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I am Luo Zongming. I was born in 1941, and now I am a retiree living in Luanzhou, in Hebei Province. |
"From a shabby, thatched cottage, to a mud house, a brick house, and a nice flat; without the care given by the Communist Party of China and our government, how come we live in today's comfortable residence and enjoy such a happy life?" asks Luo Zongming, who lives in Luanzhou, a city in North China's Hebei Province. From a small, red notebook to a series of archived files, Luo and his family have recorded their memorable experiences, which reflect important changes occurring in their daily lives.
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The small, red notebook in my hand is my "treasure." A lot of my and my family's experiences, since I began working in 1959, have been recorded in this notebook. |
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Every time I read the small, red notebook, I feel I am going back to the old days. |
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In the past, a radio cost 45 yuan (US $6.92), and a bicycle, 175 yuan (US $26.92). I wrote notes in this small book. |
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My monthly salary used to be a mere 26.5 yuan (US $4.08). I had to save money for several months to buy those things. |
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As time has passed, our living conditions have gotten better and better. More things have been purchased and put into our house. I no longer record everything in my small book. |
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Instead, the "archive" of my family documents our happy family life, most especially since we endured all the hardships. |
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My family's "archive" records the changes that have occurred in our ordinary family. Meanwhile, those changes reflect the rapid development of our country. |
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I hope the "archive" represents not only a collection of precious memories about my family, but also about a common memory of our motherland. |
(Women of China English Monthly May 2021 issue)
July 15, 2021