Free library opens door to knowledge
<p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="brisk">brisk</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="sunny">sunny</span> <span word="morning">morning</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="late">late</span> <span word="December">December</span>. <span word="Like">Like</span> <span word="every">every</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="day">day</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="town">town</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Wanfu">Wanfu</span>, <span word="Jiangxi">Jiangxi</span> <span word="province">province</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="man">man</span> <span word="stooped">stooped</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="laying">laying</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="newspapers">newspapers</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="magazines">magazines</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="table">table</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="market">market</span>, <span word="his">his</span> <span word="face">face</span> <span word="wrinkled">wrinkled</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="half">half</span>-<span word="smile">smile</span>.</p><p><span word="His">His</span> <span word="table">table</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="soon">soon</span> <span word="surrounded">surrounded</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="adults">adults</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="children">children</span> <span word="flipping">flipping</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="papers">papers</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="magazines">magazines</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="reading">reading</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="bookstand">bookstand</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="free">free</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="borrowing">borrowing</span> <span word="favorite">favorite</span> <span word="books">books</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bookstand">bookstand</span> <span word="without">without</span> <span word="giving">giving</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="deposit">deposit</span>.</p><p><span word="Liu">Liu</span> <span word="Mulei">Mulei</span>, 76, <span word="taught">taught</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="primary">primary</span> <span word="students">students</span> <span word="for">for</span> 40 <span word="years">years</span>. <span word="Since">Since</span> <span word="retiring">retiring</span> <span word="in">in</span> 1996, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="collected">collected</span> <span word="about">about</span> 6,000 <span word="albums">albums</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="newspapers">newspapers</span>, <span word="magazines">magazines</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="books">books</span>.</p><p><span word="With">With</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="considerable">considerable</span> <span word="collection">collection</span>, <span word="Liu">Liu</span> <span word="opened">opened</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="library">library</span> <span word="in">in</span> 2006 <span word="when">when</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="began">began</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="care">care</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="activity">activity</span> <span word="room">room</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="elderly">elderly</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="town">town</span>. <span word="Now">Now</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="runs">runs</span> <span word="four">four</span> <span word="libraries">libraries</span>, <span word="including">including</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="famous">famous</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="set">set</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="market">market</span> <span word="in">in</span> 2009.</p><p>"<span word="For">For</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="five">five</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="retirement">retirement</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="spent">spent</span> <span word="about">about</span> 1,000 <span word="yuan">yuan</span> ($160) <span word="on">on</span> <span word="newspapers">newspapers</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="magazines">magazines</span> <span word="every">every</span> <span word="year">year</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="read">read</span> <span word="them">them</span>," <span word="Liu">Liu</span> <span word="said">said</span>. "<span word="So">So</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="order">order</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="satisfy">satisfy</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="needs">needs</span>, <span word="since">since</span> 2001 <span word="I">I</span> <span word="spend">spend</span> <span word="about">about</span> 4,000 <span word="yuan">yuan</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="year">year</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="buying">buying</span> <span word="reading">reading</span> <span word="material">material</span>."</p><p><span word="Mail">Mail</span> <span word="carrier">carrier</span> <span word="Guo">Guo</span> <span word="Weiping">Weiping</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="known">known</span> <span word="Liu">Liu</span> <span word="for">for</span> 11 <span word="years">years</span>. "<span word="We">We</span> <span word="advised">advised</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="order">order</span> <span word="less">less</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="loves">loves</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="libraries">libraries</span>," <span word="Guo">Guo</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p><span word="Liu">Liu</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="house">house</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="library">library</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Meixi">Meixi</span> <span word="village">village</span>, <span word="where">where</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="lives">lives</span>. <span word="Out">Out</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wall">wall</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="put">put</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="signboard">signboard</span> <span word="stating">stating</span> "<span word="Longevity">Longevity</span> <span word="Rural">Rural</span> <span word="Library">Library</span>". <span word="It">It</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="traditional">traditional</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="farmer">farmer</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="house">house</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="ignores">ignores</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="red">red</span> <span word="banner">banner</span> <span word="hung">hung</span> <span word="across">across</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="brick">brick</span> <span word="wall">wall</span>: "<span word="Books">Books</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ladder">ladder</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="human">human</span> <span word="progress">progress</span>."</p>
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