Beyond Blood

40-year-old nimble-fingered leatherwork artisan Qiu Mei-hui and her taciturn 47-year-old carpenter husband Du Ming-hui are from the indigenous Bunun and Tsou tribes of Taiwan.

After discovering they were unable to conceive children, the couple decided to adopt and ended up with three kids, two of whom are Han Chinese.

In this episode, we discover why adopting kids stopped the couple's spendthrift ways and gave them direction in life; how the world appears through the eyes of an adopted child entering adolescence; and what it feels like to become a mother in just 10 seconds, instead of 10 months!

Host

Qiu Mei-hui: Just after adopting them I really worried about others' opinions. I worried they'd laugh and say "You can't conceive, so you've adopted. Worried their kids will feel inferior the couple often counsel them." I continually tell them "You're not inferior to others. It's just that your mother couldn't raise you.You weren't an abandoned child.It's just that your mother couldn't raise you."

Du Ming-hui: The kids provide us with impetus a source of motivation. If we never had kids we probably wouldn't be here. I don't know where we'd be. I'm really grateful to them.

Du Wen-bin: I know we are adopted, I don't feel bad.

Du Shi-qi: Although my biological mother weren't able to raise me, If I get the chance I'd like meet her.

Guest

Sakinu:The feeling they gave me was like the food on the table. Very simple, but not easy. Though Ming-hui isn't so articulate I could very much feel the way he silently goes about contributing to this family. I'm actually very touched by these 5 beautiful individuals.