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STORIES OF BEIJING
Highlights
"Making money from art can be difficult. Some artists earn well, but they are a relatively small group. For many people, painting is mainly an interest or a pleasure. I cannot give every young person the same answer about whether to make it a career. Some manage to earn a living from it, and some do not. For me, it is something I enjoy, and I can earn a little from it too. That combination works for the life I have now."
I could not read, but I could stand up and speak. Sometimes there were very large audiences, even a thousand people. Officials encouraged me to join the Party, but I hesitated because I had no formal education. I could talk, yet I did not feel equipped for an official position. Looking back, those were real experiences, even if I sometimes think younger people will not be interested in hearing them.
“What I think about most is bringing up the next generation well. I do not have some extraordinary ambition beyond that. Keep ourselves healthy, look after the family, and help the children grow into good people.”
“Some say I am just picking up trash. I do not think so. I think I am picking up time. At the end of the day, I can sit down, eat a simple meal and feel at peace.”
“You are walking through a field of wheat, and you choose an ear that seems the biggest and best. As you keep walking, you may see another that looks bigger or more beautiful. If you are always comparing, there will always appear to be something better ahead. You have to understand the choice you make in your own heart."
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