Student Question:
I feel like I’m drowning in information overload every day. Friends keep introducing projects to me — Xinjiang salmon, nutrition, jade, live streaming, plus endless things I come across online. Every time I look into one, I find I could get up to speed on the knowledge fairly quickly, but building the channels takes a long time. I want to try one as a side business, but I was already feeling lost to begin with, and taking in all this information just pulls me in more directions.
1 — After much thought, I’ve decided to write this short piece — a little mental massage, if you will.
After all, as adults, you can’t endlessly pour your heart out to family all day, and doing it with friends doesn’t quite feel right either.
So naturally, things get bottled up inside.
Since that’s the case, let me be the one to offer a few words of genuine comfort.
Likewise, I — Master Chi — hope you’ll think of me as one of your own. If something is weighing on you, feel free to share it in the comments.
Student Question: Is Yiwu still worth pursuing for ordinary people — whether for employment, starting a business, or building a career? If someone wants to start a light-asset business there, what industries besides e-commerce are accessible to regular people?
Master Chi’s Response:
Let me start with the conclusion: Yiwu is still worth it for employment, entrepreneurship, and career development. That said, given the economic uncertainties of the past two years, if you currently have a job you reasonably enjoy and that fits your situation well, my advice is to keep working for now — entrepreneurship simply carries more unpredictable variables.
Honestly, I’m not one for Western holidays — but among all of them, Christmas Eve is the one exception I hold dear.
Simply because the name in Chinese carries such a beautiful weight: 平安夜 — the Night of Peace and Safety. Ping ping an an.
Just hearing it warms the heart.
And warmth is something we’ve all been craving lately.
Let’s be honest — these past two years have been delicate for most of us. You know it, I know it.
Student Question
Hello Master, I’m writing about a problem rooted in my family of origin. My mother is hardworking and down-to-earth, but she has always been prone to anxiety, suspicion, and endless nagging. Her parenting style was very strict when I was young — strict enough that, despite decent grades, I nearly fell into depression during my final year of high school.
Years have passed since then. My father, through hard work and perseverance, has built a solid material foundation for our family. Yet my mother still nags — relentlessly, without end. I genuinely don’t know how my father has sustained what feels like a suffocating marriage for this long.
I’ve consumed a lot of content from so-called relationship coaches and marriage consultants. It all boils down to one word: nonsense. Just like people who teach others to build businesses while they themselves are nothing more than ordinary office workers — many who give relationship advice are themselves unhappily married, or completely alone.
Remember: the more important something is in this world, the more it calls for returning to simplicity. The greatest truths are always the simplest.
Student Question: I currently work in manufacturing at an entry-level position. I want to use my spare time to learn programming — partly to improve myself, and partly to set myself up for future promotions and raises. The situation is that I have absolutely zero programming knowledge. I also want to ask: if I learn programming and later want to relocate to a different city, would finding a programming job there be significantly harder? Product and operations roles seem heavily tied to specific companies and industries — but what about technical programming roles? Are they universally applicable across fields?
Student Question: How do you view the tendency to lose interest in a job after only a short time? I’ve held two jobs, and I feel like my enthusiasm for both faded quickly. My first was a customer service role that I held for a year and a half, until I realized there was no room for growth and the work was entirely mechanical. So I moved to a second job in sales, hoping to build my courage and communication skills and develop a habit of continuous learning.
Brothers and sisters, these words come to you as a friend.
Tonight’s piece is straightforward — I simply want to have a genuine conversation with you about how to actually live life after your thirties.
Because so many of you have written to me, pouring out your grief and despair.
Telling me you’re past thirty, no longer young and full of drive, lost in an uncertain world, with no idea where your future lies.
Student Question
Hello, Master Chi. I was recently promoted to supervisor, and I’ve been reading quite a few books on management. I’ve come across two schools of thought. The first says a manager should openly share their thoughts and intentions with subordinates — full transparency. The second says you should never let them know your true thinking, keeping subordinates guessing. Which strategy is actually better for a manager?
Master Chi’s Response