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Strength for the future

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-05-12 13:34

When Song Yanmei recently visited An Le in Luoyang, Henan province, she did not talk much about the quake last May, when the soldier rescued her from the rubble.

"We chatted about other stuff like old friends," says Song, 22. "He is a year younger than me, just like a little brother."

Song was buried by the quake last year for 72 hours in Yingxiu, a township in the quake epicenter of Wenchuan county, before An saved her.

"I was on the second floor of a five-story building when the quake hit," Song says.

As an administrative employee of a Beijing-based cosmetics manufacturer, Song was responsible for more than 60 franchised shops.

She was on a business trip in the area when she felt the earth move at 2.28pm on May 12. She did not make it out of her office building and ended up being buried deep in the rubble near the stairwell.

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"Bricks fell onto my legs and wedged me in the concrete," Song says.

As time went by, Song felt hunger, fatigue and fear taking over her.

Just when all seemed lost, An reached her on the morning of May 15.

"I was so happy to see him. I knew I got my life back," Song says.

Originally based in Henan, An was among the first battalion of soldiers who trekked into Yingxiu late on May 14.

An had little experience in rescue work when he found Song buried deep in the debris.

To save her, the soldier fashioned a metal hook from the debris and removed the broken bricks piece by piece. He finally got hold of Song's feet and drew her out of the concrete, more than three hours after he found her.

An was later hailed as a model in relief work for his dogged determination in saving Song. The two have promised to stay in touch.

And after taking more than a year to recover from the ordeal, Song says she could not be happier.

She has resumed her business trips in the province, traveling mainly between quake-hit zones such as Dujiangyan and Pengzhou cities.

She is optimistic about the future and is already thinking about opening her own beauty salon.

"People say quake survivors are stronger and can live more happily than others," Song says.

"That's exactly how I've been feeling."