Some of his hit songs, including Drink Sorrow Down and Perfect Day, were written during the internship.

Though he shared his original material online, none of the songs got much attention until he participated in the reality show.

He says that he applied to join the reality show, hoping to meet young people who, like him, are passionate about music and writing their own songs.

Winning the show was the last thing on his mind, but his success changed things.

When he returned home early this year to celebrate Spring Festival with his family, he found he was a celebrity in the small county.

"My father drank with me for the first time when we had dinner, and he seemed relieved that his son has grown up. He is happy that I enjoy the job that I am doing now," Mao Buyi says.

Asked about what he misses most about his life before achieving fame, he talks of the time of being alone in the dormitory and writing songs.

"I never expected that my songs would make money. They are very personal, just like diaries," he says.