Too much, too young

When I met Zhai Meixiang in Beidouxi township in Hunan province, she was celebrating her 12th birthday with a group of school friends, who were all left-behind children and shared birthdays in May.

Unlike most girls of her age, Zhai approached her party seriously. When the candles were lit and she made a wish, her face assumed a serious expression as though she were making a life-changing decision.

"If I make the wish seriously, it is more likely to come true," she said.