Easing the burden: 10-year-old Chinese girl tries to help family pay for sister’s cancer treatment by selling sweet potatoes on the street

Most residents in Zibo, a city in eastern China’s Shandong province, were walking fast, trying to find refuge from the cold winter that is part of life in early February.

But sitting by the sidewalk was a 10-year-old girl still wearing her school uniform, making sure she completed her homework on time. A bundle of sweet potatoes lay next to her in front of a sign indicating they were for sale.