Sunshine on the Paddy Field

"After graduating from university, I went to a rural area in Ningxia, volunteering to teach there for three years. These experiences molded my values, stretched me as a person, and it's also the turning point of my life that led me to become a teacher.” Ms. Bella's words open the door to a transformative chapter in her life.

"It was in a small town, surrounded by mountains, where there were water shortages, drought, and poor agricultural harvests. We could only take a shower once a week, and there was no modern bathing system. The toilets were pit latrines, and the overall academic foundation of the students was relatively weak."

Despite these hardships, Ms.Bella’s spiritual world thrived in the parched landscape. A deep connection formed among students, teachers, and parents, and she felt deeply cherished in that town. Local people understood that it was not easy for a girl from Shanghai to come all the way. They treated her with kindness and generosity, reciprocating with their sincere hearts, genuinely regarding her as their sister and confidant.

Ms. Bella in the paddy field

"I could see the responses to my teaching and emotional investment. These were reflected in their progress and the establishment of their emotional, ideological, and value systems. This is also one of the reasons why I later wanted to be a teacher.”

Being a teacher made Ms. Bella feel a sense of value. Before the volunteer teaching, Ms. Bella had interned in several different companies, including a media company and even a Fortune 500 company. But she didn't like the feeling of being like a screw in the giant machine, doing meaningless work. However, being a teacher gave her a sense of achievement and significance.

“This significance and value came from the emotional feedback and the connection between people. For example, these children might have changed their lives because of me. From their attitudes and expressions, I can see how I positively influenced them."

Ms. Bella often slips into a moment of deep reflection, her eyes softening and taking on a far-away look as she recalls that distant memory. A gentle smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, causing the fine lines around her lips to crinkle ever so slightly. Her head tilts just a bit to the side, as if she can still hear the echoes of her students’ innocent chuckles that once resonated in the air. That sound, like a sweet melody, wraps around her heart, warming it in a way that only the gentle rays of winter sunshine can, making her feel a sense of pure joy and fulfillment all over again.

The warming rays of sunshine also shone in Ms. Bella’s childhood memory, illuminating the paddy field in her countryside homeland.

" I see myself as a rural inhabitant of Shanghai, coming from the outskirts. When Shanghai comes to mind, what shows up in our minds are images of the cosmopolitan Bund, modern skyscrapers, white-collar professionals in suits... In short, it's the Western-influenced, modern Shanghai depicted in movies and TV shows. However, my upbringing was in a rather rural and indigenous environment."

In Ms. Bella's narrative, Shanghai presents two distinct yet intricately linked facades. She grew up in a village in the suburbs of Shanghai, where the air was redolent with the simple and unadorned rustic charm, where the familiar greetings among neighbors echoed through the lanes, and the crops swayed gently in the wind in the farmlands. On the other hand, urban Shanghai is a bustling metropolis coveted by countless people, with towering buildings standing nearby and streets teeming with traffic, exuding a strong modern flavor. These two very different scenes made Ms. Bella feel very divided at that time. However, her educational path took her from the village to the urban area, which gradually built a linkage in between.

"I was born in a village, attended primary school in a town, then through my efforts, I went to a school in the county-level city for middle school, and finally got into a university closer to the city center. So, I'm a typical example of our generation who changed our fates through the college entrance examination."

Ms. Bella's journey from the countryside to the town and then to the city center parallels her continuous exploration and breakthrough in life. Moreover, her educational journey is also a vivid portrayal of how that generation altered their destinies through knowledge, with each stage brimming with effort and perseverance…

Ms. Bella's story is an ode to growth, struggle, and dedication. Starting from a village in Shanghai, she continuously explored the prosperity of the city and finally shone on the stage of education. Every word of hers carries rich emotions and profound life insights, inspiring us to move forward bravely on our life paths and pursue our dreams and values.