"I feel the 'vitality', so strong, it breaks the shackles of environment, money and appearance on individuals, and also breaks through the shackles of suffering, narrowness, inferiority complex, pride, ignorance, prejudice and cowardice. It directly shows me such a luxuriant and tenacious vitality."

"It's really a protagonist personality with great action force. Now I'm only 30 years old, but I seem to have experienced other people's life."

"This is the Autobiography of a brave man."

"The little story shows me that no matter how low the starting point is, as long as we dream and pursue bravely, many impossibilities can become possible."

★ China's version of "Educated" — a Tara Westover in our midst.
★ Extensively covered by major media outlets including "People's Daily", "CCTV News", "The Paper", "People", "Global People", and "Beijing Youth Daily".
★ How the underprivileged defy the odds: Leaving school at 13 with minimal formal education, she thrived in the crucible of society—rising from nothing to earn diplomas, a bachelor's degree, a master's, and now a Ph.D., even achieving an IELTS score of 7.5. How did she do it?
★ From ordinary to extraordinary: One among countless overlooked girls, she grew up in poverty and self-doubt, with no one to rely on. Yet she took that first brave step, soared against the wind, and redeemed her own life.
★ What you’ll gain from this book:
Empowerment: A life that climbs upward from rock bottom.
Courage: Breaking free from fate’s cage, she transformed from an unnoticed weed into a towering tree.
Faith: If a girl who dropped out in 7th grade with near-zero English education can score IELTS 7.5, what’s truly impossible?
Change: Nothing in life is unachievable—only unattempted.
Healing: True solace comes not from resignation, but from tangible growth.

How does a rural girl, unprotected by family, rewrite her destiny through sheer will?
The protagonist’s parents divorced early; she followed her odd-job father, drifting through urban margins. Forced to quit school at 13, she worked as a diner waitress, internet café cashier, and street vendor, facing dangers born of poverty and vulnerability. At 18, a stranger’s unexpected advice sparked a decade-long journey: a master’s degree from Hong Kong Polytechnic University, ongoing doctoral studies, and academic exchange in Finland. Her future is boundless.
What fueled her escape from her origins? What drove her to crush fate’s limits? Her story offers solace and inspiration to all.

Xiaoxiao, born Wu Xiuxiu, is small in stature but mighty in spirit. As a child, she drifted through cities with her laborer father, attending migrant schools until dropping out at 13. At 18, she began self-education, earning diplomas in psychology from Peking University, later a master’s at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Now a doctoral candidate, she embarked on an academic exchange to Finland in August 2023.

Part I: The Camel
Birth ｜ 2
Wandering ｜ 6
Stepmother ｜ 13
School ｜ 24
Relatives ｜ 35
Father ｜ 49
Death ｜ 65
You Should ｜ 76
The Fool ｜ 94
The Madwoman ｜ 99
The Camel ｜ 104

Part II: The Lion
"Mom" ｜ 110
Adulthood ｜ 121
Ignition ｜ 127
Nomads of Life ｜ 138
Love ｜ 148
Persistence ｜ 154
Leap ｜ 179
Southbound ｜ 190
I Will ｜ 202
The Lion ｜ 213

Part III: The Child
Inferiority ｜ 218
Metamorphosis ｜ 226
Money ｜ 240
Entrepreneurship ｜ 248
Ascent ｜ 256
Retreat ｜ 269
Expansion ｜ 276
The Child ｜ 293
Acknowledgements ｜ 303

Afterword

Life rolls over us like a wheel, sometimes crushing the breath from my lungs. Yet I’ve been so fortunate — countless hands, knowingly or unknowingly, helped shift that wheel aside. People often ask how every step I took seemed right, every decision sound. My answer: because at every turn, someone gave me a nudge.
There was Liang Jing, my coworker at a Shanxi diner — I’ve never forgotten your name. You showed me the ropes, took me to your place so I could escape my damp basement dorm, and eased my loneliness. At the internet café, Brother Fu, Sister Fu, Li Yan, and Dali treated me with patience and kindness. At the courier company, Manager Shi and Sister Wang turned a blind eye as I studied between shifts; Yueqing’s optimism fueled me; Zheng Yi and Stella guided me into tech. My cousin and her husband supported me from day one of my working life. One winter, she came to my factory just to wash my down jacket—both of us crouching over a basin of hot water in the laundry room, steam warming our faces and hearts. That warmth kept me on the right path.
Uncle and Auntie helped reconstruct memories of my father for this book; my cousin and his wife tend his grave yearly so cattle won’t trample it. Third Uncle and Auntie found me my first job in Shanxi; Auntie Cao gave me the emotional anchor I lacked as a child. Then there were my navigators: Shanghai taxi driver Li Jing and Professor M at Hong Kong PolyU — you steered me true.
And "Brother Octopus," my companion of eleven years: your love and joy reshaped my life. You even inspired this book’s structure—the Camel, Lion, and Child mirroring my three decades. Finally, gratitude to People journalist Cheng Jingzhi, whose interview illuminated much, and to every unnamed friend who became my family.
I’ve no extraordinary talent — just extraordinary help. Remove one thread, and my tapestry unravels. Now that I’ve climbed up, I leave ladders for others. This book spans thirty years; some dates may blur, and some names are changed to protect privacy.