Gao Jiaxuan's later years were hardly being kind to him. First of all, in his early 60s he was diagnosed with asthma, and that stopped him from undertaking heavy physical work by which he might make a reasonable living.

In many villages such as Gao's Hexing village in the Xiaopu township of Jiangyong county in Hunan province, most people are elderly, and the ways by which they can earn money are severely limited. However, Gao, now 67, is nothing if not inventive. He came up with a way of ensuring that while his body was not overtaxed, he and his wife would have at least enough money to put food on the table: together they would make and sell brooms.

For about five years they did exactly that, selling their wares, giving them income of between 2,000 yuan ($308) and 3,000 a year. That cash lifeline all but dried up even-tually when Gao became sick and permanently lost his hearing. He could, of course, continue to make brooms if he wanted to, but selling them was another thing, and soon enough dozens of them stood in a corner of his house gathering dust.