Core tip: Zhu Li, a second-generation rich man, gave up the enjoyment of a superior life and inheriting his family's catering business to become a free teacher for vagrant children at an orphanage, completely turning himself into a "negative wealthy man." Zhu Li dries clothes with the children. Yesterday, at Dazu Sen Sen Orphanage, Zhu Li played basketball with the children. Chongqing Morning Post reported on November 24 that he gave up enjoying a superior life, inheriting the family's catering business, and a high-paying position at an advertising company just to be a free teacher for vagrant children at an orphanage. This unconventional choice made by "rich second generation" Zhu Li six months ago after graduating from university has completely turned him into a "negative wealthy man." However, Zhu Li said, "I don't regret it because many things need people to do them, even if they are charitable." The vagrant children call him "Brother Zhu." "Brother Zhu, the new kid doesn't behave well during meals and poured his food on the table." "Brother Zhu, we criticized him, but he didn't listen and was very rude." At noon yesterday, inside the Dazu Art School where Sen Sen Orphanage is located, more than 30 vagrant children came to the canteen for lunch uniformly. After finishing work, Zhu Li was about to leave when several children holding bowls of rice pulled him back. The children surrounded him and eagerly reported the situation, saying that the newly arrived classmate Liu Dong complained about the lack of vegetables in his bowl and poured his food on the table angrily. "Brother Zhu, he wasted food, you said wasting is shameful, go and discipline him." After hearing the children out, Zhu Li patted their heads and returned to the cafeteria with them. Liu Dong, who had previously overturned his food, stood stubbornly beside the table covered with food, looking both angry and aggrieved with red eyes. Zhu Li walked up to him, patted his shoulder, and asked if he was full. The child immediately burst into tears, explaining that he wasn't intentionally wasting food; he just thought there weren't enough vegetables in his bowl, so he got upset. "You have big eyes but a small stomach. We usually finish our meal before adding more without wasting. Since you're new here, you didn't know," Zhu Li told the child that throwing away food was wrong. The children told the reporter that Brother Zhu was the best. He had a good temper, was kind to others, and all the children liked him. The head of Sen Sen Orphanage told the reporter that in May this year, Zhu Li joined the orphanage as a volunteer while still in university. After graduation, he heard the orphanage was short of manpower and came here to be a full-time volunteer responsible for teaching the children and handling the logistics of the orphanage. Despite not receiving a salary initially, he still insisted on arriving early and leaving late every day, fully committed. His mother hoped he would inherit the family business. By the time he settled the children down, it was already 12:40 PM, and Zhu Li was still hungry. Originally, his mother had called him two days ago, asking him to help try out the new dishes developed at the restaurant yesterday at noon. At one o'clock in the afternoon, Zhu Li rushed to Dayan where his mother's two-story restaurant was located. "How can you be busier than your mother?" Zhu's mother felt sorry for her son, calling him the busiest person in the world. Although the orphanage was only ten minutes away from the restaurant, he went home less than once a week for meals. Zhu's mother said, "I actually support him doing charity work. We were busy with business before and had no time to give back to society. Now that our son wants to do some work, we think it's pretty good. But we also need him at home." Before opening the restaurant, Zhu's mother also had a cake chain store, which later had to close due to insufficient manpower. The parents looked forward to Zhu Li graduating from university so that the whole family could vigorously develop the cake shop and restaurant into a chain model. "Son, consider it. Let your mom rest sometimes." During lunch, Zhu's mother repeatedly suggested that Zhu Li seriously consider taking over the family business, but Zhu Li just kept eating his rice without responding. Dream of cultivating college students from vagrant children Zhu Li gave up not only his parents' catering business. Before graduation, the art studio he opened himself could make a net profit of four or five thousand yuan per month. At graduation, the CEO of an advertising company offered him a base salary of 5000 yuan and hired him as an assistant manager. However, between the orphanage and the advertising company, Zhu Li surprisingly chose the orphanage without a salary. Giving up a comfortable life to become a full-time volunteer without a salary, living and studying with vagrant children every day, Zhu Li's choice left most people around him unable to understand. But Zhu Li said that he actually always had a dream of being a teacher. In university, Zhu Li studied automobile design and missed entering the normal education major. However, he started an art studio in his first year to teach students, fulfilling his desire to be a teacher. "I know what I like to do and am suitable for. At the orphanage, I can stay with the children every day. They need help so much, and I feel very fulfilled teaching them." Zhu Li said his dream was to tutor vagrant children to take the college entrance examination and enter university. "The children have weak cultural foundations. I'm now trying to teach them art professional courses, hoping to cultivate talented children for future reference in art majors." Zhu Li considered a lot for the children's future. He said that if one day the children from the orphanage enter university, he believes that whether it's his parents or society, they will understand his choice. "Being a 'negative wealthy man,' I am very happy!" After graduation, Zhu Li handed over the art studio to his university classmate Chen Wei for management. "He leaves home before 8 every morning and doesn't return until eleven or twelve at night. He often says there's too much to do at the orphanage, and he can't keep up." University classmate Chen Wei said that he and Zhu Li, along with another classmate, lived in the art studio. Zhu Li often received calls in the middle of the night to care for sick vagrant children at the orphanage or search for runaway vagrant children late at night. "His family lacks nothing. If he stayed home and enjoyed his wealth, wouldn't that be better? Why must he come out and live a hard life?" However, after communicating with Zhu Li multiple times, Chen Wei and others were moved by his persistence in becoming a teacher. His classmates admired him greatly. "What's the big deal about being a 'rich second generation'? I think a person becomes truly wealthy when they are spiritually rich." Zhu Li said that now the orphanage gives some subsidies to full-time teachers appropriately, but it still isn't enough for his living expenses, and transportation costs rely on his mother's support. "I am now a 'negative wealthy man,' but I am very happy!" Zhu Li said. Zhu Li became a full-time volunteer, dreaming of cultivating vagrant children into college students. Yesterday, at Dayan Village in Dazu, Zhu Li visited his mother at the restaurant, always wanting to help with something to compensate for his guilt towards his mother. Rarely does the son come home, and the mother insists on putting more dishes in his bowl for a feast. Editor's note: In recent years, news about the "rich second generation" has been abundant. However, most of these news stories have been negative, leading people to associate the term "rich second generation" with reckless driving, flaunting wealth, and being spoiled. It cannot be denied that many "rich second generations" grew up in privileged environments, without experiencing the hardships of entrepreneurship or the cruelty of social competition. They exhibit behaviors that seem out of sync with mainstream societal values, making "rich second generation" almost a derogatory term. However, judging the "rich second generation" as the "lost generation" is too hasty. There are quite a few wealthy families in this society, and the "rich second generation" involved in negative news stories are merely isolated cases. Among the "rich second generation," most children are no different from their peers. They are not lacking in talent or love, such as Zhu Li. Many ordinary and low-key "rich second generations" like Zhu Li rarely enter the public eye. Therefore, we should not hold preconceived biases against the "rich second generation." The love they demonstrate is something we, regardless of being rich or poor, should learn from.
(Source: Chongqing Morning Post Author: Liu Lin Yang Xin Yu)