Tang Xingfen, the 51-year-old dorm supervisor, is a popular person on the campus of Hangzhou Dianzi University (HDU). In fact, the students call her "Auntie Tang." Since 2018, several media outlets have reported on how she had written six novels, with a combined two million Chinese characters, in six years. Recently, she was invited to give lectures on communication and writing skills to HDU's students.

Tang manages four dorms, which combined house more than 2,000 students. She is responsible for the buildings' normal operations, and for meeting the daily needs of the students. Tang enjoys her job, and she says working at the university inspires her to continue writing novels.

Start Writing

Tang was born in a village in Baizhang, a town in Hangzhou, a city in East China's Zhejiang Province. She has two younger siblings, both sisters. After she graduated from primary school, Tang dropped out of school due to poverty.

She began to do farm work with her parents. However, she didn't stop reading and writing.

As she read many books, Tang began to record her life in her diary. Later, she tried to write short stories and novellas. Gradually, she started to write novels. "I love writing. But it has never become my profession. Writing is a natural part of my life, just like brushing my teeth and washing my face every day," says Tang.

After she got married, Tang moved to Linping, Hangzhou, where she and her husband opened a shop and sold bamboo products. Several years later, Tang decided to open a noodle restaurant. However, she never gave up writing. The only change was that she started to write on a computer rather than in her diary.

In 2008, Tang launched her blog on 19lou, a popular Internet forum in Hangzhou. She posted her essays on the blog under her pen name, "elder sister is like mother." Her blog gradually attracted many fans, who called her "elder sister." Tang made connections with other literature lovers. They still keep in touch by chatting online through WeChat. They sometimes get together to talk about writing and life.

Tang eventually posted her novels, involving urban, marriage and other issues, on 9yread.com, an online reading website. "Although several of my novels have gained many clicks on the Internet, I still prefer my story, Rootless Duckweed," says Tang.

Rootless Duckweed tells the story of two families from the perspective of a person who has passed away. In the book, a self-centered mother who expresses a preference for arranging the fate of her children, and who experiences a life full of turmoil.

"I like it because it is a novel full of realistic sense, which conforms to my understanding of literature," Tang explains. "The story reflects several stories from my real life."

Wang Guofeng, a professor at HDU, says, "I thought it was written by a professional author, because it is so precise, with strong features of autobiography.

"It is such a precious thing that a middle-aged woman, who graduated from elementary school, has such a deep understanding of human nature," he added.

Wang says he will recommend Rootless Duckweed to his students, as it may help them deal with their relationships with their parents.

In August 2018, Tang was invited to join the Zhejiang Provincial Association of Online Writers. She burst into tears. "I didn't cry only for excitement," she says, "but also because it was not easy to keep on writing for so many years."

'Auntie Tang'

In September 2015, Tang began working at HDU as a dormitory supervisor. At first, she spent about two months remembering the names and dorm room numbers of the students.

She was already famous at the university for her kindness and tough work style, even before her novels gained popularity. Students started to call her "Auntie Tang."

She writes humorous statements on the blackboards in the dorms to remind others to return keys, or about students' responsibilities.

"The students have their own way of thinking, so the words and the way to say the words are more important. Writing them a note is an effective way," says Tang.

"I try to be friends with the students, rather than a much older dormitory supervisor. Gradually, I have formed emotional bonds with them," says Tang.

First Class

One day, during the fall of 2019, Tang received a call from the university's committee of the Communist Youth League (CYL), to ask her to teach a writing class to college students. "It was a surprise. I said I was not a professional writer, and that I was afraid the students wouldn't like my class," Tang recalls. However, the teachers on the school's CYL committee believed Tang's unique writing experience would inspire the students to read and write. Finally, she agreed.

One afternoon, in mid-November 2019, Tang, dressed in a dark green cheongsam, took three deep breaths, and started her class in an activity center of HDU. As all of the seats in the room were filled, some students could only watch the course live on the Internet in their dorm rooms.

"The theme of today's class is a sentence, from a poem written by ancient Chinese poet Su Shi, which means that wearing plain clothes and living an ordinary life will not prevent a person from becoming a knowledgeable person who has read many books." said Tang.

"Some students ask if writing has anything to do with talent. I believe, with talent, it's easier to write. But talent isn't everything. First, learn to read and write, and get into the habit of writing," Tang continued. Tang did much preparation before the class. She thought about how to arouse students' interest, how to make a good PowerPoint presentation, and how to make the whole class more coherent. The lecture notes for the class were revised 12 times, and she practiced her speech over and over again. Tang has since conducted two more classes.

"It has always been my wish to become a teacher. Thanks to HDU for letting me fulfill my dream," Tang says. "I hope the students feel it is worthwhile to take this class, and that they learn something meaningful. That's why I'm standing here."

(Women of China English Montly January 2020 issue)