Yuan Lidong is making a live stream on his smartphone on Dec. 31, 2019. (Xinhua/Long Lei)
Under the screen name "Brother Chopstick," Yuan Lidong, who was born with no limbs, live-streams his daily life on his smartphone, drawing 420,000 followers on the Chinese short-video and live-streaming platform Kuaishou.
"Although we have some allowances from the government to ensure our basic living needs, I want my family to live better lives. I also want to prove that I can be the breadwinner," Yuan said.
by Xinhua writers Lyu Qiuping, Gao Shuang
SHENYANG, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Yuan Lidong maneuvers a short chopstick, held between his lips, to use his smartphone.
Yuan, 34, was born with no limbs in the rural area of Jinzhou, northeast China's Liaoning Province.
He holds a spoon in his mouth to eat; he moves on his waist by leaning on a short but heavy crutch; he wears pants made from used tires so he can lift himself up to a sitting position.
Under the screen name "Brother Chopstick," he live-streams his daily life on his smartphone, drawing 420,000 followers on the Chinese short-video and live-streaming platform Kuaishou.
"You can talk about any topic. Just treat me like an ordinary person," he said to the screen, smiling.
When Yuan was born, his family was devastated.
"He looked like a meatball," his father, Yuan Fengxiang, recalled.
The family tried to raise him like a normal child and sent him to school, but the physical difficulty forced him to quit after three and a half years.
When Yuan was 14 years old, his father took him to beg for money across the country. He sang with a loudspeaker to earn more.
Yuan Lidong is making a live stream with his wife on Dec. 30, 2019. (Xinhua/Long Lei)
In 2008, he met his wife, Chai Panxia. Chai often came to hear him sing and fell in love with him.
"I like his voice. He is also optimistic, easygoing and caring," Chai said.
Facing Chai's pursuit, Yuan panicked and tried to avoid her. "I didn't want to be her burden."
Yuan did not accept Chai's love until she wrote his name with chalk hundreds of times on the ground.
Chai's parents did not give their blessing and refused to attend the wedding. "I totally understand. If it were me, I would not allow my daughter to marry a disabled man like me," Yuan said.
The following year, their son was born.
"On hearing the baby was healthy, I was so thrilled that I fell off a high platform outside the delivery room," Yuan said. "I couldn't wait to see his tiny arms and legs."
The newborn boy has also changed the attitude of Chai's parents, who often request their grandson to visit.
Yuan is reluctant to mention much about his son, who is 10 years old now.
"I just want him to live a normal life without being bothered," he said.
A local resident takes pictures with Yuan Lidong when he lives stream about his daily life on Dec. 31, 2019. (Xinhua/Long Lei)
In 2015, Yuan started to play online games. "Seeing a friend play, I found the game 'League of Legends' very interesting. So I tried on his computer," he said.
Yuan lay on the bed on his left side and held three chopsticks in his mouth -- a shorter one to click the mouse and two longer ones to control the keyboard.
To people's surprise, he was fast and superior to many ordinary players. In the following two years, he hosted online games, which earned him 60,000 yuan (about 8,600 U.S. dollars).
"Although we have some allowances from the government to ensure our basic living needs, I want my family to live better lives. I also want to prove that I can be the breadwinner," he said.
Photo taken on Dec. 31, 2019 shows Yuan Lidong moves downstairs with the help of his friend and a walking stick. (Xinhua/Long Lei)
However, long hours of lying on his side made his organs shift to the left side, forcing him to quit the online game and turn to live-streaming.
With a smartphone tied to his wheelchair, he sings, plays online games and shows viewers his daily life -- how to sit up, move and eat -- often in an amusing way.
Each show lasts around three to four hours, and he can receive up to 100 yuan of gratuity every day.
While many netizens give him thumbs up for his diligence and independence, some others accuse him of "showing off" and "selling" his misery to the public.
Yuan has gotten used to such criticism, but his wife is alway defensive.
"I just can't stand the online trolls against my husband. I know his hardship, and I want to protect him," she said.
Yuan plans to open a grocery store when he has enough savings.
"Although I have no arms or legs, I'm passionate about making progress, just like normal people. I hope I can raise my family through my hard work," he said. ■
