Qingtian is a small town located near the coastal land of China, surrounded by several hills in which several villages have settled in the past. Therefore, at first, this town developed as a center of business interactions and opportunities. The interviewee of this edition is Shiyue, currently at the age of twenty-six, who came to Qingtian in the beginning of 2022.
Unlike many of the citizens of this county, Shiyue was born in GuangXi and raised in Guangdong, a province near Canton. She currently works in the cosmetic line as a manicurist, an area which many of the younger generations living in Qingtian opt to work in.
As a child, she dreamed of becoming an interior designer, having always had a passion towards artistic endeavors. However, due to the economical instability present in her household, she did not have the opportunity to finish high school and therefore couldn’t participate in the Chinese college entrance exam (the gaokao). This was devastating, but nevertheless Shiyue persevered and kept on finding new ways to pursue her dreams.
Soon, she decided to dedicate herself to her hobby of painting. She went to Canton to advance her studies in artistic techniques, where she met a group of talented friends who later invited her to Qingtian. At first, like many who are foreign to this land, she thought the town was quite remote. However, as she began to explore her surroundings, she noticed that it was in fact an energetic and vibrant location to live in, especially after the several modernizations it went through.
The moment in which she chose to settle down in Qingtian was when she met her husband, who owns a coffee shop. She realized that the city can now provide her with a prosperous life and economic stability, without her needing to fight for a decent living. Although tiny, this town has significantly provided her with an anchored lifestyle that many do not have access to, especially in bustling cities.
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