In Shanghai in early spring, the breeze is not dry, and the sunshine is just right. However, for Liu Yusheng, this spring breeze is as biting as a cold snap. Pushing the wheelchair and slowly leaving Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Liu Yusheng's mood was like a cloud in the past, and he didn't know what to do. In the past, he carried countless dreams and hopes to go abroad and chase the distant American dream.
Now, thirty years have passed, and the young man who used to be high-spirited is gray-haired and alone. His return to China evoked long-buried resentment and pain in his family's hearts. His insistence was exchanged for the denunciation and rejection of his family: "Go back to your America!"
It was the only voice that greeted him. Can the family bonds hanging in the air be reunited? Where will Liu Yusheng's return journey go?
Dreaming of a foreign country: Liu Yusheng's American dream
In the early 1990s, Liu Yusheng and his brother in Shanghai set out from China on a journey to the United States. At that time, the United States represented a country of wealth and opportunity in the hearts of many Chinese. When the two arrived in the United States, they failed to realize their dream of a better life.
Due to legal restrictions, the lack of legal work permits leaves them in a few thankless jobs with low salaries. After a period of hard work, Liu Yusheng's brother finally decided to give up his tying and stay in this land that he considered strange and unfriendly, and chose to return to China to start his life again.
And Liu Yusheng still holds a heart that is unwilling to give up and continues to stay in the United States. He moved from side job to part-time job, trying to take root in a foreign land, hoping to find a front line and hope to change the status quo. In the process of trying to adapt to the new environment and fight to survive, Liu Yusheng met a woman named Ling, which eventually developed an intimate relationship.
As time passed, Ling expressed to Liu Yusheng a resolute attitude of not wanting to be a long-term third party and hoped that he could live with her. At the same time, Ling also proposed to Liu Yusheng a plan to go to the United States together, describing the good expectations for the two to live in the United States.
Lacking legal status, Liu and Ling found it more difficult than expected to obtain a U.S. visa. After some discussion and consideration, they decisively decided to take the risk of smuggling into the United States. In the midst of many contradictions and pressures, Liu Yusheng firmly entered the ranks of stowaways with Ling, and started a journey of unknown and risky coexistence.
In order to smuggle into the United States, Liu Yusheng filed for divorce from his wife Li Fengying. In the face of Li Fengying's bitter pleading and her efforts for her family and children, Liu Yusheng still chose to leave, with his dedication to the "American dream" and an uncertain future, he and Ling joined hands to smuggle across the ocean. Liu Yusheng and Ling went through many difficulties together, and finally arrived in the United States in desperation.
Misery begins: the mire of a foreign land
In the hustle and bustle of the United States, Liu Yusheng and his brother realized the huge gap between ruthless reality and dreams. When they first arrived in the United States, they were full of enthusiasm and faced with the pressure of having to survive, and they quickly cooled down by half.
The brothers thought that with their hard work and perseverance, they would be able to reap their share of wealth and dignity in this land of opportunity, but they soon realized that without legal status, they could only struggle on the edge of life and do the few jobs that paid little.
The lack of language communication made the search for a job difficult for the two, and the job required was not only difficult, but the salary was far below their expectations. They are often engaged in cleaning, porterage, and other low-skilled tasks, sometimes working up to a dozen hours a day.
As time passed, such a tiring and unfulfilled life began to erode his brother's persistence and patience. Faced with the sharp realities of life, his brother's will began to waver, and he was unwilling to continue to consume his youth and life in this strange land.
In the end, Liu Yusheng's brother decided to end this ordeal after a long period of hesitation and struggle. He took a flight to China and said goodbye to the United States with mixed feelings. After he returned to China, he was reluctant to talk about his experience in the United States, restarted his life, and tried to find a new way out in a familiar land, while Liu Yusheng stayed alone in the United States.
Liu Yusheng chose to stay in the United States in the face of various difficulties, and did not give up the persistence in his heart. In the years that followed, he shuttled between various temporary jobs, and his tired body was full of the indifference and rejection of an unidentified outsider from the external environment.
Despite the same hardships and challenges that are repeated every day, Liu Yusheng still hopes that one day he will be able to realize his American dream. During this time, Liu Yusheng met Ling, a woman who was also chasing the American dream in her own way. Their acquaintance may have been a stroke of fate, and the two soon discovered what they had in common in a foreign land.
Ling has become a new force in Liu Yusheng's life, and in the days he spent with her, he seemed to find a trace of peace and solace. Ling has her own vision for the future, and what she longs for is not only to walk side by side with Liu Yusheng, but also to start a new life.
She and Liu discuss future plans, and even propose to embark on a risky adventure together to smuggle to the United States in search of the freedom and rebirth of each other's dreams. Under Ling's influence, Liu Yusheng's American dream added a new contour and became the goal of the two together.
Fall accidents: a twist of fate
During a high-altitude operation, due to the lack of safety protection measures and the harsh working environment, Liu Yusheng accidentally fell from the construction. The accident not only caused significant damage to his body, but also caused him to lose sensation in the lower half of his body, and since then he has drawn an end to his life of walking freely.
This accident was not only a physical injury to Liu Yusheng, but also a great blow to his spirit and future. Ling, the woman who once occupied an important position in Liu Yusheng's heart, chose to leave in the face of such a sudden change. She did not choose to stay and face the predicament with Liu Yusheng, but decided to leave him and find a new life.
Her departure has dealt a heavier blow to Liu Yusheng than her physical disability. Since then, this man, who was once full of passion and dreams, began his lonely wandering life. Liu Yusheng's life became extremely difficult after that. He had no fixed place to live and was reduced to a beggar on the streets, relying on charities and occasional handouts from passers-by to make ends meet.
He went from being a former aerial worker to a homeless disabled person who could not take care of himself. Under such circumstances, Liu Yusheng's life has almost lost all hope and direction.
In his days of wandering, Liu Yusheng had to face a struggle with hunger and loneliness. Unlike the days of toiling under the sun, he now has to rely on the charity and compassion of others. This state of life not only caused further damage to his body, but also caused indelible trauma to his psyche.
In this situation, Liu Yusheng began to try to reach out to friends and family in the past, hoping to get their help and support. However, the long period of missing contact, combined with his current predicament, has made the process fraught with difficulties and frustrations. Most of the time, he spent it in loneliness and despair.
The Return of Apathy: The Betrayal of Family
After more than 30 years of ups and downs, Liu Yusheng left the United States, which he had fought for but disappointed, and returned to China, with trauma and disability. The warm reunion scene he had imagined had become extremely cruel in reality.
As the plane landed at Shanghai's Pudong International Airport, Liu Yusheng was pushed off the plane in a wheelchair, everything in front of him was both familiar and unfamiliar, this is the homeland he had always remembered, but there was no place for him. Liu Yusheng returned to the city where he had left, and his heart was full of longing for his family and a new life.
However, when he tries to reunite with his family, whom he hasn't seen in years, he is met with an unexpected cold response. His ex-wife Li Fengying and his daughter did not give him warm acceptance, but reprimanded him with unrelieved hurt and resentment. Liu Yusheng's appearance evoked years of anger and disappointment in their hearts.
Although Liu Yusheng tried to explain and plead, hoping that his family would understand the hardships of his departure and the hardships of returning now, they could not accept this man who had abandoned his family to pursue his dreams. What Li Fengying and her daughter expressed was not only their personal disappointment with Liu Yusheng, but also their condemnation of the decision to go far away alone and completely change their fate.
When Liu Yusheng decided to leave, they experienced the pain of abandonment, and now that he wants to return, they are unwilling to open their hearts for this person again. Li Fengying shouted at Liu Yusheng: "What are you doing when you come back, go back to your United States!" This rebuke symbolizes the insurmountable gap between them.
In the face of his family's indifference, Liu Yusheng felt unprecedentedly isolated and helpless. In the United States, he was a hard-working immigrant who always had the hope of starting over, despite his failures and setbacks.
However, when he returned to China, he realized that he had lost not only his place in the country, but also the warmth of his family. Liu Yusheng's adventures in the United States and the difficult situation after returning to China have also attracted a certain amount of attention in the local society, with some sympathizing with his unfortunate plight and others criticizing his choices and actions.
Tragic Warning: Family and Responsibility
Liu Yusheng's experience is like a mirror, reflecting the dilemmas and choices that many people in modern society may face.
His story is not unique, and in the tide of globalization, countless individuals may be far from their hometowns and relatives for their dreams, but the profound lesson of Liu Yusheng's return journey is about the importance of family and responsibility, and the profound impact of personal choices.
Family, as the smallest unit of society, carries emotional sustenance and hope for the future. The mutual understanding, respect and care between each family member builds the warmth and harmony of the home. However, Liu Yusheng's choice has dealt a serious blow to this basic social unit.
His departure not only caused Li Fengying and her daughter great emotional trauma, but also made him finally lose the possibility of returning to the family.