Why Would This Grandma Eavesdrop Outside Classroom taking notes?

A lot of Chinese netizens have been moved by a grandmother who reportedly sits outside her grandson’s classroom and observes them “secretly” – and has been doing so for over 4 years.

She stands behind a window, quietly, listening in on their conversations and taking notes as the teacher carries on with her class so as to not miss anything.

The 70-year-old grandmother, named Liu Ruixia, looks after her grandson Xinxin.

Xinxin was born physically weak from a lack of oxygen, and was tragically diagnosed with cerebellar atrophy when he was barely 1 year old.

Pressure on the nerves in his eyes has caused severe visual impairment. His hand and foot coordination have also been affected, as well as his overall IQ. The most tragic part of all this is how his parents thought of disappearing once they’d heard of the young Xinxin’s physical conditions.

It is sad that Xinxin's parents chose to escape when they knew their child was ill.

While his parents prepared to abandon him, his loving grandmother never gave it a second thought: "I will never leave my grandson behind," she said.

She promised that she would not only take care of the children's life, but also educate him to the best of her ability.

Despite his disadvantaged condition, she believes that only by receiving a proper education will Xinxin be able to live a better life and support himself over time.

By the time Xinxin was grown enough to go to school, many establishments refused to take him in.

But Liu Ruixia never gave up, and continued her search for a school that would allow Xinxin to learn and grow. Eventually, she found a special education school in Xuzhou that accepted her grandson, although this accomplishment was not achieved without a fight.

The school demands that its students must be from Xuzhou in order to receive education from their establishment. Liu Ruixia was not having any of it and made several trips to the school to implore them to make an exception.

Her relentlessness and perseverance moved the school directors and earned Xinxin a seat in their special class for blind and visually impaired children.

Liu Ruixia rented a house near his school in Xuzhou to make their lives and commutes a lot more convenient.

How difficult can it be to settle in a new city and acclimate to a new lifestyle? 

In consideration of her grandson's condition, she got permission from the school to stay there with him and help him study during the day.

While children were attending class, Liu Ruixia volunteered for some handicraft work in a nearby classroom.

But shortly after Xinxin had begun his classes, he found it difficult to keep up with the rest because of his slower comprehension, which worried his grandmother who did not want him to be nor feel left behind.

Since she was already spending time with him at school, she came up with a solution: she would distance herself from the children but remain close enough so she can hear the teacher share her knowledge, write it all down in a notebook, and share it with Xinxin when they would go home.

This is when grandma Ruixia began to “eavesdrop” and listen in outside the classroom.

Little did she know that some of the content taught in class would be just as hard for her to understand, as her literacy and education were not so good either.

She often found herself crying outside the classroom because of her struggles, but she never lost sight of the bigger picture: to help her grandson live a better life.

Over time, the teachers congregated and discussed the possibility of giving her a seat in the back row of the classroom so she would feel like a student and have the same chance to interact and learn, for her grandson and herself.

The headteacher said every child in the school has a story, and grandma Ruixia’s is special because it was her first time at school.

She has once filmed eavesdropping outside her grandson’s classroom, and the video was then shared on social media to spread her goodness and hard work.

Netizens rushed to their keyboards to express their support for Liu Ruixia, calling her a “beautiful soul”.

After a year of studies, she had finally mastered the basics.

After every class, she sits next to her grandson and teaches him what she has learned to help him advance. She would take her lessons and continue sharing them with him back inside their rented home in Xuzhou.

Shortly after, Xinxin was beginning to show promising results by passing his braille course to receive standard classes from other teachers.

He has now been in school for four years, thanks to his hard-working and loving grandmother.

His transition from being shy and scared to showing a smile and being cheerful, Xinxin has gone a long way towards making his future brighter.

But the happiest person in all this has to be his grandmother.

When asked about his parents’ involvement, she says: “They’re also struggling financially, so I’ve never asked them for money.”

“Have you ever felt burned out since you started accompanying Xinxin to school and helped him study?” reporters have asked Liu Ruixia.

With tears in her eyes, she answered: “A little tired, but he’s learned and progressed so much that I’m immensely happy for him and for the man he can become.“

I’ll take care of him for as long as I can breathe.”

This beautiful story of a grandmother looking after her grandson shows the power of unconditional love.

We wish them both the happiest life together.

Editor: Crystal Huang

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