Chapter 1: An Unexpected Encounter

  "The money was all earned by those born in the 50s and 60s, and the girls were all snatched up by those born in the 70s. What's left for us who were born in the 80s and 90s?"

  Han Han's words have expressed the sentiments of most people born in the 80s and 90s, and also resonated with many poor second-generation individuals. Regardless of his reasons or motivations for speaking out against injustice, it cannot be denied that he has succeeded.

  Every time I see the newly rich (hereinafter referred to as "newly rich") cruising down the street in their Mercedes-Benz S600, BMW 760, with a big belly and a proud smile on their face, accompanied by a fashionably dressed, heavily made-up "modern lady" sitting in the passenger seat, I start to resent the wealthy... Over time, this mindset gradually changed my perspective on the world.

  I started envying those who are taller than me, hating those who have more money than me, and being jealous of those who are better-looking than me...

  Of course, I believe there are also some people who have the same idea as me. The difference is that they like to hide it deep in their hearts and only take it out to share with loneliness when the night is quiet. And I always expose it in the sunlight, like "overnight riches" showing off one's wealth, I show off that naked jealousy! Maybe this will make them (referring to those who are rich but not benevolent) even more complacent, but I still charge forward fearlessly like a knight, defending that last bit of true conscience, again and again getting wounded and falling down. Because I know there aren't many people like me left, if it really gets to the point where everyone doesn't have this kind of thinking, then our world has returned to a "slave society"! Just like the earth orbiting the sun and returning to its original position, the only difference is that the name of this society sounds better.

  Perhaps my words are too extreme, but the emergence of "house slaves" is just the beginning. Next will be "card slaves", "car slaves", and even "wife slaves" (don't misunderstand, this doesn't refer to a wife being a slave, but rather some men in certain places who aren't very wealthy having to borrow money or take out loans to pay the tens of thousands of yuan in betrothal gifts just to marry a woman, and then falling into a long debt trap). All these will become one by one social anomalies. When so-called rich people are indulging in spending huge sums of money to get a smile from a beauty and feeling self-satisfied, they won't think about what "house slaves", "card slaves", or "wife slaves" mean. They will only feel proud of their own distorted extravagance, bursting with pride amidst the flattery around them...

  So, when we are still comforting our wounded hearts with "we're still young and have a lot of time", let's remind ourselves that the outcome of "not working hard in one's youth will lead to regret in old age". And when we are confused about the future, disappointed with our circumstances, and pessimistic about our prospects, let's also remember to encourage ourselves: "Are kings, nobles, generals, and ministers born or made?"

  I'd like to request those wealthy individuals, when splurging money, to consider the people who create infinite wealth for you but receive limited and meager pay. Don't let them go down into the mines with no return, and don't force others out of their homes just to make a bit more money, directing real-life tragedies of "family ruin" one after another! In your eyes, there may only be profit, but in the eyes of your family members, there may also be the will of God and the Buddhist principle of cause and effect.

  Perhaps I'm doing this to awaken the faith and conscience that has been lost or blinded by interests! I wish there was a loudspeaker that could be heard and understood by people all over the world, so I could loudly ask them: "Where are your childhood dreams? Where are the promises you made to the girl next door? Where is the oath you took under the five-star red flag? Where is the Lei Feng spirit you learned, the story of the red scarf you wore?"

  Too many of you have forgotten the past, too many of you have cried and made a fuss just to appear more manly. Too many temptations in reality have made you lower your once proud head under the corrupting influence of life! And too many gold-digging women have made you lose the motivation to pursue your dreams, while also destroying the 5,000-year-old unbroken moral ethics of Confucius and Mencius!

  I wrote this book perhaps to mourn the lost youth, or maybe in this glamorous world, to recall some of the pure and simple memories of my younger years!

  Everyone has their own youth and memories like flowers, and I'm no exception! Memories of 15-16 years old are a bit fuzzy, but also heart-pounding. Lingering in my mind, echoing in my ears, it's hard to get rid of! Maybe some things have slowly faded away, but occasionally waking up from dreams still feels fresh. Like the pranks between friends, like the disputes between classmates, and that fleeting "school flower"...

  Actually, the school flower at that time was just a budding peony, although she didn't have the stunning beauty to overthrow cities and countries, but already had the potential of being a beautiful person. With willow-leaf eyebrows, an egg-shaped face, bright eyes and white teeth, and long ponytail, her 15-year-old height already showed a slightly curvaceous figure! In the words of one of my brothers at that time, "she's simply a killer of young men". I looked at the school flower who brushed past me and her back which was slightly taller than mine...

  That was a simple age, and also a gloomy 15 years old. I was just an unknown tenth-grade student, without a tall stature, without a handsome face, and without an expensive birth, but only with a cheap sportswear, a broken electronic watch, and a faded backpack that had been washed many times. The sportswear was exchanged for the third place in the 1500-meter run at the school sports meeting in sixth grade, the electronic watch was given by my grandfather who had passed away, and the backpack was bought by my mother at a sports specialty store (the name of which has long been forgotten) when I reached the standard score in the fifth-grade final exam.

  At that time, the situation at home could only barely be considered to have just surpassed a moderate level of prosperity. My grandmother told me that in my grandfather's generation, our family was once one of the largest households in several nearby villages, so even now, we still have a large number of timbered mountains (in some parts of Sichuan, this refers to mountain peaks covered with trees). My father often said that if it weren't for Chairman Mao's promotion of large-scale collectivization, our family would have had even more timbered mountains. When he said this, there was no dissatisfaction with Chairman Mao on his face; instead, I saw more reverence and admiration for the great leader! At that time, my father was an excellent Communist Party member and also a certain director (I've forgotten the title of the director, and I don't want to ask my father, fearing it would stir up those unpleasant memories). He was also a staunch supporter of the party. He disliked people discussing the pros and cons of the party the most; often, I saw him arguing with others until his face turned red because he heard someone talking about the party's pros and cons! In fact, at that time, my mother strongly opposed my father continuing to be this "small official" because doing so was all hard work without any benefits. The salary was only a few hundred yuan per month, and it always offended people!

  But the deep party member mission in my father's mind made him unable to put down this "revolution" that he didn't want to give up, until one Friday afternoon when I was in ninth grade, I came home from school and saw my father sitting by the pond outside the courtyard, holding a fishing rod with both hands, his eyes seemingly not focused on the float being slowly pulled away by the fish. Usually at this time, my father would not be at home, either collecting agricultural taxes outside or "drinking and chatting" with some town official.

  I was puzzled, my mother pulled me aside and whispered to me "Father was dissatisfied with the practice of moving people's TVs and pigs because they couldn't afford to pay agricultural taxes, he had a big argument with a certain 'big shot' at the town meeting and quit his job in anger!" After my mother finished speaking, she smiled, and for over a decade our home finally returned to peace... From then on, I rarely saw Father smile, most of the time he was alone drinking by himself... as if recalling something, yet also as if mourning something...

  After my father resigned from being a "town official", he went to work at a feed factory opened by one of his childhood playmates, and became an "official" again! However, this time it was a fat job, and our family's living conditions began to improve slowly. We built a two-story house, bought a color TV, installed fiber optics, and at that time, my home was still the first in our village. Every time I saw our playmates come to watch TV at my house, my mother would smile with satisfaction, as if she were happy for my father! But my father's job wasn't going well, I felt his mind wasn't on his current work, and sure enough! A few years later, when we had saved some money, my father resigned again. He took up the first craft of his life - carpentry! And he has been doing it until now, as if he has found the meaning of his life again...

  Due to family circumstances, due to myself, and due to many unfulfilled conditions, I am destined to only admire the school beauty from afar, without any thoughts of encountering her! However, fate is often so magical, some things you want to get, it just doesn't give you! Some people or things that you initially decided to avoid, they often end up being sent to your side, making you unable to avoid, escape nowhere...

  Friday, after school, two people's classroom...

  "Are you hiding from me?" This was the first sentence the school beauty said to me in nearly 3 months as a classmate.

  "Ah... no... I just..." Facing the school beauty's sudden question, I was at a loss for words!

  "You're the one! I've figured it out." The school beauty said firmly.

  "...I fell silent"

  "Right? I didn't say anything wrong?" The school flower asked with a pout.

  "...I fall silent once more"

  "Ugh..." The school beauty dropped a sentence "I'm so angry!" and stormed off...

  I slumped in my seat, feeling like my heart was far away from me at that moment. My breathing became heavy and I didn't know if it was due to excitement, nervousness or something else. I buried my head on the desk, pounding it in frustration. I felt a bit resentful towards myself for not being strong enough, but more than that, I felt a sense of helplessness and despair at the whims of fate.