Happy supper for humble NE China street cleaner

2016-02-15

The 55-year-old Liu showing off the ingredients of her big supper, on Feb 7. [Photo/Xinhua]

A major focus of the Chinese New Year's eve festival for most families is the big meal at the reunion and it was no different for the 55-year-old Liu Xiaoxia, who is a simple street cleaner in the city of Changchun, Jilin province, and who pronounced her dinner as "priceless" and "delicious", in spite of the fact that she only had time to prepare six dishes.

When Liu and her husband finished a 7-hour shift on the Chinese New Year's eve, on Feb 7, they went back to their 9-square-meter room to share the happy celebration with family members, with Liu saying she was "so looking forward to the moment", with a smile on her face as she pointed to her son, daughter-in-law and two granddaughters.

Liu's family having their reunion dinner seated on the heated brick bed, on Feb 7. [Photo/Xinhua]

The family members came from outside Changchun for the occasion a day earlier and the family were seated on a "kang", a heated brick bed, from which they could watch the traditional TV gala while having the dinner together, simple but contented.

Liu (L) and her son putting up Spring Festival couplets on their door, on the morning of Feb 7. [Photo/Xinhua]

Liu and her husband came to the capital city last year, from a remote village in Jilin province, in search of work with hopes of earning more money and bringing a better life to their offspring. Many other migrant workers found themselves in a similar situation and could not go back to their village because they had to stick it out with their work during the New Year holiday. So, even a simple dinner, but with family members, was a major source of happiness for them.

Liu Xiaoxia (L) cleaning the streets of Changchun, on Feb 6. [Photo by Wang Haofei/Xinhua]

Or, in Liu’s words, "It's ok having to work here in the city, as long as our children and grandchildren have a more promising future. That's my biggest New Year’s wish."

Liu and her husband preparing for work after their lunch. [Photo/Xinhua]

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