Life has improved since the regulation was introduced

Two years ago, my family of six still depended on dibao (a government poverty-alleviation program that guarantees people a minimum standard of living) to survive. Life was difficult and tiring then. But I wasn't worried about the hardships I had to endure; instead, I was concerned about the sudden rise in the number of banquets.

Though poverty-stricken, I had to give a cash gift of at least 50 yuan ($7.50) at each banquet. I raised chickens, but I never killed them for food and ate very few of the eggs they laid because I wanted to sell them. I also sold homegrown vegetables. Sometimes, the money I made from selling my goods was not even enough for one cash gift. When banquets came frequently, I had to sell pigs and cows to survive, but that still wasn't enough. Even though I received a government subsidy, I could only make several thousand yuan a year, but one year I handed out about 15,000 yuan in cash gifts.

I was really under pressure when my nephew got married because he had previously given my family a gift of 1,000 yuan, and it was time to return the money. My only son was working outside our hometown and he didn't make much, so I was reluctant to ask him for help. I asked friends and relatives for loans, but they refused. As an uncle, I was duty bound to attend the wedding banquet, so as it drew nearer I racked my brains and finally found a "disgraceful" solution - to apply for a loan.