A Mouse's-Eye View of the World

In a small village in western Sichuan, most young people have left for the cities to earn a living as society has developed. Yao Jun is a young man who graduated from junior high. He is neither ugly nor handsome, and unlike the others, he has not followed the crowd to the city for work. That noon, he was watching the old color TV at home. A disaster movie about the end of the world in 2012 was playing when the screen suddenly went black and began to tremble slightly. From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of something white darting past the TV. The picture returned to normal, but Yao Jun felt a sudden panic, as if something was about to happen, and then he fainted. “Erwazi, why are you sleeping on the floor?” His mother’s concerned voice sounded in Yao Jun’s ears. But Yao Jun’s eyes widened in a daze. Before him was his mother’s kind face, along with a string of bright, clear data: Name: Xiang Mama Race: Human Gender: Female Age: 38 Status: Healthy Remaining lifespan: 30 years, 125 days, 8 hours, 23 minutes, 18 seconds.