Essays ⁽³⁴⁹⁾

A few days ago at the dinner table, my son suddenly said that after his TOEFL course ended he would have a few free days and wanted to get away for a couple. We told him: then go on your own, or team up with…

When I was small, once my grandfather caught a swallow and brought it for the grandchildren to play with. My grandmother scolded him roundly, saying he ought not; if a child accidentally killed the swallow, that would be taking a life. She also scolded her…

Two primal forces have always sustained me onward: the first is curiosity about the world, and the second is love that rises from deep within the heart. They complement each other, together forming a complete motivational system that has given powerful support throughout my life.

Today is the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. By Chinese folk legend, on the night of Qixi the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl meet again in the sky, so Qixi is China's Valentine's Day. The seventh day of the seventh lunar month is…

West of Haidian is Shijingshan, and west of Shijingshan is Mentougou. Mentougou is a large swathe of mountainous country in western Beijing; there the mountain ridges rise and fall, and between the mountains there are many rivers, with mountains, rivers and streams crisscrossing one another.

Over the past week, I have been traveling with my family. For our family, this was a rare grand reunion. I took my father to visit my older brother, sister-in-law and nephew; my little nephew is only a bit over a year old, and it…

At the end of this month I will leave Beijing for a week. During this week I have plans to go abroad; during this time WeChat may not log in normally, and the various work matters in Beijing will have to be suspended for a…

After this year's college entrance exam, I took my child to Mount Tai. On the mountain path he grew tired, so we found a place to sit and rest; he leaned on my shoulder and fell asleep. The other day I took my son out…

I rent a small vegetable plot of about forty square meters in Sijiqing Town at the foot of Fragrant Hills in Beijing, for four thousand yuan a year. In Beijing, where every inch of land is precious, this rent is not too high and roughly…

Dear WeChat friends and readers of my blog and official account: the number of contacts on my work WeChat has recently reached its maximum limit. Starting now, some new readers who wish to consult me about tumor issues cannot add me, so I have to…