My grandparents are farmers. For a long time, I felt ashamed of this identity because Chinese society often looks down on farmers, associating them with negative traits like being 'vulgar,' 'illiterate,' 'unwise,' 'outdated,' 'poor,' and 'dirty.' I struggled with this because I love my grandparents and the serene village life. I cherish the organic food and the harmony between humans and nature — we plant peach trees and eat the peaches (种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆). However, in the city, few people have relatives who are farmers, making them seem like aliens. As a social being, I sometimes wanted to hide my background.

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Recently, as I grew up, I learned to listen. My grandparents shared many fascinating stories about their past. I was surprised by how interesting their experiences were and even more surprised that their own children hadn't heard these stories. They would say, 'If I had a picture or two of my parents or siblings, that would be great.' Most villagers don't have a single photo of themselves.

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That's when I decided to start this project. With rapid urbanization in China, many elderly people are left behind in villages while the young move to cities. Villages are mostly silent except during the Spring Festival. Every time I visit my grandparents' village, I see many old people sitting in front of their doors, eager to talk. This project aims to photograph these 'forgotten elders' and share their stories. Hopefully, years from now, their children will find traces of their parents or grandparents online.

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I also hope this project encourages others to visit their parents or grandparents who live far away. As the Chinese saying goes, 常回家看看 (often go home and see them).