My hotel is full of emperors throughout history.

Si Zi originally wanted to go too, but Li Lizhi stopped her.

"You haven't finished your homework yet, wait until you're done!"

So, Sizi, pouting, was pulled into the house. Before she went in, Li Lizhi gave Chen Mo a look, as if to reassure him.

So the two of them went outside.

"Young comrade,"

He looked at Chen Mo.

"Is there something you want to say?"

Chen Mo was stunned for a moment, and remained silent for a long time.

Then he spoke.

"I don't know how to say it."

He scratched his head, his smile tinged with bitterness.

"It's just... sometimes I feel quite tired."

The old man nodded without saying anything, just listening as he walked.

"Business at the inn is up and down. Sometimes I'm so busy I don't even have time to breathe, and other times I'm bored out of my mind."

Chen Mo looked into the distance.

"Life has been better since Lizhi came, but there are also a lot more things to worry about. Her people over there come by every now and then."

"And then there's Sizi. That child is growing up, she needs to go to school, she needs to learn things, she needs to... she needs to learn the rules of this world. But we can't abandon her own world."

He paused.

"Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, lying there, my mind a jumble of thoughts. I think about what to do in the future, how long this life will last, what if one day... what if one day they all have to go back..."

"What if all of this is just a dream... what should I do?"

He lowered his head and looked at his hands that were used for cooking.

"I'm just an ordinary person. I run a small inn and cook a few dishes; I don't have any special skills."

"To meet beautiful women, to meet women like Si Zi, to meet those... people I never dared to dream of before, is a gift from God. But sometimes I'm afraid, afraid that I can't handle this opportunity."

The old man listened quietly.

The setting sun shone warmly on them.

"Young comrade,"

He finally spoke, still with that authentic accent.

Have you ever farmed before?

Chen Mo paused for a moment, then said, "No..."

"I've grown them before."

He smiled.

"When I was young, I farmed in my hometown. It was exhausting back then. I was toiling in the fields every day, sweat dripping onto the ground. When I was so tired that I couldn't straighten my back, I would sit at the edge of the field, looking at the sky, wondering when this would end."

He paused.

"Later, I left home and traveled all over the country, doing all sorts of jobs and enduring all kinds of hardships. Sometimes, lying in bed at night, I would think: What's the point of all this hard work?"

Chen Mo looked at him.

The old man looked at him, his gaze filled with an indescribable gentleness.

"Later I figured it out."

He said.

"You're tired because you're moving forward. If you're not tired, you're just lying down, but those who lie down will never reach their destination."

He pointed to Chen Mo's chest.

"Young comrade, the more people you carry in your heart, the more burdens you have to shoulder. Carrying Lizhi, you'll have one burden. Carrying Sizi, another. Carrying those old friends who come to see you, yet another. The more you carry, the more tired you'll naturally become."

"But think about it, aren't those people you're carrying happy? Aren't Lizhi happy? Aren't Sizi happy? When those old friends come here, eat your cooking, and sit in this courtyard, aren't they smiling?"

Chen Mo thought for a moment and nodded.

The old man smiled.

"Then it was worth it."

The two of them happened to walk up to an old locust tree, and he looked at the old locust tree.

"This tree must be a hundred years old, right?"

"Year after year, the wind blows, the rain beats, and the insects bore into it, yet it still stands there, growing leaves year after year, providing shade year after year."

He turned to look at Chen Mo.

"Young comrade, you are also this tree."

"When the wind blows, shield yourself; when the rain comes, shelter yourself."

"If you're tired, take a break. After you've rested, keep growing."

"You asked what to do next?"

He smiled.

"We'll worry about the future later. Let's live today well, and tomorrow will come naturally."

Chen Mo looked at him, his Adam's apple bobbing, but he didn't say anything.

The old man walked back and patted him on the shoulder.

"And also, you just said you were worried they might go back someday."

He paused.

"Young comrade, you have given them a home."

What is home? Home is the place you always return to, no matter how far you go.

"If they really go back, then they've come home. But they'll miss you. They'll miss your vegetables, your yard, and your old locust tree. When they can't bear the longing anymore, they'll come back to see you."

He smiled gently.

"If you miss them, go see them. It's just a door between us, isn't it?"

Chen Mo's nose suddenly felt a little sore.

He lowered his head and pretended to rub his eyes.

The old man didn't expose him; he just stood beside him, looking at the sky.

After a while, Chen Mo raised his head.

"You're right," he said, his voice still a little muffled. "I was overthinking it."

The old man waved his hand.

"Whether you think too much or too little, life goes on. Thinking too much is tiring, thinking too little leads to misunderstandings, just keep it just right."

He turned around and looked at Chen Mo.

"Remember this sentence—"

"In this life, the greatest blessing is to meet a few people who are truly good to you. If you have them, cherish them."

Chen Mo nodded vigorously and followed him.

The two continued walking forward.

I passed by an elementary school; it was dismissal time.

The children poured out chattering, some rushing into their parents' arms, some walking hand in hand, and some eating snacks as they walked, their mouths covered in food.

He stopped and looked at the children.

A little girl with two small pigtails ran past him and accidentally bumped into him. She quickly turned around.

"I'm sorry, Grandpa!"

He smiled and waved his hand.

"It's okay, it's okay, just run slowly."

The little girl laughed and ran away.

He stared at her retreating figure for a long time.

"That's wonderful," he said. "Carefree."

He looked at Chen Mo.

"Is your little rascal like that too?"

Chen Mo smiled.

"Even more mischievous than her."

He smiled too.

"A naughty child is a good one. A naughty child will be successful when he grows up."

As I walked past a middle school, I heard the sound of students reading aloud.

The old man stood outside the wall and listened for a while, as if trying to figure out what they were reading.

"When the youth are strong, the nation is strong."

He said softly.

"That's true at all times."

Chen Mo nodded.

It was completely dark.

The city lights came on, their vibrant colors adorning the night with a lively and warm ambiance.

This is where Chen Mo has lived for more than ten years.

But walking down this street tonight, everything felt new and exciting to him.

The streetlights came on, casting a warm yellow glow on the ground, stretching the shadows of the two people long.

The shops along the roadside were still open: fruit stalls, small supermarkets, barbershops, and steamed bun shops, one after another, full of lively atmosphere.

The old man walked very slowly.

He didn't seem to be looking at something new and interesting; it was more like he was recognizing a relative.

He would glance at everyone who walked by.

"This girl, did she get off work late?"

He pointed to a young girl who was walking by in a hurry.

Chen Mo nodded.

"It must be overtime."

The old man hummed in response and didn't say anything more, but there was something indescribable in his eyes.

As I walked to the entrance of a residential area, I saw several elderly women sitting there chatting, fanning themselves with palm-leaf fans.

He smiled and nodded as he saw them walk by.

The old man smiled and nodded.

He took a few steps and said softly.

"That's what I was thinking back then."

Chen Mo looked at him.

"So that the old ladies can sit downstairs and chat peacefully, without worrying about shells falling or not having food to eat tomorrow."

He paused.

"They talked about nothing more than their sons and daughters-in-law, grandsons and granddaughters, and trivial matters."

He smiled.

"But this is a good life."

I passed by a small square where music was blasting loudly.

A group of elderly men and women were dancing in the square, their movements perfectly synchronized, and their faces all beaming with smiles.

He stopped and watched for a while.

"This dance," he said, "looks pretty good to me."

Chen Mo couldn't help but laugh.

"Don't you find it noisy?"

"What's all the noise about?"

He glanced at Chen Mo and pointed at the dancers.

"Lively is better than deserted."

"Look at them, if they can jump around, they're in good health. If they can laugh, they're living a good life."

If you walk forward, you'll find a night market street.

The smoke from the grilled skewers, the aroma of roasted chestnuts, and the sizzling sound of deep-frying mingled together.

People walked and chatted, food in their hands, their faces full of satisfaction.

The old man stood in front of a barbecue stall and watched for a while.

The stall owner was a young man, flipping skewers in his hands and greeting customers, working up a sweat.

"Are you tired?"

The old man asked him.

The young man paused for a moment, thinking he was there to buy skewers, and quickly said:

"Tired? This line of work is tiring, but you make money that way! How many skewers would you like?"

The old man smiled, waved, and left.

He walked a few steps and said to Chen Mo.

"Young people, you have a bright future."

Chen Mo nodded.

"Are you all... able to eat your fill right now?"

He suddenly asked.

Chen Mo was slightly taken aback, then pointed to the supermarkets and answered.

"You can buy whatever you want to eat anytime. It's from all over the world, from abroad, you name it. We used to only eat meat during Chinese New Year, but now we eat meat at every meal, and we still have to think about how to eat less because we're afraid of gaining weight."

As he listened, the corners of his mouth slowly curved into a smile.

"It's good that you've gained weight."

He said, "Gaining weight means life is good."

Chen Mo smiled too.

"How about we go inside and take a look?"

He looked at the supermarket and nodded.