and require fewer skills. even in the city, at this job fair in beijing, there is a skills gap. most of the openings don t need a masters degree. mr xi wants the next generation to eat bitterness . a way of saying, just suck it up. but after enduring years of strict covid lockdowns, many young people don t want a hard life. zheng guling has a marketing degree from a city a few hours drive from beijing. after a few months of searching she has taken a job in customer service, for now. both she and her boyfriend want to work, but the pandemic also changed their outlook on life. translation: my parents are less educated. - the things they ve encountered, the places they ve visited, are few and limited. they have never left their home province. they just want a stable life. but we want to see more things, see the outside world