As the New Year's holidays approach, Zhili's textile workshops are almost deserted. The few remaining employees are desperate to be paid for their trip home. From the banks of the Yangtze River to the mountains of Yunnan, everyone will be celebrating the festivities in their hometown, and performing the rituals of prosperity among their families. For Shi Wei, it’s also the opportunity to get married, as it is for Fang Lingping. Her husband, a former IT specialist, will have to follow her to Zhili after the ceremony. Learning is hard, but does not hinder the advent of the new generation of workers.

Most young people in China work hard to live. Wages are very low, days are endless, and there is almost no room left for rest. Chinese society has reduced their daily lives to work. Earning money has become the sole horizon.