Recently, Zhang Li (left) met with Chen Xiaoyang, the sister of Chen Xiaoxu.
Do you remember Zhang Li, the famous actress from Chengdu who played Xue Baochai in the 1987 version of "Dream of the Red Chamber"? After years of silence, Zhang Li has quietly returned to China, and she has exclusively revealed her legendary journey of settling in Canada and conducting business during her years of "disappearance".
Studying Abroad
From Actress to Student to Entrepreneur
Unexplained Weight Loss of 30 Pounds
Zhang Li supported herself with strong willpower.
In 1983, Zhang Li left her home in Chengdu for the first time to go to Beijing, joining the cast of "Dream of the Red Chamber" as Xue Baochai. After the show aired, in 1988, she transferred to the CCTV TV Drama Production Center and studied at Shenzhen University while being paid. In 1990, she went to Canada for further studies, unexpectedly settling there.
When she first went abroad, Zhang Li worked while studying. She wanted to work in a restaurant, but they required experience. Although Zhang Li had acted in TV dramas, that experience was not relevant to restaurants. At that time, she was like other international students, striving to study hard while also working on film projects.
Her friends believed she should start a business at her age, but everything was new to Zhang Li in a foreign country. The starting point for locals was higher than hers, and she felt "at a disadvantage" from the beginning. However, with determination, she began to create her first fortune.
Initially, she and her partner bought a small store and hired four or five employees. "I personally interviewed every employee at the beginning. I was still young, and the employees were older than me. I had to learn everything from scratch." At night, when things quieted down, she would start studying economics from the beginning, often reading from one o'clock until four or five in the morning, while the next day she had to handle many company matters. The company operated well, and after a year as an international student, the company's income could fully support her, her investors, and the employees' expenses.
Once the company stabilized, Zhang Li considered investing in real estate. In her words, this was all due to her strong willpower. However, even with such determination, things were not smooth sailing. At that time, she had just started investing in a commercial building, and during this anxious period, she discovered that the real estate market was declining. "For us investors, this was terrifying and very stressful." At that time, her partners were afraid to even mention the word "investment" because just hearing it made her feel sick.
Unexplained Weight Loss of 30 Pounds
Doctors Thought She Had Cancer
Survived on Liquid Diet for 8 Months
As a "steel woman warrior," she once lost 30 pounds in Canada and was suspected of having cancer. In 1995, due to her sudden weight loss with no known cause, Zhang Li was hospitalized for two weeks. "I inexplicably couldn't eat anything and lost a lot of weight. A well-known local doctor came to see me, and based on his experience, when someone loses weight so rapidly, the first concern is cancer. So he immediately told another doctor, who my good friend overheard."
Initially, Zhang Li also thought it was cancer, but all tests came back normal. Since nothing could be diagnosed, she didn't want to stay in the hospital. At that time, she didn't know how long she would live, but she thought, "I need to plan my life well and think about what I want to do." After two weeks in the hospital, her parents came to visit and care for her, encouraging her to do some simple exercises every day and drink can after can of liquid food. After a long eight months, she finally pulled through and recovered.
For Zhang Li, the hard work and determination in her youth have led her to achieve "small successes" today, but she considers the rumors of her assets exceeding one hundred million dollars as "overstated." In interviews, she repeatedly emphasized that this is about competing on the same starting line as others, achieved through solid labor.