Whenstrollingaroundthevillageduringtheday,youwillonlyseeseniorssunbathingandchildrenplayinginsmallgroupsbecauseworking-agepeoplearebusytendinggreenhousevegetablesandflowers,runningshopsonthevillage’scommercialstreet,orworkingatChunjiangGroup,inwhicheveryvillagerholdsastake.
TheGoodLife
At8:00a.m.,ZhangGuixian,amemberofthevillagecommittee,picksuphermopinglovedhandsasusualtobegincleaningthefivepublicwashroomsinthevillage.Shevisitseachofthemtwiceadaytoensuretheystaytidy.Evenmoreimportantly,Zhangmonitorsthewatersupply.Aftercleaning,Zhangdrivesanelectricmotorcycletoa530-meter-deepwellwhereshepumpswaterintotwostoragetanksonthebackofahill.Fromthere,thewaterflowstothetownhousesandthecommercialstreetthroughundergroundpipes.Whentheautomaticwaterpumpmalfunctions,asithasdoneperiodically,Zhangspendshoursatthewellpumpingthewatermanually.
Thewatermonitoralsohandlespipemaintenance.Whenaleaksproutedbehindasweetpotatonoodleshop,Zhangreceivedanur-gentcallfromhercolleagueJiaDan.Thatday,thevillagewasholdingasweetpotatonoodlefestival,whichhadattractedmerchantsfromnearandfar.Aleakypipeandlimitedaccesstowaterwouldsurelyputadamperonthevillage’ssweetpotatonoodlebusiness.Zhangimmediatelyphonedaplumberandrushedtothesite.
Itwasalreadydarkwhenthepipewasfinallyrepaired.Afterseeingofftheplumber,Zhangbegantopreparedinnerforhertwogranddaughters.Onherwayhome,Zhangboughtsomehotporridge,steamedstuffedbunsandmilktea,favoritesofhergranddaughters.Asshesetthefooddowninthekitchen,shereminiscedaboutcookingoverafireintheolddays.“Iusedtoburncoalandchokeonthesmoke,”sherecalled.“Butnownaturalgashasreplacedit.Cookinghasbecomemoreconvenientandaffordable.”AcoupleofminutesafterZhangstartedcooking,theinvitingsmelloffriedcarrotsandgreenpeppersfilledtheairthroughoutthehouse.
Zhang’stwogranddaughterssatatateatableinthelivingroom,theelderwatchingacartoononTVwhileplayingwithstickersandtheyoungerswipingatasmartphonegameandsippingmilktea.
Zhangenjoysthegirls’company,evenmoresobecauseherhusbandpassedawayoveradecadeagoandhertwodaughtersmarriedintonearbyvillages.Hersonanddaughter-in-lawseemtobeperpetuallyworking.
Intheevening,Zhangsometimeslistenstothenewsonaradioonashelfaboveherbed.Furtherdownontheshelfareseveralgreenpapayasthatemitamildfragrance.Becauseshealwaysleadsafrugallife,somebrand-newcotton-paddedjacketsandapairofsilverearringsthatZhangwearsattimesareparticularlyeye-catching.“Mydaughterboughtthemformewhenwewentshoppingdowntown,”Zhangexplainswithawrinkledgrin.
Nowadays,hersalaryfromthevillagecommitteeandrentfromashoponthecommercialstreetadduptomorethan10,000yuanayear,andthedividendsfromChunjiangGroupfurtherenhanceherearnings.“Agoodlifeisajobandampleincome,isn’tit?”sheasksrhetorically.
ZhangGuixiancleansapublicwashroominPeizhaiVillage.byZhangRuisi
AphotoofJiaDanandherfamily,takeninfrontofherhouse.byHuZhoumengBuildingaHappyFamily
Alongside60-year-oldZhangGuixian,30-year-oldJiaDanalsomonitorsPeizhai’swatersupply.Duringthesummermonths,Jiarisesatsixo’clockinthemorningtogojoggingandpumpthewater.Jia’sjobinthevillagecommitteealsoincludescleaninganofficebuildingandtheexhibitioncenterandprocessingformalitiessuchasmedicalinsurancereimbursementforvillagers.“Mostvillagersarenotfamiliarwiththegovernmentofficesinthetown,sothevillagecommitteehelpsthemwiththings,”notesJia.
Inrecentdays,JiaandZhanghavebeenbusyshoppingfortablewareforPeizhaiXishihui,avillage-rundininghallthatcaterstovillagers’weddingandfuneralbanquetneeds—hugelyimportanteventsinruralChinesetradition.“Inthepast,thevillagersusuallyrentedtentstohostbanquets,whichwerecoldinwinterandhotinsummer,”Jiareveals.Sincethedininghallopenedin2010,thevillagershavebeenabletorentthespaciousandwellequippedhallforonlyafewhundredyuan.
Jiadecidedtoworkinthevillagesoshecouldbettertakecareofherkids.Shehasa3-year-oldsonanda5-year-olddaughterwithherhusbandPeiZhuanshan,whoworksasasalesmanatChunjiangCementPlant.Everymorning,Jiasendsthekidstokindergartenbeforeheadingtowork.“SometimesIfeelsorryformykids,”Jiaadmits.“Idon’thaveverymuchtimewiththem,especiallymyson.Thevillagers’urgentproblemsdidn’tstopjustbecauseIgavebirth,soIhaveneverhadmuchtimewithhim.”
Jiaoncedreamedofbecomingapoliceofficerorsoldierwhenshewasyoung,butservingasacapablevillagecommitteememberorafamilysupporterisjustasnobleaposition.Intheirsparetime,Jiaandherhusbandtaketheirkidstothevillageplaygroundorwatchanimationwiththemathome.Occasionally,thewholefamilydrivestodowntownXinxiangforafancymealinarestaurant.Ontheirparents’birthdays,thecouplewillprepareagrandmealaswellasabirthdaycake.
JiaDanbesidethe530meter-deepwell,readytooperatethewaterpumpmachine.byZhangRuisiMother-DaughterDynamic
Inwinter,thevillage’swaterpipestendtofreezeandthepumpbreaksdowntoooften.ZhangGuixianandJiaDanalwaystackleemergingproblemstogether.“Apumpmalfunctiononcekeptusthereuntil11o’clockatnight,”Jiasaysofherworstexperienceonthejob.“ItwouldhavebeenterrifyingifIwasalone.Fortunately,AuntieZhangwasrighttherewithme.”
JiaandZhangaretheonlytwofemalemembersofthevillagecommittee.JiaisfromXuchang,acityincentralHenanProvince,andZhanghailsfromShandong,aprovinceborderingHenan.Chinesetraditionholdsthatamarriedwomanshouldvisitthefamilyonhersideontheseconddayofthelunaryear.However,JiaandZhangtaketurnsvisitingtheirrespectivefamiliessoonecanstayinthevillagetolookafterthewatersupply.
“AuntieZhangneverslacksinworkandalwaysdoesthetoughestjobs,”saysJiaofZhang’sdedication.Yearsofbackbreakingworkhavetakenatollonherbody.Everyday,shetakesatotalofeightpainkillerstofightabonespurandotheraches.ThepainisworthwhiletoZhang:“Itishardwork,buteveryoneinmyvillagenowhasstableaccesstodrinkingwater.”
Jiafirstjoinedthevillagecommitteetooverseebirthcontrol,andimmediatelyregrettedherlackofworkexperience,consideringthewiderangeoftasksthatdemandedherattention.Zhangcomfortedherwithgoodadvicesuchas,“Don’trush.Hastemakeswaste.”
Manyinthevillagelikentherelationshipbetweenthetwowomentothatbetweenmotheranddaughter.“Jiaisreallyagreatfriend,”Zhangremarks.“Shewasthefirstpersontobuymeahamburger.”Althoughthepairhasbecomeclose,theystilldisagreeonsomeissuesrelatedtowork.But,asJiasays,they“neverquarrel.”Rather,eachone“justspeaksoutherrespectiveideaandtheydiscusswhichismorefeasible.”
“Walkingontherightpathisevenmoreimportantforyoungpeople,”Jiaadds.“Agoodlifeisearnedwithhardworkandacalmmind.”