Reading not only broadens one's horizons, it also nourishes one's heart. When one encounters problems or difficulties, what he or she has learned from reading may provide him or her with more possible solutions. What's more, reading makes one feel more confident. In Yinchuan, capital of Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, there is a family, and each member enjoys reading. During the past five years, Wu Hai and his wife, Sun Ping, have organized activities, free of charge, for people who like reading, so they can get together and share what they have gained from reading. The Wus help create a social atmosphere that promotes the concept of "love reading, read good books and be good at reading."

Wu works for NXTV (Ningxia Broadcast and TV Station). He developed an interest in reading when he was a boy. "My mother often put A Dream of Red Mansions (a classic Chinese novel written by Cao Xueqin) near her bed. Out of curiosity, my siblings and I sometimes took the books from Mom's room and tried to read them. At that time, we were too young to understand those books. But still, reading became something that was so appealing to me," Wu recalls. He had his first library card when he was in Grade 1 of primary school. Since then, Wu has been a real "fan" of reading.

'Land of Nourishment'

One day, in May 2014, Wu was about to attend a reading salon. Shortly before the event, Wu was told there was an admission fee to the salon. Each participant was required to pay 100 yuan (US $14.30), of which 50 yuan (US $7.15) would be paid to the organizer, and the other 50 yuan would be used to rent the place. Wu thought it was a pity that some of his friends did not attend the event due to the entrance fee. "What if the money earned by the organizer could be used to purchase books and help more people realize reading is such a pleasant thing?" Wu asked himself.

Two months later, Wu and his wife, Sun, launched a free reading workshop, which they titled "Sunshine Sharing Collection." The couple wanted to promote the idea that "sharing makes a change in reading."

Before Wu and Sun began organizing the reading salons, there were several similar activities in Yinchuan, for people who liked reading, to get together and make friends. But most of those activities required admission fees. What was the purpose of launching "Sunshine Sharing Collection" for free? Says Wu: "My wife and I hope to create a special 'land of nourishment' for people in our city, and we hope more and more people will fall in love with reading."

Wu and Sun were grateful that both of their parents supported their decision to organize free reading salons. Sun Yinyin, Sun Ping's mother, says, "My daughter and son-in-law are busy with their daily work. But they insist in sparing some time to organize reading salons, to benefit the public. So, we must support our children. We often share in our WeChat Moments news about their reading salons. We ask our friends and colleagues to repost the news. In this way, we hope to provide some help to our children."

Enjoy Reading, Everywhere

Since 2014, Wu and Sun have spent a portion of their combined monthly salary purchasing books, and they have loaned those books to members of "Sunshine Sharing Collection," for free. They have organized reading and sharing activities in teahouses, cafés, art galleries and other facilities available.

Sun, who also works for NXTV, has a public WeChat account entitled "Yaqing Shijian" (meaning "refined, tranquil time"). Sun posts audio clips, in which she recites beautifully written articles. Sometimes, she is invited to give lectures to elderly people, who attend a recitation class, at a university in Yinchuan. With support from her husband, Sun began offering an online course, Voice Bookroom. Through the course, she helps members of "Sunshine Sharing Collection" improve their reading and recitation skills.

In addition to organizing reading salons for members of "Sunshine Sharing Collection," Wu and Sun have promoted their reading workshops to high schools, enterprises, research institutions and nursing homes in Yinchuan. They have organized reading and sharing workshops with college students and teachers, and they have donated books to disadvantaged children.

"We have established two community — based workshops to promote reading among residents in the communities. Our goal is to inspire the residents' love for reading, and to enable them to enjoy reading, everywhere, in their communities," Wu says.

A Pleasant Thing

In recent years, more and more Chinese families have attached importance to the improvement of parent-child reading, and reading within families. Wu says the reading salons have helped members of "Sunshine Sharing Collection" realize the importance of spending some time, in their daily lives, reading with their children and family members. "We encourage parents to inspire their children's interest in reading, and to enjoy reading with their children," Wu adds.

Both Wu and Sun have a lot of work to do. They try their best to spare time — as much as they can — to help more and more people realize that reading is a pleasant thing. Meanwhile, through the reading salons they have organized, they have come to know many talented people who love reading.

"Gao Dehui is an elderly volunteer in a community. He writes a short poem, almost every day, to record his life. Wen Shuo is a middle school student who cherishes the opportunity to receive a good education. Many people, who have attended our salons, have said they acquire tranquility and strength from reading. By sharing their stories with each other, they feel they are making a change in their lives. My wife and I hope every participant in our reading salons will gain a better understanding about our world, and will make their lives better," Wu explains.

Wu and Sun's efforts have won them high praise from the public. The workshop, "Sunshine Sharing Collection," was named an excellent project during a reading festival held in Yinchuan in September 2016. In December that year, Wu also received the honorary title of "most beautiful personage in Yinchuan." In 2019, the Wus were named a "most beautiful family in Yichuan."

Wu and Sun have started to transform their apartment into a venue for hosting reading salons. "In the past, we had to seek suitable places to hold our salons on a regular basis. Now, we are transforming our home into a place that will be more convenient for hosting reading and sharing activities. We believe it will be the best way to continue our efforts to benefit people who love reading," Wu concludes.

(Women of China English Monthly January 2020 issue)