Thank you, everyone.

What began as a mere jest unexpectedly came true, leaving me both helpless and deeply moved. I am not seeking sympathy, yet I remain profoundly grateful to all of you.

There is a line from a film that has stayed with me:
A little girl asks a man, “Is life always this hard, or is it just childhood that’s so difficult?”
He replies, “It’s always like this.”

When we were young and faced setbacks, adults would comfort us, saying, “It will pass.”
But as we grow older, we realize that life continuously presents challenges; once you conquer one mountain, another looms ahead.

Sometimes, those bound by the hardships of life resemble Sisyphus, endlessly pushing a boulder uphill.

I recall a story:
In a hospital’s maternity ward, a premature baby was born. In a moment of urgency, the doctor told the father, “You need to provide ten thousand dollars now for observation, and more may be required later.”
The man hesitated, asking, “Can the child be saved?”
The doctor could not guarantee a positive outcome—only that they would do their utmost to save the newborn, as anything could happen.

After much inner struggle, the man said with difficulty, “Money is not the problem. What I fear most is losing both my child and my money.”
At the doctor’s urging, he finally handed over the money.

Later, the man confided that after paying the surgery fee, only a few dollars remained in the family’s bank account. Truly, there was no money left.

Some might say, “If you have no money, why not borrow? To still worry about money at such a moment—if you don’t care for your own child, how can you call yourself a father?”
But if you have never been truly poor, you wouldn’t understand. The torment and inner turmoil of a father in such a predicament are beyond your experience.

What you think of as poverty is running out of money this month, and knowing you can ask your parents or siblings for help.
But adult poverty is having no one to rely on. When you have no money, you go hungry, you struggle even to take a single step. Life’s harsh winds and rains strike your face with undeniable force.

In the hardest times, poverty can be truly deadly.

Life is difficult for most; many carry heavy burdens as they move forward.
If you were not born into comfort, if you were not born in Rome, you must run against the wind from the moment you arrive, because sometimes living is not only about yourself.

The documentary “Twenty Two” tells the story of elderly women who endured countless hardships throughout their lives. Toward the end of their years, having been tempered by life’s trials, they looked back on their ordeals with calm acceptance. When asked about the suffering life forced upon them, they no longer dwelled on the bitterness. The only things that could still move them to tears were the family members they loved and cherished.

In braving the storms of life, there is always a reason to persist—to hold up a warm shelter for those we love.

Do you remember the middle-aged man at the train station, eating a flatbread and crying in the biting cold?
If he had no one to care for, who would endure such pain alone, gritting their teeth?
Why is living so hard, yet so many still persevere through clenched teeth?
Because in this world, there are people they love and care for.

Life is inherently difficult. When you feel it is easy, it is because someone else is shouldering that difficulty for you.
It is precisely those who understand life’s hardships, those who grow from the soil of adversity, who know why they must be strong.

Life is tough; crying won’t help—you must be strong.
Life is hard, that is the reality, but if you persist, everything will be better. You must believe that.

May every hardship find someone who cares, every effort be rewarded, and may everyone be treated with kindness.

Thank you all for bearing the pain in my heart, for sharing my burdens, and for giving me the courage to keep writing.

I will strive to regain my rhythm and continue writing; I still want to write with a smile.

Even if it was once a mere joke, now that I have spoken it, I must follow through.

As the saying goes, the hole you dig yourself, you must fill it with tears if necessary. I am grateful for all of you—it is truly wonderful to have you.

—With deepest gratitude, Luo Qin