Leaving the fast lane for a healing farm journey

While most keep this idea in their imaginations, some have actually put it into practice.

The story of a young couple's experience working on a farm for nearly a decade, is recounted in the recently published non-fiction book, Rebirth.

For Miu Jie, the book's author, the story began in 2017 when she decided to follow in her husband Zhong Min's footsteps to live on the farm he was running, in the mountainous rural area of Ganzhou, Jiangxi province.

Zhong had previously worked in various cities but was tired of the lifestyle. He returned to his hometown to run the 0.67-hectare family farm in 2014.

They had to start from scratch. In the book, Miu records their bittersweet experiences building their own house on the farm, planting more than 100 types of plants with minimal use of pesticides, responding to challenges like wild animals, pests, plant diseases and bad weather, before finally returning to the city.

Besides recounting their experiences on the farm, Miu also writes about her own views on life, comparing the pace of life in the city and the countryside.

"Cities offer you the result while omitting the process, so that you feel that everything is fast. For example, you can see a fruit on the shelf in a supermarket, which appears to have fallen from heaven and is just waiting to be bought. But on the farm, you can see how it grows from a seed, which may take months or even years," she says.

"The rewards reaped from long-term effort and patience can be incredibly satisfying."

"This is not only a book recording farm life, but also one about how a person makes her life choices, how she understands her choices and takes responsibility for them," says reviewer Dongzhi on Douban, China's popular book review site, which has given Rebirth 8.4 points out of 10.

This is Miu's first book. Three years ago, literary agent Mao Xiaoqiu saw the story of Miu and Zhong on an internet account they ran and contacted them to ask if they were interested in putting their experiences on paper.

At first, the book was written in an explanatory style. After numerous discussions, Miu shifted her focus to her personal reflections on nature and her observations of farming life, intertwining these with her family's experiences over the past decade. In this way, she has ultimately written a book that resonates with people across society.

Mao says the story prompts discussions about various aspects of life that people care about, including lifestyle choices, consumption habits and family relationships. Moreover, Miu writes with sensitivity and perception.

"Miu's writing style is quite unique yet highly recognizable. As an amateur writer, her writing is exceptionally delicate and beautiful, vivid enough to bring you to the scenes and also imbued with philosophical insights," says Mao.

Although Miu ultimately decided to leave the farm and return to city life last year to better raise their daughter, writing the book has allowed her to reflect on her experiences, clarifying their significance in her life.

"A slow pace of life, clean food and water and a deep connection to nature offered us relaxation and stability. It nourished us and continues to play a role in our lives," says Miu.

"But farming is not as easy as one may imagine. Besides heavy physical labor, nature presents us with challenges and uncertainties. Through these experiences, I have become physically and mentally stronger, gaining greater resilience and tenacity."