"Better deal with schools directly instead!"

That puts all of Yuncheng and Shanxi off bounds. Yet another disqualifier.

Due to local customs, politics and entrenched corruption, it is not possible to direct hire except at the universities.

However the apartments are still the same shoddy filthy ones with little or no kit, the salaries are identical to 2007, and the local business customs remain.

-No holiday pay
-Work on short notice for the weekend
-Making up holidays by working the weekend before and after
-No functional reference due to millenium of spite to former employees

Even the direct hires now adhere to the agreed upon collusion, as do all recruiters who place in the area.
Yin Xing cut their offer from 7500 to 6000. In line with all other local offers.
Salary still 6000, exchange rate is worse now, still no holiday pay, still the same crappy apartments, but 8+ years of price inflation.