I believe the ancient Chinese historical work “Records of the Grand Historian” (Shiji) is truly remarkable, and its writing style continues to influence today. Just look at how contemporary narratives about a woman’s hardships are crafted; they completely echo the techniques of the Shiji：
Liu Yaomei, a female resident born in August 1967, hails from Longtang Village, Donggou Town, Liangzi Lake District.
Facing a series of personal challenges, Liu remains unwavering. Her husband and brother-in-law suffer from mental illnesses, while her nephew has an intellectual disability. Additionally, Liu cares for her nonagenarian mother-in-law and two children at home. Despite these adversities, she has held the family together single-handedly. After tending to the crops, she takes up manual jobs like hauling ash buckets and bricks. Once, after purchasing a second-hand vehicle for transportation, she had an accident due to sleep deprivation, wiping out all her savings. Later on, she ventured into pig farming using an interest-free loan. However, the African swine fever outbreak in 2019 wiped out her livestock, plunging her into debt by several hundred thousand yuan. Unfazed and without shedding a tear, Liu persevered. In 2022, her resilience earned her the title of “Eighth Moral Exemplar of Ezhou City.”
She bore all the responsibilities alone, with the government being completely absent. Yet, the government also drew from ancient Chinese traditions by awarding her the title of “Monument to a Chaste and Heroic Woman.”
