A bill detailing the "big items" purchased by the Pang family in Hangzhou over the past 50 years is like a mirror that offers a special perspective into the improvement in people's living standards in the Zhejiang province's capital city.

Let's follow the bill's timeline to learn more about the changes that have taken place in the family.

In 1966, the Pangs bought their first "big item," a Yongjiu-branded bicycle, which cost 160 yuan ($24.72). Five years later, the family bought their second Yongjiu bicycle. Pang Yuntai, then a 13-year-old student, recalled it as a practical decision made by the family as it greatly improved their work efficiency.

In 1976, the Pangs built a new two-storey house and also bought an electric fan to cool off from the summer heat. A year later, the family bought a sewing machine, which was a popular and precious home appliance at that time.

In the following years, more home appliances came to the family's home, which brought much convenience and entertainment to their lives, such as a black and white television in 1980, a single-door refrigerator in 1982, a window air conditioner in 1987, a washing machine in 1990, and a desktop computer in 1996.

Entering the 21st century, the family bought more and more high-end gadgets of that time, such as a family cinema in 2001, an LCD TV in 2004, a laptop computer in 2006, a side-by-side refrigerator in 2008, and a freezer in 2018.

Transportation also became more convenient as the family bought their first car in 2003, followed by their second and third cars in 2009 and 2014.

At the end of the bill, a small line reads, "As since 2003, family members have bought and replaced many mobile phones, so the bill will not list them one by one."

Following the development of the larger society in Hangzhou, the Pang family bill is getting shorter and shorter, but their lives are getting more and more enriched.