Zhong Xing will spend his first winter without his father and a home. But the four-month-old, born into a Sichuan quake victim family, would enjoy a warm winter, thanks to his mother Wu Jia.
Though the deadly May 12 earthquake claimed her husband's life, Wu is determined to provide the best for their son.
The 21-year-old woman is not the only one fighting the elements seven months after the 8-magnitude quake. Quake survivors like Wu pushed their limits to be prepared for a much colder and damper winter in Sichuan, with the mercury dipping 1 C lower than in previous years.
The Pingwu county government said it had provided 160,000 quilts and 140,000 winter clothes to the survivors. "We've got (another) about 150,000 winter clothes ready for them for even colder days," a government spokesman said.
Wu lives with her son and her mother in a pre-fabricated house in the mountainous Nanba township of Pingwu, one of the worst hit areas. Thick quilts and winter clothes can be seen stacked neatly in the 15-sq-m room.
The 21-year-old mother says she has been given six quilts and an electric blanket by relevant authorities.
But she has taken some other steps, too, to cope with the cold and harsh winter. She got the floor, which used to be matted with bricks only, cemented as a shield against dampness even before winter had set in.
And she bought an electric radiator for 160 yuan, though that cost her almost a month's allowance that she receives from the local government. But "it's worth the money because it keeps him warm", Wu says, gesturing towards the baby in her arms.
She switches on the radiator only while washing Zhong every morning, Wu says. "I can afford to do that because of the government subsidy and the help from my mother." The family of three has got a 3,600-yuan ($523) subsidy from the government, and Wu's 42-year-old mother earns 600 yuan a month working for a small restaurant.
Stories like Wu's are not uncommon among the 160,000 quake victims in Pingwu. A huge pile of bricks and concrete has given way to a tarpaulin-covered three-room tent: the home of 68-year-old He Faxiu and her husband.
Only a few steps away from Wu's pre-fabricated house and a seemingly shabby lodge, the tent is warm and cozy. Choosing a proper site is the first step toward ensuring a dry winter because Sichuan is too humid even throughout the year.
The couple have chosen the site where their home once stood because ceramic tiles still cover the ground and prevent the tent from becoming damp. And the "bedroom" floor has thick flattened cardboard on the floor.
The elderly couple have placed seven layers of blankets, too, on the tent to prevent cold from seeping into the room. It's a common practice among quake survivors, she said.
Source: China Daily
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