Abstract
In this article, Zhang first recounts his personal journey from being a “sent-down” youth to a returned researcher endeavoring to understand the logic and social fabric of the Chinese countryside during the collective era. He then demonstrates the interplay between internal and external forces that shaped and ultimately doomed the commune system. Finally, Zhang describes how he unexpectedly stumbled upon a large volume of personal letters soon after he founded the Center in 2011. Since then, with deliberate and unwavering effort, the Center has gathered a sizable collection of primary materials that provide invaluable insights into social life in China.1
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