The unsung heroine

She wakes up every morning at 6. Walk herself to the market, open her own vegetables stall early in the morning all by herself and goes back home at almost 8 in the evening. She had be given the nickname, "market manager" by the local vendors and customers. In the dark and damp market, nearing her 60s, she holds the stall her father left her dearly. Yuan-Jin Vegetables is her everything.

The winner of 2010 Time Magazine The 100 Most Influential People, Chen Shu Chu has a generous mind which is really lauded. Selling vegetables in a traditional market, Chen Shu Chu does not earn much money. However, by living frugally, she donates her savings regularly to help those who need help. “Money serves its purpose only when it is used for those who need help,” she said. Most people always donate after they have enough savings. In contrast, Chen Shu Chu first thinks of those people who need help. She donates what she has, doing her best to bring benefit to the society. Her selflessness touches me a lot. It even let me know how to live a life meaningfully. 

No one knows why Chen Shu Chu, who is not married and has no child, works so hard. In fact, she has a seed interiorly. She said, she had always been helped when she was helpless and she has been waiting for the day to repay for a long time. After Chen Shu Chu graduated from elementary school, her mother who was going to bear her seventh baby, had a difficult birth and needed to have an operation. 

But the Chens didn't have money for the operation and the hospital wasn't willing to operate on her mother. When her families finally chipped in enough money, however, her mom had been dead for five minutes. Since then Chen Shu Chu took the role of Mother and supports the family by selling vegetables with her father. Three years later, her third younger brother who was studying in the elementary school got a fever after swimming and the doctor suggested he be taken to another hospital. But the Chens did not have much money. Fortunately, her brother's teacher, Mr. Huang, quickly raised funds at the elementary school. Finally, he was sent to the other hospital. However, her brother still died of illness. 

After her mother and brother's deaths, the favor of people's help was still kept in her mind. And she has never told it to others. Nevertheless, four years later, in 2005, the elementary school where her dead brother had studied needed some money to build a library. Thus, she donated NT$ 4,500,000 to the school. At first the school administration was being skeptical to her, but eventually the two-storey library is finished within a couple of years and it is named after her; Chen Shu-chu Library. But before that, she had donated NT$ 1,000,000 to Fo Guang School. Afterward, she contributed NT$1,000,00 to Children's foundation in 2004, and subscribed NT$1,000,00 to Kidsalive International. (note that NT stands for; New Taiwan Dollar; Taiwan's currency which is also could be shown as TWD)

Despite all the attention, she remains humble. 

“I have done nothing extraordinary and anyone who wants to can do it. There are many other charitable people; we just don’t know about them,” she said. 

 Ms Chen, who is unmarried, added: “I do not place great importance on money. When I donate to help others, I feel at peace and happy, and I can sleep well at night.” She also feels for the poor, having experienced hardship in her younger days.

Ms Chen’s ability to donate such large sums of money has led many to ask: 

How can a mere vegetable seller earn so much?

“Spend only what you need, and you’ll be able to save up a lot of money!” said Ms Chen.

All she needs is food and a place to sleep. Everything else is a luxury. She does not buy expensive clothes as “I do not socialize much, hence, there is no need for such beautiful clothes. The clothes from the roadside stalls are good enough for me, and, even then, I like to bargain”.

Her daily meals cost less than NT$100: a bowl of vegetarian rice and a bowl of noodles for NT NT$55. Freeze whatever that cannot be finished, spend another NT$20 on a can of gluten and add that to the rice with some hot water.

“This becomes porridge and is very tasty,” she said.

THIS IS HER HAPPINESS PRINCIPLE

She also sleeps on the hard floor, a habit from her younger days when she started working at the vegetable stall.

The comfort of her warm bed made getting up early to go to the wholesaler very difficult, especially during the cold winter months. Hence Ms Chen made up her mind to sleep on the cold floor, where she would not run the risk of being late.

Has business improved after winning the award? “Business is as usual,” she said. “I still need to sell my vegetables. Not much has changed.”

She said because she had been helped by others in the past, she vowed to also help the poor. She says that’s how she has found happiness, and even when physically challenged, she perseveres to sell vegetables at the market.

“Money serves its purpose only when it is used for those who need it,” she said in a newspaper account.

When asked why she was so generous in donating her hard-earned money, she said, 

“I accumulate virtue instead of wealth. Life is short, and you don’t know when you will die. I don’t have a son, so what would I do with all the money I have saved? I might as well just do good deeds and accumulate virtue.”

 

Although Chen has become one of Taiwan’s hottest media stars since she was chosen as a Time magazine 2010 role model, success has not spoiled her. She has asked the media not to hang around, as she wants to get back to her usual routine of selling vegetables in the market right away.

What am I trying to convey is that many people found that even though they may not be rich, their tiny but persistent small donations may come as a great help to some people. This is what we called, moderation. Human should live within this idea. Then, the world would become a better place to live.  It is possible for a single person to make a huge impact on the world. Money serves its purpose only when it is used for those who need it.'

I am very inspired and humbled by this vegetable seller’s frugality, generosity and most of all her humanity. Her spirit and kindness is what we human beings should aspire to. Thank you, Ms. Chen Shu-chu, for helping to show us the way. The way that works.