Li Changde takes his grandchildren Li Qingyi (right) and Li Siyu home after school at Hetou village of Sanyuan town in Dafang county, Guizhou province on Dec 13, 2018. (YANG WENBIN /XINHUA)

Li Siyu, 8, and his 6-year-old sister Li Qingyi, previously lived at Hetou village of Dafang county, Guizhou province. Their family used to be classified as members of a poverty-stricken household.

The parents of the two siblings are migrant workers, so Li Changde, the 68-year-old grandfather, had to take care of the children and take them to and from school every day. The distance from their home to the school in the village was about 4 kilometers. The children and their grandfather had to cross a hill on their way to the school, which took nearly an hour on foot.

Li Changde walks with the kids after picking them up from school at a newly built community as part of the poverty alleviation program at Shexiang ancient town of Dafang county in Guizhou on Dec 23, 2020. (YANG WENBIN /XINHUA)

Up to the winter of 2018, Li Changde had to take the two children to the school in cold and inclement weather. Li Qingyi was on Li Changde's back and the grandpa was holding Li Siyu's hand. The moment was captured in a photograph by poverty alleviation officials. When the picture was posted online, many people voiced concern.

In 2019, the whole family of Li Changde moved to a new residential community in Shexiang ancient town of Dafang county, a poverty alleviation relocation site.

With the primary school and kindergarten located near the community, now the children only take 10 minutes to walk to school and kindergarten.

Li Changde said:" I never imagined in my life that we could live in such a good house free of charge, and the children could go to such a good school that is so close."

Li Changde picks up his grandchildren from school in Dafang county, Guizhou province on Dec 23, 2020. (YANG WENBIN /XINHUA)

Li Changde carries Li Qingyi on his back as Li Siyu follows behind on way to school on a cold winter morning at Hetou village of Dafang county, Guizhou, on Dec 13, 2018. (YANG WENBIN /XINHUA)

Li Qingyi plays at a kindergarten in Dafang county, Guizhou province, on Dec 24, 2020. (YANG WENBIN /XINHUA)

Li Changde and his grandchildren at their new home in a newly-built community for poverty alleviation relocation in Shexiang ancient town of Dafang county on Dec. 23, 2020. (YANG WENBIN /XINHUA)

Li Siyu answers a teacher's question at a primary school in Dafang county on Dec 24, 2020. (YANG WENBIN /XINHUA)

An aerial view of Li Changde's old house at Hetou village of Sanyuan town in Dafang county, Guizhou province on Dec 13, 2018. (YANG WENBIN /XINHUA)

An aerial photo of a newly-built community where Li Changde now lives, for poverty alleviation relocation at Shexiang ancient town of Dafang county on Dec. 24, 2020. (YANG WENBIN /XINHUA)