Liu Guizhen teaches a boy how to write a Chinese character at Wangjiahui Primary School, which merged with the school where Liu has served as a substitute teacher at Duanjiawan village in North China's Shanxi province on June 14, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

In 1988, Liu was offered a position as a substitute teacher after the village's only teacher suddenly left, forcing dozens of school-aged children to drop out.

Liu said that's when her teaching career kicked off - and it is still going strong almost 30 years later.

Liu is not only a teacher and doctor, but also a friend who shares students' ups and downs, according to fifth-grade student Ding Xiujuan. She was reluctant to part from Liu when it was time to join most of her peers who moved to different schools in big cities due to limited grade levels.

In 1996, Liu was elected as the secretary of the CPC's village branch due to her years of commitment and dedication to the community. In 2003, Liu took on major double-duty role of being the village chief after her predecessor retired.

More responsibilities did not bring Liu a higher salary, but they did bring happiness.

"My true happiness lies in being needed, even if I'm earning 1,000 yuan ($150) monthly," Liu told the Beijing-based China Central Television.

In 2003, villagers, with the local government's help, were provided new houses in the town to relocate away from the area prone to natural disasters. But the elders felt attached to their native village and most were unwilling to move out.

"I will be there as long as there is one villager," Liu said, even though her family members have already prepared for her move to the new house.

To help locals out of poverty, Liu led them to grow pine saplings. Women who participate in the program saw their incomes increase by 2,000 yuan ($304) in 2016.

Liu said she was "deeply affected" by her late father, who was a Party member. Earlier in 1992, Liu followed in her father's footsteps to join the Party.

"I always remember his words of 'thinking of what other people need and serving unselfishly as a Party member'," Liu said when asked why she has stayed in the poor community for so many years and devoted so much to it.

"That's my life value and a family tradition handed down to me," said Liu, "I will teach my two daughters the same things my father did."