Zhang Dongyang sat on his dilapidated wooden chair and listened to his mother's whisper in his ear: "Yangyang, your cousin will be here soon, you can entertain you later." He sighed helplessly, this was already the 18th relative he had come to "visit" in the three days since he returned home.
He didn't have to guess to know that the purpose of his cousin's trip was nothing more than to borrow money. In this impoverished rural area, relatives seem to have formed a tacit understanding: if someone has something good, such as buying a new car or building a new house, there will inevitably be relatives who come to borrow money.
Zhang Dongyang, 27, is one of the few unmarried young people in the village. His family is poor, his father is not in good health, his mother is in charge of housework, he went out to work after graduating from junior high school, no car, no house, no savings, and many blind dates ended in failure.
Last year, a relative jokingly said, "Dongyang, if you can buy a car next year, I'll introduce you to a good one." The words haunted him like a spell. So, he gritted his teeth this year and rented a car back to the village, hoping to improve his "worth" and find a suitable partner.
However, what he didn't expect was that the rented car would cause him endless trouble. Relatives came to borrow money one after another, and he was overwhelmed by a variety of reasons. He understands that these relatives are not really short of money, they are just jealous of his "money to buy a car" and want a piece of the pie from him.
Zhang Dongyang was in a state of restlessness, knowing that he could not meet the unreasonable demands of these relatives. So, he returned the car that day and decided to face reality.
He walked down the road with mixed feelings. He remembered his part-time job over the years, although it was hard, but it also allowed him to see the outside world and understand the truth of life. He realized that if he wanted to change his fate, he had to work hard to improve himself, instead of relying on these illusory things to decorate the façade.
So, he made up his mind to wait for the New Year to go out for a while. He has to rely on his own hands to create the future and strive for his own happiness. He knows it's going to be a tough road, but he's willing to try and fight. Because he believes that as long as he works hard enough, he will one day find his own piece of sky.