Su Shengjun, Shuishan's son, is now working in Beijing. He got married in 2008, and had a little daughter in October 2009, who was immediately left in the care of her grandparents, where she has been ever since.
At night we went back to the county town. County magistrate Xiaoning invited me, the office chief and several heads of county government bureaus to dinner. I told Xiaoning that I had had lunch in the village, and would be embarrassed to be treated to another big meal. But Xiaoning said that as an honored guest I must have dinner, and that the dinner must have wine. Dinner in the town was naturally of a higher quality than my lunch in the village, but it still featured a large amount of meat, and was not of a particularly refined style. As an old friend of Xiaoning, I spoke frankly, and suggested they reduce the portion sizes and make the dishes look more attractive. Xiaoning answered in a pleasant manner, "All my predecessors treated their guests with plenty of meat. I'm not worried about being considered stingy, but I'm wary that if I reduce the portions, guests will think our economy is weak. I don't want to hamper our ability to attract investments."
Xiaoning then asked about my interviews. I said they were going well; now I had least gained a deeper insight into the lives of the first generation of migrant workers in the two villages.
Xiaoning said, "If this was only a cursory visit and it has already proven to be valuable, then if you have time please feel free to come again and stay for a longer period. You will certainly learn much more. I remember that Liu Qing moved from Beijing to Chang'an County and lived in the countryside for a long time to write Builders of a New Life. I also have another suggestion for you. Nowadays writers all sit in their studios far away from real life. The farmers I know like to read books about raising pigs, fish farming, planting trees… they seldom read books written by writers like you. If writers no longer appeal to farmers, then whose loss is it?"
I said, "I see what you are doing here. I suggest you reduce your portions, and you strike back saying that no one reads our books!"
Xiaoning laughed and waved his hand, "Now, let's not misunderstand each other!"
Joking aside, didn't Xiaoning's criticism deserve serious reflection?
Su Shengjun: "There really are many opportunities in Beijing!"
It was easy to get in touch with Su Shengjun when I got back to Beijing. We made an appointment at a KFC restaurant for noon, and he arrived exactly on time in an old minibus. Dressed in a well-fitted uniform, Shengjun was a tall and handsome young man with thick eyebrows and large eyes.
Shengjun now worked as a delivery man in a courier company. Born in 1984, he finished elementary school in the village and junior high school in the township. With mediocre grades, Shengjun felt that he would not be able to go to college even if he finished high school. Wanting to learn a trade, he went to a vocational school in Baoding to study computer operating.
After a year, many of Shengjun's schoolmates went to work and Shengjun was desperate to do the same. After May Day in 1999, he left school to work in a shoe factory in Shijiazhuang. His job required no skill. He worked from eight in the morning until six in the afternoon and all he did was lace shoes.
After lacing shoes for two years, Shengjun began to feel that Shijiazhuang was too close to home and therefore not exciting enough. He felt that young people should go out into the world and make a living much farther away from home. After Spring Festival in 2001, a fellow villager helped Shengjun to get a job as a security guard in a residential area called "Tianxing Homeland" in Huilongguan, Beijing. With free food and accommodation, Shengjun earned 600 yuan a month. This was a residential area of middle income residents, and Shengjun was responsible for guarding the entrance during the day and patrolling at night.
After working for some time, Shengjun discovered that some residents were cold and indifferent, while others were friendly. Once when he got a bad cold, many of the residents sent him medicine. Some would even invite him to dinner during the holidays and at New Year.
Among the residents was an old man surnamed Zhang, whose wife had died and whose two sons were both living abroad. Uncle Zhang liked Shengjun very much and would occasionally bring him food. When off duty, Shengjun would also call on Uncle Zhang to help him clean the house or water the plants. Often he would go just to chat and keep him company. There was a time when Shengjun hadn't seen Uncle Zhang for three days. He went to check on the old man, only to find that he had had an asthma attack. He was glad he had been there to call an ambulance and send him to hospital.
In reality the 600 yuan wage was hardly enough. Although food and lodging were free, Shengjun still had to pay for his telephone bills and daily necessities. On top of that if he wanted new clothes to suit the season, or to attend occasional parties with old friends, he would be left with nothing at the end of the month. What made him more uneasy was that everyone said there was no future in being a security guard, because the job didn't equip you with any new skills.
An old schoolmate who was working for a tire manufacturer in Qingdao told Shengjun that their company needed workers and offered a high wage, and asked him if he wanted to come.