In Hong Kong, a city full of vitality and opportunities, there are always some ordinary and great people who silently dedicate their lives. Yuan Sumei is one of them. She was born in an ordinary family and learned to do housework and be industrious and simple since she was a child. Later, she married a chef who worked in the canteen of the University of Hong Kong, and began her 44-year career as a cleaner. Although she only received a primary school education and could only write her own name throughout her life, Yuan Sumei won the love of the teachers and students of the school with her kindness, diligence and care for her students like children. At the age of 82, she was awarded the highest honor of the University of Hong Kong, an Honorary Fellowship, becoming the first cleaner in the history of a university in the world to receive this honor. How did an ordinary cleaning aunt get such a high honor, and what was her life experience?
The daughter of an ordinary family
Yuan Sumei was born in Guangzhou in 1928 in an ordinary working family. Her father was a carpenter and supported the family by craft. Yuan Sumei showed a hard-working and simple character since she was a child, her mother died of illness when she was very young, and since then she has been helping her father with household chores.
At that time, the living conditions were difficult, and the Yuan family was no exception. Yuan Sumei's father was thrifty and never hired a servant, and all the housework was done by Yuan Sumei. Although her family is poor, Yuan Sumei has never complained about it, she diligently completes her own affairs, and uses her own hands to create a warm nest for her family.
In 1937, the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression broke out, and the flames of war soon spread to the area of Guangzhou. In order to take refuge, the Yuan family had to abandon everything in Guangzhou and fled to Hong Kong overnight. Hong Kong is a strange environment for the Yuan family, who temporarily rely on Yuan's father to sell fish on the streets.
Despite the tremendous changes in her living environment, Yuan Sumei still maintains an optimistic and positive attitude. She took the initiative to share the burden of the family and worked tirelessly on the streets every day to help her father sell fish. Sometimes, a day's livelihood is only enough to feed and wear, but she never complains about it, but supports the whole family with her own actions.
In this way, in the war-torn era, Yuan Sumei used her diligence and tenacity to support her family. Her character and strength far surpassed the limits of her age and became the pillar of the family. Despite the difficult life, the Yuan family can always get warmth and comfort under the care of Yuan Sumei.
In the blink of an eye, Yuan Sumei grew up. In 1948, she met a chef who worked in the canteen of the University of Hong Kong, and the two quickly fell in love. This chef is the third in the family, so after Yuan Sumei got married, everyone affectionately called her "third sister-in-law".
In this way, an ordinary girl has gone through a bumpy childhood and youth and started a new chapter in her life. Although she came from an ordinary background and only had a primary school education, her hard-working and kind qualities have long been shining among her family and neighbors. It also laid the foundation for her future life.
44 years of silent dedication
In 1957, Yuan Sumei followed her husband to work in the canteen of the University Hall of the University of Hong Kong, and began her 44-year career as a cleaner. Although it is just an ordinary job, Yuan Sumei devotes herself wholeheartedly to it and wins the love of the teachers and students of the school with her diligence and kindness.
At 6 o'clock in the morning, when most people were still asleep, Yuan Sumei had already gotten up to start the day's work. She first boils water and prepares breakfast for teachers and students. This is followed by a series of heavy household chores such as washing dishes and buying groceries. University Hall is located halfway up Pokfulam Road, some distance from the nearest bus stop, and Yuan Sumei has to walk up and down the mountain every time she buys vegetables, sometimes carrying dozens of pounds of ingredients at a time.
Despite the hard work, Yuan Sumei never complained. On the contrary, she always takes every job seriously with a grateful heart. She always pays attention to the needs of teachers and students, and whenever someone misses a mealtime, she will take the initiative to prepare food for them. Sometimes the students suddenly get hungry at night, and she will make a late night snack for them regardless of the time.
Gradually, the relationship between Yuan Sumei and the students was no longer just a simple employment relationship, but developed into a friendship like family. The students affectionately call her "Third Sister-in-law" and regard her as a member of the campus who will tell her about any troubles.
Although Yuan Sumei is not highly educated, she has a simple and kind character. She always listened patiently to the students' confiding and gave kind comfort and advice. Sometimes she can't solve real problems, but her words are enough to make the students feel warm and empowered.
A few years later, Yuan Sumei and her husband moved into the staff dormitory of Daxue Hall, and the distance between them and the students was even closer. She found that the students loved desserts, so she made her own delicious dim sum, such as horse bean cake and large sago red bean paste.
These desserts quickly became popular on campus and became unforgettable memories for students. However, behind it is Yuan Sumei's sweaty toil in front of the stove. She often had to stand for two or three hours, stirring the ingredients in the pot continuously, trying to improve the recipe just to make the dim sum more palatable to the students' taste.
Yuan Sumei treats her students as if they were her own children. When a student is sick, she always goes out to buy medicine for them as soon as possible, and never cares about the cost. Sometimes the expenses for a day can even exceed her salary.
In this way, Yuan Sumei has been guarding her post for decades and has witnessed the growth of one class of students after another. She has become an integral part of the university hall, a guardian of the students' campus, a confidant, and even a mother.
However, the displacement and hard work of her youth finally caused physical damage to Yuan Sumei when she was fifty years old. She developed a heart attack and had to be fitted with a pacemaker to stay alive. In order to ease her burden, the school transferred her to the dormitory as an administrator and receptionist.
This transfer has brought Yuan Sumei closer to the students. She is no longer busy with cooking, but focuses on taking care of the students' daily life, always paying attention to their needs, and asking for warmth. The students also became closer to this amiable "third sister-in-law" who was like a mother.
Despite this, Yuan Sumei's life and that of her family have always been very simple. She and her husband have three sons and two daughters, but they have taught their children to live frugally from an early age. Sometimes the children would even be "jealous" of their mother's enthusiasm for the students, but they were soon relieved because they understood the greatness and glory of their mother.
The other side of the third sister-in-law
Although Yuen is beloved on campus and regarded as one of the "Three Treasures", her off-campus life is quite simple, in stark contrast to her status in the minds of students.
After retirement, Yuan Sumei's life was very busy, which was no different from the hard work she had when she was young. It's just that now her time is mostly occupied by past students. Some of these students have started families, and some are even over the age of six, but their feelings for Yuan Sumei are as warm as when they first met.
Every festive season, Yuan Sumei's home will be surrounded by students who come to catch up. They came in groups, some with wives and children, and some came alone, but without exception, they would affectionately call her "third sister-in-law". In the eyes of these people, Yuan Sumei is as kind and amiable as their relatives.
Sometimes Yuan Sumei is invited to the students' homes for their weddings or other important occasions. These invitations never stopped, even when Yuan Sumei was old. The students always insisted that she be there and took photos with them.
Once, a student's child became seriously ill, and the family was very anxious. Yuan Sumei, who learned of this, didn't say a word and immediately went to the hospital to visit. Although she was over eighty years old and had difficulty moving, she still stood tall and sent blessings to the child personally.
The incident caused a sensation at the time and soon spread throughout the HKU campus. People were all touched by Yuan Sumei's kindness and kindness, and they followed her example and also went to the hospital to visit the poor child.
Interestingly, Yuan Sumei herself has never felt anything remarkable about this. In her opinion, it was just a matter of course, and there was nothing to make a fuss about. "That kid is like my grandson, of course I'm going to see him," she said. ＂
Yuan Sumei's children are no stranger to their mother's behavior of caring for the students so much. Since childhood, they have been accustomed to seeing their mother's enthusiasm for students, and even felt "jealous" for a while. But soon, they were relieved, because they understood that the reason why their mother was like this was because of a pure and good heart.
In fact, the living conditions of Yuan Sumei's family are not rich. Although she and her husband both work in the canteen of HKU, they have never been extravagant and have lived a very frugal life. Yuan Sumei even implemented this frugal life concept into the education of her children.
Her five children were taught from an early age to be diligent and frugal, and never to be extravagant. Even if they have grown up later, Yuan Sumei has never changed her requirements for them. Sometimes, children feel that their mothers are too strict with them, but more often than not, they sincerely admire their mother's virtues.
Yuan Sumei's attitude towards her family and students is the same, she treats everyone equally and without favoritism. She never treats a student more favorably because he is wealthy, nor does she snub others because of her own children. In her eyes, everyone is equal and deserves the same love and respect.
This impartiality and selflessness, coupled with her caring for all, have made Yuen Sumei highly loved both on and off the campus of HKU. She is like a warm current, warming everyone who meets her.
Once, a student accidentally fell and injured his leg, and Yuan Sumei immediately went to visit after learning about it. At that time, the student was lying on the hospital bed, and when he saw Yuan Sumei coming, he was overjoyed. He later recalled that he was at a low point in his life at that time, but the arrival of Yuan Sumei gave him great encouragement and allowed him to regain his confidence in life.
Stories like this can be found everywhere on the HKU campus. Yuan Sumei is like an inexhaustible source of living water, nourishing every soul that longs for love. She uses her actions to interpret what "supreme goodness" is.
An ordinary hero who has received the highest honors
Yuen Sumei has been dedicated to HKU for 44 years, witnessing the growth of generations of students. Although she is just an ordinary cleaner, her care and dedication to the students has long gone beyond the scope of ordinary employees' duties.
In 2009, when the University of Hong Kong announced its Honorary Fellows, students and faculty rejoiced at Yuen's name. This is the first time in the history of HKU that this highest honour has been bestowed on a cleaner, which shows the tremendous influence of Yuen Sumei on and off campus.
At the award ceremony on the same day, Yuan Sumei was elected with the highest number of votes, and the audience applauded. Many of the older generation of graduates had tears in their eyes when they saw her. They all stood up and applauded and cheered for the former "third sister-in-law", and the scene was very touching.
The next day, the headlines of Hong Kong's major newspapers and magazines were all covering the occasion. Titles such as "The Cleaner Won the Highest Honor" and "The 82-Year-Old Aunt Became an Honorary Academician" were impressive, causing heated discussions in the city.
Some commentators say that this is one of the most correct and wise decisions ever made by the University of Hong Kong. Because Yuan Sumei is indeed the founder and guardian of the campus culture of HKU, she has used her life to interpret what is the supreme state of "benevolence and love".
During her 44-year tenure at HKU, Sumei Yuen has witnessed the growth of a myriad of students. She is not only their intimate nanny, but also a close friend and a guide for relatives. With her kindness and diligence, she won the love of all teachers and students.
After leaving the school, many graduates still visit their alma mater from time to time, just to be able to reunite with Yuan Sumei. They will take their wives and children to tell the "third sister-in-law" about the joys, sorrows and sorrows of life. Yuan Sumei always listens and comforts with a generous mind, which has become the eternal sustenance in their lives.
At HKU, Yuan Sumei is like a warm source of living water, nourishing every soul that longs for love. She used her actions to interpret the true meaning of the word "supreme goodness", and interpreted ordinary jobs into a noble career.
Once, a student accidentally fell and injured his leg, and Yuan Sumei immediately went to visit after learning about it. At that time, the student was at a low point in his life, but the arrival of Yuan Sumei gave him great encouragement and allowed him to regain his confidence in life.
Stories like this can be seen everywhere at HKU. Yuan Sumei is like a lamp that will never be extinguished, illuminating every confused soul and bringing them strength and hope.
To this day, every HKU dormitory supervisor first comes to visit Yuan Sumei, a "traditional living fossil", when he takes office. Because only with her guidance can you really get familiar with the school and understand the needs of students.
In the minds of Hong Kong teachers and students, Yuan Sumei is one of the "Three Treasures of the University Hall", and has become a symbol and representative of the campus, just like the famous bronze ladder and the four statues. She wrote a legend in her life, becoming the first cleaner in the history of universities in Hong Kong and the world to receive this award.
Although Yuan Sumei's education is only in primary school, and she can only write the five words of her name in her life, she shows the extraordinary power of an ordinary person with practical actions. Her story will forever be recognised on HKU's campuses and become a role model for generations to come.