Huang Wen didn’t go to college because his family was very poor. Even though he was the only child, his family couldn’t afford to pay for his schooling. After graduation from high school, he decided to go outside to seek his fortune.

  When the parting day came, Huang Wen was really sad. Carrying his little bundle and walking to the old willow near his home, Huang Wen turned around and looked at his parents and shabby house for the last time. Then he strode on the road leading to outside world without turning around.

  His eyes were full of tears and heart full of sadness. Since his birth, he never left his home to go outside, not even once. Though a poor home, he was still reluctant to leave. He was also uncertain about what would happen to him and what was the outside world like. Suddenly he said to himself, “after all, I have no other choice.” He was 17 years old that year.

  After he came to Shanghai, he stayed at his friend’s home. It was lucky his friend and all his family members treated him well. He rushed around Shanghai and tried very hard to find a job. He ate at his friend’s home and his friend’s wife even washed his clothes, however, he was reluctant to stay at his friend’s home. Because he was a very self-made boy and felt uncomfortable to trouble others.

  After a month, he found a job to cook sunflower seed. It was summer and very hot. He had to stand on the kitchen range to use a spade to cook sunflower seed. The cauldron was very big. When he stood on the kitchen range near the cauldron for the first time, he felt a little dizzy. He also heard colleague talking about someone dropped to the cauldron and was scalded very heavily before. But he wasn’t scared, because he had no other choice.

  Finally, he was able to move from his friend’s home to the collective dorm of the small factory. Though it was really a hard job, he never complained and often told himself, “if other people can do it, I can do it too.” He even learnt humor from his colleague, yeah, just treated it as a free sauna.

  Time went by so quickly. He accustomed himself to this kind of life gradually. After work, he usually gathered with his colleagues together at snack stall to have a cup of iced beer and a big bowl of noodles.

  Until one day, he suddenly found himself was already 22 years old and owned nothing. He couldn’t sleep for the whole night. He thought, “I have nothing and the only thing I have is youth. And now even youth is getting away from me gradually too. What am I going to do? What am I going to do? Yes, I have to do something and be somebody instead of nobody. Maybe I can study something and at least own a professional skill. “He tossed about in bed for a night and thus nearly fell to the cauldron for the fatigue next day. However, he decided to study English because he liked it and studying it needed no additional condition especially money.

  From that day on, he neither went out to eat and drink with his friends nor played card games with them. He just sat on his small bed to recite English words regardless of other’s ridicule at him. For a couple of months, his roommates got used to his studying and even tried to be a little quiet to play card games in order not to disturb him.

  For another three years, he cooked sunflower seeds by day and studied English at night. Sometimes, he even thought he was a little insane. He was just like a freak among his friends. He friends were all in love and went out to see a movie and he never did. He friends just suspected he had a problem physically or mentally, but Huang Wen never cared about it. Sometimes at night, he often felt lonely and didn’t know what’s the use of studying English. Sometimes, he even didn’t know why he had to live. He wanted to struggle out of the life he was having but didn’t know to where he would go. He tried to have a girlfriend and failed to communicate with her in heart. He didn’t like all things his girlfriend liked and though them meaningless. His girlfriend also thought him a geek and never knew what he thought in heart. Finally she broke up with him. He didn’t even fell a little sad, after all, they had a relationship for two years. He tried to be a little sad but failed.

  In his small village, it was Spring Festival, he came home. For a country boy, he was still single and couldn’t avoid to be discussed ardently by fellow villagers. Someone said, “Huang Wen is really coward and tacit.” Someone said, of course, behind his back, “he probably has some problems.” Some said, “I’ll introduce some really good girls to you. OK?” Huang Wen just ignored all of them. For eight years of Shanghai life, he just learnt one thing, which was that he could live totally regardless of other’s views. Life was really short, he just wanted to be himself and lived under the lead of his heart, though it was really painful.

  One day during his 26 years old, he walked casually on the road and passed by an international hotel. He watched the cloud-kissing building for a long time and couldn’t help to admire the resplendency just like a palace though he never saw one before. When he lowered his head, he saw a want ad wanting a doorman. He was moved and started to enter into the hotel, but was immediately blocked by a doorman.

  The doorman called Tang Xi was a kind-hearted man and helped him a lot after knowing Huang Wen’s intention. He introduced Huang Wen to the hall manager. The hall manager saw Huang Wen was tall and handsome and became a little satisfied. After she talked with Huang Wen in English for a little while, she decided to hire him. Huang Wen never knew how he did manage to have so fluent conversation with the hall manager because he never talked with someone in English before.