Creating All Humanity in a Fish Tank

Early February, when the ice and snow lurking in the shadows had not yet fully melted, the lingering chill of winter still rampaged through every street and alley, and the air remained thick with a biting cold that cut to the bone.

Liang City, People's Hospital.

Fang Zhuowei declined the attending physician’s urging and completed his discharge procedures.

A few days prior, during a routine examination, he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer—an exceptionally malignant disease already at a locally advanced stage. Surgery was impossible, and even chemotherapy would merely postpone the inevitable for a short while.

He didn't have much in savings. His parents had passed away early, leaving only a few old houses in the countryside. Cancer treatment was a money-burning ordeal that Fang Zhuowei simply couldn't afford.

Rather than endure endless suffering, it was better to spend his remaining days quietly, eating what he wished, drinking as he pleased.

"After all these years away from my hometown, now that the end is near, I should return and see it once more."

Fallen leaves return to their roots; without going back to one's homeland, one remains a drifting water plant.

Withdrawing all his savings, Fang Zhuowei bought a train ticket to Wucheng, his hometown.

The wheels rumbled on, and familiar silhouettes of buildings flickered past his eyes. Years had passed since he last returned, and upon setting foot in Wucheng, Fang Zhuowei felt as though everything had changed, as if he were in another