I was going through the cash in my wallet this morning, and noticed this bill:
The bill is old and was ripped, and has been meticulously taped back together.
It’s worth about 16¢.
I wouldn’t go through all that trouble for 16¢. Would you? If this bill were mine, I’d just toss it out.
But 16¢ meant enough to somebody that when the old bill ripped apart (or just wore through, from the look at it), it was worth their time and effort to tape it back together.
This bill’s experience reflects the economic reality of a portion of Chinese society. There are people in this country that are so poor that a bill that can’t even buy a bottle of water in the city means something to them.