Quan Yifeng’s daughter, Eleanor Lee, turns 20 today (Oct 12), but it seems just like yesterday that she was a precocious 10-year-old girl on the cover of 8 Days magazine. But Eleanor is now a confident young woman with a burgeoning showbiz career in China. According to reports, the actress, who is now based in China, earned $1mil for starring in 2017 Chinese drama, Tribes and Empires: Storm of Prophecy.

And to celebrate her 20th birthday as well as her coming of age, Eleanor, whose dad is former Ch 8 actor Peter Yu, posted on her socials a long message dedicated to Yifeng, who raised her singlehandedly.

Here's her post, which 8days.sg has translated in English:

“I remember a few years ago, I did an interview with a newspaper and there was this quote from me: “A watch was used in exchange for my life.” Let me share with you the story of my birth.

When my mum was pregnant with me [in Taiwan], there was no one by her side. Once, there was a huge earthquake and my grandma and uncle were not at home. My mum cried while sitting on the floor and holding on to her stomach, praying that nothing bad will happen. And luckily, nothing did.

When my mum’s water broke, she rode alone on her motorbike to the hospital. But the hospital didn’t want to admit her ’cos she had no money. So my mum ran home, found a watch that her only friend gave to her, and pawned it. Then she took the money and went to the hospital for help.

After being in labour for 24 hours, she still couldn’t deliver me so they had to operate on her. After she gave birth to me, my mum actually had to stay in the hospital for a few more days but she got up and left because she had no money to be warded. But she had enough to pay for me to be hospitalised for a few days because all newborn babies have to stay for observation, right?

I later found out that I had to be hospitalised for a few weeks because I had severe asthma. Four days later, my mum ran into the children’s ward, pulled out the ECG monitor patch on my body, wrapped me up in a blanket and carried me away. The nurse chased after us, shouting: “Mum, mum! You can’t take her away! You can’t take her away!” My mum shouted back: “I have no money! Do you all still want this baby!!” Then she took the risk and carried me out of the hospital in tears.

Actually, I’ve been lucky in life. Very lucky. And my mum is great. Very great. She didn’t have any man next to her, helping her. She singlehandedly supported the whole family and raised me to this age and gave me everything I have now.

Everyone knows there used to be a lot of negative news about her but no one has ever asked her for the truth, they only blamed her. She’s been hurt many times but each time, she would slowly pick herself up. She would cry in the toilet alone, and would never let me see her tears. I’m so old now but I’ve never seen her cry more than a few times. No matter how strong a woman is, she is still a woman. She and I both love to cry, we cry when we are sad. But she won’t let me or anyone see it. Now that I’m not by her side, she will secretly run to my room to smell my clothes and lie on my bed and cry. She doesn’t have many friends, and she has never been good at socialising all these years.

[To say to her] 'It’s been hard on you' — these four words don’t sound sincere enough. You have been raising me all this time, and so now I want to say to you, 'Mum, it’s time for you to retire. Come here and accompany me. It’s time for me to take care of you.'

Here’s wishing me a happy 20th birthday! Thanks to all our mothers!”