A City We Can't Stay In, a Countryside We Can't Return To

As society develops, many rural people born in the 1970s and 1980s are forced to readjust to society. Even rural youths who once excelled, achieved excellent grades, had both good character and academic performance, and made it into university eventually have to adapt to a new social environment. Officials, internet celebrities, people with secure government jobs, stars, beautiful women, and handsome men have gradually become society's winners. Those who are upright, honest, practical, and outstanding at their work have become the disadvantaged.

Ma Gaoping worked hard to get into university back then, then diligently and conscientiously worked in the city. Yet his life kept getting worse, until in the end he could only take a job at a small private factory.

He felt he could no longer adapt to life in the new city. He longed to return to the countryside where he grew up, live among simple country folk, and escape the city's clamor and scheming. But when he returned to his village, he discovered that the countryside had changed even more than the city. Almost no one wanted to be simple and honest anymore; they looked down on anyone who hadn't made something of themselves. Ma Gaoping, too, became a laughingstock among the villagers. His childhood playmate Zhang Haiping had done very poorly in school, but through various means he had become rich and was now praised by everyone in the village.

In the end, Ma Gaoping felt he couldn't stay in the village either. But the city had no place for him, so he couldn't help but sigh: The city won't let me stay, and the countryside won't let me return...