Download
Zhang Yongqiang has every reason not to be a coal miner. But Zhang, 39, the owner of two grocery stores and several apartments in Chongqing municipality, has a simple yet adequate reason for working underground: to abstain from gambling.
"I only want a pure life, and that's what being a miner could offer," he said, explaining that he used to be addicted to gambling.
Zhang started his business trading fruits and vegetables in the 1990s in Chongqing.
Through frequent business trips to other provinces, Zhang made a lot of friends, both for business and gambling.
"Gambling was necessary to make friends and maintain business contacts," Zhang said. "I neither smoke nor drink. I needed at least one thing to melt into the circle."
However, he soon found that his addiction was getting beyond control.
"As soon as we arrived at business destinations, we locked ourselves into our hotel rooms and started to gamble," Zhang said.
Zhang used to gamble for three days and nights without sleep. But he was not a good gambler, and in 2002 he lost 70,000 yuan ($11,000) in one night.
"The more you lose, the more you want it back. The desire is unstoppable," Zhang said.
Zhang said due to his gambling he was unable to hold on to the fortune he made in business.
His family started to get annoyed.
However, it was the financial crisis in 2008 that forced Zhang to give up his business and spurred him to quit gambling.
"Although I no longer made business trips, gambling friends were still making their phone calls, and I found their requests hard to refuse," Zhang said.
But he was already determined to quit gambling.
Zhang said he seriously considered moving his family to a neighboring province to keep himself away from gambling.
In September 2009, Zhang decided to become a miner in the Fengchun Coal Mine.
"I noticed the miners that passed by my grocery shops every day after work. Their lives seemed easy and pure to me," Zhang said. "More important, I have reasons to turn down gambling calls as I have a regular job to do."
But when Zhang announced his decision to his family, it came as a shock.
"They thought I was crazy. My parents said they would never let me do it. But I said I had already decided."
However, when Zhang started his job as a miner and was responsible for the gas emissions at the pits, he found the miner's job was not as easy as he had imagined.
His initial days were difficult and he got no respect from his superiors and co-workers due to his lack of skills and the fact he wasn't forced to be a miner.
Due to his inexperience, Zhang's life was endangered on several occasions.
However, over the past three years, Zhang went from a fresh hand to one of the most experienced workers in the mine.
He has developed a reputation among the miners for his endurance and courage, and is now the best-paid miner on his team and has been entrusted with difficult and dangerous missions.
But even now, Zhang is still an odd figure among his co-workers.
"Usually, people are forced into this trade, and most miners tend to face difficult economic conditions and have a large family to support," said Peng Ming, one of Zhang's co-workers. "But we were shocked to know that he owns two large grocery stores and several apartments."
Zhang said he would never dare to get involved in gambling again, even with his relatives.
About the broadcaster:
Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is also fluent in Korean.
英文睡前故事 第91集:The Star Faced Crocodile
英文睡前故事 第67集:Six Dinner Sid
英文睡前故事 第102集:When Lulu Went to the Zoo
英文睡前故事 第77集:The Best Gift of All
英文睡前故事 第105集:Winnies Magic Wand
英文睡前故事 第83集:The Fox in the Dark
英文睡前故事 第85集:The Lamb Who Came for Dinner
英文睡前故事 第79集:The Blackest Hole in Space
英文睡前故事 第86集:The Little Star Who Wished
英文睡前故事 第87集:The Magic Shoebox Farm
英文睡前故事 第78集:The Big Dark
英文睡前故事 第48集:Magic Sky
英文睡前故事 第103集:Winnie in Winter
英文睡前故事 第63集:Ruby Sings the Blues
英文睡前故事 第74集:Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go to Bed
英文睡前故事 第65集:Sidney the Little Blue Elephant
英文睡前故事 第50集:Minty and Tink
英文睡前故事 第69集:Small Mouse Big City
英文睡前故事 第75集:That Pesky Rat
英文睡前故事 第76集:That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown
英文睡前故事 第81集:The Cow That Laid an Egg
英文睡前故事 第68集:Small Knight and George
英文睡前故事 第46集:Library Lion
英文睡前故事 第71集:Super Daisy and the Peril of Planet Red Fox
英文睡前故事 第64集:Russell the Sheep
英文睡前故事 第55集:Nobody Laughs at a Lion
英文睡前故事 第94集:Tiddler the Story Telling Fish
英文睡前故事 第61集:Polly Jean Pyjama Queen
英文睡前故事 第88集:The Naughtiest Ever Fairy
英文睡前故事 第47集:Look Out Stripey Horse
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |