Mr. Mi often makes clay figurines (泥人) on the street in Sichuan. His works are popular with many people of different ages.
In 2003, Mi lost his hands but he didn't lose hope. He learnt to eat and get dressed by himself. "Many of my friends gave me help but I thought I must make a living by myself," he said.
One day, when he saw an artisan (手艺人) making clay figurines on the street, Mi decided to learn from him. But the artisan refused to teach him ① he doesn't have hands. Mi kept talking with him and finally the artisan agreed.
The learning process(过程) was ② . In the beginning, Mi could only make two flowers in an afternoon. And he was really tired after all of the practice. However, he was really hard-working. Now, Mi is pretty good at making clay figurines. It takes him only a few minutes to make one clay figurine. Every day, he can make about thirty and each one is about twenty yuan. His clay figurines sell quickly.
"Although I have no hands, I can make a living by myself. I believe that if I work hard, my family will have a happy life," Mi says.
① ②
He spends only a few minutes making one clay figurine.
