The Economist.
This is Huanyan, the author of I Deliver Parcels in Beijing, a bestseller in China that's now being translated around the world.
Hu isn't your typical writer.
He doesn't work from an office or a study.
When I met Hu at a mall near his home in Chengdu, he showed me one of his favorite writing spots.
It's a lounge outside a movie theater, but it's surprisingly quiet and provides free Wi-Fi and air conditioning.
Hu told me that he likes to eat at a nearby buffet when the price drops to 9 yuan after the lunch rush.
These days, he doesn't have to watch every yuan, but he wants to stretch his savings to keep writing.
Before his book made headlines, Hu worked one low-wage job after another: convenience store cashier, security guard, delivery driver.
Writers like Hu are part of a growing literary phenomenon in China, a wave of authors emerging not from universities or gleaming offices,
but from factory floors, construction sites, and courier routes.
Their work offers a rare window into the lives of China's vast working class at a time of rapid automation,
slowing growth, and widening inequality.
I'm Sarah Wu, The Economist China correspondent in Beijing.
And I'm Jiahao Chen, The Economist China researcher in London.
And today we're asking, why did Huanyan's book resonate, and what does it tell us about China's shifting attitudes towards work?
This is Drum Tower from The Economist.
Hey Sarah, our first episode together.
Are you excited?
Really nice to see you.