A Working Life in the 1990s

The story of a group of people born in the 1970s, who left home in the 1990s to make a living as migrant workers. They choose different paths and carve out different lives.

At six in the morning, a faint glimmer of dawn filtered through the curtains. Zhao Xiaoming was no longer drunk, only parched. He turned his head and saw Sister Xie resting her head on his shoulder. She looked like a sweet, youthful girl, curled up with one small leg draped over him. They lay on a bamboo mat in a room half-lit and half-shadowed. As Sister Xie slept peacefully, her breathing was even and a sweet smile played on her lips. Her comfort and contentment seemed to grow even in her dreams. Every now and then, she smacked her lips as if tasting honey. Zhao Xiaoming couldn't linger to admire her. He slowly shifted, preparing to turn over and get out of bed.