In 1993, in an ordinary rural village in Ningxia, Hu Lei was born in a poor family. Grandparents were hardworking and capable owners, working hard for a better future. However, Hu Lei's vague childhood memories of his parents have almost disappeared, because his father died when he was only 1 year old and had no memory, leaving the family as young as possible.
Since then, his life has embarked on a tortuous road, step by step to a desperate situation. As a disabled waste picker, Hu Lei has been scavenging for more than 10 years to make ends meet, and his life is unimaginably hard. However, he never complained about fate, but with a tenacious heart, through scavenging, selling handicrafts, and funding from ** and well-wishers, he was not only able to support himself and his grandmother, but also donated millions of savings in 16 years.
Hulei's good deeds don't stop there. The torrential rain in Xinxiang and the first in Gansu, no matter where natural and man-made disasters occur, Hu Lei always donates money and materials as soon as possible. He cares about left-behind children and sponsors many schools to help those from disadvantaged families.
The people once described him as a "kneeling giant" - a disabled waste picker and a philanthropist with boundless love. This seemingly ordinary scavenger named Hu Lei shows infinite love and generosity. His acts of kindness not only warmed his own life, but also brought hope to those around him.
Hu Lei's mother, young and helpless, trapped by fate. A family without an owner, living in a world full of change. When her husband died, she was newly married and her future was uncertain. With no support, no income, she struggled with young Hu Lei until she left again and threw herself into another marriage.
For Hulei, the pain of losing his parents is a void that is difficult to fill. As a child, he could only know his parents through the descriptions and imaginations of others. Fortunately, he has the love of his grandparents, who take care of him in every detail. However, fate always seemed to work against him and did not let the poor child go.
In this family, the grief of losing a father at the age of 1 is just the beginning. At the age of seven, Huray contracted polio, a life-changing nightmare. Just as he was entering school age, a high fever struck, taking away his health and carefree childhood.
Young Hu Lei used to be clever and intelligent, but after the high fever, his thinking became sluggish, his speech slurred, and his legs lost support.
Hu Lei's life was forced to change, and his inability to stand up became a turning point in his fate, and the young child fell into a quagmire of disability from which he could not extricate himself.
The friends around him were running and playing, but Hu Lei could only sit silently on the sidelines, his eyes flashing with unspeakable sadness.
Hu Lei's grandparents were heartbroken, watching what happened to their grandchildren, and the pain of powerlessness tormented them deeply.
The years were spent on the couch, and Hulei's grandparents remained by his side, silently taking on the responsibility of care and teaching.
They have the hope that after their death, Hulei will be able to live independently and support himself to meet the challenges of the future.
Hu Lei deeply remembered the love of his grandparents, especially the kindness and generosity of his grandfather, who always selflessly reached out to help those in need.
Hu Lei was puzzled by his grandfather's behavior, but his grandfather's explanation made him pause, and it turned out that inner steadfastness was more important than external material things.
He understood his grandfather's intentions and what true kindness and generosity were, all of which were deeply imprinted in his heart.
Hulei was born with a peculiar fate. Since he was a child, he has been tricked by the hand of fate, like a delicate reed, bending but not falling. The departure of his mother is just a loss of memory for him, and the departure of his father is even more like a shadow. But what made him most difficult to let go of was the sudden death of his grandfather, who loved him like life.
His grandfather is the eternal hero in his heart, and he is also an unbearable pain. Once, my grandfather was full of expectations that he could become a kind person, help others for pleasure, and give back to society. But fate was so unfair, and the departure of his grandfather plunged Hu Lei into endless sadness.
In the eyes of his grandfather, Hu Lei is his everything, the most precious treasure in his heart. However, this cherished love was ruthlessly taken away by fate, leaving only endless pain.
Hu Lei's heart was full of questions, he didn't understand why fate was so cruel, why such a kind grandfather couldn't enjoy a trace of peace. Grief and despair seeped deep into his soul.
Grandpa's departure also plunged Hu Lei into deeper loneliness. Since then, no one has taken care of him and cared for him like his grandfather. Loneliness and helplessness became his companions every day.
However, as fate would have it, well-wishers and welfare agencies reached out. They gave Hu Lei endless love and help, so that he gradually got out of his sadness and regained hope in life.
Today's Hu Lei has grown up, he has learned to be grateful and strong. Although he still misses his grandfather from time to time, he knows that his grandfather wants him to live happily, and he will work hard for it and live his own wonderful life.
When he was young, Hu Lei stood in front of his grandfather's grave and told the wind about the twists and turns of life. He secretly determined to become a person similar to his grandfather and try his best to contribute a meager light to society.
As an adult, he learned to use his arms to support himself, although he could not support his legs. Hu Lei stepped out of his home and embarked on the journey of society.
Hu Lei did not complain silently at home, but actively went to society. As a teenager, he longed to find a living to support himself and his grandmother.
However, due to his disability status, most of the positions available in the market are not suitable for him. After many unsuccessful attempts, Hu Lei finally chose to make a living by scavenging. There is no need for cumbersome procedures and leadership audits to pick up waste, and everyone is qualified to do it.
Hulei never considered scrap picking to be inferior labor. For him, it's a job, and it also has the flexibility to take care of his grandmother.
So, Hu Lei, who was in a wheelchair, began his career as a waste picker. The disability made it difficult for him to move, but that didn't make picking up waste any easier. Despite the hard work, Hulei never complained or regretted it.
Every day, he travels five kilometers in a wheelchair through the city to pick up discarded items. Often when he got home, it was late at night.
His grandmother and Hu Lei depended on each other for their lives and struggled to survive. Every month, Hu Lei barely earns 500 yuan by selling scrap products. For many, this amount of money may be insignificant. However, for them, this is enough to cover a month's worth of living expenses.
In the process of picking up waste, Hu Lei often receives attention and help from well-wishers. They saw a young man pushing a wheelchair alone while carrying a pile of scraps, and they felt sympathy and admiration for his tenacity. In order to give him some convenience, some people will deliberately leave waste products for him to collect, and some people will give him some materials and food when he collects waste products, hoping to improve his living conditions.
Whenever he received help from these well-wishers, Hulei remembered what his grandfather had said to him. Grandpa hopes that he and Grandma will do more good deeds and that someone will be able to help them in the future. In Hu Lei's view, the help of these well-wishers is the return of the good karma accumulated by his grandfather back then.
Hu Lei is determined to pass on this kindness, emulate his grandfather and those well-wishers, and do his best to help others. In 2008, at the age of 16, Hu Lei made his first attempt at helping others. He seems to have inherited his grandfather's kindness, and the person he helped was also a homeless man.
At that time, the homeless man had been living under the bridge for half a year. He slept in the open on weekdays, picking up food that others didn't want to fill his stomach, and sometimes even eating bad food.
The trajectory of Hulei's life is quite unusual. He is not a man accustomed to sitting back and enjoying what he does, but a doer who is not afraid of hardships. Once, when he heard about the plight of an elderly homeless man, he offered to accompany him to buy necessities, including clothing and food. This move not only benefited the old man, but also gave Hu Lei an unprecedented sense of satisfaction. This simple and pure joy gave him a whole new understanding of life.
And embarking on this path of helping others is not achieved overnight. As early as 2010, when he was 18 years old, he was deeply shocked and saddened by learning about the tragic situation in Yushu, Qinghai. There was a strong desire to go to the disaster area immediately to help. However, his physical disability became a stumbling block for him to go to the disaster area. Still, he didn't want to be helpless, and when he learned that there was a way to donate, he didn't hesitate to donate all of his savings – a hundred dollars.
For some, the 100 yuan may be insignificant, but for Hu Lei, it is the greatest dedication he can make. He knew he wasn't rich, and he didn't even know how long he had to pick up garbage to earn that money. However, his good deeds did not stop there. In addition to paying attention to the disaster area and the homeless, he also cares deeply about the left-behind children, the elderly and the disabled. Whenever he saved some spare money, he donated almost all of it to those in need, except for the basic living expenses of himself and his grandmother.
From 2008 to 2024, Hu Lei has donated millions of donations! This means that on average, he has to donate six or seven percent of his income every year. What is remarkable is that in 2021, when Xinxiang was hit by a heavy rainstorm, all the 20,000 yuan he had saved was donated again.
Immediately afterward, Hu Lei was ordered to go to Shanxi to support the areas affected by the torrential rains, carrying urgently needed supplies. At the end of 2021, this waste picker also generously donated more than 30,000 yuan of materials to rural students. Although Hu Lei usually saves money, and his monthly living expenses add up to less than 500 yuan, he goes all out every time he donates.
On December 6, 2023, Hu Lei went to a rural elementary school to meet with the students he sponsored. Although the two had never met before, Hu Lei reached out to help when he learned that the little girl's family was in difficulty. When the little girl saw that the kind person who had been supporting her was actually a physically disabled uncle who made a living by picking up rags, she froze in place, and then burst into tears. This touching scene touched many netizens.
The whole network has known about this waste picker for 16 years, but he has donated millions of dollars. Netizens prayed for Hu Lei, hoping that he could get through the difficulties and enjoy a peaceful and happy old age.
However, the wheel of fate turned again, and on February 22, Hu Lei's grandmother died. Hu Lei no longer has relatives and has become a loner. After losing his grandmother, Hu Lei fell into deep grief and spent his days in tears, unable to accept the loss of his loved ones. He sadly wrote words expressing his longing for his grandmother and his despair of being homeless and uncared for.
It has been four days since his grandmother's death, and Hu Lei still finds it difficult to accept this cruel truth. In the circle of friends on February 27, he shared an infusion of **, apparently feeling unwell because he was immersed in grief.
Along the way, poverty, illness, and disability failed to defeat him. Neither his mother's abandonment nor his grandfather's early death could bend his strong backbone. With his strong arms, he supported his mutilated body.
However, when the last loved one left, he fell to the ground in grief and could no longer pick himself up. The death of a loved one is hard to let go, but we still hope that Hu Lei can get rid of excessive sadness as soon as possible and take care of his body.