Jiang Shumei, 77, started learning to write Chinese characters at 60, and published her first book last year about her life over the past century. Photo provided to China Daily

Her daughter, Zhang Ailing, is an author herself. She had explained the principles of writing and she proofread Jiang's first drafts.

"It was a headache to read them at first," says Zhang, who teaches news writing at Suihua University, "because her writing has no space, no punctuation marks and is crammed ever so densely."

"But I saw the glitter of really good stories," Zhang says.

"It's my daughter who told me that mine are legendary tales," says Jiang, who is still hale and hearty and adores festive colors.

She suddenly found something to live for - to become a writer.

Jiang would wake up at 3 am every day and write.

Her writings, often 1,000 characters long, were posted on her daughter's blog, and were soon noticed.

Editor Ma Guoxing discovered her work and helped her publish in Duku magazine, a bimonthly non-fiction publication.

That publication gave Jiang her first royalty of 3,000 yuan ($496). "I was so happy that I couldn't sleep that night. I told my daughter, we don't have to skimp on anything now," Jiang says.

"Jiang is a legend. Someone who is very positive, motivated and inspirational," Ma, says. "She's been through so much, but when she opens her mouth, a good story comes out."

Xie Xizhang, the literary critic, has called her writing "an example of clean, honest text. Refreshing and different from the excessive and corrupt styles so prevalent nowadays".

Jiang is researching for her second and third books now, visiting her old friends and villagers for tales that would otherwise be buried. "She has a knack for it, getting others to talk. She would chat up even a fellow bus passenger," Zhang says.

As for Jiang, who turns 77 in February, she sums up her birthday wish with these words: "I want to live a happy, healthy life as a writer. I want a new book out each year. I'm not too ambitious. The book doesn't have to be long, but it has to be very good. I want to keep the stories from old times on record."