A 14-hour whirlwind of work

"Now I'm working hard to help them fulfill their dreams. Their dreams are my dreams."

Her older daughter and her boyfriend have settled in a city in Shandong province and they are about to get married and want to buy an apartment. Shen and her husband are considering chipping in to help them with the mortgage and helping their younger daughter to pay for her education.

Shen is an only child, and her parents, both in their 70s, are another big concern. Last year, her mother broke her arm and Shen stopped working so she could return to her home village in Jingzhou, Central China's Hubei province, to look after her. Although farmers are covered by medical insurance, Shen said she needs to keep some money aside in case of emergencies.

However, she seems amused rather than angry recounting how just a couple of days earlier, her husband splashed out 7,000 yuan, about how much she is paid in two months, to buy a saxophone.

"Isn't it just crazy? A fat guy who's nearly 50 and plays the saxophone in the park, hopes to be a singer before he hits 60."

When she first came to Shenzhen, she worked as a saleswoman in the delicatessen of a Carrefour supermarket. The job was easy and she was happy, she said, because she could make friends. But she quit after six months because the pay was only 1,800 yuan a month.

Shen said she is happier in her current job than she was in the one she had before, where she had to work harder and the pay was not as good.

Her employer Ruby Zhang said she values Shen's help. "She is very patient and caring with the children, cooks delicious food and is meticulous with the cleaning. The kids love her."