Factory Manager · Founder of Zhengyang Printing Founder / Factory Manager
25 years ago, what made you leave Hubei for Guangdong?
25 years ago, I was 24. The wages in my hometown were too low to live a decent life, and I refused to accept that. With a simple dream — to give my family a better life — I squeezed onto a train where I could barely put my feet down, rattling for more than 40 hours to reach Guangdong. At that moment I had only one thought: never look back.
Before starting your own business, what was your life like?
In Guangdong in the 1990s, finding a job was not easy. I had no high education, no experience, not even a temporary residence permit — during the day I knocked on doors in the industrial area for work, and at night I slept on the grass in the park. Finally I found a packing job in a small printing factory, 11 hours a day, salary 4,550 yuan a month. Those days were hard, but I gritted my teeth and endured. I also tried selling fried noodles at a street stall to make a living, not wanting to be controlled by fate. By 1999, my monthly income finally exceeded 5,000 yuan; I bought my first motorcycle and my first mobile phone. Three years later, I quit my job and started my own business with my savings — the road has been bumpy, but I never thought of giving up.
As the business grew, I never forgot the road that brought me here. Through various charity roles, I met many people I admire, and I came to understand more deeply what love, tolerance and mutual support mean. Although I am getting older, I have never stopped learning — I believe that the boundaries of a factory manager's knowledge are the ceiling of the factory. I often go out to attend courses and exhibitions, then come back and share with the team, moving forward together. In my heart, employees are not laborers; they are family.