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 An ordinary journey        Hesitant and uncertain, I once embarked on a spontaneous journey, which can be considered part of the journey. I traversed wilderness, jungles, wheat fields, and rivers. After recording all these precious moments, I understood that the meaning of travel is not about a few people, but about a heart searching for the same direction. I constantly reflect on each stage of my life, and the result, like the roads I've traveled, is that each place has different colors, but the destination is a rainbow pieced together from the colors along the way—it requires careful cultivation, protection, and companionship! The neglected life is silently shedding tears.       It seems we often easily overlook the present moment, ignoring many beautiful times. Only after all that time has been wasted and squandered can we pull a particular segment from our memories, dust it off, and sigh that it was the best. What we can't see is often what's...

 　　Zhuge Liang divided the world into three kingdoms, Liu Bowen unified the country. Zhuge Liang was the strategist of the previous dynasty, Liu Bowen the strategist of the later dynasty. Zhuge Liang helped Liu Bei divide the world into three kingdoms, Liu Bowen helped Zhu Yuanzhang unify China. It seems Liu Bowen's achievements far surpass Zhuge Liang's. Zhuge Liang launched six expeditions to Qishan, but failed to restore the Han dynasty and destroy Cao Wei, a regret of his life. Liu Bowen, though he helped his lord achieve imperial power, died mysteriously in the eighth year of the Hongwu reign. Zhuge Liang's ambitions remained unfulfilled, Liu Bowen died with unfulfilled hopes. Both men possessed unparalleled talent and are models for strategists throughout history. In terms of self-preservation, Liu Bowen was inferior to Zhuge Liang. In terms of military talent, Zhuge Liang was inferior to Liu Bowen. Both men possessed extraordinary talent and the ability to turn the t...

 　　The Three Kingdoms period was an era of brilliant strategists, with Wei, Shu, and Wu each boasting outstanding advisors. Cao Wei had Xun Yu, Xun You, Jia Xu, Guo Jia, Liu Ye, and Sima Yi, all possessing extraordinary talent. Shu Han had Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, Fa Xiaozhi, and Liu Ba, all exceptional talents. Eastern Wu had Zhou Yu and Lu Xun. Yuan Shao's advisors included Tian Feng, Xu You, and Ju Shou. Lü Bu's advisor, Chen Gong, also possessed the talent to govern the world. The strongest among them were undoubtedly Jia Xu, Zhuge Liang, and Xun Yu. Jia Xu possessed the extraordinary abilities of Zhang Liang and Chen Ping. Zhuge Liang was known as the "Sleeping Dragon." Xun Yu was called a reincarnation of Zhang Liang by Cao Cao. These three were no ordinary individuals, demonstrating their exceptional wisdom and strategy, surpassing that of other strategists.

 　　In January 1998, an ordinary mother became pregnant with her second child. During the prenatal checkup, the doctor relative didn't explicitly say whether the baby was a boy or a girl, but the parents, who were still unborn, already knew. 　　The preference for sons was still deeply ingrained in the older generation. While the whole family was making ample preparations for this "boy," on November 18th, a baby girl with a boy's name was born. Perhaps because they had prepared in advance, or perhaps because they had resigned themselves to their fate, the father, who was still bothered by the fact that his firstborn sister was a girl, doted on this newborn baby who weighed just over six pounds. 　　It's said that children from poor families are easier to raise, but I was weak and sickly from a young age. Even in third or fourth grade, I only weighed 30 pounds, my face was thin with prominent cheekbones and sunken eyes—in our local parlance, I looked "unremarkable....

 　　The torrent of society can only make the beautiful shine brighter. 　　—Epigraph Closing 　　Jia Yi's "Ode to the Owl," the lines "Gathering and scattering, news and fortune, how can there be a constant rule? A thousand changes, ever-changing, without end!" lingered in my mind. Indeed, the world is ever-changing, but the only constant is "eternal change and innovation." The innovation we often talk about is actually hidden in our choices and respect for tradition. 　　Not long ago, to cope with the immense pressure of the college entrance examination, my classmates and I went to see "Song of the Phoenix." The film tells the story of how, after a person dies, they are evaluated using suona horns—two for the morally mediocre, four for the average, eight for the superior, and only the most virtuous and respected are entitled to the "Song of the Phoenix." It made me think deeply. In this materialistic society, tradition seems to offer some...

 　　Humans, as the most intelligent animals on this blue planet, have gradually become the masters of this lonely island adrift in the vast universe, holding the power of life and death over any other species. 　　Sometimes, humans are even more greedy than gluttons. The beautiful fur of animals is used by humans to wrap their own frail bodies; the strong bodies of animals are used by humans to fill their own bloated intestines. Humans can shamelessly call insects beneficial to themselves "beneficial insects," while insects that cannot be exploited by humans are classified as pests. Every year, humans ruthlessly exterminate these so-called pests. But they are also part of this planet, they are also its masters. Yet the reality is like the old-fashioned landlords forcibly seizing the land of peasants, forcing the victims to do hard labor for them. Even the slightest loss can lead to annihilation for the peasants. 　　Humans are tyrannical robbers! Arrogant and blatant murderers! If...

 　　I. 　　We all thought Xiao Qian would be the first among our friends to get married. 　　We all called her Xiao Qian, but actually, her surname isn't Qian. 　　Her name is Qi An'an, which is originally a very nice name, but when pronounced quickly, it becomes "Qi Yi An—Qian~". To show everyone's affection for her, the name Xiao Qian stuck. She herself likes this name very much because her boyfriend's surname is Jin. 　　"Look, I'm Xiao Qian, and he's Jin. It's destined that we'll be together!" Every time she talks about this, she blinks her big eyes, her round little face full of excitement. 　　In our eyes, finding Xiao Qian's boyfriend, Mr. Jin, is a blessing from several lifetimes. 　　Because Xiao Qian is so capable and considerate. When we go out to eat, she sits gently next to Mr. Jin, pouring water and wine, setting the table, handing him tissues and ashtrays... 　　Mr. Jin is practically waiting to eat. 　　The key is that Xiao Qian is...

 　　Gently, I awoke from my slumbering dream, a dream filled with a sweet, watery beauty, a smile imbued with the fragrance of newly sprouted blossoms. This dream wasn't enough; I lingered, unwilling to wake. But then, as if kissed tenderly, I slowly opened my sleepy eyes. A soft ray of light pierced through my slits, warmth instantly flowing through my body. This familiar feeling, experienced through countless cycles, how could I forget it? This spring, so full of unforgettable emotions. 　　I stretched, then left my beloved bed, drawing back the curtains that let in boundless light. It was beautiful, so very beautiful. I seemed to hear the chirping of morning birds, and unconsciously recalled an old poem: "Spring slumber unaware of dawn, everywhere the birdsong; last night the wind and rain, how many flowers have fallen?" Alas, there was no spring rain last night, otherwise, I could have counted how many flowers had fallen. The flowers on the windowsill were in full bloom,...

 　　A cup of clear tea, its aroma lingering. 　　Gazing at the few remaining pages of the calendar on my desk, reflecting on the fleeting years slipping through my fingers, my restless heart gradually calms. 　　The days that have passed have become a wealth of memories in the hustle and bustle of time. In fact, memories are a good kind of fulfillment, a seasoning for life, making the present more flavorful. I like to reminisce, especially when I'm alone. My thoughts drift away with the wafting aroma of tea. I go back to my childhood to see my friends playing with spinning tops on the river, to the alleyways of my hometown to see the villagers chatting and laughing over their meals… Memories sometimes fill me with fulfillment, but sometimes they fill me with sorrow. So many "scars" of life meet my young heart again, but at the age of forty, tears have dried, and a sip of tea is enough to swallow them down. 　　So much sunshine, so much wind and rain, have been sealed away in the...

           The original nature of all things tends towards simplicity, and the inherent nature of the human heart also tends towards simplicity. The human heart, by its very nature, should be peaceful, quiet, gentle, simple, and wise. These are the most beautiful flavors and the truest forms of the human heart. However, not everyone can maintain such beauty; it will inevitably sway from time to time, even becoming ugly, distorted, and turbulent. Therefore, the human heart begins to change, becoming unsatisfactory and unpredictable. The restlessness begins here and spreads wildly, even to the point of madness. Thus, the restless youth is born, like a flea crawling on a horse's back thinking it is galloping, hence the name "restless."          A heart that is constantly turbulent like this is certainly not a good thing. Because of this constant turmoil, it is difficult to calm down, and even if it does calm down, it is only a temporar...

 　　Persuading others is both a science and an art. The way and method of persuasion are very important. Good persuasion makes the person being persuaded happy, and the persuader feels proud; conversely, bad persuasion makes the person being persuaded unhappy, ungrateful, or even resentful, or leads to confrontation, and the persuader loses face and regrets getting involved. 　　A while ago, it was reported that a doctor advised an elderly person not to smoke in an elevator. The elderly person not only ignored the advice but also became angry, resulting in a fatal heart attack. The family was outraged and sued the doctor, who was ordered to pay compensation. Of course, the doctor, as a physician, was acting out of compassion, recognizing the health risks of smoking, and also out of public concern, knowing that smoking in public places is harmful to others. The result was a well-intentioned but ultimately harmful act; one person paid compensation, and the other lost their life—it seems...

 　　Like the emotions of people and the memories of a city, we don't give up. We still pick up pebbles and tiles, releasing our passion in a watery world of our hearts. This achieves a higher level of life, like terraced fields. 　　As a child, standing by the river, I would pick up a tile and compete with my friends to skip stones, seeing who could skip the farthest and skip the most. Gradually, my mood became as beautiful as the skipping stones. The tiles flew and jumped across the water, the beauty of their strength and power seemingly reaching the horizon. And look at those ripples, each one greedy, each wanting to expand its territory, so they become intertwined, absolutely stunning. 　　The winding, vivid riverbanks of my hometown are now only faintly visible in the branches of my memory. In that best-preserved memory, I was completely fascinated, even unable to extricate myself from the journey of the tiles. Now, as I toss tiles into my personal and rural memories in different wa...

  I'm not unhappy, I don't have any psychological trauma, and I haven't suffered much hardship; it's just that my life has been a bit bumpy. But just living in this world is already a struggle for me. Do you also have times when "just living is a struggle" ? I envy people who are excellent and charming in their professional fields, yet lively and adorable like children in other areas, rational and mature, and still possessing a precious girlish heart. This picture is like the sky I look at while waiting for a bus , a little lost and a little sad . Reading isn't for eloquent debate and refutation, nor for blind faith and obedience, but for reflection and weighing options. Some say that travel is also for wisdom; whether it makes me more open-minded and clear-headed, I don't know, but I do know that the RMB I painstakingly saved in my pocket has truly been spent on distant places and on the road to distant places. If you blossom, invite the sunshine to l...

 　　I saw a very eye-catching title on a website: "A Life is More Perfect Only After Visiting These Places." As a "country bumpkin" who hasn't even visited a tenth of China's land and is already over sixty, approaching seventy, I was curious, so I clicked the mouse and looked at "these places." 　　The article was rich in text and pictures, very visually impactful, truly a feast for the eyes and the palate. The places listed were: Sudan, Peru, Croatia, Tanzania, Bangkok (Thailand), New Zealand, Sicily (Italy), Brazil, Cuba, and Iran. 　　"You don't know until you see it, and then you're shocked!" I felt a mix of emotions. My life, which I usually considered "perfect," suddenly seemed inadequate. This wasn't sour grapes; rather, I felt my "life" was actually "significantly imperfect." As mentioned before, "I haven't even visited a tenth of China's land," I haven't experienced even ...

 　　People need to be meticulous. 　　When going out, one must dress appropriately; when handling affairs, one must be serious and thorough; when interacting with others, one must maintain a proper balance, demonstrating politeness and decorum; even when writing, one should be rigorous, concise, and methodical. This is what is meant by meticulousness. Meticulousness is a standard for being a person and doing things, a manifestation of discipline. Meticulousness is like a heavy door slightly ajar, a tightly locked window gently opened. Meticulousness brings a sense of stability, steadiness, and reliability. 　　However, everything has its limits; excessive meticulousness becomes undue restraint. Restraint is like a young wife in a wealthy family or a maid in a prestigious mansion, always afraid to speak loudly, breathe deeply, or take large steps, feeling helpless and restless. Restraint brings inferiority, timidity, panic, and constraint; a suffocating feeling in the oppressive atmosphe...

 　　It's that time of year again for the National College Entrance Examination (Gaokao). From the "Black July" of the past to the "Black June" of today, the pressure of the Gaokao, the tension of students, and the worries of their families have remained unchanged for decades, and may even be intensifying. If there's any change, it's that back then, getting into university basically guaranteed a stable job. Not just universities, but even junior colleges, vocational schools, and technical schools all offered guaranteed employment. But what about today's children? Getting into university and obtaining a diploma is much easier than before, but finding employment is much more difficult. For parents and children, the importance of the Gaokao lies in laying a stepping stone for graduation four years later. If they are excellent, diligent, and lucky enough, this stepping stone shines brightly, making it easier for them to succeed in future competition; other...

 　　Confucius once praised Yan Hui, saying, "A single bamboo bowl of rice, a gourd of water, living in a humble alley—others would find such hardship unbearable, yet Hui does not change his joy. How virtuous is Hui!" I've always loved this saying, and I admire Yan Hui's ordinary life, his tranquil state of mind revealed in the mundane details. Isn't this what ordinary people's lives are like? Simple meals, thirst-quenching water, a humble shelter from the wind and rain, no great wealth or status, far removed from the ups and downs of life and death. Though their hearts may be ordinary, they enjoy a simple peace. Those who can find joy in such ordinary days are truly engaged in life! 　　People say, "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication," but those who truly live ordinary lives are not content with the ordinary; instead, they are troubled, resentful, and scheming to live an extraordinary life. "I'd rather cry in a BMW than laugh on a bicycl...

  　　Shakespeare said, "It takes three generations to produce a nobleman." Not long ago, I read a long article on Tianya Forum titled "It's Harder for Children from Poor Families to Achieve Nobility." It's undeniable that background significantly limits our development; this is an indisputable fact. 　　However, even with a humble background, we can still achieve nobility. For young people from impoverished backgrounds, there is a path—the lowest threshold to nobility. This path, regardless of wealth or status, is fairly presented before you: reading. Reading more naturally cultivates a broad mind, expands horizons, refines thoughts, enhances character and temperament, and fills the soul with fragrance. 　　The reading I'm referring to here isn't about going to university, but about reading itself. The benefit of going to university is that you step out of your small town, broaden your horizons, and meet a group of people of the same age, exchanging ideal...

  1. Lacking the talent to mend the heavens, I've wasted so many years in this mortal world. 2. When power fails, don't speak of nobility; when the family perishes, don't speak of kinship. 3. Endless tears of longing fall like red beans; endless spring willows and flowers bloom in the painted pavilion. 4. When spring ends, beauty fades; flowers fall, and people die, both unaware! 5. Ten thousand taels of gold are easy to obtain, but a true friend is hard to find. 6. Insight into worldly affairs is knowledge; mastery of human relationships is literature. 7. I wish I had wings today, to fly with the flowers to the ends of the earth. 8. One is a celestial flower from the fairy garden, the other a flawless jade. If there's no predestined fate, why did we meet in this life? If there is a predestined fate, why did our love end in vain? 9. In the beginning of chaos, who was the seed of love? All for the sake of passionate love. 10. When it comes to bitterness, the absurdity is...