By Duyue and Wu Haoming

Xiong Daiqun, born in Weiyuan county, Sichuan province, a Class 2002 alumna, Chairwoman of Hainan Shenrui Technology Industrial Co., Ltd..

Greatest Devotion with Least Flamboyant Boast

In 2012, Xiong Daiqun knew of two cases of child abandonment. The information about the first case was from her colleague. That day, she happened to know from her colleague that a 4-day-old baby girl was about to be abandoned. Back then, similar to other young people, she racked up mountains of debt and she was also the breadwinner of her family. Despite the difficulties, she rushed to the hospital, adopting the girl, without giving it much thought. Not long after this adoption, Xiong learned from the news that a newborn twin was abandoned by a young couple who were not married. Xiong went to the hospital again and was told that one of the baby girls had been adopted, while the other was skinny and suffering from a some diseases. She was fully aware that she was unable to afford another adopted baby, not to mention that the girl was in bad health. But she finally decided to adopt the baby and spent over 10,000 yuan to cure the girl. In the face of a fresh and defective life whose creators chose to abandon it, but Xiong embraced it with her hands. What she embraced is not only a responsibility, but a human conscience and respect for life.

Just as polishing makes jade finer, adversity makes one stronger. Never has Xiong lost faith in life despite the fact that it was really stressful to raise three children. Instead, she felt pretty hopeful about the future. She named her two adopted daughters Milan and Miyuan as she hoped they would be like Aglaia Odorata (carrying the same pronunciation as Milan in Chinese, a plant also known as Chinese Perfume Shrub), “blooming in spring not to vie for attention, but to spread fragrance worldwide.”

No Cross, No Crown

To deal with the heavy expenditures on raising three children, Xiong decided to resign from a Hainan-based research institute and started her own business.

Xiong was never daunted in the face of difficulties or obstacles amid her efforts to develop business. In the early days, working overtime at night was a daily routine for her. The pressure on her to support the family and keep the unpredictable business going was not hard to imagine. “Every time I go home and see my children, I feel very happy, especially when Milan and Miyuan come around me and call me ‘mom’, because I love them and they love me too,” said Xiong.

There will be light at the end of the tunnel; there will be break in the dark night. All her efforts have been rewarded and all her work has paid off finally.

Sharing the Warmth with Others with Good Deeds

In August 2021, Xiong noticed an ill-fated family, in which the father died of liver cancer, leaving the illiterate mother and four children behind. The poor family lived in a place starkly bare of furniture, with just a humble bed where the whole family crammed in. The uneducated mother worked in a village with only two families, earning barely enough to feed their children.

Because she herself had been caught in the rain, she wanted to hold an umbrella for others. She made up her mind to adopt the family and told her three children about the plan. In so doing, there would be not enough rooms for them to live in. Xiong advised her own son to sleep on the balcony. She was gratified by and proud of what her three children did: the son followed her suggestion and tidied up the balcony right away; the daughters, carrying a basket of toys, waited for their new siblings to arrive.

Apart from making a cozy home for her children brick by brick, she also gave her dearest kids meticulous care. In order to create a more comfortable environment for the children to study, Xiong removed the sofa and tea table and replaced them with bookshelves and long study desk; she removed the TV and turned the TV wall into a blackboard. She keeps her children in the harbor of love with actions instead of words.

Xiong has been dedicated to philanthropic work. Years after graduation, Xiong has been concerned about her alma mater and the students studying in HNU, and donated 1.5 million yuan to HNU for the university’s development.

Xiong’s unsung acts of goodness are illustrations of human warmth. Xiong is now busy with the student status of her “new” children, but she would never cease to send warmth to others.

Xiong remains true to her original aspiration. For Xiong, happiness just means living, loving and striving. The pursuit of love and responsibility underlies her whole life. She inspires others with her warmth and kindness, and presses ahead with unwavering commitment and perseverance.

“Staying true after emerging from ordeal” is the most appropriate description for Xiong Daiqun. She has suffered a lot before, but finally, she finds her silver lining.

(By Alumni of Hainan University)

Xiong Daiqun celebrated a kid’s birthday.

Six children slept together with Xiong and listened to bedtime stories.

Each child kept short hair due to Xiong’s hectic schedules.