“Amid the fragrance of rice blossoms, I found my way back to who I was.”
I was born in the countryside in 1988. Back then, the fields echoed not with the roar of machines, but with the breath of nature. My childhood memories are filled with flute music played from atop an ox, fairy tales beneath the starry summer sky, and the golden fragrance of rice blossoms during harvest season. I thought time would flow like the little stream in my hometown, slow and clear forever.
In 2009, I left school and stepped into society. The city was like a vast stage, with a place for everyone. I worked as a waiter, serving tea and water to others, and life taught me humility. I sold secondhand homes, using sweet words to help people build a future home. I also worked as a programmer, tapping away at a keyboard day and night, weaving dreams in a virtual world.
Now it’s 2024, and I’m nearly forty. Late at night, the city is no longer as noisy as it is by day. Sitting alone by the window, I gaze at the twinkling lights and think back on the journey from that little mountain village to this great metropolis. I reflect on the choices I’ve made along the way. Each decision was like a seed scattered in the soil of time. Some bloomed, while others grew into thorns.
I wonder: if I could go back, would I make different choices? And if I can keep moving forward, what path will I choose? Time cannot run backward, and life cannot be lived again. But at least I can choose to remember the good times, let go of my regrets, and embrace the endless possibilities ahead.
