The Second Study is a private library that provides reading materials to the young and families in Xiangshuwan Community, in Beijing's Haidian District. Li Yan and his wife, Liu Chenglian, own the library. In a sense, establishing and operating the library has been a coming of full circle for the couple, as they both love books and love reading. In 1996, the pair, who wed in 1992, quit their jobs and left their hometown, Xiangning, a county in Linfen City, Shaanxi Province, to move to Beijing. Books, they say, gave them information, and taught them how to properly educate their daughter, Li Ruochen. The girl has said she has been affected by her parents' near-incessant reading. Li Ruochen, who also loves to read, is a student in the Department of Chinese Language and Literature of Peking University. To promote the benefits of reading, Liu and Li Yan started their community library in 2012. 

位于北京橡树湾小区的“第二书房”是一座以少儿阅读及家庭教育为主题的私人图书馆，这座图书馆的运营人是李岩、刘称莲夫妻二人。两人因书结缘，因阅读看到了更广阔的天地，从县城赤手空拳来到北京，因阅读获得丰富的知识成就了事业，因阅读学会如何教育孩子。女儿李若辰深受父母阅读习惯感染，自小爱上与父母一起阅读，最终成为北大中文系的学生，并自己出书。李岩、刘称莲对书籍有着特殊的感情，二人更深知阅读对孩子的一生的积极影响，便停下手中的工作，开办了私人图书馆“第二书房”。

From Scratch 
白手起家 

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Eighteen years have passed since Li Yan and his wife, Liu Chenglian, left their hometown. Li Yan, who studied coal mining in college, began working at a coal mine in 1990, after he graduated from college. As very few of the mine's employees were college graduates, Li Yan was soon promoted to cadre, and then a director. No one thought he would quit his good job to move to Beijing and start his life over. 

"My wife went to Beijing first, in 1996. I went after she had been there for three months. We then moved our daughter," Li Yan says. 
Adds Liu: "He was a small leader in the coal mine, and I was a teacher at the county's middle school. The jobs were good. People there thought we were out of our minds to quit our fine jobs and move to Beijing … We were both in our early 30s. We thought we couldn't live our lives in that small county. We borrowed 1,000 yuan (US $164) from a friend, and we moved to Beijing. My husband was very supportive, and we started our lives here." 

In Beijing, Liu found a job at a software company, where she helped develop educational software. However, Li Yan's major in coal mining was of little benefit in Beijing. He finally found a job in the IT (information technology) sector, an industry in which he had no academic background. "I was recruited because they found I could write things during a written test before the interview, thanks to my habit of reading. I knew what to say, and what to write, from what I read," Li Yan says. 

They began establishing themselves in Beijing; the couple had a simple goal between 1996 and 1999 — to survive in the city and to fight for the family's future. They lived in a small (eight square meters), rented apartment during their first three years in the city. They were not rich, but they were happy.

Turning Point 
转折 

The family reached a turning point in 1999; Li Ruochen entered primary school, Liu had a stable job, and Li Yan started his new job as a journalist with a computer newspaper. He was hired because an IT-related article, which he wrote, had impressed the paper's senior editor. The family's income — and living conditions — improved greatly. They moved into an apartment near Tsinghua University. 

One day, when Li Ruochen was in her third year of primary school, she asked Liu and Li Yan: "Who are Li Yining and Wang Yifan?" When they heard the two names, Liu and her husband were confused and told their daughter they had never heard of the two people. Their daughter then showed them an old book with the two names. "Then why are their names on my book?" she asked. Liu looked at the book, and after a couple of minutes she realized what had happened; the books were used when Li Yan had purchased them and, so, the names belonged to the previous owners. 

Given their small family income, the couple couldn't afford to buy new books. They took their daughter to bookstores, especially on cold winter days and hot summer days. "Hope Children's Bookstore is a place that we visit a lot. The bookstore's owner is a very good person. He places some stools in the bookstore, so children can sit and read," Li Yan recalls. 

"My daughter was too young back then, and she couldn't read at all. My wife read the books to her in a very low voice, and our daughter would sit there quietly listening to the stories. We spent many of our weekends there," Li Yan adds. "I can still remember vividly what the bookstore's owner looks like. He has never blamed us for reading without buying anything. He kindly waved goodbye when we left." 

Although she enjoyed hearing the stories, Li Ruochen was not satisfied to hear stories only on the weekends; the young girl also wanted to hear stories at home. One day, as he was returning home from work, Li Yan discovered someone who was selling used books, many of which were children's books. As they were secondhand, the books cost much less than new books. A Mickey Mouse magazine, which would cost 7.8 yuan (US $1.28) new only cost 1 yuan (16 US cents), and World Classic Fairy Tales, which would cost 13 yuan (US $2.13) new only cost 3 yuan (49 US cents). Li Yan bought several books for a mere 10 yuan (US $1.64). The book that contained the two names that had caught Li Ruochen's attention was among the books her father had purchased. 

"Our economic situation improved after our daughter went to primary school. But we formed the habit of visiting bookstores during weekends. One place we visit most frequently is still that children's bookstore. My daughter now can read by herself. We will buy some books every time we visit there. The bookstore's owner is still very kind to us," Liu says. 

In Li Ruochen's heart, home is where her parents are. After she entered high school in 2008, she wrote an essay about her family's life in the small apartment. She wrote: "Twelve years ago, I came to Beijing with my parents. The first place in which we lived was a small yard near No. 101 Middle School. We rented a place that was eight square meters large, and we started a life totally different from (what we had lived in) our hometown. Since then, school has become my playground. I play in almost every corner of the school campus. That small yard has my countless memories, and a naïve childhood, in it." Although their situation was not good, the couple never felt that life was too hard, as they always found a way to make things right, especially when the family was together. 

"Our limited situation forced us to seek hideouts in bookstores. Such experiences contributed to our daughter's passion for books, and for reading. All of our experiences (have become a) precious treasure. We don't need to blame others. We can live a good life, as long as we make an effort," Liu says. 

"Our daughter, Li Ruochen, has loved animals ever since she was a small child. She could watch ants on the ground for a long time. Once, when we walked along the street, she heard the sound of a small cat. She looked for the cat, and found it in under the engine cover of a car … She was very worried and, crying, she called her father," Liu says. 

Adds Li Yan: "She was so worried, and she asked me if I had some mechanic friends who could help the kitty … She told me she was waiting for the car owner at the roadside … She later found out that the cat was not under the engine cover, but was hiding in a small space between the wheel and the engine. She managed to get it out, and then she held on to it." 

Continues Liu: "My daughter said she wanted to raise that cat, and name it 'Lucky'. Lucky is already one year old now, and it likes to stay with us when we are reading, as if it also enjoys the happy reading time." 

The Second Study 
第二书房 

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The family's economic situation has improved, and the couple now has more pursuits in their spiritual life. The couple wants to share their passion for reading, and they want to help children grow up with a desire to read. 

"Reading is very important, and the community library is the best platform for people to read and access books. My dream has been to build thousands of community libraries, or Reading Growth Centers. In such places, we can help generations of children grow up healthily. The Second Study is a place where children can read … I want our 'study' to be a place where children can go, besides home and school. I hope books will give some peace to people's hearts," Li Yan says. 

There was a lot to consider after Li Yan decided to open the library; first, he had to decide where to place the library, and then he had to select a construction style. Li Yan finally decided to open the library in Xiangshuwan Community, in Beijing's Haidian District. Most of the residents were university professors or educated, white-collared workers in the Zhongguancun Science Area. Li Yan expected they would help him promote the benefits of reading. 

Li Yan decided to open the library on the first floor of the community's clubhouse. He tried to persuade the community's property management commission to rent him that space. At first, the commission did not support projects like the private library, as such efforts were not very profitable. Li Yan was persistent and, over time, convinced the property developer to rent the space for a small amount of money. "Maybe they were moved by my persistence. They have given me much support since," Li Yan says. 
Liu and Li Yan's motto is: "To provide books of high quality to children, so they can benefit for a lifetime." Li Yan spent 370,000 yuan (US $60,656) of his own money to buy books. He even bought many English books, such as the Harry Potter series. The library also has some books that were donated by foreign publishers. 

"I told them about my idea of starting a private library (during) Beijing International Book Fair. They were very supportive of my idea, and so they donated their books to my library," Li Yan says. 

The Second Study now has many big bookshelves, a very cozy children's reading section, a coffee bar and an activity room. Li Ruochen supports her parents, and she visits and helps out whenever she has time. Li Ruochen also offers advice on how to decorate the library, and how to make the place more suitable for children. "I think the place is already very good, but they are working together to make it perfect. I am very supportive of them," Liu says. 

A circular bookshelf is situated in the center of the reading hall. Li Yan designed the shelf that way so it wouldn't be a typically dull shelf. "Lines of traditional bookshelves would seem dull to children. Since (everything is) for the benefit of the children, I think we need to make something circular. It is interesting and pretty. I didn't know how to draw a blueprint for a bookshelf, and I didn't know about woodwork, so I used clay to make the shape of the bookshelf that I wanted. I showed my clay model to the workers, and they helped me make such circular bookshelves. I think it has been quite successful," Li Yan says. 

"Many people ask me how my wife and I help the children develop the habit of reading. I want to say that reading requires an environment. My wife and I always read at home, and so does our daughter … A most common scene at our home is the three of us, together, reading a book," Li Yan says. 

"We started The Second Study because we wanted to give children and their parents a place where they could read quietly. I have always wanted to own a library like this, and many others. The libraries should be in different communities. They have thousands of copies of books, and a cozy environment. Children living in the communities can come to the libraries to read. We have countless books for them to read. We also have toys for them … The parents can exchange ideas about childrearing … or read some newspapers and magazines. We also have a family reading section, where a mother can read to her child, and the father can perform to help explain the story," Li Yan concludes. 

(Women of China English Monthly February 2014)

来源《中国妇女》（对外版）：http://www.womenofchina.com.cn/html/life/6854-1.htm