Hello friends, actually I have always wanted to share with you the situations and stories from my more than 30 years of living together. Many friends have said there are indeed quite a few stories. You know, these are not just stories; these are things that have happened around me. Just think about it, I have been in the UK for over 30 years, how many things do you think have happened? Today, I want to talk about my past life with these friends, and all the happy and unhappy things that have happened, the key point being the sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy experiences, the joys and sorrows of life.

This is particularly obvious; just these few words encompass the whole experience. And you ask where the boundary between success and failure lies? I don’t understand it now because there have been too many things happening around me. There are also my own matters, but today I especially want to talk to you about two of my close friends. They have all left this world now, and I really want to share their experiences with you. Both of them could be considered successful; the woman was already very successful and wealthy, but in the end, she left this world because of a relationship with a British man.

My buddy was once very famous in a broadcasting orchestra; there was a little tune called "New Song of the Herdsman" in the 70s, which everyone who understood music had heard, it was really good. He went abroad with me in the 80s; he went to France, and like me, he played the flute in the subway station in France. He made a lot of money, but later he decided to return to China because he felt very lonely in France. But this path was his own choice. He was in such a good unit, yet he chose to go abroad. Then he returned to China, and the original workplace took him back. However, all his former friends and colleagues looked at him with a discriminatory gaze. Returning to China was not a pleasant experience. One day, he found a bridge to cross. Maybe that day he just didn’t want to live anymore. Coincidentally, it was close to a holiday, and there were many police officers on the street. As a result, the police suddenly noticed that someone was standing on the bridge looking suspicious, and they took him away. After taking him away, they questioned him for a long time. But he didn’t tell the truth; that day he just wanted to die. He didn’t succeed in dying that day. In the end, he still chose to leave this world. So, life is really complex; human emotions are truly unpredictable.

So, among those who went abroad, there are indeed successful ones, those who made a lot of money, those who bought several houses, and there are also ordinary people living here. There are also tragedies that happen, so around me, when these tragedies occur, I feel that sometimes I should share them with you because it’s not all about comedy and joy around me; it really isn’t like that. A large part of the people, after living here for a few years, feel that this piece of land in China is more suitable for their growth. After coming to a foreign country, they feel lost, without relatives or friends, and with a language barrier, they discover such tragedies. It makes me feel quite sad.

Especially the story of this woman is just unbelievable because she was so wealthy and so young, yet she chose this path; I don’t know why. She first married a British man for about two or three years and then got divorced. After the divorce, we all advised her to find a Chinese man; it would be more suitable for her. She said that finding a Chinese man is not romantic, they don’t know how to woo women, mainly because they are not romantic, and they don’t know how to buy flowers or gifts. In short, she felt that foreigners were romantic, while Chinese people were not. As a result, she met another man online. This man proposed marriage to her in less than three months. I only found out about this after she passed away. She was extremely happy, saying she was marrying a British man again, feeling quite noble, looking down on Chinese men. Then suddenly, this man said he wouldn’t marry her and postponed it for two months. In the end, this man didn’t marry her again and kept postponing it, resulting in four or five delays. Eventually, this woman developed depression. She started taking medication, took a lot of it, but didn’t get better; she became increasingly depressed. This friend sometimes came to the art square to listen to me play the sheng and always wanted to talk to me about these things. At that time, I didn’t notice anything unusual, but one day a friend told me about this. She committed suicide by jumping into the Thames. I felt it was unbelievable; she had been abroad for so many years, was so young, and so successful. She worked in a bank, owned three houses, each worth several million pounds, which combined would be worth over a hundred million yuan. With such success, why did she choose to commit suicide? I feel that this love, this relationship with a foreigner, is it right or wrong? I still can’t figure it out.

There are all kinds of people; there are good and bad foreigners. However, the clash of these two different cultures can sometimes lead to good outcomes, and sometimes it results in tragedy. So, I feel it’s not just about luck. I think there is still a way to say that Chinese culture is too different from foreign cultures. Moreover, in situations where there is a language barrier or a lack of understanding of each other, one must be extra cautious. These two friends of mine just disappeared from my sight, leaving me feeling perplexed. So today, I want to share with you these stories that have happened around me, these real lives. I hope you can understand that it’s not easy for us people from the mainland who are trying to make a living abroad. I hope you can understand.