“Everyone has some cash in his pocket, but the money isn’t safe. You need a sense of security to be comfortable,” he said. I asked Chen how he would’ve responded if he had seen the little girl in the road. He said nothing for a moment. “If it was before Reform and Opening Up, I would have rushed out and risked my life to save her,” he said. “But after? I would probably hesitate. I wouldn’t be that brave. That’s what I’m trying to say: this is the world we’re in now.” Chen had a granddaughter, and I asked, “When she grows up, what kind of person do you want her to be?” “That depends on what’s
...more
