On a park bench under the dead of night, the young girl slightly leaned forward, removed her mask, and clutched her nose with a blue towel filled with ice cubes. Pouting, she averted her face, saying nothing. An ice cream cone dangled in her periphery. "…Here you go, stop being mad. Have some ice cream," he offered. Ignoring him, she rejected him through her retreat. He didn't protest her denial, Bai Weiran simply shrugged and unwrapped the ice cream for himself to eat. It was from a bulk purchase at a store during a big sale. He rummaged one out from his freezer when he went to grab the ice cubes and the towel. But was this batch from a sale last year or the year before? Bai Weiran mulled over the question for a moment before brushing it aside. As a frugal man, he knew that frozen food wouldn't easily spoil.
"If you're short on money, I can give you plenty. You don’t have to do this!" Qing Ning stated haughtily, her tone laced with a hint of pleading. No matter how much debt Bai Weiran was in, it paled in comparison to her resources. Bai Weiran looked at her and smirked. True enough, her softness belied her harsh words. "You're overthinking. I don't owe anyone, and for the last time, your money is of no use to me." If her money had any sway, he would've been bought out long ago. As the head of Qin corporation escalated the bounty for the recovery of her missing daughter, the reward sum became more intimidating. Could his meager income from part-time work even compare?
"Why are you working so late! And why do I have to be dragged into this!" Qing Ning tore off the towel; the bleeding had finally ceased, but her petite face and proud eyes bore a hint of allure and pitiful despair. "This is a new course." Course for cleaning? Was this a joke to him? "To rely entirely on books is worse than having none." Qing Ning was intelligent, and she'd managed to grasp the concept of that book quickly. When they discussed it, she was fully capable of challenging his points with various examples. However, knowledge alone wasn't enough. "If you read more than you experience, your knowledge will be lopsided and disconnected from reality." Her understanding of life had to come from first-hand experiences, not solely from abstractions encountered in texts. "Right now, you need practical experiences, and exposure to different situations," Bai Weiran courageously offered, standing up to start his work. "Or we won’t complete the tasks in time."
Qing Ning had never swept a floor in her life. It wasn't difficult, but her pouting made her initial attempts a clumsy affair. To her surprise, once she got the hang of it, she even started to enjoy the process. Looking around at the clean floor, she felt a sense of accomplishment. When she turned to compare with Bai Weiran, she found out he had swept an area three times the size of hers.
"Why are you so good at this?" Qing Ning marveled. Holding his broom, Bai Weiran answered lightly while continuing his sweeping motions. "Oh, this! I’ve done it for a while before." He had once been between jobs and had tried out various gigs. Looking back, the experience was educational and fun, providing him with many ideas for his current job. "Sweeping leaves is great exercise and it doesn't permanently damage your body like heavy labor. It’s also a decent way to make some money." Bai Weirand reminiscing. "Do you know why we sweep leaves? Besides keeping the environment clean, accumulated leaves will dry, crumble and become part of the dust in the air, thereby increasing particulate matter. If not cleared, it might clog drainage systems and lead to flooding during heavy rains, hindering pedestrians and vehicles alike."
As he rested on his broomstick and gazed at the crescent moon, he continued. "You might find it surprising, but many people in corporations who earn multiples of these cleaners' income may not contribute as much value to society as these uncles and aunties do. And they might not even be aware of it." Qing Ning found some truth in his words, but was also taken aback by his sermon.
Concentrating on sweeping, she retorted. "If you think sweeping is so noble, why don't you become a cleaner instead of a kidnapper!"Bai Weiran came to her side, pushing a cart, and shoveled the leaves she swept into a garbage bag.
"Society needs all kinds of people, and I have other things that I want to do. Observing more and experiencing more help us understand that the essence of people is the same even if their destinies and career tracks vary. Therefore, we should help and respect each other." He shrugged and smiled, "By the way, I personally hate the phrase 'saving all living beings' the most."
No one needs to be saved by another, we just need to help each other and then save ourselves.
"Do you know what you want to do?" He turned to ask Qing Ning.
Qing Ning was stunned.
She had only known one thing before - to win Ling Luo's love, to win Ling Luo's heart.
However, during the many days of solitary confinement and reading, she seemed to realize that without thinking about him, without his love, she was okay. The happiness she got from Ling Luo's unpredictable tenderness was not even comparable to the sense of achievement she had after clearing up a pile of fallen leaves.
Seeing the struggle on the girl's face, Bai Weiran thought it was excellent.
He nudged her again.
"Miss Qing Ning, you also have something you need to do."
"…What do I want?"
"Life is unfair, everyone is born in a different position. The difference is not that you have more money to spend or you are prettier, but the influence of your decisions. A common person’s decision may only affect themselves, their friends, and family. But a leader's decision can affect many depending on the size of his team."
"You are in a position where the decisions of those around you can affect many people, and you are so close to those decision-makers, you can directly influence them."
Upon hearing this, Qing Ning's face clouded over.
"What's the point? No one would listen to me, I am not important."
She was convinced that except for Ling Luo, no one really cared about her.
"You are absolutely essential, there's no one else. Difficulties? They are just a small game level for you."
A small game level?
Qing Ning had never heard this description before, but it gave her a sense of lightness.
She looked at an empty mineral water bottle at her feet and suddenly didn't find the task so disgusting. As she picked it up and was about to throw it into the trash bag, Bai Weiran made a sound and quickly reached into the bag to retrieve the bottle.
Qing Ning was surprised, but Bai Weiran was very serious.
"This can be exchanged for money! It should not be thrown with the leaves. Waste bottles or cartons are an important source of income for part-time cleaners."
Qing Ning was stunned.
She had thought that sweeping leaves in the park in the middle of the night was already the bottom.
But it turned out there were things that lowered her limits even further.
—— Bai Weiran took her to pick up recyclables.
