A Chongqing Municipality couple in search of the good life on a remote mountain is determined not to give up, despite various setbacks.

Xiao Jianyong, 30, a computer science graduate at Chongqing University and his wife, Li Huajuan, also 30 and a tourism and hotel management graduate at the same university, have tried to make it as farmers. But luck has not been on their side.

After graduating from university, Xiao was a manager at a computer company in bustling Jiefangbei Street, Chongqing. The couple worked together and saved their money.

But they eventually tired of the rat race and two years ago moved to Shuangquan Township in Youyang County, Chongqing.

"A simple house by a little lake with fish and ducks was the idyllic lifestyle I dreamed of. The further away from the city I was the better," Xiao said.

The couple leased 47 hectares of land from local farmers and spent nearly 500,000 yuan ($66,000) building a simple house and buying two giant cold stores that could hold 80 tons of vegetables.

"Our house has no windows and the only modern conveniences are a television set and a notebook computer. We like the environment more than making money," Xiao said.

They hired laborers to plant radishes on their land and their farm was the largest radish producer in southeastern Chongqing.

But there was a drought and their radish output dropped. They lost more than 300,000 yuan and had to sell their house in Chongqing to pay the laborers' wages.

Earlier this year they borrowed 300,000 yuan to introduce Israeli chili but there was a rare rainstorm and their crop was half what they expected.

Friends have tried to persuade the couple to give up their idyllic dreams and resume city life, but they are not so easily deterred. They say they are confident they will eventually succeed as farmers.

(China Daily 10/16/2007 page4)