In 1993, 17-year-old He Rongfeng and his two friends left their village and made their way to Taizhou City in China's Zheijang Province, to look for work to help support their struggling families. Unfortunately, jobs were not easy to come by, and the trio were forced to resort to begging.

While most passersby handed out change, a young woman by the name of Dai Xingfen showed unusual kindness toward the starving boys when they arrived at her noodle shop. She not only fed them, but also, gave them a place to sleep in the tiny apartment she shared with her husband.

What's even more heartwarming is that while the boys were sleeping, Xingfen contacted her friends who worked at nearby factories to see if they knew of any job openings. When that did not work, she gave the boys train fare so that they could go try their luck in the nearby city of Huangyan. While Rongfeng was thankful for everything the young woman had done for them, he was most grateful for her parting words of wisdom -"wealth is not as important as integrity".

Rongfeng took the advice to heart and worked hard at honing his skills at a furniture factory in Huangyan for many years, before moving to Shenyang City in China’s Liaoning Province to launch his own business. Today, as Chairman of the Shenyang Jiu Jiu Li Feng Group, a leader in the local furniture and paint industry, Rongfeng is an independently wealthy man. But more importantly, thanks to the wisdom instilled in him by Xingfen, he is an honest man.

It is therefore no wonder that he still fondly remembered the woman who helped turn his life around over two decades ago. Earlier this month, the entrepreneur made his way to Taizhou City to seek Xingfen out. It was not too difficult. The hard-working woman was still at the same noodle shop where he had first met her, over two decades ago.

Following an emotional reunion, Rongfeng offered his benefactor, 50,000 Yuan ($80,000 USD), to help repair her rundown house. To his surprise, Xingen turned it down, saying that she had not helped him with any ulterior motive in mind and could therefore, not accept his money. After arguing for a while, the two settled on something priceless - a large plaque that reads “Gratitude as Heavy as a Mountain" - words that aptly describe how Rongfeng feels towards Xingfen! It is amazing how a small random act of kindness can change someone's life forever!

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