It was a going to be a tiring day for Long. He had woken up at 5am, prepared his only white shirt, pants, and leather shoes, and before changing into his usual garb of blue cotton sleeveless shirt and shorts to tend the fields 5km from his house.
The fields that belong to his father were allocated by the provincial government. The crops which they rotated on this farm were sold to the local authorities in exchange for food rationing coupons. This was fast changing in recent years as farmers such as Long's family were allowed to sell to merchants in exchange for cash.
Long knew the crops would in turn, be traded at thousands of times the value which the merchants had paid for. But what could the farmers do? They had the shorter end of the stick as the local authorities dictated who farmers were allowed to sell their crops to. It was to sell, or risk having the crops go bad. Such was the way in the village.
Breakfast was thin gruel with beancurd sticks and salted egg. Long ate quickly as he knew he had much to accomplish for the day. He left for the fields hesitating for a moment to draw a long breath. "It might just be my last morning today" he thought with a tinge of sadness and a glimmer of hope in his heart.
By noon, his little sister brought his lunch, and sat alongside as Long ate. Rice, vegetables from the farm, and a salted egg.
"Will you travel again today?" she asked. "Yes" Long answered.
"When will you be back?"
"I don't know."
"Why not?"
"It's not up to me to decide." Long knew in his heart, his fate laid not in his hands. But in the hands of others, more powerful, more educated, more well to do.
He accepted that, like millions around him, he was born into a farmer's family, and is destined to take this path. He also accepted that his heart would yearn for his family if he were to leave them behind, his aging parents and young sister whom he adored.
But he must never show his emotions. A man must be brave, go forth into the world to earn big money and glorify the village and the family.
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At 3pm, he was home, packed the few belongings he had into a plastic carrier, and changed into his thin white shirt. His mother tried her best to straighten the shirt with her hands, hoping her only son would be accepted at the interview.
Long carried with him his passport, his high school certificate, some undergarments and his only other set of home garments.
He bade his family farewell. He hoped he will return, as his heart missed them so. Yet he hoped also that he would be amongst the chosen ones this time, unlike the numerous times he made the 15hour journey to the city, only to be rejected and travel back.
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Long left home at 4pm, taking the 1 hour ride on the village bus to the train station where he will spend the next 15 hours on a 'hard seat' the cheapest ticket possible to the city. He bought steamed corn from the platform before boarding the train.
Long's journey had begun.
Would he travel further this time? Or would he make the return journey back to his village?
The cost of the train ticket each time he travelled was proving to be a drain on his family's resources. It was their investment in him, in hope that he would bring glory, wealth and fame to his village and his family.
All Long knew at this point, was to meet a man called Mr Chow upon arrival at the city's train station. He must remember to stay awake which was proving too easy with the crowded train bustling with people smoking, playing cards and children crying.
He rehearsed endlessly the few lines he knew when greeting potential employers. Long wanted to succeed this time.
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