Tracking her homecoming

Quest for speed drives top quantum scientist

Factory of dreams

She has proven a quick study and has picked up skills that range from using a microwave to smartphone apps like WeChat.

And her present command of nearly 1,000 characters has proven she's not "stupid" like she'd believed.

Still, she sometimes has late-night breakdowns.

Shen still tears up when she remembers calling her son during Spring Festival the first year.

He told her not to buy him new clothes for the festival because an older relative had given him a secondhand jacket.

"He said: 'It fits well'. I still can't hold back my tears when I remember this," she says, choking up.

She was deeply moved by his consideration of the family's financial struggles.

Shen, who's virtually an early-childhood education expert, says she realizes in hindsight that raising two children by herself proved her wisest decision.

"They might be naughty, but they're close to me and know what I expect from them," Shen says.

"That's quite a relief as a parent. It makes all those hard years worthwhile."

The family has built a three-story house since their previous home was nearly razed by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. They combined their entire savings with a government subsidy to construct it.

They waited until last month to finish furnishing it.

Before she left for home, Shen said she couldn't wait to see the completed house.

It's another blessing that makes the harrowing journey seem trivial, she believes.

"I'm just glad to have arrived home in time for Spring Festival," she says.

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