Finding meaning again

Guo Wenxia, 65, devoted most of her working life to the Huairou District People's Court in Beijing, where she mainly handled domestic cases, including divorce and inheritance issues. The intense pressure took its toll, and in 2002 she accepted early retirement for health issues.

After leaving the bench, she spent time recovering, traveling with her family, and enjoying a quieter life. However, in just a few years, she began to feel a sense of loss and thought she should do something, so she helped review contracts and provided legal consulting. "But I still felt something was missing," she said.

Her professional instincts kept drawing her attention to family cases she saw on television and in newspapers.

"I couldn't help wondering how those disputes were resolved or what the latest laws said. I realized how deeply attached I am to the court, and my desire to keep learning the law never went away," she said.

In 2022, after seeing a recruitment post on a WeChat mini-program for mediators at the Xicheng District People's Court, she submitted her application and returned to work, using her legal expertise to assist judges in mediating family-related disputes.

"Resolving disputes for people gives me a stronger sense of fulfillment and happiness. I'm back in a busy work situation and I've found meaning again," she said.

Guo said rapid social and economic changes have brought new types of cases, and pushed her to keep learning and stay connected so she can tackle legal challenges with confidence.

Hou said she felt much the same in the early years after leaving the bench.

"I knew the stress of handling cases and the anxiety of meeting deadlines all too well. So at first, I had no intention of going back," she explained. It was repeated invitations from the Chaoyang court that persuaded her to drop by, mostly to reconnect with former colleagues.

"When I retired, I closed the final chapter," she said.

"But when I saw my colleagues and heard about the cases they were handling, it was like opening a new book — and once I did it, I couldn't put it down."

In 2008, she began assisting sitting judges with mediation on community matters such as heating and property management. In December 2025, a "silver-haired" mediation team was established in the court, where she and 20 other retired judges use their decades of experience to help resolve civil disputes.