[Based on real experiences · No wish fulfillment or formulaic tropes · From village to city · A journey of the heart]: Under the pressure of reality, a humble, timid villager born in the 1980s grows up little by little, with no say in the matter. There are tears and comfort, cruelty and warmth.
The book has three parts. The first is a ragged but healing rural childhood; the middle follows a journey through school filled with both laughter and tears; the last covers unpredictable workplace rivalries and cruel tests of human nature. From age six to thirty-six, it tells the story of an ordinary person with a higher education but a degree that was “wasted,” as they navigate thirty years in an era of rapid change and shifting fortunes. Buffeted by countless encounters with good and evil, kindness and cruelty, they continually rethink life and fate. After finally letting go of everything and enduring a fierce struggle deep within, they face the difficult task of deciding what to protect and what choices to make.
This is a true story, rich in detail, about ordinary people from the bottom of society, with neither wealth nor power. The storms never stop, and life goes on without end. After all, is there ever a year when the storms are just right? Though I cannot walk alongside you, I hope this book can be an encouragement to us both!
There are many resonance points, and the plain language style describes a post-80s generation from innocent childhood to ignorant boy, to the beginning of love, and finally to facing social reality. Behind ordinary experiences are struggles to overcome inferiority complex, efforts to break through, and more helplessness and powerlessness.
As mentioned in the introduction, the book is full of various details, compositions, diaries, letters, scenes, emotions... They are all real and gave me a new perspective on the lives of certain people. It is worth reading!