"it seems to me suddenly," Xing Zhen said. "I suddenly realized that all I had done was trying to cater for a widely recognized value system, but I didn't even fully understand the value system." After
renovate and strengthen their shelter, the couple further explored the challenge of housing. They visited academics and skilled craftsmen to learn how to make vinegar, soy sauce and beer, how to weave clothes, how to raise poultry, and how to make kitchen utensils and soap. They transformed a bicycle into a generator and made a washing machine, a solar panel and a small wind turbine.
with the help of a nearby college student, the couple spent more than two years building second two storey buildings with bamboo, rock, soil and recycled building materials.
"I think the local farmers will be able to build the house in less than two weeks." Tang Guanhua said.
as the news about the couple's experiment spread, the local farmers shook their heads suspiciously, and the curious people came in and the criticism began to emerge. A CCTV interview show that star guests mocked that they were "challenging modern civilization", accusing them of "delusional", teasing them that they could not entertain their parents on holidays. Even their friends were very confused about their behavior.
, contrary to these criticisms, Tang Guanhua and Xing Zhen said the purpose of the experiment was neither to pursue an ascetic lifestyle nor to abandon the results of modernization. They say they just want to explore another way of life for those who can not adapt to the modern urban society.
"at the beginning of this project, I hope it will be a plan to solve the social problems that I care about," Tang Guanhua said.