Wei enjoys his lunch. LIANG YONGFENG/FOR CHINA DAILY

In a low-rise rental house of less than 20 square meters in the suburbs of Shaoxing, Zhejiang province, the piled up waste products and dirty kitchen utensils are intertwined with colorful oil paintings.

The author of these paintings is Wei Guangming. Born in Anhui in 1972, Wei went to Shaoxing to work for more than 10 years. Besides collecting scraps, he realizes his childhood dreams by learning to paint by himself. He gets up at 6 o'clock every day to paint, and following afternoons in which he collects waste, he comes back to paint joyfully till late at night.

Wei, whose wife and four children live in his hometown in Hubei province, misses them very much. LIANG YONGFENG/FOR CHINA DAILY

He can earn about 3,000 ($464.70) to 4,000 yuan per month by collecting scraps, and more than 4,000 yuan per month by selling paintings. His daughter goes to school in his hometown, and most of his income is sent to his family. He is frugal with his spending, and most of the remaining money is used to buy paint brushes and books.

With his growing popularity on the Internet, his current order is a bit overwhelming.

While excited by his success, Wei Guangming says that he's just a student of painting.

Wei Lufang contributed to this story.

Wei Guangming paints in a small rented room where piles of waste and kitchen utensils are intertwined with colorful oil paintings on Aug 24, 2021. LIANG YONGFENG/FOR CHINA DAILY

He is indulging in his own world of painting. LIANG YONGFENG/FOR CHINA DAILY

In addition to painting, Wei loves reading. He appreciates Zhuangzi's philosophy and is indifferent to fame and fortune. LIANG YONGFENG/FOR CHINA DAILY