Zhenfeng Chen - Photography
She says: "living for my son and my family is my biggest responsibility in my whole life, whether I like it or not".
Figure 1: Chen's Home (1)
Chen's home is full of fun and warmth because there is a 2-year-old child in her family. Hanging on the wall is a calligraphy work that says "home", reflecting the wishes of a happy family.
Figure 2: Chen's Home (2)
Photos, fairy tale books, toys, children's clothes... There are various objects of children in every corner of the house. The little boy is a source of joy for the whole family and one of the most important people in Chen's life.
Figure 3: Chen's Home (3)
Every morning before Chen's shop opens, she has to take care of her son and do some housework at home. But as one of the main money sources of family, Chen gets a lot of messages about her business from morning onwards.
Figure 4: The Way To Shop
There was rarely no rain today, so after doing the household chores, Chen took her son to her small shop in Kemulang Village. The road in the village is narrow, with a lot of vehicles and pedestrians. Chen's son is very naughty, so she always holds his hand firmly.
Figure 5: The Beginning Of Her Business (1)
The shop is quiet in the morning, and the chirping of cicadas in summer can be faintly heard around it.
Figure 6: The Beginning Of Her Business (2)
More than two meters of rolling shutter doors are still very tall for Chen, who is just 160cm tall. It takes her some time to open the shop every day.
Figure 7: The Beginning Of Her Business (3)
Chen's shop has a large tree and a leisure space in front of it. The residents in the urban village like to spend their free time, especially in the evening, sitting outside their shops chatting and playing cards.
Figure 8: Time In Shop (1)
When her business is not busy, Chen will find time to teach her son how to write or tell him stories. But there were always some customers interrupting her teaching.
Figure 9: Time In Shop (2)
Chen dotes on her son and often gives him snacks sold in her shop. In her social media, almost all her posts are about her son.
Figure 10: Time In Shop (3)
Chen's son often be taken to the shop from he was very young, so he is not shy at all when meet strangers. Although very naughty, he kept in mind Chen's advice that he cannot leave the shop alone.
Figure 11: Time In Shop (4)
In the afternoon came two uninvited guests -- polices. They came to investigate Chen's store because of anonymous reports about gambling. Chen, a woman who is only 25, is not nervous in the face of such an unexpected situation, calmly responded to the polices' investigation.
Figure 12: Time In Shop (5)
China has the world's largest number of domestic migrants, with more than 100million female migrants in 2019. At night, Chen's shop is at its best. Chen's shops are usually open until midnight because of the late sleeping habits of Guangzhou residents.
Figure 13: Way to Home (1)
Time passed quickly and it has already been late at night. It is time to finish the day's work and go home.
Figure 14: Way to Home (2)
The shop fan is one of the most frequently used appliances. This is the oldest fan model. It's covered in dust, but no one cleans it up. The fans have stopped completely, and in the next step, Chen's shop will be total dark.
Figure 15: Way to Home (3)
It's time to go home at the end of the day. Chen and her son look relaxed and excited.
Figure 16: Way to Home (4)
It is the end of an ordinary day and, as usual, Chen is holding her son's hand along an empty path. They sang a nameless ballad, and the dim lamps stretched their shadows long.