Rural Life Essay

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Chinese short story: The sad (happy) story of Li Yan

In the rural province where Li Yan was born, the villagers called her parents foolish. In some areas of China, it is legal to have a second child if the first-born is a girl, but not where Li came from. Additionally, many people bribed their doctors to reveal the sex of the child, yet Li's parents did not. It was said that Li was raised like a 'Little Empress' by her family: while other families demanded that their children work hard in the fields, her family instead stressed that she needed to study in school. However, Li's parents were still very strict and made sure their daughter applied herself. Time and time again, they reminded her that no matter how difficult it was for her to achieve success in school, she was not working as hard as they were working and she should be grateful for the opportunity to make something of herself. Year after year in the small rural school, Li stood at attention, memorized the long, traditional Chinese poems and mathematical formulas that are at the heart of every Chinese child's education and finally threw herself into studying for the gaokao or entrance exams to China's elite universities.

When Li was cramming for the gaokao, her parents did indeed seem to work as hard as she did, watching over her every night as she labored hard over her books. In theory, the entrance exams for the best Chinese universities are open to everyone and anyone. However, in actual fact that is rarely the case: wealthier students can pay for better tutoring. Li knew that she had to be twice as good as the daughter of someone rich to gain entrance into the school she desired.

Li succeeded, but remembered her years at university as some of the most unpleasant of her life. She felt awkward and ill-dressed because of her rural manners. Her grades were high yet few remembered her, given what a meek and unremarkable presence she was in class. Li was beautiful but so were the other girls who were the daughters of Party officials or businessmen.

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They had purses with Western labels and knew how to toss their hair and smile the right way. Li often missed home but she knew how hard her parents had worked for her to have the opportunity to attend university. Li endured because she did not expect school to be something fun or enjoyable.

After graduating she obtained a job at a bank. The daughters and sons of the wealthy smiled, laughed, and knew just what to say to her superiors. Li at first looked away and put her nose to the grindstone. She hated to talk to people because she feared they would make fun of her accent, which did not sound the same as the girls from wealthy families. But gradually, she began to change. She copied the ways of the children of the elite. She grew ashamed of the mannerisms of her parents the few times a year she could afford to take the time to return home, although she sent them as much money as she could. Eventually, with a new haircut, wardrobe, and attitude, Li garnered a better job with an American company and a husband who also worked there.

Today, Li drives around in an American model SUV, although her parents never owned anything faster than a bicycle. She marvels how her grandparents used to shuffle around on foot while she can so easily take her (one) son to soccer practice. The car cost as much as her grandparents likely earned working at backbreaking labor for several years. Li is a member of a health club -- she has no need to do manual labor. She wears name-brand high heels and pantyhose to work every day.

Her father has long since passed away and her mother lives with her and her husband. This is a frequent source of conflict in the family.

"Mother, you cannot take him to KFC so much," she says. For some reason, the old woman (who loves chicken) has decided that KFC is a kind of a health food and….....

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