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Secure Livelihood, Pursue Aspirations, Seek the Ultimate Truth— Reflections on Wang Jibing Winning the Lu Xun Literature Prize

发布时间：

2026-08-09

Secure Livelihood, Pursue Aspirations, Seek the Ultimate Truth— Reflections on Wang Jibing Winning the Lu Xun Literature Prize

Sun Zuodong

Many people harbor lofty ideals, yet they easily fall prey to the trap of aiming too high without a solid footing. They fix their gaze on distant horizons but refuse to watch their steps on the road; they daydream of grand ambitions while overlooking the trivial realities of daily life. While browsing online some time ago, I came across a streamer’s phrase—“Secure livelihood, pursue aspirations, then seek the ultimate truth”—which struck a profound chord within me. A close study of Wang Jibing’s life journey perfectly bears out this plain yet profound path of growth.

Born into an ordinary farming family, Wang Jibing dropped out of school at a young age and shouldered the burden of supporting his family early on. He dredged sand, took odd jobs, ran street stalls, and operated small shops. Nearing fifty, he became a food delivery rider. For most of his life, he toiled endlessly and lived modestly, yet he never abandoned his family or neglected daily sustenance for the sake of literature. He was blessed with a harmonious household; his wife stood faithfully by his side through every hardship, and together they raised two daughters and a son. The elder daughters have stepped into society, and their son has been admitted to university. Imperceptibly, all their children have been nourished by the gentle warmth of literature. Bearing the weight of supporting his family while guarding the poetry in his heart, he labored steadily to settle the mundane necessities of life. This marks the first stage: securing a livelihood.

Once his livelihood was stable, his literary aspirations never dimmed. In the gaps between grueling work, while waiting at traffic lights, and during fragmented stretches of time on delivery routes—moments others wasted on idle distractions—he devoted himself to quiet reflection. For decades, he never laid down his pen. Amid constant rushing to make ends meet, he persisted in reading and writing, weaving the myriad faces of mortal life and the joys and sorrows of humanity into lines of verse. No matter how harsh life grew or how harsh his circumstances, he preserved a sanctuary for his spirit within. Untroubled by the lure of fame and fortune, he did not crave overnight renown. Upon the foundation of making a living, he nurtured his lifelong passion and defined his life’s pursuit. This is the second stage: pursuing one’s aspirations.

With ambition as his guiding lamp, he accumulated insights over long years and ultimately advanced to seeking the ultimate truth. His poetry shuns elaborate wordplay and hollow sensational gimmicks. Rooted in the identity of a laborer, it portrays the joys and griefs of ordinary people and records the authentic life scenes of those at society’s grassroots. His collection Flying Low won the Lu Xun Literature Prize not by random luck, but as a natural outcome forged through decades of steadfast living and unwavering original aspiration, refined and accumulated bit by bit step by step. He searches for the meaning of life amid ordinariness and chases the light of the spirit amid mortal bustle. This constitutes the third stage: seeking the ultimate truth.

In reality, countless dreamers hold dear their ideals. Many amateur devotees throw themselves wholeheartedly into their passions, yet they abandon their families and disregard basic food and shelter, plunging their lives into chaos and instability. Charging straight toward lofty goals while skipping the fundamental step of securing a livelihood, their ideals lose grounding in reality. After expending half a lifetime, they achieve little. Many young people fantasize about instant fame and overnight success, wishing to reach their ideal destination in one leap. They fail to realize that life resembles the journey to retrieve sacred scriptures in the classic tale: even the almighty Monkey King had to trudge step by step to reach the Spirit Mountain. There are no shortcuts to instant greatness in this world.

Ideals are never castles in the air. Lofty ambitions are certainly valuable, yet ideals must take root in reality. To speak of aspirations without securing one’s means of survival will only yield impractical fantasies.

Wang Jibing’s life offers a profound lesson to all: life must unfold in gradual stages. First, establish yourself firmly and live each day with solidity; next, set clear aspirations and hold fast to your inner passion; only after years of accumulation can you explore the ultimate truth of your heart and realize your unique worth. Do not indulge in empty fantasies, nor chase hollow reputations. Keep your feet on the path and light in your heart, press forward step by step, and even an ordinary life can radiate extraordinary brilliance.