(Clearwisdom.net) Fan Xuejun was one of my best friends. When I read the news about his death, that his skull had been caved in, that there was a big hole on his back and a big gash on his leg, my heart felt very heavy. I didn't want believe that it was true.
I met Fan Xuejun in 1993. He was working in Mudanting Restaurant in the Shenyang Commercial Center as a cook. He was born in 1971, and was about 5 ft. 10 inches tall. He was such a fine young man. In 1995 my mother started practicing Falun Gong and introduced Falun Gong to Fan Xuejun. He had read Zhuan Falun (1) a long time before but hadn't started practicing. Then my mother brought him to the practice site.
Fan Xuejun practiced diligently. The changes in his physical and mental condition after practicing Falun Gong were remarkable. The pimples on his face disappeared, and his face became smooth and glowed with health. He worked diligently in the restaurant, and he was kind and honest to everyone. All his managers and co-workers liked and trusted him.
One time a boy working in the restaurant needed go home to his hometown to see his sick father in an emergency, but he didn't have enough money for the trip. The boy was very worried. After finding out about this, Fan Xuejun gave him 300 yuan (2). One day when Fan Xuejun was on a trip, he saw a woman eating some dirty food she had gotten by begging. Tears trickled down his face. He bought a meal for the lady and gave it to her together with a cup of hot water. The woman was moved and burst into tears.
After the persecution of Falun Gong started on July 20, 1999, Fan Xuejun went to Beijing to clarify the truth about Falun Gong and validate the Fa (3) on Tiananmen Square. He went to Beijing to validate the Fa on Tiananmen Square again in Oct 1999. He was first detained in Shenyang 5th Detention Center and later in Longshan Reformatory of Shenyang City. Afterwards, Fan Xuejun lost his job in the restaurant.
In the early summer of 2000, when I was having difficulty with my cultivation, Fan Xuejun came to my home many times. He shared his understandings about Dafa with me and helped me to improve my own understanding. To visit me, he had to come across the whole of Shenyang City from west to east. On some hot days, his shirt was soaked with sweat. Fan Xuejun often helped those practitioners who had poor understanding. He often said: "Although I have lost my job and can't do much economically, I am still able to devote my time and energy [to help others]."
His diligent responsibility to Dafa and to other practitioners inspired me. He also encouraged and inspired many other fellow practitioners to firmly continue their cultivation.
I had been imprisoned because of my practice of Falun Dafa and was released at the end of 2003. When I asked about Fan Xuejun, I found out that he had been sentenced to seven years in prison.
The last time I saw him was on July 2, 2001. At that time, I couldn't imagine that I would never see him again.
Notes
(1) The book, Zhuan Falun, comprises the principal teachings of Falun Dafa.
(2) Yuan is the unit of Chinese currency; 500 yuan is equal to the average monthly income for an urban worker in China.
(3) Fa: Law and principles; the teachings of Falun Dafa.