Bigger Cities, Bigger Appetites: They'll Devour You, Bones and All!
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After hearing my friend’s account, I also found it quite reasonable. Shenzhen indeed offers many opportunities, but a lot of hard-working people here face these situations:
- Many friends’ monthly salary may not reach 10,000 RMB (approximately $1,400 USD, to give you a perspective).
- On the other hand, the rent here is unbelievably high! Wanting to save money, one can only live far away from the downtown area, which means spending several hours commuting every day.
- Working nine-to-five without overtime? That's a rarity in Shenzhen.
- Many companies either don't cover accommodation or meals (meaning free employee dining or dormitories are not available), or don’t cover "social insurance" (which is somewhat similar to your country’s social security, including pensions and medical services).
- Even more elusive is "housing fund" (it’s a mandatory savings plan for housing; both companies and individuals contribute a monthly amount which will be available for buying a house later). Many companies won't offer this benefit even if you work overtime daily.
- So it is that many people’s lives here are essentially: sleep, work, commute…. It feels like being caught in a vicious cycle.
But to be honest, there isn’t much you can do about it. In China, there is a saying: "Eating all kinds of bitterness is the way for a person to rise above others," meaning that if you want to live a good life and be successful:
- You must endure hardships, not fear fatigue, and strive relentlessly.
- Or you must attain a high level of education as your 'foot in the door' when looking for employment.
- One must claim one of these to avoid remaining in their hometown trying to achieve dreams in big cities.
- Thus, even if things look extremely difficult, one must endure and keep striving, hoping to achieve success. ("熬", meaning "endure" or "hang in there," refers to putting up with difficulties as long as you hold on to hope).
In conclusion, this may be the reality of the current environment we talk about, right? What can ordinary people like us do to change it?
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Shenzhen is already a great city for ordinary folks.
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Compared to Guangzhou and Dongguan, apart from cleaner streets, the cost of living is vastly different.
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Rent's crazy expensive? Nah, landlords are basically saints. Over in Qianhai, places bought for over 10 million RMB rent out for 9,000 a month. They'll make their money back in just a hundred years of rent!
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I'm not quite sure if you're being sarcastic.
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In big cities, at least you have a chance to slave away and earn a wage. Small towns often lack industries, so even if you wanted to be exploited by capital, there's no opportunity.
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Shenzhen is already a great city for ordinary folks.
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In what ways is it particularly good?
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Rural areas are where they really exploit you, leaving nothing behind.
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Especially women.
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Shenzhen is actually pretty good. I moved back to Liuzhou from Shenzhen, and don't even get me started on the colleagues—they have absolutely no sense of personal boundaries.
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Back in my hometown, the main focus is on resting up and not staying up late. Here in Shenzhen, I'm incredibly anxious... I feel like I'm on the verge of a full-blown anxiety disorder.
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When faced with posts like this, my standard advice is: live a virtuous life, chalk up losses to good karma, study fortune-telling diligently, and hope you're reborn as a rich kid in your next life.