Visiting a farmer in Shanghai

I spent most of the day yesterday visiting a farmer living in Shanghai, and was surprised to learn that most of the farmers in Shanghai are actually from other provinces.  These farmers come for a few years to work the lands because they can sell produce at higher prices in Shanghai.  However, their living conditions are quite dire and those hoping to live in something other than a shack have to pay monthly rent to the native Shanghai residents. 

Yesterday was incredibly hot here.  Since most of these farmers have no air conditioning, they could be found sleeping on the floor half-naked in their shacks.  As I approached one of the shacks, I saw a man sleeping in his underwear on the floor.  Feeling bad for possibly invading his privacy, I started to walk away from the shack.  The farmer wouldn’t allow it.  He immediately got up and started cleaning up his little shack and tried to look presentable.  It really impressed me how much pride this man took in his home and his appearance.  While he was obviously very poor, he even offered me his only cold beer (it was being held in a well to keep cold).  He ended up showing me around the little concentration of shacks and was very hospitable throughout.  Sometimes even to fault.  For example, he led me into his son’s shack to show me around, even though the entire family was sleeping and was woken up by him talking to me. 

While talking with the farmer, I discovered his annual income is around 6,000 Yuan (less than $1,000).  This was unquestionably the poorest person I had encountered in China.  He barely had enough money for food, and he lived in a shack that he built himself.  Interestingly, he didn’t complain and had no visible bitterness towards society or the government.  When I asked him if the government provided him with subsidies, he simply laughed and said that the government doesn’t take care of people like him.  While this may sound slightly hostile, he said it with a resigned tone that indicated he was just accepting the truth. 

A strength of the Chinese people is their dedication to hard work and unquestioning attitude.  This farmer is a perfect example of both those traits.