A Street Magazine for the Age of Fools(b)

Garment factories began moving to China to make the most of the lower labor costs, and in 1999, Li was out of work. He went in search of work, but all he could find was odd jobs like washing dishes and moving cement. In the end, his wife returned to China with their two children in tow.

Having already lost his job and his family, Li suffered even more three years ago. Unable to afford his rent, he had to sleep in underpasses by night and wander the streets by day, occasionally getting work holding advertising signs or helping with temple festivals. To feed himself, he would make the long trek to a branch of Grace Home, which offers food to the homeless. He would line up with other homeless people to get a meal but worried that if he were too late, he'd get nothing.

When he heard that TBI was looking for salespeople last year, he signed up immediately, becoming part of the magazine's vanguard. He works almost all year round, in the heat of summer and cold of winter, except on rainy days. He is out on the streets selling magazines for an average of 10 hours a day, generally selling about 20 copies a day, which is enough to meet his basic living expenses.

In his second month of working for TBI, he was able to rent a room for NT$4,000 a month and finally make his deepest wish come trueutting an end to over two years of homelessness. Now, he just hopes he can save enough money to go visit his son and daughter in China one day. Every part of his life, from his lifestyle to how much he values his own existence, has been transformed by The Big Issue.

1999年底一夕失业，随后求职处处碰壁，只能靠洗碗盘、搬水泥等零工糊口，妻子最终也带着 2 个孩子搬回大陆。

　　历经失业、失婚的他，3年前更是穷途末路，再也付不出房租，只能每天晚上睡在地下道，白天四处游荡，偶尔做些广告举牌、庙会出阵头等临时工，或大老远徒步至提供贫寒者用餐的 1 间恩友教会分会，和其他街友一同排队领饭吃，若晚了还会吃不到。

　　去年得知《TBI》征求贩卖员的消息后，李隆柱立刻报名加入，成为第 1 批的元老成员。除了雨天之外，几乎全年无休，不论酷暑寒冬，平均每天在街头站上 10 小时，1 天约能卖出 20 本杂志，收入维持基本生活无虞。

　　在加入杂志贩卖的第 2 个月起，他就在市区里租了 1 间 4,000 元的雅房，达成最大的心愿，也就是终止 2 年多的流浪生活，此刻他只希望能存够钱到大陆探望一双儿女，对他来说，从生活方式到生存价值，都因《TBI》而迎来巨大转变。

本社为尊重《台湾光华杂志》，中文原文注销，仅供参考，中英文如有不尽相符之处，敬请包涵。