In the pursuit of happiness, most people envision a life filled with achievements, financial success, and societal recognition. But for Zhang Xinyang, a once-celebrated child prodigy in China, happiness took an unconventional turn.
In a candid interview with Chinese media on September 20, Zhang revealed that, for him, he’s happy simply sitting around at home and doing nothing.
From Prodigy to Controversy
A Remarkable Academic Journey
Zhang Xinyang’s journey to this unique perspective on happiness is nothing short of extraordinary. At the age of 10, he entered university, a feat that astounded many.
By the age of 13, he was already attending graduate school, showcasing an intellectual prowess that left many in awe.
In 2011, at the tender age of 16, he embarked on a PhD program in applied mathematics at Beihang University, one of Beijing’s most prestigious institutions.
A Controversial Demand
However, in the same year, Zhang found himself at the center of controversy. He made an audacious demand of his parents: they must purchase a two-million-yuan (approximately S$380,000) apartment in Beijing for him or he would abandon his Master’s degree and PhD.
Threatening to abandon his Master’s degree and reject the PhD offer, Zhang believed that owning a property, securing a good job, and gaining city resident status were the benchmarks of success.
His parents, hailing from a fourth-tier city in Liaoning, rented an apartment in Beijing and deceived their son into thinking they had bought it—a desperate attempt to fulfill his demands.
From Academia to Uncertainty
The Post-Doctorate Years
Despite successfully completing his doctorate in 2019 and becoming a university lecturer, Zhang’s life took an unexpected turn two years later. He resigned from his job and, today, resides in a rented apartment in Shanghai with just a meager bank balance of a few thousand yuan.
To make ends meet, Zhang has turned to freelance work, supplementing his income with an allowance of 10,000 yuan every two to three months from his parents.
Still holding onto the unfulfilled promise of the apartment that his parents never bought, he argues that his parents “owe” him everything.
Unconventional Satisfaction
Remarkably, Zhang Xinyang finds contentment in his present situation. On his modest income, he boldly declares that he can forego work for the rest of his life and depend on his parents, grandparents and great grandparents.
He also criticised his parents for not ‘understanding anything” and giving him advice.