Aiming for a clean sweep in her exams

The damp and cold weather had taken a grip on the city of Changsha in early November, especially during the wee hours.

Early-bird commuters could feel the bite of the chill piercing their clothes, especially before the sun rose to offer its meager winter warmth.

Huang Xinsheng stomped her feet to get the blood flowing and keep herself warm while waiting for the bus to come.

The moment the bus door opened, she quickly got on board and found herself a seat before taking out a shriveled notebook.

Unlike other passengers on the early ride — most of whom were dozing, or at least trying to — Huang started to read about Chinese contemporary literature works and legal terms. Often, she would unconsciously recite them under her breath.

"They are all key points I wrote down last night, and I had to finish learning them as quickly as possible," the 51-year-old says.

"Because there will be more tomorrow."

When asked if she ever felt car sick or had trouble reading on the bumpy ride, Huang says after years of doing so, she has become used to it.

Huang got off at Yuehua Road in the Yuelu district of Changsha, capital of Central China's Hunan province.

That was the section that she was charged with cleaning.

She quickly put away her notebook and changed into her work uniform, before picking up the broom and sweeping the pavement.

"I have to get the street cleaned before rush hour," she says.

This has been Huang's routine since she took the job in 2014.

"Every day is like this — I have to seize all the fragmented time to study," she says.

Her lunch break and the time before bed, after taking care of her domestic chores, have all been utilized to satisfy her yearning for knowledge.

Huang's persistent efforts have seen her recently pass the tests for contemporary Chinese literature, modern Chinese language, moral cultivation and legal foundation in her ongoing pursuit of a college degree.

Her faith in learning has caught the eye of local news reporters, with her story helping to inspire many others to use their own initiative and learn on their own.

Zhu Wei, a local resident, says he has frequented local libraries a lot more since reading about Huang.

"It (her story) kind of gives you an incentive to improve yourself and make better use of your time," Zhu says.

In 2000, Huang signed herself up for the Self-Taught Higher Education Examination program, which enables graduation from higher education and confers bachelor's degrees. The test is practiced by the National Education Examinations Authority with the Ministry of Education and allows students to finish courses through self-study without going to school.

"I have loved reading and writing since I was young," Huang says. "My biggest dream is to walk onto a college campus and study Chinese language and literature."

Huang had to stop her formal education after graduating from high school in 1990, when she failed to pass the college entrance exam. She then left her home in Loudi city, Hunan, to find work, undertaking miscellaneous jobs, ranging from being a street vendor to a grassroots employee at a printing factory.

In the meantime, she also got married and had two children, but she still made time for learning, indulging her love of studying by reading the few books she had kept.

"I wore them out by flipping through them every night," she says.

She also wrote poems from time to time and shared them with her coworkers.

"I got a bit excited when everybody started to consider me as artistic," Huang recalls.

However, her life was thrown off-track when her husband died.

Huang was then burdened with supporting her whole family.

"The closest thing I had to my dream of going to college was reading whenever I could," she says.

By the time her elder son graduated from vocational school and her younger son was about to reach school age, Huang decided to bring the latter to Changsha for a better education.

"I figured being closer to home will be better for him to grow up and learn," she says.

In 2014, Huang became a sanitation worker in the city to support her family while staying close to her younger son.

That was also when she started to go to the neighborhood libraries whenever she had free time to read and learn.

In fact, after her first day of working at her new job, she went to a local library to get a membership card.

"The card has kept me company for eight years and seen me borrow more than 100 books a year," Huang says.

"Books are my best friend, and reading them makes me forget about my fatigue," Huang says.

After her younger son entered junior high school, Huang noticed that he became a bit rebellious and reluctant to study. Therefore, she thought about trying to obtain a college degree through the self-education route and immediately decided to act on the idea.

"I hope that through my own efforts, I can both realize my dream of a college degree and use the experience to encourage my child to never give up on learning," Huang says.

Even though, later, she picked up more part-time jobs, such as that of a domestic helper, Huang still managed to squeeze in the time to study.

The efforts paid off when she passed the tests, the results of which she made it a point to show to her son, to explain that his efforts would be rewarded in the same way.

Huang considers herself lucky, as an increasing number of libraries are available to satisfy the learning needs of people like her.

"There are libraries everywhere in Yuelu district, which makes me feel very grateful," Huang says.

"Seeing that there are so many people around me who enjoy reading in the library as much as I do, I don't feel alone," she adds.

When Huang was reading Chinese writer Yu Hua's To Live, she says she vicariously lived the experiences of the major characters and sometimes burst into tears.

The book embodies the span of four generations of change in China. It blends themes of Taoism, simplicity and the value of family.

She liked it so much that she bought her own copy of it.

"I learned a lot from the book, not only about culture and the way to deal with the world, but also about understanding my own mind and feeling happy," she says.

From novels to prose, the more she reads, the more she feels her life is enriched and happier.

In addition to reading, Huang also writes. Through limericks and modern poetry, she records life and expresses her emotions. She will also stay up late to write.

In one of her poems, she compares autumn to a painter who has gone through life's ups and downs and, while great, is a bit eccentric.

It is one of hundreds of her works that have made their way into many local publications and onto online platforms.

"I'd like to write novels when I retire," she says.

On being questioned by some people online about why she has been pursuing college at her age, she says she didn't want to have any regrets.

"I see learning as a lifelong thing. Everyone has their own sorrow and joy, and reading and writing, to me, is a relief and an indescribable joy," Huang says.

Although there are still 10 subject tests Huang has to pass to get her college degree, she says it only gives her more incentive to study.

"It's a long way to go, but I've made plans and I'm ready to reach my dream," she says.