A sreen grab of Liu Shili at the book-signing event

Corn, beans, peanuts, and more - by growing these crops, 58-year-old Liu Shili lives a common rural life in a rural village in Puyang County, Central China's Henan Province. Though the food cultivated by his own hands can well fill his stomach, Liu told the Global Times he still always feels a "hunger,"  one that "only reading can fill."

Few would expect such a "hungry" reader to be a Chinese farmer and also a migrant worker. During planting seasons, Liu tend to the fields at home while in the off-seasons, he roams in different cities as an odd job laborer. In cities, he also fulfills his passion for books at many bookstores. Yet, he never imagined a grassroots reader like him would one day become an internet sensation, had it not been for his recent appearance at the Beijing Book Building. 

A 'misfit' reader  

Carrying his yellow-brown backpacks, Liu walked into the Beijing Book Building a few days ago with seemingly mixed emotions. He said he felt excited and relaxed due to having a day off to read. He told the Global Times that "I would only come to read when there's no work for the day." 

Liu's work as a laborer on the construction sites regularly starts at around 4 am in the morning, such as tying steel bars and pouring concrete.

That day, with no other work to do and when wandering through the Beijing Book Building in the Xidan commercial area, Liu came across writer Chen Xingjia's book signing event. Chen the writer is most known for his philanthropist public image.

"I've only ever seen him on TV, but he looks thinner and more energetic in real person," Liu said. Rather than sitting among the audience, Liu was spotted sitting on the floor, and he said that he instinctively pulled back his personal belongs into the shadow created by spotlighting. 

"I really wanted to get closer to learn the contents of his book though," but feared "my misfit identity [of being a migrant worker in a bookstore" would disrupt the refined atmosphere of the event.

What Liu never expected was that his very identity as a "misfit" reader would be the reason he would be introduced to the writer by the editor of Chen's book, published by the People' Daily Press. Recalling the scene, Chen was seen grasping his calloused hands as Chen told Liu readers like him were the source of the "highest honor in his writing career." Chen has also gifted him a book with his number.

The encounter with Chen turned Liu into an overnight online star. The People's Daily reported Liu's story. On Douyin, Chen shared video featuring the migrant worker that has since amassed over 970,000 likes from netizens. The sudden spotlight thrust upon the migrant worker was a bit of a shock, as to him, loving books was a "natural thing for a person."

Flower fields, farmland, and rural houses in Central China's Henan Province. Photo: VCG

Longing and respect

Back in 1985, before Liu became a migrant worker, he had once been a community-supported teacher in his hometown, teaching several majors such as Chinese language and literature and moral education. Today, many villagers over a decade younger than him still refer him as "teacher Liu." 

He loved his teaching work, but he turned to farming and odd jobs to support his whole family. Those teaching years gave him a lasting reading habit. 

Perhaps it was precisely that lack of time to read that has made Liu hold books with even greater esteem. He would often ride his e-scooter for one to two hours to reach Puyang city's Xinhua Bookstore. The bookstore is around 35 kilometers away from his home, but Liu never finds the journey to be far.

"Before I had this [e-scooter], it was common for me to make the trip by bicycle," Liu said.

With a huge bottle of water and some momo (a type of Chinese bun), he would stay for as long as the bookstore was open or receive a call from his wife asking him to return home with mild annoyance. Construction and agriculture-related books are Liu's favorites, as he can learn how to improve his welding skills and more. He admitted that while short videos online could also teach him such knowledge, only books allow him to grasp it "more thoroughly." 

"Books help me master my life in a more systematic way," Liu told the Global Times. 

This wise man who guides his life through books has another side - he is passionate about Chinese literature, especially ancient poetry. Beyond reading dry manuals, Liu has gone through Three Hundred Tang Poems multiple times, each rereading bringing him new insights. 

The poem "The Two Verses of Liangzhou" was Liu's beloved one. It depicts a scene of soldiers marching to the battlefield, which deeply moved him. "Do not laugh, if we are drunk lying on battlegrounds…," while reciting the poem to the Global Times, Liu said that he can "see through such words to feel the inner thoughts of ancient people."  

After gaining fame, Liu's wife and son told the Global Times that the sudden public attention caught the family "somewhat off guard." He himself has decided to stop giving too much media interviews, but occasionally, he still scrolls through the phone to check news related to himself.

"My favorite comment is a netizen who said I have 'feet in mud, eyes on stars,'" said Liu.

Song Jiabao contributed to this article