A painting by Ni Ping. [Photo provided to China Daily]

She made it, finally. A decade after that, her son recovered. As Ni shared this part of the book to young audience at The Reader show on the CCTV in March, they were touched.

"To me, that shows there is no gap among generations of Chinese in terms of respect to the grandparents, and our deep links and attachments to them," says Dong Qing, anchor of the show.

Quotations of Grandma was first published in 2010, two years after the "loving, elegant and intelligent" lady Ni depicts died at the age of 99.

Xinmin Evening News reported sales of 300,000 copies in 2012. The book won the Fifth Bing Xin Award for Essays, selected from 2,000 essays in total, saluting her literary qualities in the book.

The newly revised edition by Changjiang Literature and Art Publishing House has 10 new articles and 20 some new paintings by the author as illustrations.

"In poorer times and in better-off times, grandma shows the same composure and faith in life. Her words are like cabbages and radishes, not expensive but always delicious and good for your health," Ni says.