How can you earn a living selling omelettes when hawking watermelon could end your life? (Shu Hao)
A People’s Daily Weibo comment on the complaints of the people has only given the people more reason to complain. The state-run paper urged readers to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, rather than throw their hands up at a social safety net that is full of holes:
人民日报:【Weibo Comment: Better to Exercise Than Complain About Healthcare】Better to exercise than complain about healthcare. Better to teach your children than complain about education. Better to strive in your career than complain about housing prices. We are in an era brimming with opportunity—if you can take the hardship and sell an omelette, you can earn a living. Thanks to @陈兵_CPA @何宇峯 @插一腿 @性感白大褂 and others for participating in today’s discussion.
【微议录：抱怨医疗，不如多锻炼身体；抱怨教育，不如多辅导孩子】抱怨医疗，不如多锻炼身体；抱怨教育，不如多辅导孩子；抱怨房价，不如多奋斗事业。现在是一个到处都充满机遇的时代，你要吃得起苦，卖个鸡蛋饼都能挣到钱。感谢@陈兵_CPA @何宇峯 @插一腿 @性感白大褂 等对今日话题的微议。
Many Chinese families save up for the day one person’s illness all but bankrupts them. Children of rural migrants have a choice between underfunded schools back home or special schools in the cities, which are often shut down by the authorities; without an urban household registration (hukou), the children and their parents have no right to the city’s social services.
But readers found the paper’s final pronouncement the most galling in the light of recent urban management (chengguan) violence. A watermelon vendor in Hunan Province named Deng Zhengjia died in July after chengguan beat him in the street; one struck Deng in the head with his steelyard weight. After Deng died, fellow villagers guarded his body from confiscation by the local authorities, leading to street clashes:
泉州_Watcher: If you sell omelettes, the chengguan will beat you to death and snatch up your corpse.
卖鸡蛋饼会被城管打死还抢你尸体。
Castrater: Translation: If it’s tough to see a doctor, how about you just don’t get sick? If housing is too expensive, why don’t you just make more money? If it’s hard to get to school, why bother trying? Want to get rich by selling omelettes? Better not carry a steelyard weight when you sell your omelettes!
翻译：嫌看病难别得病啊？嫌房价高多赚钱啊？嫌上学难别上学啊？想发财去卖鸡蛋饼啊？卖鸡蛋饼可别带秤砣啊！
发发1897: Better to live from your own labor than be exploited. Better to use a little lube than be raped in the ass. Is this how you see the world?
被剥削了，不如多卖点力气干活，被爆菊了，不如多抹点润滑油，是这个觉悟吗。。。
CAS书生田: Rather than complain about university, establish your own. Rather than complain over an unfair judge, open your own court. Rather than complain about the newspapers and television stations, publish your own media. Rather than complain about the government, organize a new government? Would you allow that?
抱怨大学，不如自己组建或者引进一个大学，抱怨法官不公，不如自己开个法院，抱怨报纸电视台，不如自己办报建电视台，抱怨政府，不如自己组建一个政府？你让吗？
要坚持的Aquarius: Better to wash out your brain with the Daily than complain about the Great Communist Party.
抱怨伟大的党，不如多看日报洗脑
石窝懒人: Rather than complain about the lack of a vote, better if the people take charge?
抱怨没选票，是不是人民群众可以自己搞了呢
你好我是Ms_J: Oh, screw you!
啊呸！
Read more netizen responses at CDT Chinese.
Translation by Josh Rudolph.
