Zeng Siqing drives her 13-year-old 'daughter' with a tricycle. [Qianjiang Evening News]

A rural couple from east China's Zhejiang Province have been caring for two young girls for 13 years after they were abandoned by their natural parents.

Deng Fengchao, 56 years old, revealed that he rented one of his rooms to a young pair in 2002. At that time, the two tenants had a child who was just one-month-old, Deng said.

A year later, the young couple had a second child, and they asked Deng's wife, Zeng Siqing, to care for the two youngsters as they wanted to leave and go to work in the city. As part of the agreement, she would receive a reward of around 1,000 yuan (U.S.$ 145) every month, Deng recalled.

Without thinking too much, Zeng agreed. However, the young pair broke up when their little daughter was nearly 3 and both have never returned to her home to see the two children ever since, Zeng said.

Being a warm-hearted woman, Zeng stated that she was not willing to see the two suffer from hardships at such a young age. Hence, she and her partner shouldered the responsibilities of attending to them like their own children ever since.

Zeng said she tried her best to cook nutritional meals for them, and both are in a good healthy condition now.

The caring woman revealed that many local people expressed a willingness to adopt the two youngsters, but neither of the girls wanted to leave her home.

Last year, Deng contracted a serious disease and he had to spend over 200,000 yuan (U.S.$ 29,000) on treatment. Zeng confessed that she could not sleep well for days because of her husband's disease and the two youngsters' tuition fees.

At the beginning of this year, Zeng went to find the schoolmaster of the local primary school, hoping that the two children's tuition fees could be reduced. To her relief, the principal agreed to help, Zeng said.

At present, the two girls have successfully received education in the local schools with Zeng's great endeavors.

Some villagers in the local region commented, "It is not necessary to raise the two girls as you have your own son." Others also said, "The two are very pretty and they can give you rewards when they grow up."

However, Zeng claimed, "I do not want them to give me any reward. What I hope is that they do not have a tough time in their youth. If the two can be enrolled in colleges, I will try my best to support them. If they do not, I will tell them to learn an ability to raise themselves."

(Source: Qianjiang Evening News/Translated and edited by Women of China)

By Chen WeiliEditor: Jane Wang