Elderly brothers carry mother on handcart to tour around country

The two brothers, who are both nearly 60 years old, pulled the "touring car" made of a handcart and carried their 81-year-old mother to Taiwan from Heilongjiang. On February 23, they arrived in Fuzhou.

The "touring car" was named "Thanksgiving Road." The younger brother Wang Rui said, "It is not only our love of our mother but also people's loving hearts that support us and made us see this through until the end." They insisted on finishing the trip with their willpower, rather than relying solely on their physical power.

The "Thanksgiving Road" handcart is divided into three levels and an insulation board has been installed in it.

Two dark men were pulling a handcart, with their heads lowed. An old lady was sitting in the cart, leisurely enjoying the sight of Minjiang River by the window. This was what our reporter saw when they found the "Thanksgiving Road" on Jiangbin Road.

They come from Lanxi County, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province. The two men who are pulling the handcart are the 59-year-old Wang Kai and the 57-year-old Wang Rui. On September 11 of last year, they set off from their hometown, on foot all the way.

According to the two brothers, "Thanksgiving Road" is about 2 meters long, 1.5 meters wide and 2.2 meters high. The handcart is divided into three levels on the inside, the upper layer is filled with their baggage and essential medicines, the middle one can be called "upper berth," made of a half-meter-wide board, on which the shorter Wang Rui sleeps at night. Their mother and Wang Kai sleep on the "lower berths." On the bottom of the handcart, there is a thin board compartment, where their clothes and spare footwear are kept.

The two brothers told reporters that the most valuable thing on the handcart is the insulation board, used for keeping warm during the trip. Under their careful care, their mother has not even caught a slight cold on the two trips.

In one top grade Rouyan shop (Rouyan is a type of wonton in Fuzhou) on Nanhoujie Street, they declined monetary donations from people. On the afternoon of February 23 at around 3 pm, no sooner did the "Thanksgiving Road" handcart appear on the Nanhoujie Street in Fuzhou than it was surrounded by citizens. The staff in the area made an exception to permit them to enter the street.

It was the first time the family had come to Jujian Province. The old mother liked Fuzhou's festive lanterns very much and held her head out to look, the two brothers slowed down and listened to the comments from passers-by and then they told their mother.

When passing the Old Tongli Rouyan Shop, the mother and sons were invited inside and ate at the shop. They all enjoyed it and said, "It really is different from wontons in the northern areas." The boss refused to take their money and said, "It is the least the people of Fuzhou can do to express their respect for filial sons like you."

Many citizens took pictures of the "Thanksgiving Road" handcart along the way and wanted to give the group money, but the brothers refused. They said that they were all as fit as a fiddle. Moreover, they have received excellent treatment from citizens from many cities and districts along the way. Especially this year, they spent the Spring Festival in Fuding City of Fujian Province and the nearby residents brought them various foods and other specialties for their New Year's Eve dinner. Refusing monetary donations is part of the family's principles.