In my village back in Zhuxi, my family were on very good terms with a neighbouring household. That family had four members, the parents and their two cute daughters. Because of the rapport between the two families, we had a lot of get-togethers and parties. I called the man Uncle and his wife Aunt.

One balmy spring day, Aunt invited my mother and me to go and climb a mountain with her and her two daughters. Because Mother happened to be engaged that day, we declined it, but we promised to join them on a shopping trip to the country fair after a few days. In the end, my aunt and her two daughters went on the hike without us.

It was springtime, flowers and blossoms everywhere along the path. Bees, wild and domesticated, were busy with their work. On their ascent up to the summit, the younger daughter got tired so easily that she had to take breaks from time to time.

Somewhere along the way, they stopped under a big tree for a rest. The two girls started to pick up rocks and toss them around for fun. Unluckily one stone hit a nest of some wild bees in the bush. In no time the roused bees swarmed out and started to set upon them. The insects were poison bees.

My aunt and her two daughters had nowhere to hide from the vicious winged army in flight. Stung all over, they were crying out loud. To protect her daughters, my aunt took off her own clothes and covered them. Therefore, she left herself exposed to the bites.

It was a long time before someone passed by them. My aunt had already lost consciousness by then. An ambulance was called in. It was not until deep into the night that the news reached the village. When Uncle rushed all the way to the local hospital, the doctors there told him that my aunt could survive at most three days.

The news shocked everyone in the village. No one would believe it. The doctors tried their best to revive my aunt, but she was pronounced dead two days after the insect attack.

My aunt’s love towards her two daughters left us all in awe. Even today whenever I think of it, I cannot help but admire my aunt enormously for her heroic selfless deed.