Xiao Liu Celebrates the Lunar New Year

His nickname was Xiaoliu. His parents both came from farming families in the suburbs of Beijing. His father enlisted in 1950 and went to fight in Korea in 1951. By the time the armistice was signed, only he and Uncle Xi were left out of the twelve men in his squad. After rising to the rank of lieutenant, his father was demobilized and returned home to drive a large truck for a transport company. He later joined the government and eventually retired with the benefits of a section-level official. Xiaoliu was born in 1963. After failing the college entrance exam, he went to work at a large factory in the electronics district. When the business declined, he became a tour guide in 1994. He first learned several dialects, then Korean. Xiaoliu's wife, Anji, worked at a clothing factory. They were introduced by her older sister and married in 1988. Their son, Fengxue, was born the following year. After the clothing company went bankrupt, Anji stayed home for several years, then went back to work in 1995. In 2003, their hutong was demolished, and Xiaoliu used the compensation money plus a loan to buy a secondhand home near the West Fourth Ring Road. Before the 2010 Lunar New Year, Xiaoliu had surgery at the hospital. He was discharged on Lunar New Year's Eve morning, first going to his parents' home in the suburbs to move in, then visiting nearby relatives in the afternoon to offer New Year's greetings. In the evening, he returned to the city to meet his mother-in-law's cousin, who had come from Xinjiang. On the first day of the new year, he attended a Guo family gathering. On the second and third days, he took their guest from Xinjiang to visit some tourist attractions.