Love and choices across time and space

Li Yifeng, who lost his job as a waiter in a restaurant, fell into the abyss of despair again. However, the pressure of life did not allow him to have a moment to breathe. In order to survive, he had to devote himself to more low-level and difficult work.

One morning, before dawn, Li Yifeng hurried to a construction site. He was wearing worn, dusty work clothes and a hard hat, his eyes revealing a hint of helplessness and tenacity.

"You, newcomer, go move the bricks over there!" the foreman shouted loudly, pointing to a mountain of bricks.

Li Yifeng didn't hesitate at all. He walked over quickly, bent down, picked up the heavy bricks with both hands, and moved towards the designated location step by step with difficulty. With every step, he could feel his muscles ache and sweat dripped from his forehead like rain.

The rough edges of the bricks rubbed his palms and blood oozed out, but he just gritted his teeth, wiped them simply with the corner of his clothes, and continued to carry them.

At noon, the sun was high in the sky, and the temperature on the construction site rose sharply. The other workers were resting in the shade, eating simple boxed lunches. Li Yifeng also took his meager meal and found a corner to sit down.

"When will this day end?" He muttered to himself as he ate. The food didn't taste good, and was even a little hard to swallow, but he knew he had to eat in order to maintain his strength.

The afternoon work was even more strenuous. Li Yifeng needed to mix cement with other workers, and then climb up the high scaffolding carrying heavy cement buckets. His steps were heavy and his breathing was rapid, but he didn't dare to slow down because he was afraid of being scolded by the foreman and even more afraid of losing this hard-earned job.

After a day's work, Li Yifeng dragged his exhausted body back to his small, shabby rental house. His clothes were already soaked with sweat, and his body was covered with dust and cement stains.

"I'm so tired." He fell on the bed, not even having the strength to move a finger.

However, the next day, before the sun rose, he had to get up again and repeat the hard work of the previous day.

After working on a construction site for a while, Li Yifeng was unemployed again because the project was completed. In desperation, he found a job as a food deliveryman.

Every day, he rides a worn-out electric bike through the city's streets and alleys, delivering his takeaway food to customers on time, regardless of scorching sun or torrential rain.

Once, it was raining heavily and the road was slippery. In a hurry, Li Yifeng accidentally fell to the ground. The takeaway box was broken and the food spilled all over the floor.

"Oh, what should I do?" He ignored the pain in his body, hurriedly got up, and tried to contact the customer to explain the situation.

"What happened to you? I waited for so long, and the food spilled!" The customer angrily accused on the other end of the phone.

Li Yifeng kept apologizing and even bought a new one for the customer with his own money.

Another time, he encountered a picky customer who gave him a bad review because the food was delivered a few minutes late. This bad review made his whole day's hard work go to waste, because the food delivery platform would deduct his salary based on the bad review.

"Why is life so cruel to me?" Li Yifeng cried silently in the rain.

In addition to delivering food, Li Yifeng also worked as a cleaner. Every morning, when the city was still asleep, he would sweep the streets with a broom and dustpan, clearing away the garbage.

"Cough cough cough..." The raised dust made him cough constantly, but he still worked seriously.

One day, while sweeping the street, he accidentally bumped into a luxury car parked on the side of the road. The owner got out and started scolding him.

"You don't have eyes! Do you know how expensive this car is?" The owner's words pierced Li Yifeng's heart like sharp swords.

Li Yifeng could only keep apologizing and use his meager savings to compensate the car owner for his losses.

During his time struggling at the bottom of society, Li Yifeng experienced the hardships of life. He lived in a simple rented room with only a bed, a worn-out wardrobe, and a small table. The plaster on the walls was peeling, and the floor was damp and moldy.

Every night, he returned to this cold room, feeling lonely and exhausted. He often lay on the hard bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about his future.

"I can't live like this for the rest of my life. I must change." Li Yifeng swore secretly in his heart.

To save money, Li Yifeng cooks his own meals. He goes to the market to buy cheap vegetables and discounted food that's about to expire. Sometimes, he even picks up unwanted leftovers.

"As long as I can fill my stomach," he comforted himself.

While delivering food, Li Yifeng also met some kind people. Once, he delivered food to an elderly woman's home. Seeing that he was sweating profusely, the elderly woman not only poured him a glass of water but also brought him a towel.

"Child, you've worked hard. Wipe your sweat." The old lady's kind smile made Li Yifeng feel a little warm.

Another time, he met a little girl who saw that his electric bike was out of power and offered to help him push it uphill.

"Uncle, come on!" The little girl's encouragement filled him with strength.

These small moments of warmth became a bit of comfort for Li Yifeng in his difficult life, making him firmly believe that there is still kindness and beauty in the world.

However, the pressure of life did not ease because of these warmth. Li Yifeng still struggled at the bottom every day, working hard to survive.

One day, Li Yifeng fell ill. He had no money to see a doctor, so he just endured it. His body grew weaker and weaker, but he still insisted on going to work.

"I can't fall down, I have to hold on." He gritted his teeth and held on to his body.

During this process, Li Yifeng also thought about giving up. But every time he thought about his past mistakes and the people he had hurt, he told himself that this was the punishment he deserved and he had to persevere in order to have a chance to start a new life.

As the days went by, Li Yifeng gradually lost his former pride and arrogance in his work at the grassroots level. He became more resilient and learned to cherish every hard-earned opportunity.

"I believe that as long as I don't give up, one day I will be able to walk out of this darkness." Li Yifeng looked at the sky in the distance, his heart full of hope.