The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

In the morning, Li Zichun was woken up by Qitong's continuous face massage with its paws. After watching it meow repeatedly for a few minutes as it walked towards the bathroom, Li Zichun finally opened the bathroom door for it and watched it walk towards the toilet.

Watching Qitong gracefully sit on the toilet to defecate, and then jump onto the flushing platform to press the flush button, he repeatedly reminded himself that he must remember to close the door when taking a shower in the future.

After pooping, the little thief cat didn't forget to jump onto the sink to wash its bottom. After doing everything with a clear conscience, it jumped onto the dining table and ate the thin porridge given to it with a disgusted look.

Li Zichun sat to the side, slowly staring at the computer, lost in thought.

After submitting "Diary of a Madman," Li Zichun set his sights on a call for novellas. He had no choice; he was neither famous nor rich. Novels took too long to write, and the prize money was not much different from that of novellas. Besides, the novels in his mind were meant to be developed into his own brand. Now he could only try to find time to stockpile manuscripts, otherwise, once he got busy later on, it would be endless.

He pondered the choice of which article to select for a long time. After all, he had read and remembered so many books that he didn't know which one to choose. After much deliberation, he decided to select Shen Congwen's masterpiece, "Border Town."

If "Diary of a Madman" still leaves some hesitation about whether it will win an award, then Li Zichun is 100% confident that this book will be a sure thing. As a must-read for children in the old days, back when he wasn't a rich man, his wife and children were by his side, the whole family would squeeze into the small living room, passing the book around, their days peaceful and beautiful. Thinking about it, he couldn't help but feel a little dazed. How come, now that he had money, the relationship between his family had become distant?

He shook his head, composed himself, and seeing that it was still early, began writing, waiting to leave at noon.

The full text of "Border Town" is not long, but Li Zichun still wanted to recreate every single word of the novel as accurately as possible, so the writing process was particularly slow. After eating a simple meal, he arranged for Qitong's lunch and then told it to watch the house before leaving.

Chengdu, as one of the three major cities in Southwest China, has also seen rapid development in its rail transit system, much like the Shu capital in Li Zichun's memory.

About half an hour later, I arrived at Tianfu Square. Just as I was thinking of taking out my phone to send a message to Uncle Qi, the appearance of a boy with a backpack caught my eye.

In Li Zichun's mind, the word "uncle" should mean someone who is at least twenty-six years old or older, but definitely not the kind of big boy in front of him who is wearing a white T-shirt and jeans, with a harmless and friendly face.

That's right, it's a boy. The youthful vibe he exudes makes it impossible to associate him with the word "uncle." Li Zichun couldn't help but curse inwardly: Sure enough, the internet is a lie. I thought he would be a weathered middle-aged man, but he turned out to be a sweet and adorable puppy.

"Hello, I'm Uncle Qi. You must be Zichun. You're even more handsome in person than in the video!"

"Are you really Uncle Seven?" Li Zichun emphasized the last word, his face full of hesitation.

"What? Doesn't it seem like it? Uncle is referring to mindset, not age."

"Oh fine."

"You probably haven't watched my live stream, otherwise you wouldn't be asking this question."

"It was my first time doing a live stream yesterday, so I didn't really know much about it."

"No wonder. So, your first time yesterday was mine."

"Well, you could say that. I thought it would take several more days before anyone posted, but I didn't expect you to be so good that you could see through my skills at a glance."

Uncle Qi couldn't help but chuckle. He had broken up with his girlfriend yesterday and was in a bad mood, so he was browsing through various live streams. He was immediately drawn to the title and profile of the streamer, so he casually sent a rocket. Unexpectedly, the streamer's singing was surprisingly good, and his mood instantly brightened.

Li Zichun carefully examined the handsome and energetic young man in front of her and tentatively asked, "Yesterday, was it... a breakup?"

Uncle Qi took a deep breath and exhaled, "Yeah, I got dumped. I was in a really bad mood, but I feel better now. Listening to your song made me feel better all of a sudden. It's really healing."

"That's good. In one's life, one will meet many people who make one's heart flutter, and may mistakenly think that is love. In fact, it is just a momentary feeling of affection. After all, being moved is not the answer; a settled heart is."

As Li Zichun spoke, he couldn't help but think of his wife from his previous life, a woman whose face was always gentle like a spring breeze. He probably would never meet her again.

Uncle Qi looked at the man before him, who had suddenly become both gentle and world-weary, and couldn't help but be moved. He asked with some curiosity, "Aren't you a student? Why do you look like you've been sleeping with women for decades?"

Li Zichun rolled her eyes and flicked him on the forehead: "Little brat, I'll reluctantly listen to you explain in detail since you sent so many rockets yesterday."

Uncle Qi curled his lip and said, "Hmph, I'm already 22 and graduated this year. You're not even as old as me. I just look younger."

Although somewhat unconvinced, Uncle Qi still recounted his story. He had originally come with his teacher to sketch, but unexpectedly met a girl. They dated for almost two months, and he thought he had met his destined love. However, she suddenly broke up with him, saying something like, "I don't feel anything anymore. Maybe this is love for you, but I don't feel anything at all when I'm with you," which was utter nonsense.

The two walked and talked in the square. As Li Zichun heard the rest, he thought the man was too naive. What girl would only realize she had no feelings for the man in front of her after two months? So it was only natural that he would accompany her shopping, eating and buying things for two months? The most important thing was that he hadn't even held hands with her many times. After all, every time they met, he was just carrying her bags. He was a complete scapegoat and ATM.

Li Zichun was at a loss for words. Seeing someone singing by the roadside in the square, and taking a break, he said to him, "You sent so many rockets yesterday, so I'll give you another song today."

After exchanging a few words with the stall owner, Li Zichun stepped forward, picked up his guitar, and hummed: "I stand on the rooftop / in the twilight's light and shadow / I hear the sound of love arriving / a subtle reaction / suddenly I think of you / this tacit understanding feels like a mystery..."

Uncle Qi also picked up his phone and started recording the live stream. He felt that this was no ordinary person; he dared to sing as soon as he started, and it was really good.

"Lately, I've been feeling the same way as you."

It was something similar to love.

Discovering love is approaching on the same day

That was love, not maybe…

Uncle Qi suddenly felt a little relieved. Yes, love that is dispensable is better left alone. If you can't give me a response of love, why should I persist?

"Similar to Love" is a song sung by Elva Hsiao, with lyrics by Yi Chia-yang and music by Hsiao An. This song was quite popular for a while back then, but unfortunately, Li Tzu-chun suddenly remembered it and started singing it.

Uncle Qi was already a big streamer, and the number of people in his live stream room was increasing just like the people around him. Soon it reached several thousand and was heading towards ten thousand. People who were familiar with Uncle Qi knew that this was the guy who sent rockets to him last night. They didn't expect to meet him today, and they all exclaimed that they were shipping them.

As the song ended, Li Zichun couldn't help but feel a little unsatisfied. Looking at Uncle Qi's live stream, he couldn't help but find it amusing. "I'm working myself to the bone here, and you're not even including me in your live stream? No way, I have to get half of his gifts later, otherwise it'll be too much of a loss."

The live stream audience kept saying how great it was and asking for another song. Uncle Qi smiled and said to him, "Sing one more song, please."

Li Zichun said in a deep voice, "One song, two rockets."

Uncle Qi was amused by his stingy manner and patted his chest, saying, "No problem, I'll cover whatever you want to buy later."

"Deal!" Li Zichun's eyes lit up. He had just moved and had a lot of things to buy. Now that he had caught a fat sheep, he had to take advantage of it. He continued, "Tell me, what kind of songs do you want to hear?"

Uncle Qi couldn't think of any genre for the time being, so he said to the people around him, "Does anyone have a song they'd like to hear? You can request a song for free."

"Uncle, can you sing a nursery rhyme?" A beautiful young woman and a handsome man were holding hands with a little girl. They seemed to be tourists, but in Li Zichun's eyes, they were a different kind of sight.

Looking at the little girl's innocent and beautiful face and her family, Li Zichun smiled gently and said, "No problem."

He slowly strummed his guitar and began to sing "The Little Insects Fly":

The dark sky hung low, accompanied by bright stars.

Fireflies fly, fireflies fly, who are you thinking of?

The stars in the sky weep, and the roses on the ground wither.

The cold wind blows, the cold wind blows, but as long as you're with me...

Insects fly, flowers sleep, only pairs of them are truly beautiful.

I'm not afraid of the dark, I'm only afraid of a broken heart. I don't care how tired I am, I don't care which way is up.

"That sounds wonderful, thank you, Uncle."

Uncle? Li Zichun's smiling face froze instantly. Did he look that old? He never expected to be called uncle at the age of twenty. Had his face become ugly? Bah, he couldn't let it affect him. This was called maturity. He would be merciful and not bother with this clueless little brat.

Netizens laughed heartily at his rapid change of expression, probably because they hadn't expected the man next to the child to suddenly say, "Could you play another song for ordinary people?"

Before Li Zichun could react, Uncle Qi said with a grin, "No problem, I'll take care of whatever you want to eat later."

Li Zichun cursed inwardly, "Birds of a feather flock together. Spending too much time with such scoundrels will change you too."

Despite his displeasure, he still said to Uncle Qi, "You have to keep your word."

Uncle Qi nodded earnestly, and Li Zichun nodded and softly sang: "I am a nameless person on this road / I have no news, no one to comment / I have to do everything to get an ordinary script / Twists and turns / Just to make a living / I am a person who left the small town / A person who has eaten with tears and laughter / A person who is on the road / A person who supports a family / A silent background of the city / I just want to touch with my own hands / Every moment I bend over / Are the wet footprints I leave behind worth it / If you feel the same way about this sob, then you are a friend on the same road / To all those who are upright yet ordinary."

Uncle Seven's live stream viewership had long since been reduced to a fraction of its original number, making everyone feel as if the audience was describing themselves. Suddenly, everyone seemed to be nothing more than small-town students struggling to survive in a big city, their names becoming silence and conformity.

"Nameless one, / I raise a glass to you."

Respect to your silence and every roar.

I salute you for bending over as you climb the mountain to higher ground.

Live life to the fullest under the vast sky.

You come from a village in the south / From rough hands /

You stood in the gap between the buildings, but you did not back down.

I come from the spring of the North / From every step I take, I look back /

Behind me lies the crossroads of farewell, warming every sunset.

When winter sets in my hometown / After the train arrives at the station /

The wind of my childhood blows again / Recalling simple joys /

On a familiar street, someone will call your name with tenderness.

The people in the live stream and those around them seemed lost in memories. Back then, neighbors were close-knit, chatting and visiting each other's homes. Playmates would call each other by their nicknames or pet names. Maybe they sounded nice, maybe they didn't, but no one else would call them that anymore.

"To those who have left home, I raise a glass to you, to your silence and every roar, to your stooped as you climb the mountain, striving to live under the vast sky."

Uncle Qi's hands were trembling a little, and in the live broadcast room, you could see Li Zichun calmly playing and singing: "Nameless person, the car is here, if you have too many worries, don't look back."