Sailing Back to the Sea of Humanity

After retiring from his government post, Xiao Xiaotian left behind the routine of office life and started driving for Didi in search of new meaning in life. As he turned the steering wheel, he entered a world of everyday people he had never encountered before: from middle-aged dance-group ladies arguing over territory and college students chasing their dreams of becoming illustrators, to a former subordinate in debt and a teacher devoted to a mountain school. Over the course of about a year, he met ordinary people from different professions and walks of life, witnessing their hardships and perseverance, confusion and passion.

He recorded each story in his notebook: the grit of a single mother running a street stall late at night, the homesickness of an overseas student returning home, and an old teacher's devotion to education. As he listened to others, Xiao Xiaotian also took a fresh look at his own life: repairing emotional bonds with his family, rekindling his enthusiasm for life, and gradually changing from an 'observer' into a 'doer', warming others with small acts of kindness.

Through Xiao Xiaotian's rides, this work uses the everyday to illuminate the wider world, weaving together the many lives found amid the bustle of ordinary streets. It explores the value of retirement and the warmth of family and friendship, ultimately offering this uplifting message: 'Ordinary lives can shine, and retirement is not the end, but a new beginning.'