Grandmother raises pigs all year round, raises abandoned grandchild to college

Hoang Yen Linh and her grandmother depend on each other. Linh hopes to graduate soon to take care of her grandmother.

The certificates of merit from granddaughter Hoang Yen Linh became the motivation for grandmother and granddaughter to try to overcome difficulties - Photo: HOANG TAO

New student Yen Linh, residing in Co My village, Vinh Giang commune, Vinh Linh district (Quang Tri province) has enrolled in the hotel management major at FPT Polytechnic College, Da Nang.

Although her score was good enough to get into university, she chose to go to college because she would graduate in two years so she could help her grandmother soon.

University is my burning dream, I will study when my financial situation allows. But first, I need to shorten the time to graduate to share some of the burden with my grandmother.

HOANG YEN LINH

Lived with grandmother since 3 months old

Mrs. Le Thi Truong (65 years old, Linh's grandmother) still remembers the day her granddaughter came to live with her. It was the anniversary of her great-grandfather's death, the whole family of four came to welcome Linh and her mother out to play. "Her mother said she could drink formula milk, so I just carried her out first. Who would have thought that was also the day her mother left forever" - Mrs. Truong stroked her silver hair, sobbing for her granddaughter who had been separated from her mother when she was just over three months old.

Four years later, Linh's father had a new family and moved out. He lived on the farm and worked as a construction worker in the area to make ends meet. She lived with her grandparents and great-grandmother. Then in 2021, her grandfather fell seriously ill. Mrs. Truong took care of her husband in the hospital and took the opportunity to catch a bus to see her little grandchild living with her great-grandmother, who was 90 years old at the time.

Linh's grandfather did not survive. Difficulties piled up because not long after, her old and weak grandmother also passed away. The house was left with only the two of them to rely on.

After school, Linh helps her grandmother raise pigs and herd cows. She often brings her books to review her lessons - Photo: HOANG TAO

Mrs. Truong has 3 sao of rice fields that yield only one crop of rice per year, and when the harvest is good, she can harvest 800kg. "This rice cannot be sold because it is for her and her grandchildren to eat all year round, the rest is used to feed pigs and cows. I have an additional sao of corn to raise livestock, and a sao of peanuts can be sold for a little money to buy fish sauce and salt at the market," said Mrs. Truong.

There is also a piece of land around the house, but it is low-lying so nothing can be grown, only a few bunches of bananas to sell when ripe.

The family has a mother cow and a calf that have been raised for 2 years and can be sold for 10 million VND. "I also want to raise 2-3 mother cows, but the winter is so cold that I can't graze them. I have to go cut grass, ask for banana trees, grind bean husks, corn and broken rice to mix for the cows to eat. I'm old and weak, I don't have enough strength to chop and carry bananas anymore," said Ms. Truong. She also raises 2 sows, each litter saves a couple million VND after deducting expenses.

When her grandmother was sick or on days off from school, Yen Linh would go out to herd cows for her family and the whole neighborhood. She often brought her books with her, and when the cows weren't destroying the people's rice, she would take the opportunity to review her lessons.

The freshman needs help to go to school: Choose college because it only takes two years to graduate

Growing up in a difficult family situation with the love of her grandmother, Linh set a goal of graduating with honors and finding a way to continue her studies afterwards - Photo: HOANG TAO

The college Linh chose would be year-round, with no summer break, so she would graduate in two years. Linh said her grandmother ate sparingly, so she was thin and pale, and often tired.

"The doctor said she had a thyroid tumor, kidney atrophy, physical weakness, and a leaky heart valve. The doctor advised her to have surgery for the thyroid tumor, otherwise the tumor would erode her health. But she said it would cost a lot of money and wouldn't do it. I felt very sad," Linh confided.

Linh said that university is her burning dream. She will continue her studies when her financial situation allows. The immediate thing to do is to shorten the time to graduate to share some of the burden with her grandmother.

Teacher Tran Quoc Quan - Linh's homeroom teacher for the 10th and 11th grades at Cua Tung High School (Vinh Linh district) - assessed her as a good student, with good study habits and good academic performance despite the lack of parental care.

"In my two years as a homeroom teacher, I understand the situation so I still ask for Tet gifts, occasionally support rice, cooking oil, a little money... to encourage the two of them. Honestly, in the situation of living with her grandmother, lacking the love of her parents, if she did not have enough willpower and determination, Linh would have dropped out of school a long time ago. Luckily, she is very studious" - Mr. Quan shared.

Last summer, Linh went to town to apply for a job packing frozen and dried fish. She was paid 10,000 VND for each 10-12kg box. Working a lot made her back hurt, the job was unstable, depending on when there was sunshine and fish. When there was no fish, she switched to selling sugarcane juice. Whatever she earned during the day, Linh sent to her grandmother, so by the end of the summer she had nearly 3 million VND to pay for school.

"I have found a coffee shop that accepts me, but I will wait until my school schedule is stable before I dare to work so I can support myself. My goal is to graduate with honors, find a stable job in Da Nang , and I will definitely give my first month's salary to my grandmother" - Yen Linh shared her plan when talking to the program "Tiep suc den truong".

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ba-noi-nuoi-heo-quanh-nam-nuoi-nang-chau-bi-bo-roi-hoc-den-cao-dang-20240919220036421.htm