On the morning of October 28, the bright sun shone over the white prefabricated housing settlement in Zaqinda Village, Maru Township, Baqen County. The red flags on the rooftops stood out vividly against the sky.

Bumo sat at the doorway, rolling up her sleeves. Her dark, weathered hands bore the marks of hard labor.

She is 62 years old. On the day of the earthquake, she barely slept a wink, overwhelmed by fear, and her ached back had added to her distress. But now, sitting in the sun at the door of her new prefab home, a smile spread across her face.

Beside her were 52-year-old Bayu and 62-year-old Yangga. Bayu's left hand was wrapped in bandages. She had been injured during the quake, and had received immediate medical care.

That day, all the villagers in Zaqinda moved from temporary tents into the prefab houses. As soon as they settled into their new homes, the three elderly sisters gathered together. Nearby, children were running and playing around the three women, filling the air with warmth and joy. When they began to talk about what they had gone through in the past few days, their stories poured out.

"When the earthquake hit, houses collapsed, dust filled the air, and we could barely see anything. I grabbed my grandchild right away and felt my way outside to safty."

"The kids were screaming at the top of their voices: 'Earthquake! Earthquake!'"

"The ground was shaking violently. I grabbed the kid by the collar and rushed out as fast as I could."

Recalling the quake, Bumo, Bayu and Yangga still felt lingering fear. Back in the aftermath of the disaster, they had truly worried that they would never be able to live a normal life again.

"These prefabricated houses are solid. No wind can seep through, and it is warm inside. Now our hearts are at peace. All of this comes from the care of the Party and the country." Bumo pointed at the house in front of her, tears glistening in her eyes.

"No one could have imagined that just a few short days later, we would move into brand-new homes," Yangga said.

"We will spend the whole winter right here. From now on, we have nothing to worry about," Bayu added.

"From the past to the present, our lives have gotten better and better, all thanks to the care of the Party and the country." As she spoke, Bumo could no longer hold back her tears." We will never forget the kindness of the Party and the country."

"We cannot forget it, and we must not forget it," Yangga continued. "It is the Party and the country that saved us. They gave us food, clothes and a roof over our whole family. Our parents gave us life when we were born. The country rescued us and gave us a second life."

Hearing these sincere words from her elderly sister, Bayu also broke into tears, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"Back then, we truly feared that we would never see the sun again." The three elderly sisters looked at each other and smiled. Their tears carried not only the relief of surviving the disaster, but also deep gratitude for the peaceful life they had now.

Sitting in the warm sunlight, the three women dried their tears, and smiles returned to their faces. Those smiles held a sense of security, gratitude, and hope. They knew their lives would go on, and they would only get better and better.

Source: Xizang Daily

Translator: Peng Qing, Liu Fang

Reviewer: Hu Rongguo, Li Chengye