Going Home to a Small City

大学毕业那年，我和很多同学一样，留在了北京。

Dàxué (fourth tone, falling) bìyè (fourth tone, falling) nà (fourth tone, falling) nián, (second tone, rising) wǒ (third tone, dipping) hé (second tone, rising) hěn (third tone, dipping) duō (first tone, high and level) tóngxué (second tone, rising) yíyàng, (second tone, rising) liú (second tone, rising) zài (fourth tone, falling) le (neutral tone) Běijīng. (third tone, dipping)

The year I graduated, I stayed in Beijing like many of my classmates.

那时候我觉得，只有在大城市，才有更多的机会，才能实现自己的理想。

Nà (fourth tone, falling) shíhou (second tone, rising) wǒ (third tone, dipping) juéde, (second tone, rising) zhǐyǒu (third tone, dipping) zài (fourth tone, falling) dà (fourth tone, falling) chéngshì, (second tone, rising) cái (second tone, rising) yǒu (third tone, dipping) gèng (fourth tone, falling) duō (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) jīhuì, (first tone, high and level) cái (second tone, rising) néng (second tone, rising) shíxiàn (second tone, rising) zìjǐ (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) lǐxiǎng. (third tone, dipping)

At the time I believed that only a big city offered more opportunities and a chance to achieve my ambitions.

我在一家电脑公司找到了工作，收入还不错，可是每个月一半以上的工资都要用来交房租。

Wǒ (third tone, dipping) zài (fourth tone, falling) yì (fourth tone, falling) jiā (first tone, high and level) diànnǎo (fourth tone, falling) gōngsī (first tone, high and level) zhǎo (third tone, dipping) dào (fourth tone, falling) le (neutral tone) gōngzuò, (first tone, high and level) shōurù (first tone, high and level) hái (second tone, rising) bú (second tone, rising) cuò, (fourth tone, falling) kěshì (third tone, dipping) měi (third tone, dipping) ge (neutral tone) yuè (fourth tone, falling) yíbàn (second tone, rising) yǐshàng (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) gōngzī (first tone, high and level) dōu (first tone, high and level) yào (fourth tone, falling) yòng (fourth tone, falling) lái (second tone, rising) jiāo (first tone, high and level) fángzū. (second tone, rising)

I found a job at a computer company. The pay was decent, but more than half of it went on rent every month.

每天早上，我要换两次地铁，路上花一个半小时；晚上加完班回到家，常常已经十点多了。

Měi (third tone, dipping) tiān (first tone, high and level) zǎoshang, (third tone, dipping) wǒ (third tone, dipping) yào (fourth tone, falling) huàn (fourth tone, falling) liǎng (third tone, dipping) cì (fourth tone, falling) dìtiě, (fourth tone, falling) lù (fourth tone, falling) shang (neutral tone) huā (first tone, high and level) yí (second tone, rising) ge (neutral tone) bàn (fourth tone, falling) xiǎoshí; (third tone, dipping) wǎnshang (third tone, dipping) jiā (first tone, high and level) wán (second tone, rising) bān (first tone, high and level) huí (second tone, rising) dào (fourth tone, falling) jiā, (first tone, high and level) chángcháng (second tone, rising) yǐjīng (third tone, dipping) shí (second tone, rising) diǎn (third tone, dipping) duō (first tone, high and level) le. (neutral tone)

Every morning I changed metro lines twice and spent an hour and a half on the way; when I got home after working late, it was often past ten.

周末我只想睡觉，连给父母打电话的时间都很少。

Zhōumò (first tone, high and level) wǒ (third tone, dipping) zhǐ (third tone, dipping) xiǎng (third tone, dipping) shuìjiào, (fourth tone, falling) lián (second tone, rising) gěi (third tone, dipping) fùmǔ (fourth tone, falling) dǎ (third tone, dipping) diànhuà (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) shíjiān (second tone, rising) dōu (first tone, high and level) hěn (third tone, dipping) shǎo. (third tone, dipping)

At weekends all I wanted was sleep; I barely had time even to phone my parents.

第五年的春节，我回老家过年，发现家乡的变化非常大。

Dì (fourth tone, falling) wǔ (third tone, dipping) nián (second tone, rising) de (neutral tone) Chūnjié, (first tone, high and level) wǒ (third tone, dipping) huí (second tone, rising) lǎojiā (third tone, dipping) guònián, (fourth tone, falling) fāxiàn (first tone, high and level) jiāxiāng (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) biànhuà (fourth tone, falling) fēicháng (first tone, high and level) dà. (fourth tone, falling)

In my fifth year I went back to my home town for Spring Festival and found it had changed enormously.

新修的高速公路通到了我们县，街上开了很多咖啡店和书店，几个从外地回来的年轻人还在网上开了商店，把当地的水果卖到了很多城市。

Xīn (first tone, high and level) xiū (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) gāosù (first tone, high and level) gōnglù (first tone, high and level) tōng (first tone, high and level) dào (fourth tone, falling) le (neutral tone) wǒmen (third tone, dipping) xiàn, (fourth tone, falling) jiē (first tone, high and level) shang (neutral tone) kāi (first tone, high and level) le (neutral tone) hěn (third tone, dipping) duō (first tone, high and level) kāfēidiàn (first tone, high and level) hé (second tone, rising) shūdiàn, (first tone, high and level) jǐ (third tone, dipping) ge (neutral tone) cóng (second tone, rising) wàidì (fourth tone, falling) huílái (second tone, rising) de (neutral tone) niánqīngrén (second tone, rising) hái (second tone, rising) zài (fourth tone, falling) wǎngshang (third tone, dipping) kāi (first tone, high and level) le (neutral tone) shāngdiàn, (first tone, high and level) bǎ (third tone, dipping) dāngdì (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) shuǐguǒ (third tone, dipping) mài (fourth tone, falling) dào (fourth tone, falling) le (neutral tone) hěn (third tone, dipping) duō (first tone, high and level) chéngshì. (second tone, rising)

A new motorway now reached our county, the streets had many new cafés and bookshops, and several young people who had come back from elsewhere had opened shops online, selling the local fruit to cities all over.

我的一个高中同学就是其中之一。他告诉我，现在上网很方便，在小城市也能做很多以前只有大城市才能做的事情。

Wǒ (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) yí (second tone, rising) ge (neutral tone) gāozhōng (first tone, high and level) tóngxué (second tone, rising) jiù (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling) qízhōng (second tone, rising) zhī (first tone, high and level) yī. (first tone, high and level) Tā (first tone, high and level) gàosu (fourth tone, falling) wǒ, (third tone, dipping) xiànzài (fourth tone, falling) shàngwǎng (fourth tone, falling) hěn (third tone, dipping) fāngbiàn, (first tone, high and level) zài (fourth tone, falling) xiǎo (third tone, dipping) chéngshì (second tone, rising) yě (third tone, dipping) néng (second tone, rising) zuò (fourth tone, falling) hěn (third tone, dipping) duō (first tone, high and level) yǐqián (third tone, dipping) zhǐyǒu (third tone, dipping) dà (fourth tone, falling) chéngshì (second tone, rising) cái (second tone, rising) néng (second tone, rising) zuò (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) shìqing. (fourth tone, falling)

One of them was a friend from secondary school. He told me that now the internet is so easy to use, a small town lets you do many things that once only a big city allowed.

那次回北京以后，我考虑了很长时间。

Nà (fourth tone, falling) cì (fourth tone, falling) huí (second tone, rising) Běijīng (third tone, dipping) yǐhòu, (third tone, dipping) wǒ (third tone, dipping) kǎolǜ (third tone, dipping) le (neutral tone) hěn (third tone, dipping) cháng (second tone, rising) shíjiān. (second tone, rising)

After I got back to Beijing, I thought it over for a long time.

半年以后，我辞职回到了家乡，和那位同学一起做水果生意。

Bàn (fourth tone, falling) nián (second tone, rising) yǐhòu, (third tone, dipping) wǒ (third tone, dipping) cízhí (second tone, rising) huí (second tone, rising) dào (fourth tone, falling) le (neutral tone) jiāxiāng, (first tone, high and level) hé (second tone, rising) nà (fourth tone, falling) wèi (fourth tone, falling) tóngxué (second tone, rising) yìqǐ (fourth tone, falling) zuò (fourth tone, falling) shuǐguǒ (third tone, dipping) shēngyi. (first tone, high and level)

Six months later I resigned, went home, and started a fruit business with that friend.

刚开始的时候，困难比我想象的多得多：我们不懂怎么种水果，也缺少做生意的经验，第一年几乎没有赚到钱。

Gāng (first tone, high and level) kāishǐ (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) shíhou, (second tone, rising) kùnnan (fourth tone, falling) bǐ (third tone, dipping) wǒ (third tone, dipping) xiǎngxiàng (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) duō (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) duō: (first tone, high and level) wǒmen (third tone, dipping) bù (fourth tone, falling) dǒng (third tone, dipping) zěnme (third tone, dipping) zhòng (fourth tone, falling) shuǐguǒ, (third tone, dipping) yě (third tone, dipping) quēshǎo (first tone, high and level) zuò (fourth tone, falling) shēngyi (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) jīngyàn, (first tone, high and level) dì (fourth tone, falling) yī (first tone, high and level) nián (second tone, rising) jīhū (first tone, high and level) méiyǒu (second tone, rising) zhuàn (fourth tone, falling) dào (fourth tone, falling) qián. (second tone, rising)

At the start the difficulties were far greater than I had imagined: we did not know how to grow fruit, we had no business experience, and in the first year we made almost no money.

后来，我们一边向当地的老农民学习，一边学着在网上介绍家乡的水果，生意才慢慢好了起来。

Hòulái, (fourth tone, falling) wǒmen (third tone, dipping) yìbiān (fourth tone, falling) xiàng (fourth tone, falling) dāngdì (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) lǎo (third tone, dipping) nóngmín (second tone, rising) xuéxí, (second tone, rising) yìbiān (fourth tone, falling) xué (second tone, rising) zhe (neutral tone) zài (fourth tone, falling) wǎngshang (third tone, dipping) jièshào (fourth tone, falling) jiāxiāng (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) shuǐguǒ, (third tone, dipping) shēngyi (first tone, high and level) cái (second tone, rising) mànmàn (fourth tone, falling) hǎo (third tone, dipping) le (neutral tone) qǐlái. (third tone, dipping)

Later, by learning from the old farmers nearby while teaching ourselves to present our fruit online, we slowly got the business going.

现在我的收入比在北京的时候少一些，但是我每天都能按时吃饭，周末可以陪父母散步，心情比以前轻松多了。

Xiànzài (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) shōurù (first tone, high and level) bǐ (third tone, dipping) zài (fourth tone, falling) Běijīng (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) shíhou (second tone, rising) shǎo (third tone, dipping) yìxiē, (fourth tone, falling) dànshì (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) měi (third tone, dipping) tiān (first tone, high and level) dōu (first tone, high and level) néng (second tone, rising) ànshí (fourth tone, falling) chīfàn, (first tone, high and level) zhōumò (first tone, high and level) kěyǐ (third tone, dipping) péi (second tone, rising) fùmǔ (fourth tone, falling) sànbù, (fourth tone, falling) xīnqíng (first tone, high and level) bǐ (third tone, dipping) yǐqián (third tone, dipping) qīngsōng (first tone, high and level) duō (first tone, high and level) le. (neutral tone)

I now earn a little less than I did in Beijing, but I eat at proper times every day, walk with my parents at weekends, and feel far more at ease than before.

当然，我并不认为每个人都应该离开大城市。

Dāngrán, (first tone, high and level) wǒ (third tone, dipping) bìng (fourth tone, falling) bú (second tone, rising) rènwéi (fourth tone, falling) měi (third tone, dipping) ge (neutral tone) rén (second tone, rising) dōu (first tone, high and level) yīnggāi (first tone, high and level) líkāi (second tone, rising) dà (fourth tone, falling) chéngshì. (second tone, rising)

Of course, I do not think everyone ought to leave the big cities.

大城市有好的学校、医院和更多的工作机会，这些都是小城市暂时比不上的。

Dà (fourth tone, falling) chéngshì (second tone, rising) yǒu (third tone, dipping) hǎo (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) xuéxiào, (second tone, rising) yīyuàn (first tone, high and level) hé (second tone, rising) gèng (fourth tone, falling) duō (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) gōngzuò (first tone, high and level) jīhuì, (first tone, high and level) zhèxiē (fourth tone, falling) dōu (first tone, high and level) shì (fourth tone, falling) xiǎo (third tone, dipping) chéngshì (second tone, rising) zànshí (fourth tone, falling) bǐ (third tone, dipping) bu (neutral tone) shàng (fourth tone, falling) de. (neutral tone)

Big cities have good schools and hospitals and more jobs — things small towns cannot yet match.

我只是想说，选择在哪里生活，不应该只看城市的大小，而应该看哪种生活更适合自己。

Wǒ (third tone, dipping) zhǐshì (third tone, dipping) xiǎng (third tone, dipping) shuō, (first tone, high and level) xuǎnzé (third tone, dipping) zài (fourth tone, falling) nǎli (third tone, dipping) shēnghuó, (first tone, high and level) bù (fourth tone, falling) yīnggāi (first tone, high and level) zhǐ (third tone, dipping) kàn (fourth tone, falling) chéngshì (second tone, rising) de (neutral tone) dà (fourth tone, falling) xiǎo, (third tone, dipping) ér (second tone, rising) yīnggāi (first tone, high and level) kàn (fourth tone, falling) nǎ (third tone, dipping) zhǒng (third tone, dipping) shēnghuó (first tone, high and level) gèng (fourth tone, falling) shìhé (fourth tone, falling) zìjǐ. (fourth tone, falling)

All I mean is that when you choose where to live, you should not look only at the size of the city, but at which kind of life suits you better.