A Hero

A Hero  

             “Any nation or country must learn the strengths from other nations and countries. Moreover, we have to learn from other’s scientific advancement of and technology skills.” This quote really mesmerized me the first time I saw it. It was said by the former Chinese leader, Xiaoping Deng, and he used the Economic Reform policy to help the new China to become better in 1987. I can say this policy is like a hero in my mind. Before the Economic Reform policy, the previous leader Mao implemented the Cultural Revolution. Mao gave his rights to the group called “Gang of Four” which is a counter-revolutionary group. Nevertheless, Mao used the “Gang of Four” to bring civil strife to the country and the people. The Cultural Revolution made the country and people have the most serious frustration and loss since the founding of the country. The Economic Reform policy not only made China have the new development, but it also give my father’s family a new life. 

            The Economic Reform policy made the materials abundant in my dad’s family. The necessaries of life in China were not sufficient for each family, and there wasn’t money. Therefore, people only used tickets issued by the government to get their necessaries of life with a set quantity before this policy. However, the Economic Reform policy made China start to accept products from other countries. It meant they had more products, and not only products which were produced in China. My father said his family did not have to worry anymore for they did not have enough foods or cloth because the Economic Reform made more daily products available. It means people did not need to worry about the quantity was not enough for the daily products. The government allowed people to use money to buy things they wanted. At that time, my father liked to go out and buy snakes always because he could buy any necessaries of life he liked with money. Moreover, my father tried a lot of different overseas snacks, and he could see the difference of the products between China and other countries. This change made my father not to be the frog at the bottom of the well anymore. 

            In addition, my father’s boss raised his salary in 1995. Before the Economic Reform, Chinese people only had business with other Chinese. After the Economic Reform the company where my father worked had a better economy, and the boss earned more money. Therefore, my father had a higher payment than before. My father worked in a biscuit factory. Then, he said his company started to do business with people who from other countries, and their cooperative partner not just Chinese also foreigners. My father’s company had business with both Chinese and foreigners, so he could earn more money. In fact, their company had new machines from foreign countries. The new machines worked fast and made higher quality cookies than the old machines. The machines helped my dad’s company have more cookies with higher quality and better taste, so they could earn more than before. Both foreign technology and commercialization improved the products quality and raised my father’s salary. 

            Besides the materials and money, his housing was one of the elements that affected my father’s family. My father and my grandparents eventually had a house that belonged to them. My father came to Guangzhou with my grandmother from his hometown because they wanted to live with my grandfather who worked in Guangzhou. However, they did not have a house, and they had to line up with a number to rent a house. The only thing they could do was live with my grandfather in his dormitory, but the dormitory did not have enough space for them. The government kept the land for themselves to use before the Economic Reform. Moreover, they were closed mind because they were scared people could use these lands to rebellion. The Economic Reform policy allowed people to buy their own house. My grandfather used his money to buy a house for his family. Xiaoping Deng opened the Chinese economy to the market. The policy allowed people to buy houses, and the government could use that money to build other buildings for sale. Thus, people had a home that belonged to themselves, and the government could have money for establishing the new buildings.

 

            Overall, abundance, raised salary, and housing are the three elements that affected my father’s family and me with the Economic Reform. Today, I feel thankful to leader Deng Xiaoping for what he did. For me, this policy is just like a hero because it saves a lot of people who lives in China. I believe my father and my life would be totally different without this policy. My father may not have had the chance to go to Guangzhou, and he may not have earned so much money to become a successful businessman. I might be living in an underdeveloped country with many unreasonable rules. Then, I would not have a life like what I have now possibly. Xiaoping Deng is one of the best leaders, and he used the policy of Economic Reform to lead the new China and Chinese to succeed. He has made the development and success of New China, and my father and me are feel proud of him.