At the very beginning, I had the happiest family, enjoyed the happiest life, and walked the happiest journey.

"Nai’er, come quickly to great-grandfather, your grandfather has something to say to you. Don’t you want to know where your grandparents are? If you want to know where your grandparents are, come and find me quickly!"

As soon as Zhang Ni heard that she could know where her grandparents were, she ran eagerly towards her great-grandfather without a second thought. When she reached and snuggled into his embrace, Old Master Zhang said to her, "My Nai’er is the best, listen to great-grandfather tell you slowly, alright? Let me tell you a story too. Once upon a time, great-grandfather didn’t agree with his son and daughter-in-law being together. But this boy and girl spared no effort to be together; they gave up so much for each other. Ultimately, the man couldn’t resist his son and the girl being together, and he finally had to allow them to marry. Slowly, they had their children, but when this child was born, she left for abroad alone, did you know? That little boy was very upset, even though he was just a month old at that time. As their son grew up, he wanted to prove to his parents that he was not useless. He dreamed of showing them that, even without them, he could be the most talented person in the world. But you would never imagine, this boy ultimately succeeded, becoming a remarkable genius overshadowed only by the highest of authorities. His looks were extraordinary, his intelligence unmatched. But on this day, his parents came back!"

Zhang Ni didn’t understand what this meant and said to Old Master Zhang, "Great-grandfather, I’m a bit confused. Since his parents came back, why isn’t the little boy happy? Hasn’t he always wished his parents could be by his side? If my parents were not by my side, I would surely cry every day, unwilling to part with them. If my parents ever abandoned me, I would be heartbroken to death..."

Old Master Zhang listened to this little rascal and felt a bit amused and helpless. This was the difference, but why have all these differences descended on his own family?

"Nai’er, maybe you think that with his parents back by the boy’s side, he should be happy. But do you realize that their return makes him even more painful? He doesn’t know how to face them, and they appear repeatedly around the boy, disrupting his happiness. In the end, this boy, against all odds, wanted to be with the woman he loved, and they finally had their child. Their lives had been peaceful and stable, but storms always come unexpectedly. Because of this, they never thought that though their parents seemed fine days ago, now they’re suddenly divorced. And now with the divorce, they must separate; they cannot return home..."

"Great-grandfather, are you talking about my grandfather and grandmother? Have they divorced, so they can’t be by my side? But I really wish they could stay with me. I think the thing I want most in life is for my grandparents to be with me, then for my parents to be with me, and my great-grandfather to be with me too. Of course, I love it the most when you hold me every day, great-grandfather. But time always seems to fly, and every day I’ve not yet completed what I most want to do, and it’s already dark. By the time I wake up from sleep, it’s already bright. I always feel that there’s not enough time for me. I really wish time could stop right there, so my grandfather, my parents could all stay by my side. But why does time have to linger? Can you tell me, great-grandfather, why time always keeps spinning round and round and can’t it just stop there still?"

"Silly child, time will never pause. It will not stop for anyone to wait. You must understand, time flies, the sun and moon shuttle by. Once a period is lost, it never returns. You must always cherish time, live life to the fullest, do not waste time. No time period will stay there for you to waste. If you have wasted today, then you must think about how to complete today’s tasks. I hope you understand that today’s tasks should never be left for tomorrow, because tomorrow has its own matters to attend to. If you don’t finish today’s tasks, and push them to tomorrow, then tomorrow’s tasks will not be completed either, and they’ll be pushed to the next day. And so on and on, someday you’ll realize that the things you wanted to do, you’ve never completed in your life, you’ve never laughed and played freely!"

"Great-grandfather, I understand now. No matter what, I will cherish time. I will see time as my effort, I certainly won’t let time dominate me. I will walk with time underfoot. I will have time follow my pace, rather than living according to time’s steps..."

Hearing every word Zhang Ni spoke, Old Master Zhang found the child’s articulation extraordinary, opening his eyes wide. He knew that she always hoped for her grandparents to come back and stay with her, but regardless now, it is impossible to be moved. He couldn’t let them return to this home. Since she decided to leave, now there’s no right to return. Once decided to leave, they shouldn’t dream of coming back one day. Time isn’t always staying there to wait for them. He had given them a chance which they didn’t cherish. So why should he rack his brains now to let them return home? It’s all a futile discussion.

But in the present, I am living the most painful life, walking a road I most unwillingly take.