'I can be your hands, you can be my feet'

Family life

The couple overcame their physical difficulties, worked hard and eventually started a family.

In spring, Zhang fetched water from the mountain, while Li planted rice. In autumn, when the corn matured, Zhang picked the cobs with his left hand and put them in a basket Li carried on her back.

In the kitchen, Zhang cooks with a spatula, while Li steadies the wok handle with her foot as she balances on one leg.

But things became more difficult when their two children were born two years apart. Their living expenses increased and the couple were presented with the problem of taking care of two little ones. "I owe them a lot, because I can never give them a hug," Li said.

Their daughter, Zhang Guanqiong, 27, remembers when she and her younger brother were small. Every time they wanted to go out it would take about 10 minutes for her mother to put the infant boy on her back, while Zhang Guanqiong tugged at her mother's dangling sleeve.

"I began to do chores and take care of my brother when I was 5 or 6 years old. I always wanted to grow faster to help the family," she said.

Her brother, Zhang Guanyun, 25, said his parents worked on the farm from early morning until deep into the night to earn extra money.

"One time, I was helping plant rice seeds with my sister and I saw father leave bloody footprints everywhere on the farmland. I will never forget that image," he said.

The condition of Zhang Shundong's feet deteriorated due to the farmwork and they were often infected.

In 2013, his lower right leg had to be amputated. Luckily, most of the medical costs were covered by government reimbursements and donations from the local civil affairs department and disabled people's federation. The family only paid about 800 yuan ($123) for the treatment. In 2017 and 2018, the condition of his left foot and ankle worsened and they were also amputated.