I am Luo Zongming. I was born in 1941, and now I am a retiree living in Luanzhou, in Hebei Province.

"From a shabby, thatched cottage, to a mud house, a brick house, and a nice flat; without the care given by the Communist Party of China and our government, how come we live in today's comfortable residence and enjoy such a happy life?" asks Luo Zongming, who lives in Luanzhou, a city in North China's Hebei Province. From a small, red notebook to a series of archived files, Luo and his family have recorded their memorable experiences, which reflect important changes occurring in their daily lives.

The small, red notebook in my hand is my "treasure." A lot of my and my family's experiences, since I began working in 1959, have been recorded in this notebook.

Every time I read the small, red notebook, I feel I am going back to the old days.

In the past, a radio cost 45 yuan (US $6.92), and a bicycle, 175 yuan (US $26.92). I wrote notes in this small book.

My monthly salary used to be a mere 26.5 yuan (US $4.08). I had to save money for several months to buy those things.

As time has passed, our living conditions have gotten better and better. More things have been purchased and put into our house. I no longer record everything in my small book.

Instead, the "archive" of my family documents our happy family life, most especially since we endured all the hardships.

My family's "archive" records the changes that have occurred in our ordinary family. Meanwhile, those changes reflect the rapid development of our country.

I hope the "archive" represents not only a collection of precious memories about my family, but also about a common memory of our motherland.

(Women of China English Monthly May 2021 issue)