Two migrant workers, one shot at love

Emma Hu and Hongjun Zhao (赵红军) ’s love story is the tale of two migrants banding together in the big city in search of a better future.

Hu grew up a farmer’s daughter in Hubei; Zhao grew up a farmer’s son in Hailongjian, China’s most northern region. The two, both 28, met in Shandong where they were working for a pharmaceutical company.

“He was very shy so he didn’t speak much to me -- only a few words,” says Hu, who is cheerful and animated with curly hair and red-rimmed glasses.

Poor timing

Zhao, the strong silent type, admired Hu from the sidelines, gathering information about her from a coworker. But Hu was busy making other plans. She was recently single and eager to escape her heartache in the urban swell of Shanghai.

A few weeks before she left, Zhao gathered his courage and invited her to the local noodle shop for dinner. “He said he loved me, but I thought he was crazy,” Hu says, her voice rising and her eyebrows arched. “He didn’t even know me.”

Zhao urged her to stay in Shandong where life was more affordable and he could provide a better life for them. “I had already made my decision,” Hu says. “I didn’t love him so I left.”

But life in Shanghai was hard for a single girl, far from home. Hu’s first job barely paid enough to cover rent. “I didn’t meet anyone else and everyday Zhao was calling,” Hu remembers, looking over at him with affection.

When the financial strain became too unbearable, Zhao even sent her money to help keep her Shanghai dream alive. “I realized he was honest and trustworthy and I decided that he’d be my boyfriend,” Hu says.

Zhao had mixed feelings about moving to Shanghai, a city he’d never even visited. But he said he’s optimistic by nature and he followed his heart. “She is very kind, and good hearted and friendly,” he says.

Living -- and working -- in the big city

At first, the only work Zhao could find was as a common factory worker, making RMB 700, just over US$100, a month. By then, Hu had found a better job and a bigger paycheck. It was her turn to help Zhao.

Hu acknowledges the decision to be together was, in part, sheer finances. For migrants from poor families, splitting rent and sharing paychecks becomes essential to survival in urban centers.

But, as time passed, the couple carved out a happy life together in Shanghai. On the weekends, they’d buy vegetables in the supermarket, walk in the park and share housework. Zhao learned how to cook so that he could have a hot meal ready for Hu, who arrives home from work later than him.

In April, they bought a studio in Xinzhuang with the help of Zhao’s parents and a loan from Hu’s aunt. It was a change from traditional Chinese culture where the man’s parents should pay for the entire house, Hu explains. But, then again, their lives in Shanghai were also deviating from tradition.

In August, the couple returned to Zhao’s hometown for their wedding. Now, they’re busy working and saving for their future. “Love is about hard work,” Zhao says.

Hu continues: “We’re both from poor farming families so maybe we understand each other better. We come from other provinces and we’re creating a life together in Shanghai.”