FreeDn

 　　Part 1: A Morning in Early Summer A 　　morning in early summer is quiet and clear. The azure sky still reflects the shadow of the full moon. The small tree, about the size of a bowl, in the center of the neighborhood is still asleep, and the little bird perched on its branch is also asleep. The bird is very close to me; if I listen carefully, I can almost hear its soft snoring. 　　I stand quietly, afraid of making the slightest sound to disturb the little bird's sweet dream. I tiptoe and cautiously observe it; the little creature's pale green feathers seem to still have a thin layer of dust on them. I guess it must have just flown a long way and hasn't had time to clean itself before falling asleep. I wonder where its companions are; why is it all alone? Gazing at the little bird's soundly sleeping appearance, a feeling of admiration suddenly rises in my heart. 　　I don't know if this is the little bird's destination, or if it's here to find companions or ju...

 　　Part 1: Our Humble Lives 　　That day, I went out with a colleague. He was driving, and I was sitting in the passenger seat, happily talking on the phone with a friend. Suddenly, two cars that had collided whizzed past us. I could only see that the front of both cars was completely mangled; I couldn't see anything else clearly. I silently prayed that no one was injured; my family was still waiting for me to return home safely. 　　Every day, we hear about how many people die in traffic accidents, how many die in mining disasters, and how many are injured in accidents. How many people around us quietly leave this bustling world every day? 　　When I was little, I always thought death was a huge deal; when someone died, the sky collapsed. Until fourth grade, our homeroom teacher scolded a naughty boy in our class: "Even if you died today, it wouldn't be a big deal. The earth will still turn tomorrow!" I don't remember why the teacher said that to that boy; I only remem...

 　　When I was learning makeup at a beauty school, my teacher told us that makeup is about highlighting your strengths and minimizing your weaknesses. We use cosmetics like highlighter, contour, eyebrow powder, eyeshadow, blush, eyeliner, lip liner, and lipstick to modify our face shape and features. A single makeup look usually takes two hours to complete. Once, a German makeup artist came to teach, and I had the opportunity to have him do my makeup. He finished in just five minutes, and I was very satisfied with my look. He said my eyes were beautiful, so focusing on making them look pretty was enough. For my downturned mouth, he only applied a little clear lip gloss. His view was: highlight your strengths, not your weaknesses. No one's features are perfect. Makeup isn't plastic surgery; sometimes, trying to conceal flaws only makes them worse. It's better to let your best features shine and attract attention, diverting attention from the flaws. 　　My classmate, Da Liu, liv...

 　　From any perspective, my colleague Xiaoyu seemed far from happiness. 　　Her husband, a factory worker, was laid off at a young age and has been making ends meet for over ten years by doing odd jobs. It's hard work, and the income is meager. The cost of their child's formula and school fees rests entirely on Xiaoyu's shoulders, as a teacher. And that's not all; Xiaoyu's mother-in-law is notoriously difficult and shrewish, bossing her around at home. Instead of showing gratitude or pity to Xiaoyu, the breadwinner, she treats her like a servant. 　　Everyone thinks Xiaoyu lives in misery, her heart must be filled with bitterness and desolation, utterly devoid of happiness. Yet, Xiaoyu doesn't shed a tear; on the contrary, she sings loudly and smiles brightly every day. Everyone is puzzled—how can she be so happy with so many worries? Xiaoyu smiles gently and replies, "It's because I keep my troubles out of my heart and consciously activate happiness mode....

 　　That day, my best friend and I were watching a popular TV series. The female lead in the show was trying to please her narrow-minded boss for work. After watching, my friend shook her head and said, "The most tiring thing in the world is trying to please others." I nodded in agreement. In our work and life, we always rack our brains to take care of this person and please that person, but we forget to please ourselves. 　　One of my friends, A-Luo, majored in Chinese Language and Literature in college, but she used her spare time to teach herself English. While other classmates were scrambling to find jobs after graduation, she had already found a well-paying translation job. 　　Her classmates were all amazed when they talked about it, saying, "Who can compare to A-Luo? She studied English so hard in college, how could she not find a good job?" After hearing this, A'luo laughed so hard she bent over, saying, "I wasn't looking for a job; I was just heartb...

 　　One evening at sunset, I was preparing dinner in the kitchen. Looking out the window, I saw the setting sun hanging high above the tall cedar trees in the nearby park, casting an orange glow on the lake below. The beauty was alluring, and I remembered my promise to a friend to photograph the park's paths. So I took off my apron, quickly changed, slipped on my shoes, and rushed downstairs, hoping to capture this beautiful scene before the sun dipped below the horizon. However, as I ran out the door, crossed the street, and reached the park entrance, the large, beautiful sunset had already mercilessly disappeared into the branches of the trees. I hurried towards the path, trying to press the shutter before it set, but I was defeated. By the time I raised my camera, it had already mercilessly sunk into the lake, leaving only a glimmer of light. After a brief pause, that light also vanished, and darkness quickly swallowed everything around me. Frustrated, I was once again deeply str...