Interviewee not pictured
Note from Kuang:
魏海鹰是上篇文章主人公魏清清提到的叔叔，他的理发店就在馄饨店对面。叔侄两个一致地佛系，骨子里带着四川人不露声色的安逸和洒脱。他的微信签名是“像海鹰一样自由飞翔”。
Wei Haiqing is the uncle of Wei Qingqing, our previous article’s protagonist. I spoke to him at his barbershop, right across from the wonton restaurant. They both share the same relaxed attitude towards life, living in the free and easy way Sichuan people are known for. His WeChat bio reads “as free as a sea eagle” (his name Haiying is literally “sea” and “eagle”).
Wei Haiying, male, 46 years old, from Sichuan, barber
I had just turned 20 when I first came to Beijing. I thought I would see what it’s like, staying two or three years at most. Who could’ve guessed that I’d be here for over 20 years.
After graduating from junior high, I went by myself to Shaanxi to sell fruit wholesale. After two years there, I went to Xinjiang to work for a distant relative. Xinjiang is vast and scarcely populated. You can rent the land for next to nothing. My relative rented land in Atlay to grow fruits and vegetables, and raise sheep and cows. I helped him with the farm and the animals. Atlay is in Northern Xinjiang. It’s unbearably cold almost all year round. Not even two years later, I was ready to leave.
I have an uncle who came to Beijing in the late 80s, and he started a barbershop near Dongzhimen. His business was doing well so he asked me to join him. I say he’s my uncle, but he’s actually only three years older than me. My father has eight younger siblings, this uncle is the youngest, so our age is almost the same.
In the beginning, I wasn’t so convinced about the idea of working in this field. Being a barber meant dealing with clients from all walks of life. I’m an introvert, and naturally not good at connecting with people.
That’s why when I got here, I first studied at a cooking school for three months. But after getting a level three cooking certificate, I realized that I’m not a fan of cooking at all. So I went to join my uncle at his barbershop after all.
I spent over a year at his shop, half learning half working, and studied at a specialized school for another few months. I then spent several years working for different salons to improve my skills, before finally starting my own business years later.
Before moving to this hutong, I had my shop in An’dingmen and then Songyudongli, but neither lasted longer than two years because of the city-wide renovation project. My shop had a name—Hua Chengjia Barbershop. I used to have a signboard with the name on it. But it was removed by the local government a few years ago. Without a name, my business survived on the margins. And now it’s been 10 years.
Call it destiny, but if I hadn’t apprenticed as a hairdresser, I wouldn’t have met my wife.
I remember clearly the time we first met. It was early 2003, when Beijing was in the midst of the SARS outbreak. Back then, beauty salons and hair salons were combined. She worked as a beautician at the salon where I used to work. I went there to visit former colleagues, and that’s how I met her.
SARS kept getting worse, binging a halt to our business, for a time there were no clients, so no work for us at all. I often took the bus to visit her, over an hour’s journey stretching from east to west Beijing. We grew to know each other better as time passed, and now you know the rest of the story. Since getting married during the 2006 spring festival, we’ve long passed the seven-year itch, but we’re still very affectionate toward each other, just like the early days.
My son turned 13 this year and is about to attend middle school. He’s been with us in Beijing since he was two. He grew up here and attended school here, so for him, Beijing is home, where things are familiar and comfortable. While Sichuan, his birthplace that he only visits once a year, is a strange land to him.
But we don’t have a Beijing hukou, which means he can’t take the gaokao here. We have no choice but to send him back to Sichuan for high school. I’m planning to send him back the last year of junior high, so he will have time to get used to the different schooling system back home.
Most likely we’re going back with him. I haven’t decided what I’ll do to earn a living if I go back. I don’t think I’ll continue as a hairdresser. The business back home is not promising. Maybe so, maybe not, we’ll see.
I’ve bought an apartment back home using my savings from all these years. I knew I needed to prepare for the day I go back. After living in Beijing for so many years, I’ve never stopped thinking of my old town as home. It’s a small quiet city, good for a peaceful life. I wasn’t dreaming big anyway. For me, as long as the family is together and well, some plain tea and simple food is all I ask for.
Looking back, I don’t regret the things I’ve done. It’s what I haven’t done I regret.
Living in Beijing, I didn’t visit home as often as I’d like. I’ve spent so little time with my parents. While I was in Beijing, my father died of a heart attack. He was still only 60. It happened so suddenly that I couldn’t get back in time to say my final farewell. This will forever remain a lump in my throat.
All in all, I don’t have much to complain about—I married a good woman, I have an adorable son. I think my life’s been a worthy journey.
Edited by David Huntington
魏海鹰，男，46岁，四川人，理发师
我来北京那年刚刚20岁，原本只打算待两三年，体验一下，没想到这一待就是二十多年。
我初中刚毕业，十五六岁就一个人跑到陕西搞水果批发，做了两年，之后去到新疆，投奔一个远房亲戚。新疆地广人稀，土地租金很便宜，他在阿勒泰租地种菜种水果养牛养羊，我帮他照看那些牛羊和菜园子。阿勒泰属于北疆，年头冷到年尾，待了不到两年我就不想干了。
我有个叔叔，89年就来了北京，在东直门开理发店，店里生意不错，让我过来帮忙。说是叔叔，其实只比我大三岁，我父亲兄弟姐妹九个，父亲排行老大，这个叔叔老小，所以我俩年龄很接近。
刚开始我心里有点抗拒，不想入理发这行。理发需要接触来来往往各行各业的客人，我生性比较内向，不太擅长跟人打交道。
一来北京，我先去学了三个月的烹饪，虽然拿到了一个厨师证，但我发现自己并不喜欢做菜，兜兜转转还是去了我叔叔的理发店。
我在他的理发店边学边做一年多，又去学校进修了几个月，接着来回换了好几个店打工，积累经验，几年之后，才自己开店。
我先后在安定门和松渝东里开过店，碰上政府拆迁，都只开了不到两年，后来才搬到这条胡同。我的理发店原本有名字，叫华城佳理发店，但是招牌几年前被拆了。虽然成了无名小店，好歹生意还在，到现在已经十年了。
不过说来也算命中注定，不做理发这一行，我跟我媳妇也不会认识。
我们认识的时间我记得很清楚，是在03年年初，北京正爆发非典。早期美容美发是一体的，她在我工作过的店做美容，我去店里找原来的同事，就这么认识了。
后来非典越闹越凶，理发店根本没有客人，不用上班，我经常坐一个多小时公交从东到西跨越半个北京城去找她，一起逛公园。相处时间长了，慢慢彼此了解，我们便顺理成章地在一起了。从06年春节结婚，到现在早就过了七年之痒，我俩感情依然很好。
我儿子今年13岁，下半年就该读初一了。他两岁就跟着我们来北京，在这长大，在这上学，早就熟悉习惯了这里的一切，对于他来说，北京是家，一年回一次四川反倒像是做客。
但是我们没有北京户口，他不能参加北京的高考，高中必须回四川读。我打算初三就把他转回去上学，晚了怕学习跟不上，毕竟两个地方用的教材不一样，教学系统也不一样。
等儿子读初三，我们应该也会跟着一起回去。但是回去做什么，我还没想清楚，可能不干理发了，这一行在老家不太好做，到时候看吧，走一步算一步。
我已经攒钱在我们老家的市区买了房子，就是预备了有一天回去住的。在北京生活这么久，我心里惦念的还是老家。那里是个安静的小城市，适合安安稳稳过日子。我想要的本来就不多，只要一家人好好地在一起，粗茶淡饭的日子我觉得没什么不好的。
这么多年，我对做过的事都不后悔，我遗憾的是我没有做过的事。
来北京之后，我难得回家，陪伴父母的时间非常少。我在北京期间，我父亲突发心肌梗死，走的时候才60岁，我赶回去没能见到他最后一面，这是我这辈子最大的遗憾。
总的来说，我对生活挺满意的，有个好媳妇，有个宝贝儿子，我觉得人生来一趟还是挺值的。
Kuang is the founder of Beijing Lights. She would love to hear your thoughts about the column and is open to new collaborations. She can be reached at kuang@spittooncollective.com.