Immeasurable Fortune

Being Chinese, my family has encountered a great number of revolutions. Among which, the Land Reform played a significant role on my family members. After the establishment of New China in 1949, the government had organized different kinds of revolutions, and the Land Reform starting in 1950 was one of the most important revolutions in Chinese history. The Land Reform took away lands from landholders and distributed it to poor farmers. My grandfather, a farmer without farmland, gained land thanks to the Land Reform. It freed my grandfather from repression and exploitation of landholders. However, the Land Reform not only affected my grandfather’s life, it also influenced my mother and me.

Benefiting from the Land Reform, my grandfather gained farmland as well as freedom. In addition, his income increased and enabled him to raise a big family with five children. My grandfather used to work for landholders at low wages. He was paid six RMB a month which was hardly enough to support his big family. After the Land Reform, my grandfather earned about fifteen RMB per month, which helped to improve the family’s economic condition and enabled his family eat better. Moreover, my grandfather used to work more than twelve hours per day, which left him a backache for the rest of his life. After gaining farmland, my grandfather eventually got rid of oppression and exploitation of landholders.

However, since my grandfather had his own farmland, my mother had to work communally when she was a little child. Therefore, she dropped out of school when she was ten years old. Due to the poor financial condition, my mother had to work with my grandfather on the farm, so she was not able to continue studying which influenced her whole life. My mother used to work from sunrise to sunset, even though she was supposed to be in school. After being absent for a whole year, my mother decided to drop out of school to save money on tuition. With a poor education, my mother had no choice but to be a textile worker when she grew up. It is not hard to imagine that textile workers were not paid well, so my mother had to work hard to afford my education.

People working communally on farms

Knowing that better education would lead to a better job and an easier life, my mother was determined to send me to school. Owing to continued studies, I was able to work as a brand operator, who was responsible for running the social media, in a cultural company in China, and I was able to communicate with foreigners without difficulties in Chicago. As I was working this well-paid job, most of my peers worked in factories in my hometown. Consequently, I was able to earn more and led a better life compared to them. Since I was able to talk with locals without difficulties, I have faced less challenges as an immigrant, and I was able to continue my studies in Chicago.

The Western Music Festival conducted by my team

The Land Reform was a turning point for my family. After gaining farmland in the Land Reform, my grandfather not only changed his whole life but the life path of my mother and me. It was a generational improvement. My grandfather fed my mother physically, and my mother fed me spiritually. Since knowledge is an immeasurable fortune in life, I can picture that I would do my best to let my children receive better education just as my mother when I have a child.