A Chinese writer from a rural mountain village, bedridden for years due to a high-level spinal cord injury, has written and published four novels by mastering the unique skill of typing with chopsticks -- a feat driven by his strong will and love of life.
Du Haicheng, 46, was born in Xining City, northwest China's Qinghai Province. At 19, an accident left him with severe paralysis and confined to bed, a condition he has endured for the past 27 years.
Years of paralysis and being bedridden caused Du's muscles to atrophy, and he was frequently tormented by various ailments. A turning point came in 2001, when his aunt, one year his senior, visited him and brought him the novel "How the Steel Was Tempered". Du said that from then on, he fell in love with reading, which enriched his inner world and helped reshape his sense of self.
"As I kept reading, I found myself reading more and more every day, completely drawn into the book. Pavel Korchagin -- the way a person should live as shown in the book -- and Ostrovsky's words truly struck me for the first time. From that day on, I began thinking about this question: how should a person spend his life," Du said.
After a full decade of reading and contemplation, Du conceived the idea of writing his own novel. In 2012, his family saved up to buy him a secondhand laptop. Through hard work, Du mastered a unique skill of typing with chopsticks. Over the past 13 years, he has typed more than one million Chinese characters using chopsticks.
For five years, Du persisted in writing for seven to eight hours every day, eventually finishing his first novel, "Chasing Dreams." After revisions, this novel, which tells the story of a young man born in the 1980s who lives in a remote mountain village and bravely fights fate to pursue his dreams, was finally published in March 2017.
"If a normal, healthy person gives up, he can turn to something else, but if I give up (writing), I have nothing left. The book is like my child; no matter how difficult it is, I will persevere. I persevere not because I see hope, but hope is earned because I persevere," he said.
After the publication of his first novel, Du began to receive growing attention. He received phone calls from readers in Tianjin, Xinjiang, Gansu, Yunnan, and other places, as well as letters from readers who said his book was deeply inspiring. Their support greatly encouraged him.
"'Chasing Dreams' left a deep impression on me. The process of pursuing dreams is also a process of hard work and struggle. What I remember most vividly is how I used up a whole box of tissues in three days, using them all to wipe away my tears," said Li Renxiang, one of Du's readers.
All four of Du's novels are based on rural life, and their stories reflect both his personal experiences and the dramatic changes he has witnessed in his hometown. Today, through writing, Du is able to support himself and help provide for his family. He has also received numerous honors.
Du said he is currently working on his fifth book, a collection of essays, and hopes his writing can become a beam of light -- illuminating his own life while also igniting the dreams of many others.
"The happiest thing for a person is to strive for their dreams. I can't move from my bed, but I'm striving for my dreams and for my work. I'm indeed happy," Du said.
Bedridden Chinese writer publishes four novels by typing with chopsticks
