PAN HUIHUA, 102

When Pan Huihua got married he had no money, so he served a plate of fried fish-colorful loach that he had caught himself-as a wedding feast.

He tells many stories about hunger. For example, his family had no eggs to eat in 1958, and in 1974 they dined on sweet potatoes as a staple, rather than rice, when the nation suffered an insect plague.

With two sons to raise, Pan started a small business carrying chickens to sell in Wuzhou and bringing back salt to sell in his hometown.

"My happiest memory is running into a rainy day because I could cease my labors and stop to have a rest," he said.

Through diligent work, he was able to support his eldest son, now 66, through middle school. The son became a teacher at a nearby primary school.

Supported by an allowance from the government and the love of his family, Pan now lives a happy life in Zhongshan county.

"Although life is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it. That is the important thing."

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