Liu and a teacher in front of a Flying Box dormitory in the school. Provided to CHINA DAILY

"It was a shock for me to see that path through the mountains. It was such a hard walk," she said. "I slipped over three times on the same slope!"

According to Fang Kunyou, the principal of Shaba primary school, some students had even dropped out of school in the past because the walk was such a struggle.

Liu said it feels good to think she may be helping to do more than make life easier for some of the children, she may actually be helping keep them in school.

"What we did may change these children's whole lives," she said. "My life became meaningful because of that."

Ren said she saw a change for the better in her daughter because of the experience.

"She changed a lot during the past year," Ren said. "She became more mature and decisive. I'm so proud of her."

But the mother was worried her daughter had been working so hard and putting in such long hours on the Flying Box project that her studies had suffered.

Ren said her daughter regularly hit the books until midnight to make up for lost time.

"I used to hope she would further her studies as a postgraduate," Ren said. "Now, I'm afraid she is too tired but I will support her and respect her choice."

Liu believes she can do well in school and carry on expanding the Flying Boxes project. She said the university is fully supporting her and she now has a team helping her that is made up of more than 100 volunteers.

Their aim is to build 50 Flying Boxes in the next two years for schools all over the country.

"I can handle it," Liu said. "I cannot stop. It's a kind of mission for me to help these children in the mountains."