ABSTRACT
I n A village where the farms are small and wealth is accumulated slowly, there are very few chances for a landless man to become a landowner or for a petty owner to become a large landowner. It takes generations to climb the ladder of success simply by frugality; and during these long years the prospect of periodic upsets, from natural sources such as famine or from personal misfortunes such as illness and death, must always be faced. Even in ordinary circumstances, resources will constantly be drained by the expenses of ceremonies, marriages, and so on. It is not going too far to say that in agriculture there is no way really to get ahead. We made this point clear in the previous parts, but it may be repeated here. In Yuts’un none of the rich families has gained its wealth through agriculture. To become rich one must leave agriculture—this is generally true throughout rural China. For Yuts’un we have described how the people work on the land and how they raise ducks and engage in weaving. None of these occupations carries a promise of wealth for the people. Here in this village there is nothing like the papermaking industry of Yits’un. If the people of Yuts’un wish to become rich, the only thing for them to do is to leave the village. Outside there are certain opportunities open to them.
