His mother said she would go to the city to buy some food and toys, and the 5-year-old Chinese boy believed her. She never came back.
The child was left all alone in his family’s hut to fend for himself, but he still believed his mother would return, just as she promised. The villagers knew they had to do something.
Chen, a Chinese 5-year-old boy, lived with his single mother in a small hut on the outskirts of a tiny remote village. Most people there made a living through agriculture, and the boy’s family was no exception.
But Chen’s father wanted something more, so one day he just left his family and went into the big city to look for something better. He never reached back. That was the first in a series of misfortunes that would forever change the child’s life.
The 5-year-old boy lived in deep poverty with his mother in a hut that looked like it would fall over them soon. But the child was happy that he at least had his mother by his side.
This was the case with most of the village, so they weren’t bothered much, except when the cold came. But how long would the two of them last in these conditions?
The family had only one room, which was better than some people in the village who had many more mouths to feed, but it was still difficult.
The single mother also didn’t have many utilities to use. They had an improvised cooking stove, old rusty pots, and some old mattresses. Those were the only things in their home. Could someone actually live like that?
When the father left them, the boy’s mother fell into a deep depression. He wanted to live a better life and knew he couldn’t do that if he stayed in the village.
But his wife never forgave him as his leave meant more responsibility for her. Would she be able to make it as a single mother? Or would she give up?
The man had left his family in a terrible situation. Everyone in the village felt sorry for the single mother and her 5-year-old child. But they couldn’t do much. They all had their own problems.
The mother resented him for leaving. And while everyone expected her to become the new pillar of the household, she had completely different plans for herself and her son.
Next, the boy’s mother left. She told the boy she would go to the city to buy some food and toys and that she would be back soon.
The boy was excited at the news. He promised he would behave and take care of their modest home while she was gone. Chen smiled and waved her goodbye, not knowing it would be the last time he saw her.
Unexpectedly, after two days, his mother did not return. She had been away for more than ten days, and the little boy often cried loudly, looking for her in the middle of the night.
Neighbors who took pity on the little boy wanted to send him to his relatives. However, the little boy always refused, saying that his mother would be sad if he didn’t find him home, so he had to wait for his mother to come back.
The villagers let him be for a while, at least until they could figure out a way to get him out of that tricky situation. They did help him by providing him with water and rice once in a while. When the 5-year-old boy was hungry, he would imitate his mother’s cooking by putting rice in a pot and water on it until it boiled.
However, due to his inexperience, the rice was always only half-cooked. The hungry little boy ignored the uncooked rice and ate it even though it was still hot. He would take a spoonful of rice and then put it in his mouth after blowing it until it cooled. He did his best to get by without his mother.
Even though he sometimes cried, even though he felt lonely, he wasn’t planning on giving up any time soon. The 5-year-old Chinese boy had a strength many admired.
But how long could he keep going without an adult supervising him constantly? There was only so much his neighbors could do for him. They were all very poor as well.
When the neighbors heard from the little boy that he would not go no matter what because that would make his mother sad, they were heartbroken.
Hearing this from the little boy, all the neighbors couldn’t hold back their tears. Everyone worried and wondered what they could do to help the 5-year-old child, but they were stumped.
It turned out that the child was still waiting for his mother to return. The people in the village believed that his mother didn’t want him anymore. However, the boy still thought his mother went out to earn money and would definitely come back, as she promised.
No one could change his mind no matter how much they tried. He was a stubborn 5-year-old boy who trusted his mother with all his heart.
When he was hungry, he would cook his own rice. He would also wash the dishes after eating, just like his mother did.
His life like this lasted for half a month, and the rice supply was also almost gone. The neighbors often assisted, but the boy was still waiting for his mother and refused to leave the house.
After half a year, one neighbor decided to take matters into his own hands, realizing they would not be able to take care of the boy when the winter came.
The man called the authorities, and the child was placed in an orphanage in a nearby town. It wasn’t the best, as Chinese orphanages can be tough, but it was better than what he had at home.
There are many abandoned children in China, and Chen was unlucky enough to be one of them. Luckily, he was placed in an orphanage, but his story impressed millions.
The story of how Chen was abandoned and managed to live by himself for almost half a year touched people’s hearts worldwide. His story went viral, and everyone hoped he would have a happy life. In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.
