Our storyIn-Depth
2026年3月9日
From Migrant Worker to Factory Owner in China
My name is Cathy Liao, the founder of Shenzhencity Rongyun Electronic Co.,ltd in China.Many of our customers only see our products and factory today. But behind this factory is a long personal jou
From Migrant Worker to Factory Owner in China
My name is Cathy Liao, the founder of Shenzhencity Rongyun Electronic Co.,ltd in China.Many of our customers only see our products and factory today.
But behind this factory is a long personal journey.
This is my story.
Chapter 1 – My College Years
In 2003, I graduated from a junior college majoring in Foreign Trade English.
Although it was a self-study program, the teachers were the same as those teaching regular university students. It was not easy to graduate. In my class of more than 200 students, fewer than 10 finally obtained the diploma.
Many students planned to continue taking exams after graduation, but I didn’t want that. I believed if I worked hard enough during my time in school, I should finish everything before graduation.
Before studying Foreign Trade English, my father had actually taken me to enroll in Chinese Language and Literature, simply because my older sister studied that major. To him, that was the only major he really knew.
When we first arrived at the campus, we saw several rows of old red brick buildings.
My father looked around and quietly said:
“Why does this place look like a pig farm?”
He didn’t complain again after that.
He helped me carry my luggage, arranged my dormitory, and then took me outside to eat something. But I felt carsick and had no appetite, so we only had a simple bowl of rice porridge with pickled vegetables.
Years later, my father would often mention that moment, sometimes with tears in his eyes.
He didn’t want me to study in such a poor environment, but he also knew education was the only way for me to have a better future. No matter how simple the conditions were, at least I was able to go to college. For him, that was already a dream fulfilled.
Our family was not wealthy. My father was just a regular salaried worker, but he supported four children through school. Three of us went to college.
At that time, he sent me about 250–300 RMB per month for living expenses, which was already considered quite good.
Many of my classmates didn’t even have enough money for food. Some would sleep all day to avoid hunger because their families could not send money.
Some relied on boyfriends who were already working.
Some had sisters working in Guangdong who sent money home.
Some tried selling socks or toothpaste just to earn enough for a meal.
When you can barely afford food, it’s very hard to focus on studying.
I have always been grateful to my father. At least I could eat enough and study without worrying about survival.
However, studying was not easy for me. During the first year, it was very difficult to pass even one exam. I felt confused and lost.
Then one day, something happened that changed my thinking.
During a class on Film and Television Literature, a very elegant young teacher came to give us a lecture. She had a gentle smile and a confident presence. I still remember she was wearing a black T-shirt with a red heart printed on it.
To be honest, I don’t remember much about the lesson itself.
But I clearly remember what she said during the break.
She asked us:
“What kind of jobs do you expect to get after graduating from this major?”
One student answered quietly:
“Maybe become a teacher.”
She smiled slightly, crossed her arms, and said something that woke me up instantly.
“A teacher? Nowadays there are so many only children. Do we really need that many teachers?”
Her words shocked me.
Suddenly I realized something.
Even if I graduated, what job could I actually find with this major?
That night, I thought about it for a long time.
When the new semester started the following year, I took the registration fee my father had given me.
But instead of returning to my original major, I walked to another building in the center of the campus — the Foreign Language School.
Without telling my father, I registered for Foreign Trade English.
At that time, I didn’t really know whether it was the right choice. I only noticed that many students were studying this major, and the buildings there looked more modern and full of energy.
So I followed my instinct.
Looking back now, that decision quietly changed the direction of my life.
(To Be Continued…)
In the next chapter, I will share how I left my hometown and traveled to Guangdong, where I started working as a migrant worker in a factory — the first step that eventually led me to building my own factory years later.