"In retrospect, I studied 16 years, with a flick of my finger. I have come a long way from Arucun Primary School in the southwest to No.2 Middle School in Mianning County, to Shishi Middle School in Chengdu and School of Electronics of Nanjing University. "
On June 17, Chen Shixin, a student from School of Electronics, Nanjing University, sent a thank-you letter to Xiaohongshu. He shared his dry goods and life with the net name "Ten Stars". Thank you. He told the story of changing his fate through reading. He is a teenager who rides a bike 12 kilometers every day for three years in junior high school, and his feet are covered with chilblains in winter. He also won nine scholarships during his four years in university and directly entered the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The topic of "Dalian Liangshan Baby Zhibo Port Chinese Full Prize" quickly rushed to the hot search.
"Ten Stars" is taken from the new homonym of the world. In a passage, he wrote, "In a remote rural settlement between the hills in the southwest of China, the lights are dim and soft, and the lights of every household can't illuminate the big night together, so you can see many stars here. But the stars don't talk, only in their own position, they shine slightly. "
Children selling loach
Beijing News: What was your childhood environment like?
Chen Shixin: My hometown is Apulu Village in Daliangshan, Sichuan. My home is at the foot of the mountain. You can see the whole county when you climb the mountain. The county seat is surrounded by mountains, and the other side of the mountain is still a mountain.
When I was a child, I was deeply impressed by catching loaches, picking tea and mushrooms in my spare time, and then walking to the county to sell them. An eight-or nine-year-old child squatted in the vegetable market, selling his loach or mushrooms and earning one or two yuan as pocket money.
At that time, grandma was paralyzed in bed and borrowed a lot of money to treat her illness. All three children in the family are studying and need money. The environment I grew up in made me feel that my family was not rich. I want to make my own money, and I will be more independent. When I was in college, I didn't ask my family for money. I have been a tutor, a part-time job, a scholarship and a living allowance.
However, my hometown is different now, and many tall buildings have been built in the county. I feel that every time I go back to my hometown, my hometown will be very strange.
In elementary school, Chen Shixin went up the mountain to dig herbs. Photos provided by interviewees.
Beijing News: What is your parents' education like?
Chen Shixin: My parents both graduated from junior high school and don't know how to express themselves. My father often works in other places, and I seldom see him, but I learned to take responsibility from my father. My mother stayed at home to do farm work and take care of us. She is very gentle.
Nothing particularly impressive, but there has always been a feeling that they are very supportive of our study. I have two sisters, and all three of us have gone to college.
Beijing News: When did you realize that reading is a very important thing?
Chen Shixin: I study with my sisters before school. I have been a "good" child in the large population since I was a child, including doing farm work and transplanting rice seedlings. The elders in the same village will praise me for being sensible when they see me. Later, I got good grades in school and was recognized by my teachers. I am very happy to hear these words. Thinking about them now can be understood as a positive push. I think reading is a good thing and my efforts have been recognized.
On the other hand, I like reading very much. When I was a child, I read many biographies of celebrities in the village library and admired those scientists, such as Newton, Einstein and Hawking. At that time, I felt that the outside world was vast, so I must go out and have a look.
Beijing News: Will there be any difficulties during the study period?
Chen Shixin: When I was in junior high school, I went to school in the county by bike. Set out under the stars in the morning and come back in the moonlight at night. It's like this all year round. In winter, my feet are covered with chilblains. In summer, the heavy rain soaked my whole body again.
Chen Shixin in junior high school. Photos provided by interviewees.
Vast place, promising.
Beijing News: What are your chances of attending high school in Chengdu?
Chen Shixin: The senior high school entrance examination took the second place in the county. At that time, a teacher suggested that I go to Chengdu to take the entrance examination. I went to Chengdu by car alone and passed the exam.
At that time, it was very tangled, because I had to pay 5000 yuan for choosing a school to study in Chengdu, which was an astronomical figure for me at that time, and the cost of living in Chengdu would definitely be high; On the other hand, if you study in the county, your grades will be better, and there may be subsidies, so you will hesitate.
Later, I had a long talk with a teacher. He wrote me the words "All rivers run into the sea". The teacher wants me to be more open-minded and can accommodate more things.
I finally chose to study in Chengdu Shishi Middle School, and this choice also affected my life track. I remember on the way to Chengdu, looking at the mountain in front of me, thinking of Chairman Mao's poem "A man is determined to leave his hometown and never look back until he is famous." Why bury bones in mulberry fields? Life is everywhere. "At that time, I left my hometown with an idea and went to a vast place where there were many things to do.
Chen Shixin from high school. Photos provided by interviewees.
Beijing News: How is your study and life in Chengdu?
Chen Shixin: I stayed in high school and only went home twice a year. I usually spend weekends in the library. When I first entered school, I also had some psychological gaps. I found that many students were crammed many times before entering high school, and even teachers would acquiesce that everyone had a certain foundation.
This is a great challenge for me. There must be a gap in the teaching quality between Chengdu and Liangshan minority areas. I didn't understand the teacher's spoken English, so I memorized the words under the quilt with a flashlight and leaned against the street lamp in the morning. Later, the results were relatively stable.
Beijing News: You have been admitted to Nanjing University and have never relaxed your study.
Chen Shixin: When I first entered school, I just continued the state of senior three. Let's get used to working hard. It's not enough to find out that I went to college. There are countless hurdles waiting for me in life, such as grade points. I must always keep the habit of studying.
One of my university teachers told us that when you are admitted to Nanjing University, you may be one of the best in a middle school, but you should not regard Nanjing University as the peak of your life.
202165438+February, Chen Shixin won the Liang Dong Scholarship of Nanjing University. Photos provided by interviewees.
Reconciliation with "inferiority complex"
Beijing News: Your past experience has left some marks on you.
Chen Shixin: There will definitely be. For example, when I was in high school, I would calculate in detail how much I spent today, until I was a freshman and a sophomore, and then try to minimize every meal and eat the cheapest canteen window.
Frankly speaking, my psychological gap in high school.
It's the biggest. I saw the QQ space of my classmates in the city at that time. They go to the latest movies on weekends, or their parents take them to eat hot pot. When they eat hot pot, they will spend 200 yuan. At that time, I might only spend 8 yuan 10 yuan per meal. I am aware of the existence of this gap, and it is very large. When no one is watching the first year of high school, I will lie in bed alone and cry silently.
Beijing News: You mentioned in your thanks that "the huge gap between urban and rural areas makes me feel inferior". Have you reconciled with your inferiority complex now?
Chen Shixin: Later, my mind gradually changed. I became friends with my classmates in the city in high school. I find that everyone is a very good person. They taught me a lot, invited me to their home, invited me to watch movies, eat hot pot and so on. On the other hand, my grades are better. The teacher asked me to share my experience at the parent-teacher conference, and the students understood me very well.
For the past experience, some people will say it is a trace and can't get rid of it. My own idea is not to be afraid to talk about this with others. When I can say it naturally, I will really cross it. This brand is both wealth and regret. It is because of this inferiority that I will try to prove myself with my achievements.
Chen Shixin experienced the psychological gap in high school, and became more confident as a student cadre when she was a freshman. Photo courtesy of respondents
Beijing News: Did you hear any bad voices along the way?
Chen Shixin: There will be. For example, some people will think it is difficult for you to stand in a big city if you work so hard, and your parents can't help you. I don't think you need to pay attention to these voices. You can only make yourself stronger by yourself, and leave the rest to time.
Beijing News: Look at your photos now. You are sunny and confident. Besides excellent grades, do you have many hobbies?
Chen Shixin: Yes, I have been learning calligraphy since junior high school. At that time, I learned calligraphy with the money I earned from catching loaches and picking mushrooms. When the teacher found out, he confiscated my tuition.
Later, I learned to play the guitar. Some netizens will say that I spend money to learn my specialty when they see the video of me playing guitar. Actually, it's not. There are free guitar lessons in the county cultural center. I bought the guitar second-hand, and I still have it with me. In my junior year, after my grades were relatively stable, I joined the guitar club of my school and made some friends. They are willing to accompany me and help me play drums. We are like a small band, playing music together, and I like this feeling very much.
Nanjing University has a "Colorful Rain Flower Growth Plan", which provides all undergraduates with financial difficulties with some training courses to enhance their abilities, including sketching, oil painting, etiquette courses and even computer teaching, all of which are free of charge. I also learned a little sketch.
I think the school also wants students to open their hearts. If we take the initiative, we will find many resources or possibilities in the university. If I don't take the initiative, I will feel that I am a slow or inferior person from the beginning, and I can't do anything. In the end, I may always live in my own small circle.
During the undergraduate course, Chen Shixin won 9 scholarships and several honorary certificates. Photo courtesy of respondents
regain one's composure
Beijing News: When did you decide to apply for a doctoral degree?
Chen Shixin: In my junior year, I found that during the winter and summer vacations, when I was working as a tutor to earn living expenses, my classmates were taking IELTS and TOEFL, taking part in the mathematical modeling competition for American college students and so on. There still seems to be a gap between us, so I went to understand why they want to study abroad and why they want to do industry exchanges. I'm also slowly thinking about what I want to do, and I think I want to continue studying.
There is also a feeling that my doctoral direction is basic chip design. In the process of learning, I feel that there is still a gap between our current technologies. I know that this kind of catch-up will not happen overnight, and many people need to move forward wave after wave. I think if I can make some contribution to the progress of the national chip industry, it will make me feel that what I have done is meaningful.
I was also inspired by some seniors and sisters, asking them for advice and working hard in that direction. I really met many distinguished people along the way, such as the head teacher in my high school and the seniors I met in the university. Without them, I might be in a state of confusion and don't know which direction to work hard in.
Chen Shixin is about to graduate from Nanjing University and pursue a doctorate at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Photo courtesy of respondents
Beijing News: Did you get a lot of help during your study?
Chen Shixin: Many people say that I only thanked myself in the online thanks. In fact, there are teachers, seniors and classmates in the full version. I think posting it online may infringe on their privacy, and online is just a brief mention.
Not only the help of teachers and classmates, but also many policies for students with poor family conditions, such as green channel and student source loans. So as long as we study hard, we will find that many countries and societies care about us, and reading is not a problem.
When I was in junior high school, a non-profit organization also helped me to determine one-on-one funding. Every semester, I would be given some living expenses, and my sponsor would also correspond with me. After I went to college, I also tried my best to give back, such as attending the experience sharing meeting held by my hometown public welfare organizations for students, and some sharing that I volunteered to fill out, hoping that my growth experience could help them.
Not long ago, I also established a one-on-one funding relationship. I don't have much money, but I have the strength to do my part.
Beijing News: What are your plans for the future?
Chen Shixin: I still want to return to calm and work hard at scientific research. After attending the graduation ceremony of NTU, you may enter the scientific research state ahead of time, and determine the topic with the doctoral supervisor, and so on.
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