Narrator: Li Ran
Compiled by: Tangerine
Li Ran is 36 years old, she is a librarian and loves her ordinary and regular life. Although society and culture usually expect or judge single women of Li Ran's age, she doesn't let these interfere with her state of mind. She has no children and no partner, but she still finds the beauty of a simple life every day.
Every day, Li Ran rides her old-fashioned bicycle through the streets of town to the library she loves. She always had a gentle smile on her face and showed the same patience and enthusiasm for everyone who came to the library. Beneath her calm exterior, she has a deep love for books, the tranquility they bring her and the power they can lead her to another world.
Although Li Ran's life is full of simplicity and tranquility, it doesn't mean that she hasn't faced doubts. In communication with family and friends, there are always people who bring up the topic of marriage and having children. Although their intentions were usually motivated by concern, sometimes these remarks inadvertently brought a little ripple in her heart. However, Li Ran tends to take these doubts as a test of her choices and sticks to her lifestyle.
"When will you get married?" and "Don't you want a child?" are such questions as a cliché for Li Ran. She usually responds to these questions with a gentle joke or an elegant way to change the subject. She knows that she doesn't need the approval of others to make her decision, she just needs to be firm in her own mind.
The library gave Li Ran a special comfort: it was a place where she could meet people who also loved reading. She will tell stories to children, introduce them to the colorful world of picture books, and she loves to see children's eyes sparkle at the climax of the story. Although she doesn't have children herself, she finds a special sense of satisfaction in her interactions with them.
Sometimes, Li Ran meets imaginary partners – people who share the same values and lifestyle. They may have only briefly intruded into her life, or left a slight impression on her next to a book. She believes that each person's appearance has a special meaning, and that even the briefest encounter can bring fresh contemplation to her life.
As time passed, Li Ran began to accept those inquiries about her single status, and learned to understand herself more deeply through these conversations. She realizes that her desire for life does not lie in a marriage certificate or in the traditional family structure. For her, the meaning of life lies in the silence between the pages, in the freedom to ride around the town every day, and in the satisfaction of being alone.
Li Ran doesn't understand loneliness, of course she will have that kind of moment when she wants to share her life deeply with someone. But she knows how to find peace in solitude and find her own happiness in being single. This happiness is not due to escaping social bonds or emotional kidnapping, but from the inner acceptance and love of self.
In Li Ran's story, she continues to prove a truth - in this diverse world, the appearance of happiness can vary greatly. Just like a book, different people will read different stories from it, and in the same way, different people will show different ways of life. Li Ran chose a relatively independent and self-sufficient mode of life, and this is her happiness. She firmly believes that as long as her heart is full of peace and gratitude, she can feel the beauty of life no matter when and where.