At the age of 15, under the care of my parents, I was growing up strong and healthy. With a chubby figure, I was one of the poorest students in the class when it came to studying. I slept a lot, didn't like studying even after waking up, and just read comic books. At 16, I read novels countless times, often ate fried chicken frames from street vendors with Wei Na and Wang Fei, and later moved on to grilled squid. Back then, I felt like time would never end. At 17, I listened to songs by Faye Wong and A-Mei, with thoughts that changed daily, or rather, were fickle. Many imaginative ideas I had back then are now forgotten. At 18, I rode my bike fast on Xuefu Street, played pool secretly outside the school gate with Xiong after PE class was dismissed, and we didn't require indoor basketball courts - we got tanned under the sun. At 19, carrying my parents' expectations, I took the college entrance exam. At 20, I stepped into the temple of higher learning. To appear cool, I had extremely short hair, no ear piercings, and only wore an ear bone on one side as I swaggered through the streets, almost being mistaken for a thug by Jiajia. At 21, I was immersed in the wonders brought by painting, passing through naively, and once fantasized about opening a gallery one day. At 22, I often stayed in the dormitory cooking noodles, earning praise from my sisters. Ai Hua, Dongdong, Lingling, Jiajia, and Xiao Tan, our shared room brought us pure friendship, truly making me happy. We will always remember our 404. At 23, I lost weight and bought a marriage charm with Summer Hua. The ancient peach wood charm was hung on my keychain, symbolizing beautiful love. Our relationships started similarly but ended differently - happiness is what matters most. At 24, I rushed to the capital city, becoming a "Beipiao" (a person floating in Beijing) under the care of Ms. Hua. Mr. Liu treated me well, and so did the director, but unfortunately, I was quite slow-witted. At 25, in my sparsely furnished rented room, within the vast Forbidden City, I strived to make my designs appreciated by everyone, even though that was impossible. At 26, I returned to Spring City, transitioning from idealism to realism, from emotionality to rationality. My effort was defined as doing my best as a planner. If the proposal wasn't approved, I unhesitatingly corrected the "mistakes," bowing down for the sake of livelihood, yet refusing to let others criticize my design anymore. At 27, I evaluated the designs produced by the design department every day. Dongjing always smiled while talking about creativity. I gradually gained weight, envying Qiming's figure at the time. I still remember Yi Chen with his great personality, who told me about finance during his free time, and often chatted idly with Li Xue. He was really "broad" - not a doctor, but knowledgeable about many things. Occasionally, I gossiped with Jialu and Miaomiao in the office and taught Manager Liu how to shop online throughout the process. At 28, finally, this overage literary woman decided to get married. Saying goodbye to the migratory bird life and ending a long-distance relationship, I naturally held his hand. Some people say "marriage" means a woman has lost her mind. At 29, I was anxious and restless, yearning to earn more money and live a better life at a relatively young age. I gave up a busy yet comfortable life and planned to strive towards new goals in the tide of socialism. At 30, I became calm. What is meant to come will come. So, I stopped thinking about it. I hope to forever live happily as if I were 20, or even have Yang Liang's mindset. This year, I learned to swim, understood financial investment, and met a group of brothers and sisters from Yuan Chuang. At 31, as someone born in the year of the dog, I am facing the Tai Sui this year. Difficulties are like mountains; once you overcome them, they become bumps in the road. General Pu said everyone is walking towards death. I feel that when you're sick, you're infinitely close to death, which allows you to appreciate life and be grateful to those who truly love you, touched by those who treat you well. Even if no one loves you, you should take care of yourself. By the time I'm 40, I want to achieve what Teacher Meng has now. It doesn't necessarily mean being a host, but I also want to write a book called "Going with the Flow." In general, it seems like I've lived many years in vain. Although I've been taken care of and lived happily, my life hasn't been very reliable, relying on many intangible things. Over time, I've believed in them myself. Now, I hope I can have thirty million US dollars. Haha, is that realistic?
This article is excerpted from Xia Hua Literature Network. Related theme articles: "I Don't Want to Grow Up."