China is famous, even infamous, for hard graft. Prodigious amounts of toil and elbow grease helped the country become the workshop of the world. More than 175m migrant workers labour in cities far from home, often leaving their children in the care of relatives. And the sacrifices are not confined to the poor. Even some of China’s more sophisticated firms are known for their “996” office culture, encouraging unfortunate employees to work from 9am to 9pm, six days a week.