CHAPTER 197: The Hardships of Adulthood Are Just Beginning
This time, no one had to coax him into drinking. Big Head accepted every glass.
After three cups down, he was already tipsy, grabbing Zhou You and rambling endlessly.
"You know, bro, it's tough. Society is so damn hard to navigate!"
"Damn it, when I went to collect payments, they made me drink before they'd pay up. One shot glass per drink, but each shot was only ten thousand, and the debt was a million!"
"For that million in arrears, if I collect it, I get a thousand commission. If I don't, they dock a thousand from my salary."
"Screw that, man!"
"Bro, why does society always pick on people?"
"The suppliers bully me, the dealers bully me, and damn it, even my coworkers bully me. The territories they give me are all the ones where money's hard to collect and work's a pain."
"When I first graduated, I was full of ambition, wanting to make something of myself to show my parents. But now, what am I supposed to do?"
Zhou You didn't say a word, just sat there silently listening to Big Head pour his heart out.
The others felt the same way, reminded of their own past struggles. If they hadn't met Zhou You, they'd probably be worse off than Big Head. At least he was a graduate student from a top university—what did they have?
"Back then, I sometimes looked down on my parents. Felt like their whole lives were just... mediocre. No real achievements, just scraping together a little money to get by, barely enough for food and bills. Never became leaders or anything."
"Now I feel like I might not even measure up to them."
"Man, if we weren't such good friends, I'd be too embarrassed to come see you. Three years of grinding, and I've got nothing to show for it. Nothing at all, bro!"
Zhou You put a hand on Big Head's shoulder and raised his glass: "Drink up. Three cups and you're already done for? Life's just beginning. What's this supposed to be hardship? The real suffering comes later!"
"Right now, you can still lean on your parents. When they're old, who will you lean on?"
"Later, you'll get married, have kids. Your wife will depend on you, your kids will depend on you, and your aging parents will depend on you too!"
"When they're sick, you take care of them. When the kids are in school, you help with homework. When the house is too small, you have to upgrade. When the car breaks down, you can't bear to replace it."
"The moment you open your eyes, there's no rest."
"At times like that, work means nothing. Just keeping the household together is hard enough!"
Big Head was stunned by Zhou You's words: "Bro, is it really going to be that tough?"
"Birth, aging, sickness, death—it's been that way since ancient times. Who can escape it?"
"When you were a kid, failing a test felt like the end of the world. Now, looking back, it was nothing."
"Same logic. You feel wronged now, but harder times are coming. Then you'll look back and miss these carefree days."
"Big Head, the hardships of adulthood are just beginning. Congratulations on growing up!"
Zhou You raised his glass and toasted Big Head and everyone else at the table.
The older ones among them felt the weight of his words more deeply, while the younger ones let it wash over them.
Who believes that stuff? If you're not doing well, it's because you're not good enough.
Big Head wasn't sad anymore after what Zhou You said, just more scared: "Bro, is the future really going to be that miserable?"
Zhou You laughed heartily, and as he laughed, tears welled up at the corners of his eyes: "That was the past, not the future. From now on, I've got your back. We brothers will suffer a little less and take in this beautiful world!"
Zhou You held his glass, staring off into space.
Life on earth is truly wonderful—so wonderful that even gods descending to the mortal realm claim it's to endure tribulations.
Wave after wave of trials—who can withstand them?
In the end, Big Head was dead drunk, but his spirits were much better.
When you're feeling down, having someone to talk to and vent your frustrations makes a world of difference.
Zhou You helped him into the next room to rest, asked Xiao Si to keep an eye on him, and then went home to sleep.
Back in the original timeline, Big Head had also sought Zhou You out for drinks a few times.
Unfortunately, both of them were struggling. All they could do was complain together, unable to quit their jobs or muster the courage to go home. They just gritted their teeth and endured.
In the end, they ground their teeth down to nubs, but the bitterness only grew.
Eventually, they got used to it.
Just like Fugui in *To Live*.
Or Li Baicheng in the documentary on fortune-telling.
The director asked: "If there's no joy in life, is it still worth living?"
Li Baicheng paused, probably never having considered the meaning of life before, and muttered a few words:
"What kind of talk is that? If there's no joy, you just stop living? That... that's too heartless."
Yeah, no joy, so you don't live?
The底层 people never think about such things. Call it foolishness or self-deception.
People, after all, have to keep living.
This time around, Zhou You wasn't just going to survive—he was going to live well. For the sake of his past self, he wanted to see this world, take a good, long look, and then decide whether to come back in the next life.
Lying there, his mind racing, unable to sleep, he sent a message to Yin Na.
Thinking about Yin Na—alone in a foreign land, lonely and isolated, with no one to talk to. Wasn't she pitiful?
People, you just can't compare.
Comparing goods means throwing them away; comparing people means wishing you were dead.
The Harvard happiness course made it clear: happiness born from comparison is fake, a castle built on sand that crumbles with the first wave.
So what is true happiness?
Zhou You felt he had it right now.
He figured Yin Na felt the same.
So he leaned down and asked her: "Are you happy?"
Yin Na mumbled something through her mouth.
Zhou You understood. He knew she was saying "happy."
Seeing Yin Na eating with grease dripping from her lips, her face beaming with happiness, Zhou You felt great too. Helping others was its own reward.
They lay in bed, chatting.
Yin Na was like a little woman now, nestled in Zhou You's arms: "Your Russian is amazing now. You sound almost like a Chinese person who's lived there for years."
"Really? I've only ever talked to you. Never spoken it with anyone else or watched Russian movies. One day, I'll give it a try and see if I can understand."
"By the way, what are you planning to do when you go back? Still teach?" Zhou You didn't know the career paths for foreigners, so he asked casually.
"I don't know. Probably, but I'll also do part-time Chinese teaching. That's the main reason I came to study this time. Being just a university teacher doesn't pay enough." Yin Na hadn't figured it out yet.
"So, shouldn't you thank me? I taught you Chinese so well. Our retroflex and curled tongue sounds are really hard. Your tongue's a lot more flexible now, and your Chinese has improved fast." Zhou You shamelessly grinned at Yin Na.
Yin Na shot him a blue-eyed glance: "You have to promise to come see me then."
Zhou You nodded solemnly again.
The night was short, the moment sweet—a night of revelry.
Looking out at the countless lights of the city, flickering like stars, wondering how many couldn't sleep tonight.
Thinking back, it had been a few days since they went to Thailand.
Every day, people were posting on social media.
Wang Fangfang was a bit out of sorts at first, but as time went on, she had more and more fun, gradually letting her true nature shine.
Many people, when they go to a new place, talk about starting over.
It's not just about material life—it's more about the mind.
Away from familiar people and surroundings, one's personality and emotions break free from their shackles, finding temporary release.
That's one reason travel makes people happy.