Providing for her family with handicrafts

Hand-made insoles by Qu Shuanling on display in her cave house. [Photo/China Daily]

Qu had her second daughter last year, which filled her with new determination. "These insoles are really hard to make. When my neck and back get too tired, I hug my 10-month-old daughter in my arms and rest a little," she said.

It takes a week for Qu to make one pair of insoles. She posts her designs and receives orders entirely through the WeChat platform. A standard pair sells for 100 yuan each, while those stitched with Chinese blessings cost 150 yuan.

Most of her customers are WeChat users who sympathize with her condition and although her insoles have sold far and wide, from Shanghai to Guangdong province, her earnings can swing from 500 yuan one month to nothing the next.

But she doesn't let the uncertainty discourage her from trying to help out with the family finances.

Many of Qu's customers go out their way to support her. Some even send donations of more than 200 yuan a time.

A friend from Guizhou province has also sent her boxes of medicine to help with her bedsores.

"I am grateful to all the people who have helped me," she said. "I wish my body could be healthier so I could make more insoles with blessings for everyone."