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My name is Li Ming and I am 60 years old this year. Finally retired at home with his wife Zhang Li and began to enjoy his old age. The two of us saved 180,000 yuan in retirement and decided to use the money for a 3-year road trip, which is the life we dreamed of when we were young.
"Okay, okay, I can't wait!" Zhang Li was also excited, "Let's leave tomorrow, where should we go?"
"Let's go to the West Lake, which we often went to when we were children, the scenery is good, and we are familiar with it. I said.
I nodded, excited. I can finally live a life without constraints with my wife, and this is the retirement life I have always dreamed of.
"How are we ready?" I said to my wife.
"I've got it all packed up here!" Zhang Li said.
"Then let's go!" I said happily.
When we arrived in Hangzhou, we directly found a hotel with a wide view to stay, put down our luggage and went straight to West Lake. I took a deep breath of fresh air from the lake, and I was thrilled.
"Lao Zhang, we are finally free!" I said happily.
"yes, that's life. Zhang Li also smiled from ear to ear.
As we walked along the Su Causeway, looking at the lake and the beautiful scenery in the distance, I felt like I was back in time when I came to West Lake when I was younger, when we were just in love, and every plant and tree here made us feel sweet.
"Remember when we first fell in love, we often came here for dates?" I said with emotion, "Now that we are growing old together and coming here again, we are as happy as we were back then." ”
"yes, that's nice. Zhang Li held my arm, her eyes full of happiness.
We went to the Broken Bridge and Longjing again, reminiscing about the past. It was like a day back in youth. I feel a few years younger, and my wife and I have been in love for so many years, and now we can finally live the life we want together
"Lao Zhang, look at how beautiful the scenery outside is, the mountains and rivers are beautiful. I said to my wife as I drove.
"Yes, the air is so good, we came out to enjoy this natural scenery. Zhang Li was also admiring the window.
"We'll be old in a few years, and now is a good time to get out and about. I sighed.
"Then let's have a lot of fun and make good memories. Zhang Li said with a smile.
"Lao Zhang, take a photo with me, the scenery here is so beautiful!" I beckoned my wife to take a selfie.
"Okay, I had a great time today!" Zhang Li smiled and huddled with me.
In Huangshan, we played for a week and finished visiting the main attractions. The landscape here is really charming and unforgettable. My wife and I have picked up some rocks with special shapes and are going to take them home as souvenirs.
Traveling is very comfortable, but it can also be tiring, especially when you have to drive to various places. One day we were going to travel from Huangshan to Beijing, and we had to drive for 8 hours in between.
"Lao Zhang, this part of the road is far today, if you are tired, you can sleep for a while. I said to my wife.
"Okay, if you wake me up when you're tired too, we can alternate drives. Zhang Li said.
"No problem!"
After driving for a few hours, Zhang Li fell asleep. I was driving and I was feeling a little tired. This kind of long road trip is indeed a bit difficult for us old people. Still, I was thrilled to think that this could be our last long trip.
"Lao Zhang, we haven't been to Beijing since we were children, and today we finally saw Tiananmen Square!" I said happily.
"Yes, Tiananmen Square is really spectacular. It is not easy for us Chinese to have such a city. Zhang Li also sighed sincerely.
We spent a week in Beijing, visiting the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, and the night market, and felt the blend of ancient and modern. This city has given us so many surprises and touches.
After leaving Beijing, our next stop was Tibet. Although the distance is long, we all want to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
After a few bumpy days, we finally arrived in Lhasa. The city's strong religious atmosphere and the sight of prayer wheels everywhere opened our eyes.
"Lao Zhang, we have finally come to Tibet! The scenery here is truly amazing!" I sighed.
"yes, this completely different kind of customs, we've seen it on TV, and now we're finally experiencing it for ourselves. Zhang Li was also full of awe.
We stayed in Lhasa for a week and turned around a lot of monasteries. Although my wife and I were a little tired, we also felt the meaning of life when we saw those devout believers who worshipped. It was a very valuable experience.
"Lao Zhang, we are already at this age, it is really right to come on a pilgrimage. This trip was an eye-opener. I said with emotion.
"yes, we've lived most of our lives, and this trip was a fulfillment. Zhang Li said softly.
After leaving Lhasa, we went to Qinghai Lake. The blue sky and clear water there are really beautiful. We walked along the lake and felt very peaceful.
"Lao Zhang, we've been playing for more than a year, and we've been to so many places, do you still like this kind of life?" I asked my wife.
"yes, I'm tired too. But we also had a lot of fun, and there were many places that we didn't have the opportunity to go to when we were younger. I said.
"That's right, too. However, it seems that it is time to get ready to go home. Zhang Li said.
I nodded, it is true that the travel life is colorful, but I also feel more and more tired.
We returned home from Qinghai and have been traveling for more than a year. There was a thick layer of dust in the house, and we were busy cleaning it for days.
"We've been out for so long this time, and our house is about to become a warehouse!" I said as I cleaned up.
"yes, it's time to go home and get some rest. Zhang Li said while wiping the table.
After a few days, the house was finally cleaned up. But I found that I was a little uncomfortable with life at home.
"Old Zhang, we've only been back for a few days, and I'm a little Xi to it. I said with some frustration.
"Me too. Maybe we've been out for too long and haven't come back yet. Zhang Li said.
I nodded, it is true that I am free to travel and live, and now when I return home, I always feel that something is missing.
In this way, my wife and I lived at home for a while, but I always felt empty in my heart, not as happy and fulfilling as I used to travel.
"Lao Zhang, it's boring for us to be at home every day, do you want to go out for a walk anymore?" I asked tentatively.
"But we've run out of budgets. Zhang Li said hesitantly.
"That's right, the pension is all gone, and now it's not enough to go far. "I'm embarrassed too.
"Why don't we just go around the local area and drive around some of the surrounding areas." Zhang Li proposed.
"Well, it's better to walk around than to be stuck at home every day. "I agree.
So, we started a close trip around again. I would drive Zhang Li to some rural places not far from home, or go to a nearby park to enjoy the scenery. However, I always feel that life is not so exciting now compared to the beginning of the long-span travel.
"Lao Zhang, let's go out and visit the park now, I always feel a little less interesting. "I'm a little lost.
"yes, it's not like when I started, there was a sense of freshness and anticipation every day. Zhang Li also said.
"Forget it, maybe it's time for us to get used to the ordinary life. How can you always look forward to traveling? I persuaded myself.
Zhang Li nodded in agreement.
However, as the days went by, my wife and I felt more and more monotonous and boring. We start to lose our temper a lot over trivial things, and we become more and more lazy to go out. Facing the TV all day, it feels like time flies so slowly.
"It's been another day, what are we all doing at home?" One day, I couldn't help but vent to my wife.
"yes, I don't know what I'm waiting for, I don't have energy every day. Zhang Li also felt the boredom of life.
"No, we have to think of something to adjust our lives, we can't just slide like this!" I raised my voice.
"But we don't have the money to travel, how can we live a fun life?" Zhang Li was also very helpless.
I was silent, indeed, having spent all my pension, it was not so easy to go out and play now.
"Why don't we get a pet, or learn some manual work? I suggested.
"Okay, we can go to the animal shelter and adopt a dog. Zhang Li said.
In this way, we adopted a Golden Retriever retriever and named it "Lele". With it by my side, I feel like life is less boring.
"Lele, come here, eat!" I started feeding him and playing frisbee with him.
"It's so smart and it brings a lot of fun to our lives. Zhang Li watched me play with the dog and smiled.
I nodded, it was indeed a good idea to have a dog for us
Having a dog does bring a touch of fun to our boring lives. But after a long time, the dog can't completely fill the emptiness in his heart.
"Lao Zhang, we've been Yakult for a while, but I still think that life is short, shouldn't I find something else to do?" I asked.
Zhang Li sighed and said, "I feel the same way." The dog is very cute, but you can't play with it all day. We need to find something more meaningful. ”
I nodded, in fact, I also understood that having a dog is only a temporary distraction, and the fundamental problem is that we can't find a purpose in life after retirement.
"Why don't we volunteer, and maybe we will feel a sense of accomplishment when we help people in need." I proposed.
"Well, that's a good idea. Helping others can also make your life more meaningful. Zhang Li agreed.
So, we signed up to volunteer in the community. There were a lot of elderly people living alone in the community who needed help, so we started to help with grocery shopping, chatting, housework, etc.
"Uncle Li, I bought you some vegetables and daily necessities. Do you need me to help you clean up the house?" I asked one of the elderly people who lived alone.
"Well, thank you so much. I don't have a lot of legs and feet, so it's great if you help me clean up. Uncle Li said happily.
Zhang Li and I began to regularly help the elderly living alone in the community to make their lives more convenient. We also feel a sense of satisfaction in it.
"Lao Zhang, it is really meaningful to help others! I feel that my life is much more fulfilling. One day I said happily to Zhang Li.
"yes, it's much better than our previous empty life. Zhang Li also said with a smile.
However, volunteering was still a bit overwhelming. After all, we are old, and sometimes it can be difficult to help others.
One day, I leaned on my waist and said to Zhang Li, "We have been volunteering for a long time, and I feel a little overwhelmed. ”
"Me too, maybe we're taking on a little too many tasks. Zhang Li said.
"Yes, we should also learn to take care of our bodies. Don't overwork for the sake of fulfillment. I nodded.
But even with the reduction of workload, Zhang Li and I still often lose our temper over some small things, and we feel that life lacks passion.
"Our life is still so boring, I know that I am about to suffocate when I wander around at home. One day, I couldn't help but complain to Zhang Li.
"Yes, I also feel that the second half of my life is not as fulfilling and happy as before. Zhang Li also sighed.
I looked at Zhang Li, the loss and helplessness on her face, and I knew that she felt the same way as me. We've all fallen into a low point in our lives, and we can't find the meaning of retirement.
"Lao Zhang, we can't go on like this, I always feel that the whole person has been hollowed out. We have to think about what else can be done. I said worriedly.
"Yes, I now eat, sleep, and sleep every day, and I feel that my life is undignified. Zhang Li was also frustrated.
I was silent for a moment, then proposed, "Why don't we try to find a part-time job?" Maybe getting back to work can make our lives more fulfilling." ”
Zhang Li thought for a while and said, "It's okay, we can try it." Just do some simple work, maybe it will feel better. ”
So, we started asking about part-time jobs at nearby malls and bookstores. Eventually, the bookstore agreed to let us look at the store and organize the shelves.
"yes, the mood is different all of a sudden. Zhang Li also smiled.
Although we are just some simple manual work, we can meet different people, and we feel that life is no longer monotonous. After work, I happily said:
"Lao Zhang, I feel very fulfilled in my work today! This is the meaning of life!"
"You're right, work makes people feel worthwhile. Zhang Li also agreed.
But after a few months, this part-time job is still a bit difficult for us. Our bodies are no longer used to working long hours.
One day after work, I had severe back pain and said to Zhang Li: "I have a terrible back pain today, maybe I work too hard." ”
"I also think it's a bit unbearable, maybe it's time for us to retire and rest at home. Zhang Li said.
I nodded, although work makes life fulfilling, but our bodies are indeed not as good as before.
That's how we decided to retire at home. But once we left our jobs, we fell back into loss and emptiness.
"I'm going to be at home again, and I feel like a useless person. I said sullenly one day.
"I also don't think there's any point in living. What's the use of us old people?" Zhang Li was also very depressed.
I looked at Zhang Li's reddened eyes and knew that she was also holding back tears. I don't feel good.
"I'm sorry, Lao Zhang, I insisted on traveling, and as a result, we spent all our pensions, which made you so miserable now. I said guiltily.
"It's okay, that's our mutual decision. Zhang Li wiped her tears and said.
"Forget it, let's live at home in a low-key manner in the future, there is no need to toss anymore. I sighed and decided to spend the rest of my life like this.
Zhang Li nodded silently, her eyes full of disappointment and helplessness.