When I think back to the year I graduated from high school, I couldn't help but feel a lot of emotion. At that time, I didn't get into college, and instead I got a temporary job in an oil factory. Although it was only a temporary career, it was enough for me to feel content. At that time, our class was one of the top senior classes in the county, but only six students successfully qualified for college. Among them, one classmate has the deepest friendship with me, we are often called "brother", his family background is also quite good, and he was unsurprisingly admitted to China University of Political Science and Law. Now, a full 34 years have passed, and some of those former classmates have become grandfathers, and some have experienced various difficulties in life.
My name is Jiang Liang, I am 52 years old this year, I am a laid-off worker who collects rags for a living. Despite this, I think life is quite passable. In middle age, I often immerse myself in memories, nostalgic for the bits and pieces of the past. But with the passage of time and the change of status, the friendship that once existed gradually faded. It's not because we don't respect the friendship, but because everyone goes through their own problems.
Shen Chen and I were the closest but the least in contact, while Chai Shengmei, who was far away in Beijing, maintained frequent contact with me. She is not only an associate professor at a university, but also a good wife and mother. Chai Shengmei was a huge help in my son's upbringing, guiding him through his lofty goals and learning methods since he was in junior high school. Sometimes, I can't help but lament that money can't solve everything, but it can really boost a person's self-confidence.
Zhou Zhiliang's family is not happy, his father is an alcoholic man, whenever he gets drunk, he will domestic violence against his wife and children. However, Zhou Zhiliang is a man of determination, he studied hard to escape from that family, and the three of us also sponsored his living expenses. In those days, few were wealthy, not even our working families.
After graduating from university, Zhou Zhiliang was originally assigned to work in a state-owned enterprise, but because he was smart, after working for more than ten years, he thought that he could not earn much money, so he resolutely went to the sea to start a business. Amazingly, it took him less than five or six years to succeed and become the richest of the four of us.
After Zhou Zhiliang successfully became rich, he did not forget those of us who had helped him. Every time he returned, he would give gifts generously. But most of the time, Zhou Zhiliang can only see me alone, because the other two are busy with their own careers and hardly return to their hometowns.
Sometimes, I can't help but regret not getting into college. If I had made it to university, maybe my life would have changed dramatically, at least for the better of now.
Later, I was unemployed and received 20,000 yuan in compensation. Since then, I have started collecting rags, mainly because I am a high school student, reluctant to work for others, and not good at other professions. My wife often blamed me, saying that I would not make money, that I did not want to suffer hardships, and that I could not support myself. Her words hurt my self-esteem, but instead of being discouraged, I got better and better at collecting the rags. By 2007, I had bought two houses in the county. Although this calmed my wife's dissatisfaction, she still felt that I and Zhou Zhiliang and others could not be compared. She believes that Zhou Zhiliang is the boss, and I am just looking for waste in the garbage heap.
People cannot simply compare each other. Once caught in this mindset, life becomes a mess.
Therefore, I usually silently do what I can and do my best to fulfill my due duties. Sometimes, I reflect that life is much better than before, and that is enough to satisfy me. However, people are often unsatisfied. Take my wife, for example, who used to complain that I couldn't make money, but now she complains that I don't have time to travel with her.
Time is like a slow-flowing river, halfway through, and my son has now graduated from graduate school. One of his highlights is his academic performance, and although he has a good family, he is not the kind of child who squanders. Of our four friends, he may not be the most brilliant, but he is the hardest-working one. My son, now 28 years old, recently married his Ph.D. girlfriend, who is three years older than him, is a lifelong joy for me, who is about to ember the role of grandfather.
However, on the eve of my son's wedding, I called all three of my former friends and asked them to come and bless them in person. Except for Shen Chen, the other two did not come from afar, which made my father, who was collecting rags, feel a little lost. I made the most frequent calls to Shen Chen, and in more than half a month, I made 16 calls, but no one answered. While I understand that the county commissioner's work is indeed busy, I called his private phone number and I find it hard to believe that he didn't see the call. Then, I waited for five days until after my son's wedding, when Shen Chen finally replied to my message. However, he only used four words: "Heaven apart!" ”
There is a profound meaning behind these four short words. It means that our identities and status are very different, and it also indicates that we will never be in contact again, which is a complete alienation.
When my son learned the news, he was very angry. He has been called "Godfather" for more than twenty years, and he actually treats us in this way. However, I later learned that my son had also called Shen Chen many times, but no one answered. He thought that Shen Chen was busy with work and didn't want me to worry, so he chose to send a message, but he didn't get a response. At that time, I felt more and more unhappy, but my son did not tell me about it in order not to make me angry.
On my son's wedding day, Chai Shengmei also called Shen Chen, and although he answered, he quickly hung up on the grounds of busy work. After the wedding, I drank with Chai Shengmei and Zhou Zhiliang, reminiscing about my high school days and youth. Then, Zhou Zhiliang handed me 500,000 yuan when he left, saying that it was a return for the favor of sponsorship that year, and it was also regarded as a wedding gift for his son. However, I firmly did not accept it, because money cannot buy friendship, and the friendship between us, as long as it exists purely and is enough.