"Xuan Ku Ge" Zuo Yangping's university graduation photo. Photo provided by the interviewee.
According to a report by Hualong News (reporter Huang Ye), after studying abroad for a year and losing 40 jin (approximately 80 pounds), Zuo Yangmin, a student from the 2005 Automation major at Chongqing Technology and Business University, has recently become an internet sensation, earning him the nickname "Xuan Ku Ge" (Brother of Hardship).
"He is capable of enduring hardship, so I'm not surprised at all!" Wang Zikang, a teacher at Chongqing Technology and Business University, remained calm when he saw his former student become the main character in the news, as he had seen many of the photos before on Zuo Yangmin's QQ space.
His QQ space is very rich in content.
Zuo Yangmin graduated from Chongqing Technology and Business University in 2009, and Teacher Wang has maintained contact with him ever since. "Zuo Yangmin was part of the first class I taught, so I stayed close to them even after graduation, often keeping in touch through QQ and Weibo." Teacher Wang would continuously browse the students' Weibo posts and chat with them about their current situations via QQ when he had time.
Among all the students, Zuo Yangmin's QQ space and Weibo were the most content-rich. Teacher Wang said that during his university days, Zuo Yangmin was already very fond of photography, and his QQ space frequently featured vivid pictures and texts reflecting his life. "In the popular online post titled 'There are so many people showing off wealth, but none can match the brilliance of showing off hardship,' the photos posted by Zuo Yangmin were taken during his study abroad period in Japan in 2010. From these photos, it is evident that Zuo Yangmin had a tough life while studying in Japan."
He could endure hardship even during his university years.
During his time at university, Zuo Yangmin left a deep impression on his teachers for being able to endure hardship. Teacher Wang mentioned that when Zuo Yangmin first entered university, his foundational knowledge was not strong, and he struggled significantly with electrical-related professional subjects.
"In the third year of university, Zuo Yangmin proactively came to my office to discuss things with me. Because he had relatives who had studied in Japan, he also wanted to study in Japan after graduation," said Teacher Wang. During this conversation, he encouraged Zuo Yangmin to work hard to complete his undergraduate degree for the sake of his dream of studying abroad. After that, Zuo Yangmin studied extremely hard, often sleeping only three hours a night to catch up on his professional course knowledge. At the same time, he began self-studying Japanese to prepare for studying abroad.
Teacher Wang said that Zuo Yangmin's family situation was not wealthy, and before going abroad, he knew that he would have to earn the high tuition fees and living expenses himself. "His decision was actually a form of voluntary endurance. For him, staying in China or staying by his parents' side might have meant less hardship! This is very precious, as many young people lack this spirit of voluntarily testing themselves!"
Teacher Wang added that even during his university years, Zuo Yangmin had been challenging himself alongside his classmates. They had experienced hiking across deserts and volunteering in disaster-stricken areas after the Wenchuan earthquake.
In response to his teacher's praise, Zuo Yangmin humbly said, "I'm not much different from my classmates. Everyone has their own struggles. Some classmates started their own businesses, which might be even harder than what I went through. Our class has many people who can endure great hardships."