On April 1, a happy reunion between the Tathota Law Firm and four students from Deyang Dongqi Middle School sponsored by the law firm ended. In this summer vacation, the law firm planned to take the children to Chengdu for travel.

At 6:00 of July 15 in the morning, the whole city did not wake up, but lawyer Hu Kexun, the party branch secretary and partner of our law firm, and the admin-staff Dai Limei had driven to Mianzhu in spite of continuous rain. After more than two hours’ drive, they arrived at the new coach station in Mianzhu and picked up three of the four students whom they always missed in the waiting area – Wang Cuizhu, Li Rui and Han Gongjun.

On the way back to Chengdu, we have just learned that it was the first time for Wang Cuizhu and Li Rui to visit Chengdu expect Han Gongjun who has come to Chengdu for once. Their eyes were full of expectation on tour in Chengdu.

On the way on Chengdu-Mianzhu Expressway, the lawyer Hu Kexun had a cordial talk with them in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. After they had arrived in Chengdu, they looked out of the window at the high-rise buildings with astonishment and excitement in their words.

At 10:40am, when they arrive at the office of our law firm located in world trade center, they were guided by HR specialist Xue Ying and Admin specialist Dai Limei to visit the office area of Tahota Law Firm on the 25F and 27F and they were astonished by the scale and culture of Tahota Law Firm.

Soul Talk – Increase Intimacy with Each Other

At 11:00am, the forum themed by “steel ourselves in adversity and surmount ourselves” was held in the small conference room on 25F as scheduled. The partners Hu Kexun (lawyer), Yu Qiong (lawyer) and Lihua, Huang Ju, Yang Shu and He Yi (full-time lawyer) and Chen Xingtong (admin manager) all took time out from their busy schedule to share their concerns about these students and had a soul talk with them.

In the communication, the students had made a report on their study and mentality, from which we saw their distinction and indomitable vitality after the earthquake. They try to express their treasure to life and return to Tahota with their own efforts.

However, they still felt little confused about the suffering of life post-quake. All of us were touched when they told us their parents had lost their jobs after the disaster and when Li Rui recounted her worries and difficulties post-quake that his father’s body was still not found yet and she now lived with her mother and younger sister in a barrack of a dozen square meters. In order to help them go out of difficulty and confront their life with positive and optimistic attitude, the lawyers Hu Kexun and Li Hua told them their own stories of arduous experience to encourage them to cherish time and study hard for brilliant future with doughtiness. The lawyer He Yi had made a psychological dredging and elimination of mental barriers for them with his expertise in psychology.

All participants left their own contact information and said that they will give preserving support and help to these students in their life and ideology. These thoughtful students had prepared some small gifts for us before their visit: Wang Cuizhu’s insole hand-tailored by her mother with Chinese characters of “Peaceful life & Bright Future” and a picture of calligraphy with Chinese characters of “Grateful life”; Li Rui had written her innermost thoughts and feelings to lawyers who sponsored her; Han Gongjun bought some notebooks and pens to our lawyers. They showed the gratitude in different ways to our law firm which made us moved extremely.

Tour to Chunxi Road Commercial Area and Jinli Ancient Street – Feeling Good Sense of Life

At noon, it was sunny and the sun has come out and Chengdu had greeted children from quake-hit area in its unique way. In the company of lawyers He Yi and Huang Ju and administrative staff, the students tried special local flavor of Chengdu - Wonton Soup (Long Chao Shou). Afterwards, the administrative specialists Dai Limei and He Yang led them to visit the Chunxi Road Commercial Area and Jinli Ancient Street.

Walking along the Chunxi Road, they felt the urban prosperity and experienced special enjoyment with some photos taken on their smiling faces.

Rambling over the Jinli Ancient Street, the students all appreciated the folk customs and culture and enjoyed the handicrafts and sculptures like shadow puppet, modeling dough figures and eggshell painting. The simple and honest Wang Cuizhu had bought a rattle-drum for her younger female cousin and purchased a Safety Lock for her elder male cousin who attended graduate school in Shanghai; the saucy and lovely Li Rui was dumbfounded by staring at Zhang Fei (a General of Three Kingdoms Period in Chinese history).

They were excited with happy laughter and cheerful voices all the way.

At 4:15pm, they were unwilling to leave Jinli Ancient Street.

Vies Des Hommes Illustres – Special Love for Special You

At 4:50pm, Director Cheng Shoutai, the lead partner of Tahota, had a cordial conversation with the three students from his full engagement to discuss their study, their thoughts and their confusion with constant consolation and encouragement. Afterwards, lawyer Cheng had given a world literary masterpiece Vies Des Hommes Illustres to them each with his personal handwritten inscription, hoping them in the earnest to face the difficulty, make unremitting endeavor and go on climbing on the life journey of hardship and frustrations with an indomitable and strong and brave spirit like the great men Beethoven, Michelangelo and Tolstoy.

Holding motivational book in their hands, the students all accepted the inculcation with pleasure and showed their gratitude to Mr. Cheng with bashful smiles. What linked our hearts closely is our special feeling and great kindness to these students.

As the light faded, it’s time for them to go back. On-day trip in hurry brought them some weariness. On the way back to Mianzhu, they were happily asleep.

The sponsorship still has a long way to go, but we believe that the continuous loving care for these students would definitely bring them a bright future if only we can persevere.