"After hard study at college, now I have a plan to prepare for the postgraduate entrance exam at Peking University, studying law or economics," he said.

Liu stayed in his hometown and founded a food factory after failing to pass the national college entrance exam in 1978. In 1992, he made an investment mistake, causing his family to lose almost everything.

"All of these experiences came from a lack of education, so I firmly came to believe in the importance of knowledge," he said. "We should not waste time on the internet and mobile phones, but rather read more books and pursue our dreams."