In 1997, a poor teenager dropped out of school due to family difficulties and wandered alone in an unfamiliar coal mine, but chose to flee due to the harsh environment. On the way home, almost penniless, he received selfless help from an equally difficult young man - only 10 yuan. The 10 yuan not only saved his life, but also planted a seed of gratitude in his heart. What was the fate of the teenager?
The winter of 1997 may have been an ordinary year for most people, but it was a turning point in Li Ping's life. At the age of 15, he was forced to drop out of school due to his family's poverty and went to work alone in a coal mine in Fenyang, Shanxi Province. Life in the coal mine was far more difficult than he imagined, and Li Ping felt suffocated by the harsh working environment and strict management.
After struggling in the coal mine for several months, Li Ping decided to escape from this hellish place. The day he planned to escape, he only had 3 yuan left in his pocket. For him, who has to go back to his hometown all the way, this little money is difficult to solve even the basic food. After escaping from the coal mine, he survived by picking up red dates on the ground, and hunger and despair nearly broke him.
The twist of fate came on a train he boarded from Beijing to Chengdu. The carriage was crowded, and Li Ping had no ticket and could only curl up in the aisle. In such an environment, he met Sun Heping, who was also in a difficult situation. Sun Heping, a young man in his early twenties, seems ordinary but has a heart of gold. After learning what happened to Li Ping, he did not hesitate, took out almost all of his money from his pocket, 10 yuan, and handed it to Li Ping, leaving only a few coins.
The 10 yuan was like a sweet spring in the desert for Li Ping, which not only solved his urgent need, but more importantly, gave him the courage and hope to continue to move forward. Later, Li Ping used the 10 yuan to buy food, and finally supported it on the way home. And this experience also became the motivation for him to work hard to change his fate in the future.
Sun Heping's good deeds, although seemingly insignificant, are incomparably precious in Li Ping's heart. In the days that followed, Li Ping studied hard, and in 2002, he was admitted to Chengdu University of Technology with excellent results. After graduating from university, he stayed in Chengdu, found a stable job, and gradually accumulated a large amount of savings.
But Li Ping never forgot the kindness of the eldest brother Sun Heping in his heart. He knew that if it weren't for that kind-hearted Sun Heping, his life might have gone to a different trajectory. So, he began a 22-year search, hoping to find the benefactor who helped him at a critical moment, and personally thanked him.
Li Ping first tried to find clues through the Internet and social platforms, and posted a post asking if anyone knew Sun Heping. He described the scene in the hope of touching those who might have been in the know. He also returned to the route of that train, asking people along the way who might know Sun Heping. But whether online or in the field, the search seems to be looking for a needle in a haystack, with no results.
Li Ping did not give up. Over time, he has achieved remarkable success in both his career and life. He became a senior executive in a business and had a happy family. But deep down, his gratitude to Sun Heping is growing day by day, and this kindness keeps urging him to continue searching.
Until a chance encounter in 2019, Li Ping participated in a public welfare activity and inadvertently mentioned his experience of escaping from the coal mine and a benefactor named Sun Heping. Someone in the audience happened to know Sun Heping and knew that he now lived in a small town in Sichuan. Upon hearing the news, Li Ping was very excited, and immediately arranged a time to go to Sichuan.
When Li Ping finally stood face to face in front of Sun Heping, both of them were shocked by strong emotions. Although Sun Heping is old, he still maintains that kindness and humility. He didn't even think that his small act back then would deeply affect a person's life.
Li Ping expressed his deep gratitude to Sun Heping and invited him to participate in his company's public welfare projects as a special guest. He hopes to give back to the society and help others through his own strength, just as Sun Heping did back then. The story of the two has also been known by more people and has become a good story that has touched countless people.