Mo Yan could buy a decent house in suburban Beijing from the money he got for winning the Nobel Prize for Literature. But buying a house in Beijing (or its suburbs), at best, remains a dream for ordinary people working and living in the capital, reflecting the ridiculous state of the property market, says an article in Chongqing Times. Excerpts:

By winning the Nobel Prize for Literature, Mo Yan did not only earn a lot of money but also drew the attention of the world that increased the sale of his books - which in turn means more royalty.

But there is only one Mo Yan in China and ordinary Chinese cannot even think of earning as much fame and money. In fact, even the lifetime earnings of many Chinese people cannot match the money Mo Yan earned for getting the Nobel Prize or from the royalty he would now get for just one book.

Sadly, an ordinary citizen can have enough money to buy a house only after saving for decades. Though there is no justification in comparing Mo Yan with ordinary people, such comparisons give us an idea of the stark realities that the latter face.

Despite people criticizing the abnormally high housing prices, the seemingly stricter policies have failed to take effect making both social elites and the grassroots people feel physically and mentally fatigued.

Although Mo Yan was a world-renowned writer even before winning the Nobel Prize, he and his family lived in a relatively small house. Still, he could afford to dream of living in a bigger, better house, which cannot be said of the ordinary people.