Heartbeat of Destiny: A Journey Through China's Reform Era

In the great tide of China's Reform and Opening-up, every ordinary family has been writing their own saga of destiny. This is a true story from rural Zhejiang, telling how an ordinary farmer tenaciously fought against fate and sought hope for survival amid the torrents of time.
Born in 1958 under the shadow of the Great Famine, the protagonist lost his father at the age of five and had to shoulder family responsibilities in his youth. Fate seemed perpetually unfair - excessive labor in his young years led to severe heart disease, and his condition deteriorated dramatically after he started his own family. On one fateful day, while being carried home to await death, a chance encounter with a stranger named Teacher Zhang completely changed the trajectory of his life. With the help of Dr. Wei Tiemin, he became the first farmer in the area to receive a cardiac pacemaker.
This is not merely a story of survival, but an epic family chronicle witnessing China's Reform and Opening-up. From village to town, from county to Hangzhou, the family drifted between urban and rural areas, experiencing the ups and downs of starting businesses, falling victim to fraud, and rising again from adversity. Each blow of fate was met with stronger resistance; each setback in life testified to their indomitable resilience.
From the Great Famine to Reform and Opening-up, from joining the WTO to the ravages of the pandemic, this story spans China's most transformative historical periods. Through the changing fortunes of one family, we glimpse the myriad aspects of life amid epochal changes. This is not just an individual's life history, but a collective memory shared by millions of Chinese families.