English opens a wider world

At first, his family did not understand why he devoted so much time to a language that he did not appear to need. "But once they saw how passionate and committed I was, they came to appreciate what I was doing," he said.

Wang now spends more time creating online content, though he said financial gain is not his main motivation.

"Material rewards are not that important to me right now," he said. "If I can inspire more people to learn English, that would mean a great deal to me."

For Wang, English is no longer simply a language to be spoken. It has become a way of reading, thinking and entering unfamiliar worlds.

He has recently been reading The Woman Who Could Not Forget, a memoir by the mother of Chinese American journalist, author and historian Iris Chang. Chang is best known for The Rape of Nanking, her account of the atrocities committed during the 1937 Nanjing Massacre.

"Reading has shown me the power of knowledge," Wang said. "Little by little, everything you learn builds up, and you become a better version of yourself."

Wang does not know whether he will always work in the kitchenware shop. But he is certain that he will never stop learning.

"The purpose is to improve yourself," he said. "That is something you can keep doing for the rest of your life."