Sadness and rebirth in earthquake ruins

• Source: Global Times
• [01:59 May 13 2010]
• Comments

He lost his home when the residential building collapsed in the quake and demolished his truck parked underneath..

Fan received 80,000 yuan ($11,000) from the government and 80,000 yuan from the insurance company as comfort and compensation for his lost son.

Fan spent 60,000 yuan to pay off the mortgage loans for his totally destroyed apartment. He paid 80,000 yuan for a new apartment under construction. The house he rented for his family ate up another 10,000 yuan from the fund.

The family barely had any savings and Fan said a new truck is out of his reach.

He clings to a vague idea that his little daughter should go to college some day, move to the city and build a career, but he has no plans for how to make that dream come true.

"I can only take care of the daily necessities now. Take care of my old mother and young daughter," Fan said. "I can't think beyond that."

However, there was one reason to be cheerful, at least for the moment.

"Jiayu, please smile for Daddy!"

That's Fan's favorite line to his daughter, who is hardly old enough to speak yet, but knew how to clap her hands and give her Daddy a big grin.