Summary of the Core Content
This memoir is the personal reflection of the author, "Liu Youcai." He started from a county town in Shandong Province and ventured northward to cities such as Nanjing, Shanghai, and Beijing. In 2021, he felt that domestic life had lost its novelty after experiencing everything there. By chance, he ended up in Africa, where he saw it as a "reset button for his life"—like opening a new game map. He realized he needed to learn English and the local language to embrace a completely new world. The text compares different "ideal eras" such as ancient Greece (idealism), the Wei-Jin period (freedom and authenticity), and the Renaissance (rebellion against human nature). It also draws a parallel between Chinese people today exploring Africa and those who went to the United States to build railways a hundred years ago, reflecting on how the strength of the country has improved the situation of overseas Chinese. Finally, he expresses the mindset that "the old me in China is dead; Africa represents a new beginning."
Detailed Interpretation
Why Africa as a "Life Reset"? — Tired of Domestic Life, Africa as a "New Map"
The author traveled from his county town to university in China for over a decade and suddenly felt in 2021 that he had achieved everything he wanted and experienced everything he didn't want. It was like playing a game too many times, where the maps and tasks became boring due to familiarity. Africa offered a completely new environment: learning English (and even the local language), adapting to a different pace of life, and even meeting fellow Chinese people felt like a treat (after three months in Uganda without seeing any compatriots, he found the Chongqing workers building roads particularly welcoming). This sense of everything being new was akin to erasing his previous life experiences and starting over with a fresh "game account."
The Author's View on "Ideal Eras": Not Perfection, but Living Authentically
The author mentions three eras he admires for their lack of pretense:
- Ancient Greece: Socrates drank poison to defend truth—true idealism, unlike many people who compromise for profit today.
- Wei-Jin Period: Figures like Ruan Ji and Ji Kang freely explored nature and expressed themselves without caring about others' opinions.
- Renaissance: Characters in works like "Romeo and Juliet" showed genuine emotions, and stories like "The Decameron" depicted people being who they were (not suppressing desires or pretending to be noble), which is the complete opposite of the self-repression emphasized in traditional Chinese education. These eras remind him of the freedom to be oneself.
The Difference Between Today's Chinese Explorers in Africa and Those from a Hundred Years Ago: A Stronger Country
The author compares two periods of overseas adventures:
- Chinese Workers Who Built Railways a Hundred Years Ago: They were treated like slaves, working under harsh conditions.
- Today's Chinese Explorers in Africa: For example, the Chongqing workers building roads face hardship but do so voluntarily for their own betterment. He argues that the situation of overseas Chinese today is similar to that of Chinese people in China a hundred years ago—only now, with a stronger country, do they no longer suffer the same injustices.
"The Old You in China Is Dead"; Embracing a New Life
The author says his life in China has essentially ended, and continuing as before would be meaningless. This doesn't mean he's truly dead; rather, he's letting go of his past identity, relationships, and established patterns of life. In Africa, he must learn new skills, make friends, and adapt to the environment, which is like starting from scratch. It's like changing phone numbers, cutting off old connections, and gradually building new ones—this process feels liberating as he's no longer bound by past experiences and can live anew.
The Impact of Shandongese Identity: The Clash between Traditional Education and Authenticity
As a Shandong native, the author was influenced by traditional culture. For instance, in middle school, seeing a girl pulling a boy's hair made him think she was bad because traditional education taught girls to be modest. However, Renaissance literature taught him about gender equality and human desires, leading him to realize that true nature is more important than pretense. This experience explains his admiration for authentic eras.
This memoir is the story of an ordinary person finding a new direction in life after hitting a bottleneck. It explores themes of ideals, human nature, and national strength in a way that feels like a friendly conversation, making it very relatable.