The One Behind It All Chapter 125

Later, when I became more hungry, I found more ways to do it. I went up the mountain to pick some red thorn fruits (the kind we use for greening), ground bracken roots into pulp, and ground green stems into powder to replace food. Sometimes my sister picks a few castor beans, stir-fries them and eats them as peanuts, but she gets diarrhea as soon as she eats them. Later, some pumpkins were planted in the wasteland on the mountain, and the roots of the canna (a kind of flower) were cooked and eaten. When I first started eating canna root, my mother only allowed each person to taste a little for fear of poisoning. Later, seeing that everyone was fine, I became more courageous. Every night, the children gathered around the stove, waiting for their mother to cook a big pot of canna roots or pumpkin to satisfy their hunger. The family was harmonious. At that time, there was no dedicated kitchen at all. Instead, a pit was dug on the ground in front of the bed in the bedroom to make a stove for cooking and heating. Everyone gathered together to eat pumpkins and live in harmony.

The unselfishness of parents can be clearly seen from the situation at that time. I was 14 to 15 years old at the time, and I was the eldest. The others were younger and less sensible. They could have sneaked in an extra bite, but none of them did. Dad sometimes has the opportunity to attend meetings and make some improvements. And my mother is so humble. She not only has to work like everyone else, but she also has to bear the responsibility of raising and living her seven children. Cooking, washing clothes, repairing coal stoves... I do everything. It consumes so much, but I never take another bite. At that time, our family implemented a strict distribution system for each meal, a rationing system that controlled everyone's desires and ensured that everyone could survive. If this were not the case, there would always be one or two younger siblings who would not survive today. I can truly understand what it means to live.

When I was about to take the college entrance examination in my third year of high school, I sometimes reviewed my homework at home. I was so hungry that I couldn't bear it anymore. I mixed rice bran with vegetables and baked it to eat. My father bumped into me a few times, and they felt distressed. In fact, my family was so poor at that time that we didn’t even have a lockable cupboard. The food was packed in earthen jars, and I didn’t dare to just grab a handful. Otherwise, one or two of my siblings wouldn’t be alive today. (My unselfishness is also seen from my parents. Huawei’s success today has a little to do with my unselfishness.) For the next three months, my mother often secretly stuffed me a small tortilla in the morning so that I could review with peace of mind. Because of my homework, I was able to get into college, and the little corn tortillas played a huge role. If this were not the case, maybe I would not be able to join a company like Huawei. There would just be one more expert pig farmer or one more skilled craftsman on the street. This little tortilla came from the mouths of my parents and younger siblings, and I have no way to repay them.

When my country's higher education system was reformed in 1997, students began to be charged fees, but supporting student loans failed to keep up. Huawei donated 25 million yuan to the Ministry of Education to fund disadvantaged students. There was a big debate over what to name the fund. Some employees even came to me personally and said that we should not call it poor, but call it outstanding. Many of these people are Ph.D.s and postdoctoral fellows. I think it is not shameful to be born poor, but it is not honorable to be poor in thought and knowledge and to be born noble. My teenage years were spent in poverty, hunger, and being forced to study by my parents. Without them seeing the light in difficulties, guiding us, and forcing us to work hard, I wouldn't be where I am today.

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