This is a village in Jiangnan, where red tiles are nestled among the verdant pines and bamboos. I was born here, and I ran out of here without looking back. The world outside is so vast; I would rather be submerged by the dust of the world than stand like the scarecrow I built with my own hands, only watching over this small territory. It also has to face the wind and rain, the passage of time, and the provocations of the birds, standing firm and unyielding, with a heart as solid as a rock! Unfortunately, I am not a scarecrow; I cannot learn the composure of a scarecrow, nor can I maintain a calm attitude towards this noisy world. At the age of eighteen, one has not yet cultivated the level of composure and calmness. What flows in an eighteen-year-old’s body is an unswerving impulse, a passion to embrace the world, and the courage to stride forward.
Never regret, never bow down!
When the city that had been dreamed of countless times in the dream finally appeared in front of me, it was already ten o’clock at night. At this time in my hometown, the whole family should have been asleep! But this city has just begun to enter its prime. The twinkling neon lights, the rotating laser lights, the huge street screens, and the cars slowly driving on the brightly lit streets, one after another, looked like a shining long dragon from a distance, wriggling with a graceful posture. This city is like a gorgeously dressed actor, just about to make a grand entrance, with water sleeves dancing gracefully, a feast for the eyes.
And my hometown, on such a cold night, I’m afraid not even a firefly can be found. That kind of pure darkness and silence, apart from a few inexplicable barks from dogs, there is really no sign of vitality. Even after living like this for eighteen years, I still can’t get used to it. Even if I force myself to live like this for another eighteen years, I still won’t get used to it. So, there is only escape, only betrayal, only the day when I can embrace the prosperity and laugh at the changes, can I comfort the heart that has fled from the desolation, and can I forgive those betrayed emotions.
It’s not that I don’t love, it’s just that I love deeply!