27 Ogos 2013
Dengan harga sewa rumah atau apartemen yang sangat mahal, Zeng Lijun,
bersama isterinya Wang Zhixia dan anak lelaki mereka terpaksa tinggal di dalam
sebuah tandas lelaki.
Zeng Lingjun (33) terlahir dari sebuah keluarga miskin di desa Fumin,Wilayah Jilin, China. Pada 1999, berhasil masuk ke Institut Sains dan
Teknologi Heilongjiang pada 1999.
Sayangnya, dia tak boleh sambung kuliah kerana tak memiliki
biaya. Akhirnya dengan berbekal wang 50 yuan, Zeng akhirnya memilih merantau ke kota Shenyang.
Akhirnya, Wang menyewa sebuah tandas lelaki yang sudah tak digunakan di
sebuah hotel. Pada 2006, Wang yang sehari-hari bekerja sebagai tukang kasut tinggal di tandas seluas 20 meter persegi itu.
Ketika dia berkahwin Wang Zhixia pada 2010, maka mereka berdua
akhirnya tinggal di dalam tandas tersebut. Bahkan, ketika anak mereka lahir
pada 2011, mereka tetap bertahan di tandas itu.
Meski memiliki tempat tinggal yang "unik", Zeng menggambarkan
kediamannya itu sebagai sebuah tempat yang "kecil tetapi lengkap". Dia
juga mengatakan sudah terbiasa dengan bau air seni di dalam tandas itu.
Di dalam tandas itu, Zeng melengkapinya dengan tempat tidur, sebuah
televisyen kecil, meja yang diletakkan di antara dua tempat membuang air
kecil. Di sudut lain, dia menempatkan almari.
Di sisi lain dinding tandas, Zeng memasang sebuah kertas merah dengan
karakter huruf China "Xi" yang berarti kebahagiaan atau nasib baik.
"Saya puas dengan yang saya miliki sekarang. Hidup di sini jauh lebih baik," kata Zeng.
Dekat tempat tidur, di tempat yang dulunya adalah lokasi wastafel,
kini menjadi dapur keluarga itu. "Ini bukan tempat yang selesa untuk
memasak, namun saya sudah terbiasa," kata isteri Zeng, yang pernah
bekerja sebagai petugas kebersihan.
Di depan hotel itu, Zeng mendapatkan lokasi strategik untuk
usaha membaiki kasut .
Dari pekerjaannya itu, Zeng memperoleh sekitar Rp 3,7 juta sebulan.
Jumlah ini hampir dua kali lipat dari umah minimum regional di Shenyang.
Meski menyatakan puas, Zeng mengakui tempat tinggalnya saat ini memang
bukan tempat yang nyaman. Dia bahkan harus menyiram toilet berulang kali
untuk menghilangkan bau menyengat yang ditinggalkan air seni.
Selain itu, kondisi di dalam tandas itu sangat lembab sehingga membuat puteranya yang kini berusia tiga tahun terkena eksim.
Sebanyak 240 juta warga desa China bekerja di perkotaan di tengah
meledaknya perekonomian China. Namun, banyak dari warga China ini hidup
dalam keadaan yang menyedihkan dengan akses terbatas ke layanan
kesihatan dan pendidikan.
Zeng Lijun plays a song by Michael Jackson, his idol, on his desktop computer, the most valuable asset under their roof.
Zeng makes a living as a shoeshiner, cobbler and locksmith. His work
is never slipshod. Over time, his quality services have attracted many
customers and managed to keep them coming back.
By polishing shoes and duplicating keys, Zeng now makes 2,000 yuan (US$310) a month with his own hands.
Six years ago, Zeng Lijun learned from his friend that a small inn has a rarely used restroom for rent. He borrowed some money from his friend and leased the restroom from the inn. He removed the locking doors and the barrier of two stalls and put wooden planks over the squat toilets to form a twin bed. When sewer smell comes out from the restroom downstairs through the squat toilets underneath their bed, they flush the toilet.
Zeng and his wife show the reporter one of his wedding photos taken at a professional studio.
Their home is so small that there is not enough storage room. They put many things on top of the stalls. Sometimes Zeng Lingjun has to climb high up to reach them.
A poster sign pasted to their door advertises services that Zeng Lijun’s little business provides, including shoe repair, shoe cleaning, key duplication, and leather repair.
Their son is 14-month-old.
Zeng Lingjung loves to dance to the music in front of his son.
A portrait of Michael Jackson drawn by Zeng Lingjun.
Zeng’s family often eats napa cabbage, potato and spinach, all of which are among the cheapest in the farmer’s market.
Having no kitchen in their home, Zeng’s wife has to cook in the aisle on a small stove.
Many people can’t imagine life in a restroom. However, Zeng has been living here for almost six years. He said this is his place of happiness, where he married his wife and got a lovely, healthy son. He said, “I am content with my lot!”
Zeng Lijun plays a song by Michael Jackson, his idol, on his desktop computer, the most valuable asset under their roof.
Zeng makes a living as a shoeshiner, cobbler and locksmith. His work
is never slipshod. Over time, his quality services have attracted many
customers and managed to keep them coming back.
By polishing shoes and duplicating keys, Zeng now makes 2,000 yuan (US$310) a month with his own hands.
Six years ago, Zeng Lijun learned from his friend that a small inn has a rarely used restroom for rent. He borrowed some money from his friend and leased the restroom from the inn. He removed the locking doors and the barrier of two stalls and put wooden planks over the squat toilets to form a twin bed. When sewer smell comes out from the restroom downstairs through the squat toilets underneath their bed, they flush the toilet.
Zeng and his wife show the reporter one of his wedding photos taken at a professional studio. 
Their home is so small that there is not enough storage room. They put many things on top of the stalls. Sometimes Zeng Lingjun has to climb high up to reach them.
A poster sign pasted to their door advertises services that Zeng Lijun’s little business provides, including shoe repair, shoe cleaning, key duplication, and leather repair.
Their son is 14-month-old.
Zeng Lingjung loves to dance to the music in front of his son.
A portrait of Michael Jackson drawn by Zeng Lingjun.
Zeng’s family often eats napa cabbage, potato and spinach, all of which are among the cheapest in the farmer’s market.
Having no kitchen in their home, Zeng’s wife has to cook in the aisle on a small stove.
Many people can’t imagine life in a restroom. However, Zeng has been living here for almost six years. He said this is his place of happiness, where he married his wife and got a lovely, healthy son. He said, “I am content with my lot!”
No comments:
Post a Comment