Fifty-five, My Story

  I was born into a rural family and at the age of 10, my whole family moved to the city. I started attending third grade in an elementary school located in the downtown area.

  So I have always thought that on myself, there is the breath of rural soil and also the flavor of urban sunshine.

  However, I think what makes me most proud is not this life experience of mine, but rather my name.

  Many people I know say they really like my name.

  My name was given by a distant uncle who is an elementary school teacher, likes history, likes ancient literature, and is a straightforward and noble person. He is very respected in the local area.

  My name is derived from two lines of poetry: "see the worthy and think of equaling them" and "old man from the side house comes to tie nets, I suitably live by the river without envying fish".

  These two lines of poetry are the principles and beliefs by which my uncle lives his life.

  I think when he gave me this name, Uncle must have hoped I would be like this too.

  But in today's society where faith is extremely scarce and principles are extremely lost, with GDP on everyone's lips and international connections everywhere.

  "When you see a worthy person, think of equaling them" is far inferior to "when you see money, your eyes light up".

  "Standing at the edge of the precipice without envy" has also become "standing by the boat, raising cups and speaking joyfully, eating and drinking to one's heart's content, leaving a trail of chaos".

  What else can I say?

  Is it that I was born out of time? Or is it that people's hearts are no longer what they used to be?

  I can only say that I believe there are gods three feet above our heads, and I believe that man is doing things while heaven is watching.

  As for others, whether they believe it or not, I have no way of knowing.

  Maybe if everyone were like me and believed, the streets of this world would be much quieter. Instead of being as dusty as they are now.

  I like quietness.

  In quiet contemplation, I can truly touch and feel it, as it has always been. The years have passed, still serene as ever. Only, the vast expanse of time has left its mark.

  I like quietness, I like thinking, I like my own name, and I also like the surname Su.

  So, in the movie scripts I wrote, the protagonists are always surnamed Su, such as Su Xiaomi, Su Xiaodie, Su Xiaoyu, Su Xiaocan and so on.

  I dropped out of college in my junior year, worked as a magazine editor for over a year, an advertising planner for three months, and a film screenwriter for three months. After that, I'm now writing some unimpressive movie scripts, waiting for the day when inspiration strikes and I can write a classic masterpiece that will be widely acclaimed.

  I really like a movie called "Ashes of Time", directed by Wong Kar-wai, there is a line in it, 'Where there are people, there are grudges, where there are grudges, there is Jianghu', Jianghu, actually, is just society.

  It may be because I myself have not truly come into contact with society, so up until now, I still believe that people are inherently good, that good and evil will be rewarded or punished, and that what you put in is what you get out.

  Perhaps, as time goes by, some things on me will change and I will gradually get used to many things. However, I think there are still many things that I won't change, such as the principle of "do not do to others what you would not have them do to you", the principle of "being fair in doing things", and for life, I am pursuing being neither arrogant nor impatient, neither foolish nor greedy, neither resentful nor complaining.