In the 1980s, the construction industry developed rapidly. The Shihezi Ring Kiln Factory, a subsidiary of the Shihezi Construction and Installation Company, grew quickly with the times, and the fates of parents and children followed different paths as a result.
By the late 1990s, energy conservation, emissions reduction, and cost controls had led the construction industry to adopt hollow bricks on a large scale. The ring kilns that fired red bricks fell into decline. The factory went from state-owned to privately contracted, and large numbers of workers were laid off. At the same time, several families' children were approaching the crucial high school entrance exams. Under immense financial pressure, some chose to attend high school, others enrolled in vocational schools so they could start working sooner, and still others entered the workforce early, toiling to put food on the table each day.
The childhood sweethearts who had once been inseparable were long separated by time. Everything had changed.
In 2013, the ring kiln was demolished, and the site was designated for Shihezi Airport.
The new kiln was built and fitted with modern equipment. It was fired up, and bricks were made with electricity.
Yu Rongguang and the other longtime workers attended the lighting ceremony.
Amid the blazing flames, three generations of the ring kiln workers had come a long way. Their journey had been hard and full of hardships, but they had never given up.
Amid the blazing flames, the silhouettes of three generations gradually faded into the distance...
The ring kiln that held all their memories of youth was gone, and the new kiln burned bright.
