Surprisingly, it is a "picked up" story, with a 61 year difference. Behind the "wedding photo" is Zhang Jiagang | Tang Caiying | wedding photo
Two years ago, the wedding photos of firefighter Zhang Jiagang and grandmother Tang Caiying from Fenyi County, Xinyu, Jiangxi Province, touched countless people.
Zhang Jiagang is 26 years old and was raised by his grandmother. He still doesn't know who his parents are. However, regarding his background, my grandmother never concealed it: "You were thrown away by someone else, and I picked it up."
How did the fate between grandparents and grandchildren begin? Where did this "wedding photo" come from?
One morning in 1997, Tang Caiying picked up a baby and a note with the date of birth at the hospital entrance. Later, she named the baby Zhang Jiagang.
Tang Caiying said that Jiagang is the port of Hong Kong. In 1997, Hong Kong returned and she felt it was fate.
Tang Caiying originally planned to feed Zhang Jiagang for a period of time to protect his life, and then hand it over to the civil affairs agency or a family with good conditions for adoption. But in the end, she still kept Zhang Jiagang.
Speaking of this past, Zhang Jiagang had a vague impression: "Others took me away, and I often cried to come back to find my grandmother. My grandmother felt that I really had a deep affection for her and was not willing to send me out again."
Zhang Jiagang is not the only child adopted by Tang Caiying.
Since 1982, Tang Caiying has rescued a total of 38 abandoned babies. Many children have adopted families in the future, and when they encounter those with weaker physical conditions, Tang Caiying handles the formal adoption procedures and leaves them to raise themselves.
With a retirement pension and income from selling vegetables and waste, Tang Caiying and her husband raised their own biological children and six abandoned babies they adopted.
A group photo of Tang Caiying, an elderly person, and children
As the children gradually reached the age of school, Tang Caiying's financial pressure significantly increased.
In 2001, upon learning of this matter, Fenyi Fire decided to subsidize all tuition fees for Zhang Jiagang and his sister Zhang Lin. During holidays, firefighters also invite siblings and grandmother to the fire brigade for a reunion dinner.
Fenyi Fire invites Zhang Jiagang's siblings and grandmother to come to the team for a dinner together
For over a decade, firefighters have been replaced one after another, but the support provided by the team to the siblings has never stopped. The love relay lasted until my sister Zhang Lin graduated from university in 2013 and Zhang Jiagang graduated from high school in 2016.
Zhang Jiagang said that after being exposed to it, firefighters planted a seed of dreams in his heart. In 2016, Zhang Jiagang chose to join the military and became a firefighter as he wished, and became colleagues with his brothers who had previously supported him.
This job is harder and more demanding than he imagined, but Zhang Jiagang has never regretted it. He said that being able to help others in his work has brought him a great sense of achievement. Choosing this profession is also a way to repay society with a grateful heart. "My grandmother gave me a second life, and the firefighter who helped me gave me a third life."
In 2019, my sister Zhang Lin got married, and her brother-in-law is also a firefighter. Due to busy work, my sister and brother-in-law have not taken wedding photos.
Zhang Jiagang remembered that there was also her grandmother who had not taken wedding photos before. He decided to make up for his grandmother's regret when she was young. Taking advantage of his annual leave, Zhang Jiagang quietly arranged a surprise for his grandmother: taking a set of beautiful wedding photos with his grandmother and grandfather.
However, on the day of filming, my grandfather was unable to travel due to physical reasons. Zhang Jiagang put on his uniform and accompanied his grandmother to complete the shooting.
The photos taken by Zhang Jiagang and his grandmother
Zhang Jiagang said that although her grandmother is very small, she can carry a lot of things. I learned a lot from my grandmother. In 2020, the Fire Rescue Brigade of Fenyi County established the "Zhang Jiagang Volunteer Service Team" and established a Love Foundation, led by Zhang Jiagang, to support two disadvantaged students until they complete their studies.
Zhang Jiagang said that he is very satisfied with his current life. My biggest wish is to keep my grandmother healthy and have more time to spend with her.
