Elderly man volunteers to take care of left-behind children for 20 years

February 26 was the first day of the new term at Huanqiu Primary School in Jintong County, Maoming's Xinyi City in Guangdong.

At 4:30 am of February 26, Wei Yaozhong (nicknamed the 19th uncle), a villager of Huanqiu Village's Shimenkeng group who is in his late 70's, woke up. In the darkness, he washed rice, chopped wood and lit a fire, beginning his busy day in the kitchen.

Elderly man volunteers to take care of left-behind children for 20 years

At about 5:00 am, breakfast was finished.

At 5:30 am, Wei who had eaten breakfast woke up his two grandsons, asking them to get dressed, wash their faces, brush their teeth and eat breakfast.

At 6:15, students in the village all came to his home. Wei asked them whether or not they eat breakfast as he always did. If someone says he/she has not had breakfast yet, Wei will hasten to serve them porridge.

At 6:20 am, almost ten children formed a queue, and went down the mountain with Wei accompanying them. After walking for more than 20 minutes, they reached the school, but there was still a long time before class would start.

The scene described above is just a fraction of the pains Wei had experienced in the past 20 years.