My father started farming in his hometown in his early years, tilled the fields for several years, at that time there was also a grain tax, but he also wanted to find some other work to do. Later he learned a craft for a year and became a bricklayer, but he still farmed at home. After 1998, through others’ introductions, he went to Shandong to work, at that time the wage was 39 yuan a day. He then worked under various small private bosses for a while, then after a period of time there was no work, so he roamed everywhere. In 2004 he was even deceived by a pyramid scheme to the northeast; halfway through he realized he had been scammed, so he first worked in a city in the northeast, then went to Beijing for two years. He went to Jiangsu and various places; wherever there was work, he went. Later he went to Shanghai (it was 2010, at that time it was 150 yuan a day). In 2015 he then went to Shenzhen (this time 300). Finally he returned to his hometown to work. I asked my dad whether there were construction companies at that time, why not go in to work, why keep roaming for jobs. My dad said there was no connection; you couldn’t get into a company. I originally thought it was like recruitment on construction sites—a strong guy could get in. But thinking about it now, there are also a lot of black intermediaries; without going through an intermediary, you can’t get in. Back then migrant workers faced a lot of discrimination; their position was very similar to what is now called the self-employed population, used when needed and discarded when not needed. My dad also banded with other migrant workers when outside; otherwise you’d be bullied. If wages were owed, you’d have to strike together for wages. In his later years, after returning to his hometown, at first he worked in a county near his hometown, with higher pay. At that time wages were quite high, about 400 a day, but his work-related injuries began to affect him a bit. He felt that within several years his labor capacity had dropped a notch; previously outside, he worked at least ten-something hours, now at home eight hours was already hard to endure. Mainly bricklayers carried heavy loads and repeatedly crouched, causing serious knee injuries. Even now, on weekends he doesn’t work. On one hand, he can’t work, and on the other, the community doesn’t allow weekend work due to disturbing residents. Later he worked with his master, two people sharing the wage. My view is that the years of farming in his early life did not have a big impact on my dad; he didn’t like farming because it was hard and the earnings were too little. The main influence came from early-to-mid outsourcing and late return-to-farmwork, as seen in our conversations. He is very content; he thinks although the work is hard, the return is good. It shows that the long-term labor work affected him, though the impact varied at different stages.
He hopes I can have a petite-bourgeois, content life. He bought my mother a pension (this thing is truly ridiculous; you have to pay for 25 years to get money, totaling 200,000 yuan; with inflation, I advised my dad not to pay, pure deception). His purpose is to reduce my retirement burden.
In the early to mid period, my dad was young and strong, living by selling labor, mainly piecework (i.e., fixed wages, you finish at a set time). In the late period he returned to his hometown to work as a contractor, but not exploiting others; he would take on small jobs himself, usually repairing small houses. People wanted to renovate new houses, rather than commercial sites or hotels, which private individuals could not contract alone, so he worked under a foreman. My dad’s combative spirit gradually wore down; on one hand, age increased and ambition waned, on the other hand, working for himself as a contractor meant he did not suffer exploitation from a foreman, and the industry has certain barriers, allowing him to earn above-average wages. His wages now are also over 400 a day; occasionally, when the work is good, it can be 500 (at the time, it’s estimated that he benefited from the real estate bubble. The current situation is much worse, mainly because there is far less work; there are no larger construction sites locally). But still, with his long-term working experience, he has shaped a worldview more advanced than the average farmer. For example, he does not believe in ghosts, does not believe in empty talk. In the countryside, after capitalism’s restoration, various superstitions spread again. People attach importance to worshiping graves, but he neither kowtows nor burns paper. He thinks such things are useless; better to cut the bamboo and grass around the grave and see if there are any nice plants to dig up to plant at home. However, he insists on burial in the ground, which shows some remnants. My grandfather (who was purely farming) was unhappy with his actions, more concerned with appearances.
Overall, I think he initially farmed, but was not heavily influenced by this mode of production, mainly growing up in a rural environment with lingering traditional ideas. In the early-to-mid period, as part of the proletariat, his struggle was strong, but in later years back home, his life became relatively stable and he became a petit bourgeois, which wore down his militancy. If I want to proletarianize and avoid opportunistic study to gain status, he doesn’t understand but respects me. I think the main issue is that his militancy has weakened and he cannot comprehend it. It is reflected in him not believing he can change society (though he isn’t very resolute about it; I think perhaps he doesn’t want me to do this, which is why he says that. I want to prove through practical actions). On the other hand, he doesn’t understand the principles of Marx and Lenin and Stalin, doesn’t know how the exploiting classes make money by sucking blood. I talked with him and explained, hoping he would understand and support me.
Regarding my father’s class status changes, because my knowledge of Marx and Lenin is quite shallow, I only have a rough inquiry, so I want to ask everyone."