I am from Xi'an, and I have been in Beijing for more than ten years. I do a bit of general work, whatever needs doing. Beijing struck me as a big city when I came here.

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I find happiness in keeping busy. When you have work to do, you forget about other things for a while. I work, earn what I can, and get on with the day. I would say I am happy.

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I do not have a grand lesson to give anyone. I am not very good at making speeches about life. I just keep active. The work gives me exercise too, and I would like to lose a little weight. That is my life in quite ordinary terms.

I can't hear very clearly. I am already an old woman. I am just sitting here. Just taking walks.

My surname is Wang, and I am seventy-five. I have just been tending the vegetables. For ordinary people like us, life has largely meant working to feed the family. We eat so that we can work, and we work so that we can eat.

I left school when I was young and began working in the fields. In the days of the production team, you earned work points. At first, it was only a few points a day; later you could earn more. That was how life moved forward.

Then, almost before you realized it, a whole lifetime had passed. My story is mostly a story of work and keeping a family going.

My hearing is not very good now. You have to come closer and speak slowly. Sometimes I miss what people say, so I smile. If you sit beside me, we can usually manage a conversation.

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I don’t know much about the things people talk about these days. I know this village. I know which house belongs to which family, and who used to live behind the doors that are closed now.

There used to be children running along this road. Around mealtimes, someone would come outside and call them home. Now the young people have gone away. They need work, and they have their own lives to make. There are mostly just us old ones left.

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Sometimes we sit together and ask about someone we haven’t seen for a few days. Has she gone to stay with her daughter? Is he feeling well? If nobody knows, someone goes over to have a look.

I hope the young people are doing well. I wouldn’t know what to tell them about finding work or living in a city. When they come back, I ask whether they are eating properly. That is something I understand.

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I still like sitting outside. Across the lane, someone raises a hand, and I raise mine. I may not hear what they call out, but I can see them. Tomorrow, if the weather is good, we will come out again.

I am eighty-one. When I was young, my life was farming, and that was what I thought about doing. I have not been away from Yanqing, and I did not really think about leaving.

Being alive is good. I am not especially afraid of death. When the time comes, it comes. Until then, this is the life I know.

I am in my sixties, and I am a farmer. I am not very good at talking about life or giving advice. I am just out here going about my day.

To me, caring for your parents is your own responsibility. You have to decide for yourself how you treat them, whatever other people choose to do. Being a good son or daughter is something each person has to take seriously.

As people get older, they may need someone beside them wherever they go. Even going up and down stairs can mean needing an arm to hold on to. A fall can lead to a fracture and a great deal of trouble. Looking after an older person means staying close and helping with these ordinary things.

Earning money is what makes me happiest, but I am not particularly happy at this exact moment. I have only just joined as a full-time rider, and I have not yet been able to start taking orders properly. I still need to sort out the uniform and get going. Right now, what I want is the chance to work and earn.

My surname is Yao. I am twenty-five and not working at the moment. I used to deliver food, but it became so hot that I did not want to keep doing it. My family is from the countryside.

I would like to have a place of my own to work from. I am not fixed on exactly what kind of place; what matters to me is being self-employed and having some freedom.

For now, I take life as it comes. I spend time relaxing, and when I need money, I look for some work and do it for a while. I have not really thought about pensions or what old age will be like. I do not spend much time worrying about death either. To me, being alive is the point. I live one day at a time.

Just doing a bit of shopping. I've got the bike nearby, so I haven't taken the helmet off. It's easier than driving around looking for somewhere to park.

I was only supposed to get a couple of things. Then you walk past a shop and stop for a look. It takes a bit longer. If I see somebody I know, we have a chat. I'm not in such a hurry today.

Most days are ordinary. Work, eat, go home, see what needs doing. I don't have a big story to tell you. If everyone at home is all right and I've got enough for what we need, I'm happy. Now I'd better get going, or they'll wonder where I've got to.

My surname is Wang. I am forty-six, and I have been working for many years. My dream is not especially grand: I would like life to be a little less exhausting. The thing that makes me happiest is being together with my family. I want to save more money and support my children through their education.

What I have learned is how difficult it can be to make the money stretch. In the current environment, changing everything is not simple. For now, I try to keep things going, work a little harder, and save what I can.

I am forty-eight, and I deliver goods. When I was young, my wish was to study well. There were many children in my family, and I did not get the opportunity to continue as I had hoped. I do regret that. Education can make a difference to the work a person is able to do.

My happiest moment is finishing work. Coming home and eating together is what I look forward to. I do not find much enjoyment in the job itself. Some days, it is so busy that I barely have time to eat lunch, let alone spend time at home.

I do not have a grand piece of wisdom to offer. I work, I get through the day, and I value the time afterward. Sitting down for a meal with the people close to me is a real happiness.

I am from Madagascar, and I am studying in Beijing. I came here because I am interested in Chinese culture. That interest is part of what brought me to this new place and this stage of my life.

I am sixteen and go to school here in Yanqing. I do not feel an enormous amount of academic pressure, partly because I spend plenty of time eating, relaxing, and having fun. I am not pretending that I study hard all the time.

I would like to go to university, perhaps Jiaotong University. I am interested in cars. My dream is to build them, or find a way to create a business of my own in that world. If one route does not work out, I will have to think about another.

I do not know a special secret to success. I think you need to love what you do. At this point in my life, happiness is what meaning comes down to for me. I want to enjoy being alive while I figure out the rest.

My surname is Liu. I am a farmer, and I am waiting to pick up my grandson. I am a little shy about being interviewed; I do not find it easy to talk like this.

I did not grow up with a grand dream. My life was farming. These beads were just something inexpensive I bought to hold and play with.

I enjoy having a drink, in moderation. I do not spend much time being afraid of death. For now, there are ordinary things to do, including being here when my grandson needs collecting.

I make flatbreads for a living. I started in my twenties and have been doing this for more than twenty years. There is no inherited family secret behind them. I developed the method myself, little by little, through practice. I aim for a crisp texture, and I do not add unnecessary ingredients.

The money is not easy to earn. Even so, I have to face the day positively. Over time, you get used to the work and find your own temperament within it.

One thing that helps me stay cheerful is not setting my expectations too high. If I give myself a small goal and achieve it, I can be happy about that. Not every success has to be enormous.

If I had to describe my life in one sentence, I would say that a life is made by getting through one day after another. You keep working at it, and little by little, those days become your life.

I am fifty-seven and a local farmer. The vegetables I sell are ones I grow myself. We have a greenhouse, and I come out to sell some of what we produce.

These days, my wishes are simple: enough to eat, decent clothes, and a healthy body. I have an old burn from many years ago. Living conditions were different then; things are safer and better arranged now than they used to be.

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. That is what matters to me.

First respondent
I am thirty-two and self-employed. We met by chance, and a conversation became the beginning of a relationship.

I think part of what keeps us together is having an endless supply of ordinary things to say to each other. We talk about nonsense as well as serious things. We argue too; that is normal. But an argument does not have to last. We can make up and return to being ourselves together.

Partner — closing response
We tease each other about our flaws, but underneath the teasing there is acceptance. Neither of us needs the other to be perfect. We can laugh at ourselves and still choose each other.

Respondent — on commitment
I once read an image that stayed with me: 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.

Respondent — on marriage as a choice
The advice I would give young people is that marriage is a choice, not a requirement for a complete life. You can choose to marry or not to marry. You can choose to have children or not to have them. The point is to choose a life that allows you to be happy.

Marriage has more than one side. There are good parts and difficult parts; nothing is entirely one thing. Being married does not mean I believe everyone else must make the same choice.

My surname is Niu. I am fifty-four and originally from the northeast. I used to run a food business, but when business became difficult, I changed what I was doing. What I like about selling on my own is that I can make my own decisions. I am not always working under someone else's restrictions.

To me, health is a blessing, and happiness is a blessing. If I could choose again, I would take my education more seriously. I feel that not studying well limited the things I could do and the dreams I could pursue. I know people say graduates have difficulties finding work too, but I still believe ability and education can open doors.

I settled here because I met my wife here. Over the years, I feel that romantic love has changed into the affection of family. That is what remains at the centre of the marriage for me.

I am sixty-seven, and I have farmed throughout my life. I do not have a particular unfulfilled dream to describe.

I think marriage can be a good thing, and I do believe love can remain after marriage. Happiness can be very ordinary. If you are happy, that makes me happy too; one person's good spirits can reach another person.

I do not have a long story ready to tell. I am simply glad to be living my life.

My surname is Kang. I used to drive a taxi in Beijing, but earning a living that way became harder. App-based services and the growing number of private cars changed the work.

A taxi driver still has fixed costs. The monthly payment to the company was more than five thousand yuan, whether you found enough passengers or not. Then there was fuel. You could work very hard and still have little left for yourself. In the better periods, the take-home income was different; now the effort and the return do not feel worth it to me.

What I do here gives me more freedom. I do not have that same fixed payment hanging over every day. That is why I came back and changed the way I work.

I come here when I have nothing to do at home. Usually there are a few people playing. I know some of them. If there's a place to sit, I sit. Otherwise I stand and watch.

I can play a bit. I'm not that good. When you're standing beside the board, you can see where somebody has gone wrong. When you sit down yourself, it's different. Sometimes I say something and they tell me to keep quiet. All right, I keep quiet for a while.

We talk about whatever comes up. Who hasn't been here lately, what's expensive at the market, things like that. There isn't much of a plan. When it's time for dinner, I go home. I'll probably be back tomorrow.

My surname is Song. I am seventy, and I am here watching the chess game. I do not have a long list of regrets to describe. I would tell young people to have the courage to try things.

Whatever work you choose, give it your full effort. Do not do it half-heartedly or merely go through the motions. When you are young, there are things to attempt and build. At my age, life feels more like living one day and then the next. That is why I think the effort you make earlier matters.

Speak a little louder. I can't hear you very well. I saw you talking, but I didn't catch what you asked. You'll have to say it again. I can hear some things, just not clearly.

I've brought my stool out for a while. It's nice here when the weather is good. I watch people go past, and if somebody I know stops, we talk a little. Sometimes I have to ask them the same thing twice. They know how I am.

At home there's always something small to do. After I've eaten and tidied up, I come and sit. I don't go far. If it gets cold, I take the stool back inside. You can sit for a bit too. You don't have to keep asking questions. It's nice having someone here.

I am sixty-five and retired. I used to work in a pharmacy. Looking back, I cannot identify a major regret. I have experienced a fair amount simply by living this long, but I would not describe my life as full of dramatic setbacks. The work could be tiring, but there was not always a larger story behind it.

Most days, I feel reasonably happy. My children are grown, and there is now a young child in the next generation. I can see that the economy and the demands of working life put pressure on younger people. Their world contains many things that we never encountered.

Technology has moved very quickly. My child bought me a phone, but there are things on it I do not know how to use. I am being honest about that. I think the changes bring both good and difficult things. Younger people tend to adapt faster; older people take more time.

I do not have a perfect answer for the younger generation. I can only describe the life I have lived and acknowledge how different the world has become.

My surname is Xu. I am sixty-one and from Hefei, Anhui. I have long admired Mao Zedong, and an important reason for this visit was to pay my respects at the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall. We have also visited Tiananmen Square, the Great Hall of the People, the Great Wall at Badaling, and the Temple of Heaven. I wanted to see Beijing's historic places and cultural heritage for myself.

I feel a strong respect for the country and its leaders. When I see national meetings in the Great Hall of the People, I feel that sense of respect very deeply. I hope visitors leave a good impression on Beijing, just as Beijing leaves a good impression on us.

I run a small trading company with more than twenty employees. I would not call it a great business empire. We have built it steadily, through hard work, thought, and ordinary, honest business. I believe in earning the money that is properly mine to earn, not reaching for money that has nothing to do with me. The business supports my family and provides work for other people. That is a contribution I can make.

In my understanding of our history, Mao represents the country's liberation, the defeat of the Nationalists, and resistance to foreign domination. I associate the current period under Xi Jinping with national strength, modernization, and security. When I look at wars in other parts of the world, I value the peace I experience here.

These are sincerely held views for me. I believe the country can become stronger still, and I hope the progress continues. Running my business properly and helping the people who work with me are the ways I take part in that larger future.

My surname is Zhu. I am seventy-seven. I cannot think of a particular story or a great moment of realization, but I would tell young people to be good to their parents. That is the advice I know how to give.

I find being alive interesting. I am afraid of dying, yes. While I am here, I want to live properly. If there is something I would like to eat, I buy a little of it. The support I receive helps me manage those everyday needs.

I am out for a walk today, and I am going to buy some flour. Life goes on through things like that: a walk, an errand, and something good to eat.

My name is Zhao Huiqing. Me? There’s nothing much to tell. I get up early, have a bowl of porridge, then go and see to the vegetables. There’s always a bit to do. Leave it a few days and the weeds come up again.

When a neighbour passes, we ask, “Eaten yet?” “Yes. You?” Then we talk for a while. Whether it’s going to rain, how the vegetables are doing. Just that sort of thing.

I grow enough for us to eat. When there’s extra, I give some to the neighbours. It’s only a few cucumbers. What are you paying me for? Just take them home.

I am sixty-five. I worked in Beijing for more than ten years, and now that I am retired, I have come back to live here. Home is more convenient and comfortable for me. This is where my family is.

I think people encounter opportunities in life, but what matters is whether they can seize them. Looking back, I feel I made use of the opportunities that came my way. I have two sons, and I have helped each of them have a home in Yanqing. I also built a home for myself here. When I look at where our family is now, I feel the effort was worthwhile.

It was not a smooth journey. Conditions were very different when we were young. During the production-team era, you earned work points; you could not simply go out and make money whenever you wished. We had to find our way through the circumstances we were given.

I am not planning to take on more work now. I want to enjoy retirement. Each of my sons has a son of his own, so I have two grandsons. To me, that is a satisfying place to have reached. I feel I have done my part for this family.

I worked on the land when I was young. I grew vegetables for fifteen or sixteen years, and later I worked with flowers in greenhouses for another seven or eight. I even spent a year in Hainan growing flowers for someone. I kept working for a long time.

Eventually, my children told me it was time to stop travelling for work and take care of myself. They said that earning money would not help if I had to spend it all on my health afterward. I could see their point. I have been taking things more quietly these past couple of years. At this stage of life, looking after my body, eating properly, and avoiding unnecessary burdens on my children matter most. The support I receive is enough for my basic needs, and I am content with that.

When I was younger, I also served as a women's leader. I became a women's team leader at fifteen and held responsibilities for more than ten years. Our village was known for equal pay for equal work between women and men, and I spoke about it in different places around Yanqing.

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.

I do not feel the same need to chase money anymore. My children worry about my health, and I understand why. I have worked, raised a family, and done what I could. Now I would like to keep myself well and enjoy the days I have.

My surname is Wang, and I am nearly sixty-nine. I have worked the land at home rather than holding a regular outside job. Today I have come out to walk around and enjoy myself. Walking about each day makes me happy.

When I was young, I did not have a great dream beyond earning enough to support the family. Money does not feel as important now. My children are grown, and the responsibilities are lighter. I cannot work as I once did anyway; sometimes the willingness is there, but the strength is not.

At this stage, I think the meaning of life is to spend the day happily. Get out, move around, and make something pleasant of the time you have.

I eat outside a lot because it's convenient. But after a while, you get tired of buying the same few things. So I started cooking a little. Nothing difficult. Noodles, eggs, a couple of vegetables. Enough to feed myself.

The first time I tried making braised pork, I called my mum three times. She kept saying, 'A little soy sauce.' How much is a little? She thought that was funny. I wanted her to tell me properly. It came out too salty, but I ate it. I wasn't going to throw all that meat away.

I’d be happy if you gave me a thousand yuan. Of course I would!

You say people born in the eighties have had it hard. People born in the sixties and seventies had it even harder.

And when you say that older generation has money now, what about the people in the countryside? What have they got?

My surname is Zhang. I am fifty-two. I cannot really explain how I keep an optimistic attitude, and I do not have a prepared answer about dreams. This has simply been my everyday life for a long time.

I feel that my generation has had a particularly difficult adjustment. We grew up with very simple phones and watched the world move from 2G to 3G, 4G, and 5G in a relatively short time. We have had to keep adapting at every step. People born into a more connected world begin somewhere different.

I remember childhood as a happier, simpler time. Food had a taste I still remember, and having one yuan in my pocket could make me delighted. Now I could have a thousand yuan and still feel anxious, because it might not cover even a month's living costs. A meal out with friends can take a substantial amount from that. The number is bigger, but so are the demands on it.

At our age, the pressure comes from both directions. There are parents above us and children below us. A parent's illness can shake the whole family financially. At the same time, we have to raise our children and find ways to communicate with them. Our own upbringing was strict; parenting now feels very different. I know young people have pressure too. I am describing the strain I feel from where I stand.

I also see people from an earlier generation who managed to build more security. My parents are from rural Shanxi. They were willing to endure hardship, worked through the opportunities their era offered, and were reluctant to spend unnecessarily. Over time, they saved. In my view, many people of that generation ended up with a kind of financial and emotional stability that we struggle to reach.

I am forty, and I am not working at the moment. My parents are farmers.

The way I keep cheerful is by not overthinking everything. I do not carry every little matter around in my head. For me, being happy is the important thing. I do not have a dramatic moment of realization to tell you about, or a great ambition for the future.

I am happy now. That may be a very simple answer, but it is my answer.

My surname is Zheng. I am twenty-five, and I deliver food. When I think about a dream for the future, the first thing that comes to mind is having more money. At the moment, earning it means carrying on with the work I am doing.

I am single. I recently went through a breakup because we were not suited to each other, and I do not want to go into the details. I do not have a clear answer right now about a future partner or marriage. The cost of marriage, including the expectation of a bride price, can create real pressure.

I have not worked everything out. For now, I am taking one step at a time.

My surname is Shen. I am in my forties, and I teach adults. I am here today as part of our student-recruitment work. We use different ways of reaching people, including online channels.

In my view, our education system still has areas where it lags behind systems abroad. The internet has become a major part of how people connect and find opportunities, and I think that matters when we talk about change.

I am a teacher, that's it, you know we cannot talk about things on camera

I am seventy. This hat was given to me; I did not buy it myself.

I do not know a secret to a long life, and I do not have some great realization to offer about getting older. There are things I did not understand when I was young that I still cannot neatly explain now. I have some health troubles these days.

I am not especially afraid of death. I may not have an answer for every question, but this is how I feel.

My surname is Yan. I am thirty-eight, and I have been making and selling huoshao flatbreads for about ten years. When I was young, I wanted to join the military, but that did not happen. Life took me in a different direction.

What makes me happiest is being able to live well. When I think about the meaning of life, I think of my wife, my parents, my children, and earning what we need. Those are not small things to me.

My wife and I have been together since middle school. We have stayed together through very different circumstances. My family's situation used to be quite good, but some difficult events changed that. I have experienced what it is like for life to rise and fall.

When trouble came, my wife's first concern was what she could do to help me. She wanted to know how she could get me through it. Having someone respond that way means a great deal. I think we have reached a point where neither of us can imagine life without the other.

That is why I say we should live well. It is not an empty answer. After what has happened, I know the importance of the people who remain beside you.

I am thirty-eight. I used to have a regular job, and I have been raising and selling birds for about three years. I chose this because I like the birds themselves.

The market is difficult now. When more people breed the same kinds of birds, there are more for sale and prices fall. A lower price does not automatically make everyone buy one. People buy a bird because they want one; if they are not interested, making it cheaper does not create that interest.

A regular job has its advantages, especially when it comes to money. Happiness still needs a financial foundation. But if I could choose again, I would probably choose the birds again. I enjoy being around them every day. That enjoyment is the reason I began, and it is still the reason I stay with it.

I am sixty-six. I worked in construction when I was younger. Much of adult life has meant hard work and tiredness.

I can still be happy even when life is tiring. Society has improved, and I can recognize that while also knowing how much effort it takes to make a living. Both things can be true.

If I could live again, I would probably choose a different line of work. Who would not prefer a little less hardship? I cannot name a precise alternative now. What I can say is that, in this life, keeping an optimistic outlook has mattered. You still have to find a way to live the days you are given.

I am seventy-four, and I feel my life is quite good. I am out here passing the time. These sunglasses are simply something I wear; I do not even know what they cost.

I am not afraid of death. I do not believe in ghosts or gods, and I do not think there is something complicated to explain afterward. When life is over, it is over.

My own approach is to enjoy eating, drinking, and having some fun while I am here. I feel that I have managed to do that. If you ask whether I am happy, my answer is yes.

My surname is He. I am fifty-seven, and I make huoshao flatbreads. A good one should be crisp outside and soft inside, seasoned just right, and full of flavour when you bite into it. I want it to look good, use proper ingredients, and taste good as well.

My idea of doing business is to welcome people warmly and treat customers like family. That is not just a technique for selling something. I genuinely enjoy meeting the people who come here from different places. Some return and greet me as an old acquaintance. Someone may have just eaten lunch and still want to buy one to try. Those encounters are part of what I gain from the work.

This is a physically demanding trade. I would not tell a young person it is easy. But it is also a traditional craft in Yanqing, and I think some of that older culture deserves to be carried forward. My son has followed me into the business. He makes the flatbreads well, and his personality suits working with customers.

I am happy even on a day when the earnings are not especially good. I have still met people and made something for them. When you work happily and with care, you pay attention. You try to do the job properly instead of merely getting through it.

That is something I hope we can pass on along with the recipe: care in the work, warmth toward the people who come to us, and the belief that happiness can move from one person to another.

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They say a good spectator keeps quiet. I agree with that rule every time I arrive. Then someone leaves a piece unprotected, and before I can stop myself, I have told him what to do.

The fellow in glasses says I should sit down and play if I know so much. But when I take a seat, suddenly he has plenty of advice of his own. We have been having the same argument for a long time. Nobody gets very far with it.

I often come out saying I am only going for a short walk. Then I see the board, lean my bicycle somewhere, and stay for another game. Someone arrives with news. Someone makes a terrible move.

By the time I leave, I may have forgotten who won. I can usually remember who was there. That is what brings me back.

I am ninety-two. This pipe was passed down through the family. I believe it may go back as far as the Qing dynasty. I still use loose tobacco in it. It has a stronger taste than an ordinary cigarette.

For me, the meaning of being alive is to live happily. One piece of advice I would give is to persist in what you do. If you keep changing trades, you are always a beginner. It is difficult to become accomplished when you continually start again.

I have tried many kinds of work myself, including repairing watches, wholesale trading, and dealing with antiques. That is the experience behind the advice. Choose something, learn it properly, and give yourself time to become good at it.

There were times when the greatest pressure was not having enough money or enough food. When you have lived with that, being able to eat properly feels like a great happiness. These days, I do not worry in the same way about food and clothing. I can sit with people, play cards, and enjoy myself.

To me, living happily and getting along with others are good reasons to be here.

I live on my own and have never married. I have always had a loud voice; that is simply how I speak. This old place is where I live.

We are talking about the houses and the well, about what has changed and what has stayed. Other homes have been classified as unsafe, but ours has not been treated in the same way. The condition of the house is one of the practical matters that concerns us. Life here still involves looking after the place and managing what we have.

This is where I live. The yard and the buildings on this side are ours. There are chickens in a cage, a female dog, and a small patch of vegetables. I grow those vegetables for myself; I do not sell them.

There is an old well here too. We do not rely on that water for drinking now. Rainwater collects there, while the water we drink comes from the mains.

It is an ordinary home, with the animals, the vegetables, and the practical things that need attention. This is the place where I spend my days.

I am around seventy, and I have been retired for fourteen years. My working life lasted almost forty years, beginning in Mao Zedong's era and ending during Hu Jintao's.

I like wearing this kind of military-style shirt. My son brings me the clothes, and I enjoy them. Now that I am retired, I keep a small vegetable garden. I do not go out looking for other work.

I do not think you can compare the early years of the country with today as though the circumstances were the same. In my view, the foundations laid then made later development possible. I still feel a strong attachment to Mao Zedong.

I have a portrait of him at home that I would not sell, however much someone offered. Its value to me is personal. It belongs to the history I lived through and the feelings I still carry.

Older card player — man in grey
I am eighty-five. We have been sitting here playing cards for a couple of hours, and now it is nearly time to eat. Make up whatever more you can read from our faces, son!

I am sixty-six. In a couple of days, I will be going back to road work. I have done this kind of hard work for a long time. When I was young, what I thought about was earning money. Much of life was about making a living.

My great regret is that I did not learn to read properly when I had the chance. Older people told me to study, but I did not listen. Later, I found myself without the kinds of opportunities that education might have offered. Now my health is not as good, and I do not have money put away. That is a difficult position to reach.

I know that even university graduates can struggle and that some end up delivering food. I am not saying education makes life easy. But being able to read is still better than being unable to read. Without it, you are often left with the hardest physical work, and even using everyday technology becomes difficult.

If there is something I would ask a young person to take seriously, it is the chance to learn. Do not dismiss it while it is still in front of you.

My surname is Zhu. I am seventy-eight and have lived in this village since childhood. Conditions are much better now. In the past, we had to carry water. Today, there is a pipe, and watering things is much easier. That kind of change makes a real difference to daily life.

I have memories of life during the production-team years. After supper, there were meetings. The routines were strict, and there was not the same freedom to go out for an evening stroll as people have now. The money was limited, but those years are part of the life I remember. I have good feelings about the period under Mao, even while recognizing how much practical conditions have improved.

If you ask me for a secret to living a long life, I would say: get angry less often. That does not mean I never get angry. I do. But I try not to let it take over more of my life than it needs to.

I took down the old house on this side and rebuilt it. This part is newer, while another part has been left much as it was. The rooms are small, but this is how the place has developed over time.

My surname is Zhu. I am going out for an evening walk.

When I was younger, I served in the military. After returning to civilian life, I was given a job, but I later lost it because we had a second child under the family-planning rules of that time. That is something that happened in my life.

I think things are better for me now. I receive support, and I am no longer farming. My days are quieter. Tonight, there is nothing special I need to do; I am simply going out to walk around.