My name is Li Xiaobin, 29 years old, from Quzhou County, Hebei Province. I won the top prize in science in 2012. After graduating with a doctorate in July this year, I plan to work at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Who says a poor family cannot produce a noble son, and who says

This is the story of the 544th real person we tell

My name is Li Xiaobin, 29 years old, from Quzhou County, Hebei Province. I was the top scholar in science in 2012. After graduating with a doctorate in July this year, I plan to work at Chinese Academy of Sciences .

Who said that a poor family cannot produce a noble son, and who said that a poor family cannot cross social classes? I was born into a poor family. In order to support my education, my two brothers dropped out of school and worked. I was not a natural academic master, and I didn’t even get into a key middle school. In 2012, I became the top scorer in the science subject of the college entrance examination, setting a record that no one has ever broken.

When I got to college, I only spent 3 yuan on breakfast, wore one piece of clothing for 4 years, and finished my PhD with scholarships. Now I quit my high-paying job and plan to enter the Chinese Academy of Sciences to engage in scientific research. I am very grateful to my family, my motherland, and the college entrance examination. Don’t say that studying is useless anymore. This is still the best way for us children from poor families to achieve a counterattack in life.

(Photo of me about to leave the National University of Science and Technology laboratory)

In 1993, I was born in a poor village in Quzhou County, Handan City, Hebei Province. When I was a child, living conditions at home were very difficult. My father worked in the village's construction team and earned less than 1,000 yuan a month. My mother farmed at home and had to take care of my two brothers and me.

Quzhou County is historically known as a saline-alkali land with low crop yields. In order to fill their stomachs, the family also raised five or six sheep and seven or eight pigs. When the market is good, you can make more money. If the market is bad, your work will be in vain and you may even lose money.

My mother spent most of her time busy with farm work, and we were inseparable from each other, so the task of raising sheep and pigs fell on the three of us brothers.

My childhood was very monotonous. Apart from going to school, I just tended sheep or did farm work with my mother. Every time on the way to the crop fields or when herding sheep, I see my friends playing wildly together. I am very envious, but I can only take a look at them from a distance.

(The alley in my hometown - taken in 2014)

At this time, my mother always sighed, slowly pulled me, and then said sincerely: "It's only our family's fault that we are too poor. You must do it in the future." Study hard and get ahead, otherwise you will have to work at home and be poor for the rest of your life. "

Although I was reluctant, I had no choice but to leave reluctantly. After using for a long time, I got used to being alone and looking for things to do that interest me.

For example, going to the cotton field to catch caterpillars is like the police catching thieves. Caterpillars are very cunning and often hide under leaves or lurk in flower buds. You have to look carefully to find them.

And as my mother said, I can see species that city dwellers can only see on TV or in the laboratory anytime and anywhere: ants underground, aphids on plants, peanuts Or earthworms at the roots of sweet potatoes...

Sometimes, I can even be fascinated by a leaf, and I often hold various leaves to observe. When I see the leaves turning yellow in autumn, I know that the chlorophyll is decreasing. Combined with my experiences in life, the knowledge I learned was verified, and I felt an indescribable sense of joy.

(Photo taken in elementary school—me, second from right in the second row)

Because I was alone, I developed the ability to think independently early on. also laid a solid foundation for my future studies and research work.

Before I went to high school, I had to do farm work every day after school. There are only two exceptions for , because in the fifth and sixth grade of elementary school, I lived on campus. I remember when I first moved into the school, I suddenly no longer had to do farm work, and I could also play with my classmates. I couldn't control it for a while, and I got a little carried away.

remembers that one day after school, I was playing cards in the dormitory with several classmates in my class. You played one card and I played one card, shouting excitedly. I was surrounded by classmates watching the excitement, and I felt particularly majestic.

However, he accidentally alerted the head teacher. The head teacher came to the dormitory and gave a few of us who played cards a hard lesson. As the saying goes, was as arrogant before as it is now.

That was the first time in my childhood memory that I played so "highly", and it was also the last time.From then on, I put my mind back and studied hard. I had no money to buy extracurricular materials, so I shamelessly asked my classmates to borrow them.

(Graduation photo of the successful experimental class - the 5th person from the right in the penultimate row is me)

Hard work paid off. In the last year of elementary school, I successfully stabilized my grades into the top three in my grade.

When I was promoted from primary school to junior high school in 2006, the exam was held in the countryside. After gathering at school, I needed to take the school bus to the exam room. On the day of the exam, I thought I would be able to successfully enter the key middle school in the county with all my hands on it, but something unexpected happened.

After breakfast that day, I rode my bicycle to school. Not long after I left the house, the car suddenly broke down and I couldn't control the direction at all. I anxiously pushed the bicycle home and urged my father to repair it. After

was repaired, I hurriedly rode my bicycle to school. became more and more chaotic, and I once kicked off the chain of the car. Along the way, I was feeling nervous.

Hurry, Slowly Hurry Finally I arrived, a car full of people stared at me, everyone was waiting for me alone. 's anxious and irritable eyes instantly made me bury my head in my chest, not daring to look up. I could only hear my heart pounding, and at that moment my mentality collapsed. During the

exam, my heart beat for a long time, but it still couldn't calm down after all. In the end, my performance was a little abnormal. I failed to get into the key middle school in the county by two points. I could only go to an ordinary junior high school in the town.

(A family photo taken when my eldest brother got married - I am the first from the right in the back row)

This exam was abnormal and it hit me hard. For a long time, it was difficult to let go and depressed.

Later, 's two elder brothers dropped out of school one after another in order to reduce the burden on the family. The family pinned their hopes on me alone. My mother said to me, now you have no choice but to continue reading.

Both brothers have junior high school diplomas. They are living in other places and can only find jobs that sell their strength. Every time I called, they advised me over and over again to study hard and find a decent job in the future.

In the end, I turned disappointment into strength and made up for the regret of not being admitted to a key middle school by studying hard and improving my grades. I want everyone to know that even if I don't go to a key middle school, I can still have better academic performance than them.

However, my two brothers went out to work, so my mother and I were the only ones doing the farm work at home. I was a day student in junior high school for three years, and I lived at home. When I go home from school every day, there is more farm work than before, leaving less time for studying.

Although I worked very hard, it was not until the last entrance exam in the second grade of junior high school that I reached the top of my grade for the first time. When I was in the third grade of junior high school, I successfully got a place in the successful experimental class.

(I spoke as a student representative at the College Entrance Examination Oath-taking Ceremony)

In the successful experimental class at that time, the school selected the top students in the school from all the junior high schools in the county (only in the third grade of junior high school, usually the top three in the school), and conducted a Assessment and selection, selecting the best among the best, selecting the group with the best results, and forming a key class.

enters the successful experimental class and does not need to take the high school entrance examination (the selection test is actually equivalent to the high school entrance examination in advance and is no less difficult than the high school entrance examination). He can learn high school knowledge half a year in advance and be taught by the best teachers in the county for unified training.

Finally, in the first half of 2009, , I entered the successful experimental class with the second overall ranking, surpassing almost everyone in the county's key junior high schools.

After entering the successful experimental class, I was not proud. Because every student in the class was the best in their respective schools, the gap between everyone is not big, and you will be caught up if you are not careful. Coupled with the competitive atmosphere deliberately created by the school and teachers, my self-discipline in learning has become more stable.

When I was in high school, the successful experimental class was under closed management. I could only go home basically once a month, so I didn’t have to go home to do farm work. This gave me enough time to study.

(recorded in the history of my alma mater)

Students in the successful experimental class can enjoy a subsidy of about 3,000 yuan each academic year, which solves my worries in life.Also since high school, I haven't spent much of my family's money.

In the end, I also won the first place in my grade in high school, and was admitted to Nankai University with a score of 649 points in the college entrance examination. Only when I saw the gratified looks in the eyes of my parents and brother did I realize how worthwhile my efforts were.

Because I was admitted to 985 and 211 colleges, my name is fortunate to remain on the honorary stone of my high school alma mater. The score of 649 also set a record, which is the highest score in science in our county since 2002.

In 2012, my parents asked my eldest brother, who had been traveling abroad all year round, to send me to Nankai University to register. Coming from a small, poor county in Hebei Province to the big city of Tianjin, I felt exactly like a person from the mountains entering the city and Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden.

The visual impact of tall buildings, flashing neon lights, and busy traffic made me feel very small. Looking at the strangers passing by, all of them dressed in bright clothes and shining brightly, I feel a little ashamed of myself for no reason. The academic performance that I was once proud of also seemed bleak in front of the elites gathered from all over the country.

(Freshman symposium - the one in the front row wearing blue clothes and raising my hand is me)

The elder brother seemed to see what I was thinking, and kept talking to me about the difficulties in society without academic qualifications. Let me not think about anything, just focus on my studies and find a good way out for the future.

Looking at my eldest brother’s expression, and thinking of what he and my second brother often said to me, I suddenly understood that I was no longer studying for myself. I carry the dreams of my two brothers and the continuation of their studies.

At this time, I remembered again that in order to earn tuition after the college entrance examination, I worked hard in the construction team with my father under the scorching sun in the summer. Just like what is sung in a song: "...lower your head in the sun, working silently and sweating".

It's so painful and tiring, I haven't even given up. How can I give up now? If I give up, all my hard work of moving bricks under the scorching summer sun for two months, and the hard work of doing farm work after school every day when I was a kid, will all be in vain! In the days to come, I really don’t want to go back to the countryside and make a living by doing farm work!

(taken by classmates after class)

I have always had no choice or retreat, because I only have one way, and that is to study. For myself, for my two brothers, and for my hard-working parents.

After paying the tuition and sending my eldest brother away, I started my career at Nankai University. got the freshman admission handbook, and I was pleasantly surprised to find an introduction to student loans. It turns out that you can also take out loans to go to school.

National student loan is a bank loan provided by the state to help students from poor families in colleges and universities. It relieves the pressure of tuition fees, accommodation fees and living expenses for students with financial difficulties during their studies at school, and helps them complete their studies. It can be repaid in one lump sum or in installments after graduation.

was like Columbus discovered the New World and at that time. I was so excited that I would never have to worry about tuition fees again!

So, without any hesitation, I immediately signed up for a national student loan for four consecutive years. has an annual loan of 6,000 yuan, with no interest during the study period. If you work after graduation, you need to repay it within six years after graduation, and there will be interest during the period.

Since I will continue to study for a doctorate later, the policy can "extend" it to six years after graduation. There is no need to repay the loan and there is no interest during the postgraduate period.

Shortly after the start of the school year, the school organized a symposium for new students from families with financial difficulties. Only then did I realize that there were many poor students from rural areas like me.

(The first time I received a scholarship - I'm on the far left)

Moreover, I also learned about scholarships, scholarships and work-study policies. In previous years, some seniors from poor families relied on scholarships and grants to go to college without spending a penny from their families.

This symposium touched me greatly and subverted my understanding of going to college. made me more determined and calm in my future studies. It turns out that children from poor families will not go bankrupt when they go to college. As long as you work hard enough, it will not affect your family's financial situation at all.

It would be great if I could know earlier. I will definitely advise my two brothers to finish college, especially the eldest brother, who had very good academic performance.

There are too many regrets in this world, filling the corners of life. is like a flying knife. Once triggered at a certain moment, it will pierce deeply into the heart and splatter blood. However, if does not kill you, it will eventually make you more alert. Every time I recall the regret of my brother dropping out of school, it makes me full of motivation.

My first work-study job was on duty in the administrative office doing chores, such as helping to stamp stamps and print documents. If you work 8 hours a week, you can get 350 yuan a month.

(Condolences to veteran cadres in April 2013 - I am the third from the right in the back row)

In the following years, I applied for jobs in libraries, optical laboratories, software school computer rooms, etc. The working hours and income were fixed. Although it doesn’t cost much, it doesn’t take up much time either.

plus scholarships and grants, it is about 8,000 yuan per year. Excluding winter and summer vacations, you can get more than 1,000 yuan per month. Maybe it’s not much for many people, but it’s enough for my living expenses, and there’s even a little left over.

I have always lived a frugal life and never spend money . Before I left home to go to school, my mother spent more than 300 yuan to buy me a down jacket in a civilian shopping mall in my hometown county. Because it was too cold in winter and clothes were washed and dried slowly, I bought another cotton jacket and wore it interchangeably with this down jacket for four years.

In spring and autumn, I only wear one coat, wash it in the afternoon and wear it the next morning. only in summer, T-shirts and vests wear out quickly, so I buy one or two a year.

Eating is my biggest expense. I almost never eat meat, order takeout, or go out to restaurants. I eat three meals a day in the cafeteria. My monthly food expenses are stable at around 500 yuan.

(My breakfast has always been within 3 yuan)

Because my family is poor, I can't compare with others in terms of food, drink and fun, and I don't bother to compare. I like the saying on the Internet very much: "Reduce your desires to the lowest point and sublimate your rationality to the highest point."

I have always felt that the reason why human beings progress is to reduce their addiction to low-level tastes and continue to pursue noble achievements. So I transferred all my energy and interests to study, professional research and social activities.

During my four years in college, my grades have always been among the top three in my major, and I have won various scholarships and grants, including the National Scholarship and the National Inspirational Scholarship . has also won awards in various competitions. For example, in the second half of my freshman year, I won the special prize in the 2013 Tianjin College Student Mathematics Competition. In terms of

major, he won the second prize in the Nankai University Electronic Design Competition in June 2014; he won the third prize in the "TI Cup" Tianjin College Student Electronic Design Competition in August 2014; in the same year, he participated in the " Harbin Institute of Technology Cup" and won 2 first prizes and 2 third prizes.

(This is the certificate of honor for participating in the competition)

Because there was no hardware support at the beginning, the robot we used to participate in the "Harbin Institute of Technology Cup" Robot Championship was sponsored by Professor Duan of the college - he was the only robot in the entire college.

In our junior year, the five of us who participated in the championship continued to do further research on robots and often came to Professor Duan's laboratory.

Professor Duan was engaged in EEG research. At that time, the global EEG field was still in its infancy. Japanese EEG interpretation technology is relatively advanced. Professor Duan has a long-term and stable collaborator at University of Tokyo , with whom he often communicates. He is an expert in the EEG industry.

I have been to Professor Duan’s laboratory a lot, and consciously or unconsciously, I have gained some understanding of EEG. A few of us suddenly thought, could we combine brain power with robots and use human "thoughts" (brain power) to control the robot's actions? We did some research on

. At that time, there was no research in this area in the world. After communicating with Professor Duan, he very encouraged and supported us to try it. With the guidance of professors, we are more confident.

(Our project was reported on the front page)

Whenever we have time, we spend time in the laboratory. Failure after failure, improvement after improvement. Working hard day and night finally paid off. Finally, more than a month later, our "brain-controlled robot" was successfully launched.

is a technological innovation project that has attracted widespread attention since its launch. People's Daily took the lead in conducting the interview and published it on the front page on October 21, 2014. It was then reported on important pages by dozens of media across the country.

However, learning and scientific research are not the ultimate goals of universities. I remember that at the opening ceremony, the dean of the college once warned us: "To be a qualified Nankai person, you must not only know China but also serve China."

Outside of campus, I actively participated in club activities and volunteer activities to enrich my college life. He once participated in the founding of the "Nankai University Maker Association" club, and won the honorary title of "Nankai University's Three Best Students" for two consecutive years as a freshman.

In 2013, I went to Yucheng, Shandong Province for a 20-day internship. I was assigned to the Science and Technology Bureau of the local government and completed an investigation report for the unit, which was well received by the leadership.

(2015 souvenir - I am second from the right in the back row)

During the summer vacation of my junior year, I was offered the opportunity to be exempted from postgraduate study and had the opportunity to participate in summer camps at major prestigious schools. Because the news was not timely enough, I missed the previous summer camp of Tsinghua University . Three other classmates and I organized a group trip to Harbin Institute of Technology and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (referred to as National University of Science and Technology ).

Because Harbin Institute of Technology was too far from home, I gave up immediately. Tsinghua University still had a quota at that time, but there were too many uncertainties. At this time, the direct doctoral student spot at the National University of Science and Technology was given to me. In the end, I chose to go to the National University of Science and Technology to be a direct doctoral student.

One thing that seemed very good to others made me have difficulty, thinking that graduate school would cost a lot of money. So, I made preparations to go out to work early. And I chose to directly study , part of the reason is also because of money - The subsidy for PhD study at the National University of Science and Technology of China is much higher than that of other universities.

Only when I got to the National University of Science and Technology did I realize that studying for a Ph.D. was more economical than studying at university. The school will refund the tuition fees for doctoral students as a one-time scholarship, and an additional 3,000 yuan will be refunded each year during the doctoral period.

(graduated in 2016 - me in the penultimate row, second from left)

My main job was studying in the first year, and the monthly state subsidy and some subsidies totaled a little more than 1,500 yuan. Starting from the second year, I will work as a teaching assistant for my tutor, with an additional salary of more than 1,000 yuan. Coupled with the laboratory project subsidy, I can get about 4,000 yuan per month. Not only does

cost nothing, but if you are frugal enough, you can still save money. Part of my wedding expenses were saved over the past few years.

I spent all my time and energy on my studies. I never had a girlfriend while I was in school. I was still single until 2019, when I was 26 years old.

My lover is from our town, and we were introduced to him through a relative in my hometown. On the National Day of 2019, the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, I participated in the event at Tiananmen Square as a member of the National University of Science and Technology team. It was on that day that my lover added my contact information.

Because I have a lot of scientific research tasks, I basically spend my time in the laboratory during the day. I can only talk to my lover at night. She is a reasonable, beautiful and generous girl, lively, kind, considerate and talkative. She often sings to me on the phone. Although her pitch is not very accurate, I still like to listen to it.

(Skiing activities organized by the laboratory during graduate school—me on the far left in the back row)

After graduating from Beijing Union University , she stayed in Beijing to work. At the end of January 2020, we took a car back to our hometown to celebrate the New Year together. After celebrating her birthday two years ago, we just met once on New Year’s Eve. On New Year’s Day, we were locked down at home due to the epidemic.

After the lockdown was lifted, I returned to Beijing. I don’t like going out for fun, so I went to the Forbidden City with my lover.With more contact and understanding of each other, the feelings between us are getting deeper and deeper. On September 30, 2021, we got married and held a wedding.

I am a taciturn person who doesn't like to express myself actively. But my wife was attracted by my simplicity, kindness, motivation and inspiring experience in school (she said it herself).

Maybe it's because of my influence, or maybe he doesn't want to be too different from me. My wife is already continuing his studies. is currently a graduate student, and she hopes that our children’s parents will have both PhDs in the future. plus I haven’t officially joined the workforce yet, so my wife doesn’t want children yet. Although my family has repeatedly urged me, I respect my lover's choice and decision.

(Participating in activities in Tiananmen Square to celebrate the 70th anniversary of New China)

In early July 2022, I will graduate with my PhD. In August last year, I had already found a job in advance and was doing scientific research at Chinese Academy of Sciences .

When I was looking for a job, I applied for many well-known leading Internet companies. Although the salary was very high and I got an offer, these Internet companies either did not have enough professional matching or lack of freedom in the research field. In line with expectations.

also has some jobs as a lecturer in universities in Beijing, but I feel that I am more passionate and suitable for research, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences can provide me with a broader stage, so I finally chose to stay at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

In the past two years, there has been an argument on the Internet: In today's era, classes are solidified, the rich and the poor are divided, the gap is getting wider and wider, and it is difficult for a poor family to produce a noble son!

In my opinion, this statement is biased and even a paradox. I share my story just because I want to say: Who said that poor families cannot produce rich children, and who said that poor people cannot cross social classes?

I hope that students all over the world whose families have financial difficulties can be inspired by my experience. Don't worry about not having enough talent for . I didn't get into a key junior high school. Don't worry about the lack of tuition fees. The policies of the country and universities will help us. Don't worry about finding a job, it will fall into place when it is ripe...

(Thanks to the motherland for its training and protection)

No matter what you do, as long as you do it well, you will eventually gain something. What we have to think about is how to do things better, rather than worrying about whether to do it or not to do it before starting.

This is especially true for academics. At a time when people are generally highly educated, if you give up, you will only be inferior to others and one step slower. Don't be a leek at the mercy of others. You must maintain your own judgment.

[Oral: Li Xiaobin]

[Editor: Xiaohuan]

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