice.

They have almost used up their government house reconstruction grant of 38,000 yuan. Lin is planning to apply for a loan of up to 40,000 yuan to finish off their home.

"It is difficult to get such a loan as our situation is not good," Lin says. "The most urgent task is to complete the house for our new family."

Lin plans to plant medicinal herbs on his forestland and raise pigs at home to earn some income after the house is completed.

Tuesday marks the first anniversary of the earthquake, which left 68,712 people dead and another 17,921 missing.

Lin says they will remember their lost spouses on Tuesday.

"A prosperous and happy life with our own efforts is the best memorial," he says.

Editor:Liu Anqi