Li Zhimeng: walking out of the long way of beekeeping with one leg

Li Zhimeng, 53, lives in Group 1, Zijin Village, Dajin Town, Kaizhou District, Chongqing. He was permanently disabled due to polio, but he did not bow to fate, but with indomitable perseverance, he worked out a sky of his own and lived a happy life.

Explore the experience of beekeeping

"when I was about five years old, I had a high fever, which caused polio." Li Zhimeng said that the accident completely changed the course of his life, and his right lower limb completely lost consciousness, just like a piece of wood.

However, fate has not stopped the test of Li Zhimeng. When he graduated from high school in 1982, he thought he could be admitted to college with excellent grades, but he was told that he could not refer to it because of his physical disability.

In desperation, Li Zhimeng chose to go home to repair electrical appliances. With the increasing pressure of competition, he finally decided to change careers. Since all four generations of his ancestors were beekeepers, he also became a bee farmer.

In 1991, Li Zhimeng began to raise the first batch of bees. Unfortunately, an epidemic came unexpectedly, affecting the whole colony.

Due to his lack of breeding experience, Li Zhimeng bought a large number of books on beekeeping techniques. During the day, he walked around the beehive on crutches to observe the bees. At night, he flipped through books to find out the cause of the death of the bee pupae.

The efforts finally paid off. Li Zhimeng found out that it was a bacterial disease called "white evil disease" that caused the death of bee pupae. "White evil disease is a big problem in beekeeping, which cannot be cured, and can only be prevented by giving medicine."

After exploring the beekeeping road for more than 10 years, Li Zhimeng summed up a set of relatively perfect breeding techniques. The scale of beekeeping has grown from the initial few boxes to more than 100 boxes now, with an annual output of more than 7000 jin of soil honey.

Relying on beekeeping, Li Zhimeng built a new house and became a rich and capable person in the village. he was even more famous for his honey, and many city people went to the mountains to visit his beehive.

Look for honey sources everywhere

"the flowers bloom at different times and in different places, and when the nectar is collected in one place, the bee colony will be transferred to another place." Li Zhimeng said that as a bee farmer, nothing is more painful and tiring than transporting bees. His bee colony transports 5murs six times a year, the farthest from Kaizhou to Wuxi Hongchi dam, which is more than 200 kilometers away.

In order to find the source of high-quality honey, Li Zhimeng built the beehive in the mountains wherever he went.

The mountain road is difficult and full of thorns, making it difficult for ordinary people to walk. Li Zhimeng drags his unconscious right leg and often uses his hands and feet to move slowly along the mountain path. when he comes across a larger slope, he grabs the nearby branches or weeds and pedals up slowly with his left foot. The average person can walk the mountain road in 10 minutes, he may take half an hour.

"over the years, I am used to walking. I am not worried. In fact, what I fear most is when I am alone." Li Zhimeng said that the mountains are uninhabited and often no one is seen for several kilometers, and the only thing that can accompany him is loneliness.

"there was no electricity in the early years, and it was rare to see a man in the mountains. I could only light a kerosene lamp to read and pass the time at night." After having a mobile phone, Li Zhimeng's life has been enriched, but what he wants most is to find someone to talk to him.

Make friends with bees

In addition to losing consciousness in Li Zhimeng's right leg, poliomyelitis also left him with the sequelae of muscle paralysis. Many people often see him fall to the ground without warning because of muscle paralysis while taking care of the beehive, but as soon as he regains consciousness, he slowly gets up and continues to be busy as if nothing had happened.

"it's not convenient for your right leg, and beekeeping is so hard and tiring. Have you ever thought of giving up?" The reporter couldn't help asking.

"I'm used to it. I have hands, but it's not like I can't get up." Li Zhimeng said faintly.

In 2006, the price of honey fell sharply, coupled with years of hard work, Li Zhimeng was almost discouraged about beekeeping, and he sold nearly a hundred boxes of bees to the last few. Looking at the empty beehive, he struggled in his heart for a long time and felt that he still couldn't give up, and finally gritted his teeth and survived the most difficult year.

After 25 years of beekeeping, Li Zhimeng has already developed feelings for bees. Bees are not only his source of livelihood, but also his spiritual sustenance. "Bees have become my friends, and I will continue to walk on the road of beekeeping."