A period of time had passed since the pollution source incident was resolved, and all necessary follow-up work had been completed.
Both the mortal realm and the underworld had returned to their peaceful, everyday routines.
The viewers were back to their jobs and studies.
They worried about low salaries, fretted over academic performance, and pulled their hair out over online games.
In their ordinary lives, everyone had their own troubles.
"Hello… Yes, yes, your takeout will be here soon, please don't leave a bad review…"
A delivery driver hurried into a busy office building.
On the roadside, another taxi pulled over.
A young man in a suit, carrying a briefcase, quickly opened the door and got in.
"Driver, Xingfu Community."
"Coming right up."
The driver, a middle-aged man, spent most of his days in the car.
When he had nothing else to do, he liked to chat with people.
Seeing the young man slump back in the seat, looking like he could finally rest,
He smiled and said, "Are you heading home after work?"
"I really envy you office workers. Stable jobs, holidays, social security, and you don't have to run around."
"For us, it's all about luck. We live by the grace of heaven."
When the weather is good and more people are out, we earn more.
When the weather is bad, we can drive around the city twice and still struggle to find a passenger.
"So, it's important to study hard and get an office job…"
In the back seat,
Mu Shu rubbed the bridge of his nose, a look of exhaustion on his face.
He gave a helpless, wry smile and said, "Driver, I'm working overtime on business, please hurry."
The driver was taken aback, "...Ah? Oh, okay."
So he wasn't going home after work.
He glanced at the time; it was almost six o'clock.
Perhaps feeling a bit awkward, or perhaps sensing the young man's weariness,
The driver remained silent for the rest of the journey.
He drove his car quietly.
*Hoo~*
Mu Shu let out a sigh and looked out the car window.
In fact, even as an office worker, he didn't feel his job was that great.
He had to clock in and out on time every day, and attend meetings after work.
He traveled for business all year round.
In today's society, there were college and postgraduate students everywhere.
It was too difficult to find a good job.
You could find university students working as delivery drivers.
You could find postgraduate students in sales.
They worked from dawn till dusk, just to work for their bosses and earn a living.
Who wasn't tired?
Studying hard didn't necessarily mean a good job.
It was just…
Mu Shu recalled a class reunion last month and sighed inwardly.
It was just that those who studied hard probably had more possibilities for development.
They could choose to work in an office or carry bricks on a construction site.
They could choose to pursue a profession or deliver food.
*Ding~*
His phone vibrated twice in his pocket.
Mu Shu withdrew his thoughts and took out his phone to look.
Sender: Wife.
[Honey, I just got back from our son's parent-teacher conference. How much longer will you be?]
Mu Shu opened his phone's keyboard and replied: I'll be a little later. What did the teacher say?
Before he could put his phone down, a reply came from the other end.
[The teacher said that with our son's grades, he needs to catch up quickly, otherwise he'll fall behind step by step and it will get harder and harder.]
[I asked a friend who runs a tutoring center. There are one-on-one and group classes for Chinese and Math.
One-on-one is charged by the hour, starting from one hundred yuan.
Group classes are one to two thousand yuan per semester.]
[Oh, and our son needs to practice his handwriting, so we'll probably have to enroll him in a calligraphy class.]
"..."
Mu Shu's heart grew heavy. After a pause, he replied:
It's okay, I'll try to take on more business this month.
What is our son doing?
Wife: [I have to revise a client proposal tonight, so I made him a bowl of noodles to eat first.]
Mu Shu: Don't overwork yourself, eat your meal first.
Suddenly, the taxi slowly stopped.
"Xingfu Community, we're here," the driver said.
"How much?"
Mu Shu exited the chat page and paid the fare.
*Bang!*
The car door closed.
Looking at Xingfu Community before him, he stretched his heavy shoulders.
He took a deep breath and walked in, carrying his briefcase.
...
As dinner time approached, the scent of cooking wafted through the community.
The mingled aromas of various home-cooked dishes were particularly enticing.
"Chicken soup, stir-fried pork, luosifen, sweet and sour…"
Mu Shu identified the smells, as if envisioning a family eating together.
A sense of happiness filled his heart.
With lights on in countless homes, there was always one lit for him.
"Yes, as long as the family is happy."
Mu Shu's lips curved into a slight smile, and he loosened his grip on his briefcase.
This was the time when families ate together.
What was he doing?
Wasn't he working overtime so that the family could eat together?
Wasn't this putting the cart before the horse?
With this thought, he made a phone call as he walked towards the community entrance.
"Hello, honey, let's go out for a nice meal tonight."
"Huh?"
His wife on the other end sounded surprised, "Didn't I tell you I have to revise a client proposal tonight…"
"Who cares, if the client isn't satisfied, so be it. Those people just like to fuss, they're not really gods."
Mu Shu felt a sense of clarity and lightness he hadn't felt before.
"Let's go, I'll treat you to a big meal!"
Hearing this, his wife paused, "Didn't you just say you needed to take on more business?"
Mu Shu: "I've thought it through. Family happiness is the most important thing. Our son already works hard enough at school, why send him to tutoring classes?"
"Let's let our son off the hook, and in doing so, let ourselves off the hook too, right?"
"..."
His wife hesitated on the phone. It made sense, but something felt a little off…
However, she could hear the joy in her husband's voice through the phone.
She decided not to dampen his spirits for now.
"Alright, I'll get ready. Call me when you've decided on a place."
"Okay!"
After hanging up, Mu Shu quickly hailed a taxi. "Driver, take me to the food street!"
...
Not long after Mu Shu left, another salesperson walked out of Xingfu Community.
With a smile of relief on his face, he walked forward step by step.
Looking at the surrounding scenery, his eyes were filled with contentment.
So, the sky was this blue, and the osmanthus flowers were this fragrant…
So, he hadn't truly appreciated the world yet.
No, perhaps he had.
In the distant past, when he lived in the countryside with his grandmother.
Everything back then was new, joyful, and worth looking forward to.
"This is wonderful…"
By the roadside,
A grandfather was walking towards Xingfu Community with his granddaughter.
"Come on, let's go home and eat!"
"Mhm!"
...
Within Xingfu Community, homes lit up one by one.
Like little stars in the dark night.
Each little star carried a happy family.
"Xingfu Community, a place that brings happiness…"
Jiang Lin murmured, looking at the document in his hand.
...