Chapter 1, Turning off the lights to eat noodles

However, Wang Ye was unwilling to accept this situation

It is a realization that parents are just ordinary people

... ...

The work is quite good, as an elementary school teacher

Sitting on the sofa, hunched over, I began to eat instant noodles from the coffee table.

In the past, he had many opportunities; if he had been able to seize just one, he would certainly not be living in the current manner

To this end, in 2015, he took out all the savings from his family, totaling 1 million

Unfortunately, just as he finished writing his resignation letter and had not yet had the chance to submit it, the major stock market crash occurred

There is no way around it; this vice president can only take the lead in "actively" proposing a salary reduction, receiving only the most basic salary.

During that period, Wang Ye felt as if he were walking on clouds; it turned out that making money was such an easy task

At this point, Wang Ye had long become somewhat numb to the losses, losing tens of thousands or even over a hundred thousand in a single day was merely a number to him.

After a few years of hard work, there may still be opportunities for promotion and salary increase, and then I can find a chance to bring my wife and children over.

A few minutes later, the instant noodles were ready. I returned to the living room holding the bowl of noodles.

Since we are going to play, let's play big

because he is afraid to see that expanse of green "grassland"

At the beginning, due to the bull market, any stock purchased could yield profits

In his thirties, a man is in the prime of his life, possessing both experience and depth. Coupled with his handsome appearance and refined demeanor, he is quite favored by female subordinates and clients.

He has not yet bought a house in Pengcheng; what kind of home is it without a house? Should he let his wife and daughter come over and live with him in a rented place?

He opened the refrigerator again and took out two cans of chilled beer along with a book.

Because thinking is of no use

The reason Wang Ye rents an apartment in the community is also to facilitate the reunion of his wife and children in Pengcheng every summer vacation.

As soon as I opened Douyin, a deep and magnetic voice resonated.

He does not even think about how to repay this loan

... ...

Having secured one million through channels such as credit cards, JD Gold Bar, and WeBank Micro Loan, I resolutely plunged into the stock market with this two million

The landlady, while looking down at the payment information on her phone, laughed and scolded.

Do not be misled by his current monthly net income of just over 10,000; this is actually a result of the global pandemic, which has significantly reduced the company's export business

He works at a foreign trade company as the Vice President of Business, overseeing dozens of subordinates under his management

However, over the past month, he has been checking the stock market app on his phone less and less each day

In the year 2021, Wang Ye is thirty-eight years old and is about to reach the age of understanding.

To outsiders, Wang Ye seems to be living quite well

At the age of eighteen, I too once had such dreams

Recently, in the stock forums, there have been frequent mentions of the phrase "turn off the lights and eat noodles," which refers to the situation of Wang Ye...

Wang Ye has already settled in Pengcheng. He originally planned to first purchase a house and then, through the policy of settling in with direct family members, have his wife and children move their household registration over, thus making the whole family "new residents of Pengcheng"

But who will know the hardships behind it

Just one word: poor

Wang Ye's wife lives in a small fourth-tier city in the Central Plains with Wang Ye's parents, where they share a spacious home consisting of four bedrooms and two living rooms.

"Well, Xiao Wang, tonight I am going out for dinner and karaoke with a few friends. Come along, and I will introduce you to some people. You shouldn't just stay at home all the time. Men need to socialize and meet more people; otherwise, how can you possibly succeed?" The landlady looked up at Wang Ye and said with a smile.

I took a glance and painfully closed my eyes

... ...

The trajectory of life is thus unremarkable, yet it continues on in a happy and warm manner

Wang Ye put away his phone, a bitter smile on his face, and did not say a word

Wang Ye quickly waved his hand in refusal, saying: "No, Sister Li, I have a report to finish tonight that I need for work tomorrow. Maybe next time, definitely next time!"

It is said that a person will experience despair three times in their lifetime

Wang Ye is currently facing a second despair, yet he is unwilling to admit that he is merely an ordinary and mediocre person. He wishes to struggle to change both himself and the fate of his family

The room has become quite dark, but Wang Ye is too lazy to get up and turn on the light

In previous years, when the foreign trade market was relatively good, he would earn around 200,000 to 300,000 a year.

Upon hearing this, Wang Ye was moved to tears

Thus, after another month, over 2,400,000 had turned into just over 100,000

Only the royal business remains behind, leaving a bitter smile and silence

Once, it is to recognize that one is merely an ordinary person

There is no other reason

After receiving his salary, apart from paying the landlady 4,500 for rent, his bank card balance is left with less than 10,000.

However, Wang Ye is inherently quite proud, often pretending not to understand or finding excuses to decline the invitations from the landlady.

The remaining money is only enough for him to repay the bank loan, while the other one million has all been lost

As long as one does not sell, the losses on paper are merely numbers and not actual losses

After consuming a bowl of instant noodles and two cans of beer, Wang Ye, who has always had a good tolerance for alcohol, surprisingly felt a bit tipsy today

Nevertheless, it is still a community, with a gated courtyard, decent greenery, a parking lot, and even a small kindergarten

I feel a bit dizzy and quite uncomfortable

In the past, when he was making money, he would check his phone dozens of times a day. Each time he saw the bright red figure of "Today's Net Profit and Loss," he would smile broadly with joy

I thought that at the age of twenty-five, I would be able to stand above others, becoming someone with limitless potential in the eyes of others, capable of steering my own course, commanding respect from those around me, and bringing smiles to my parents' faces

I thought that by the age of thirty, I would surely have entered the ranks of the powerful, no longer losing sleep over a few pieces of silver, no longer suffering all day in the shadows, and would not be forced to retreat in embarrassment

The income of teachers in small areas naturally cannot be compared to that of their counterparts in major first-tier cities

You young man, looking so handsome, if only you could be a bit more open, you wouldn't be in this situation now. Alas, you deserve to be rejected! The landlady mumbled as she swaggered away, her waist swaying.

He had actually wanted to bring his wife and children to Pengcheng for a long time. His daughter has just started kindergarten, and if she enrolls in the community kindergarten, it would be very convenient.

In Pengcheng, public elementary school teachers may earn a monthly income of 20,000 to 30,000 yuan, but in my hometown, a small city, the take-home pay is only 3,000 to 4,000 yuan each month

Once, that fearless spirit was forever cast aside by me, in my precious eighteen years

As the sky darkened, I mechanically got up to the kitchen to boil a kettle of water and tore open a packet of instant noodles

Wang Ye is truly afraid; if we disregard the profits from the earlier period, he has incurred a net loss of 1 million

This does not even account for compound interest and the like; if luck were to improve a bit, earning over ten million in a year would not be a dream!

In order to live with a bit more dignity, he chose not to stay in a cheaper farmer's house, but instead opted for a reasonably located apartment in a residential community

The landlady is a local resident of Pengcheng. Although she is only in her fifties this year, she has already retired from work.

In the language of the stock market, crouching is to jump higher!

The two million principal that Wang Ye quickly transformed into two million four hundred thousand

This was originally the money intended for purchasing a house, and it has all been withdrawn

Relying on the rental income from over ten properties at home, life has become quite dull and monotonous

However, the advantage is that there are two major holidays each year, the work is relatively relaxed, and it is convenient to take care of the children

However, after discussing it several times with my wife, I ultimately gave up on this idea

Although this community has been around for some years, the buildings appear somewhat old and worn

Lying on the sofa with my back to the sky, eyes closed, I am unaware of what I am thinking about

Even the landlady has hinted to him several times to stop being so stubborn

Company executives, earning tens of thousands monthly, residing in a community apartment, and owning a Lexus ES200, known in the community as the "Suited Thug, Performance Monster, Highway Lightning"

Four hundred thousand in a month amounts to over five million in a year

At the beginning, like countless stock investors, Wang Ye believed that this was merely a so-called "bull market pullback".

The last time was to acknowledge that one's own child is just an ordinary person

He himself felt that the room was too oppressive and dull, so he casually opened the Douyin app on his phone, intending to watch some short videos to lighten his mood

If it is just like this, then it is nothing significant; isn't it the case that the majority of people's lives are like this

Perhaps it was due to drinking a bit too hastily

Do not think that this amount of money is substantial; as the vice president of a small company, his expenses are still quite considerable

I believed that at the age of eighteen, I could carry my dreams and venture into places I had never been, fulfilling the grand dreams of my youth with a heart full of innocence

These funds, in addition to covering this month's social engagements, meals, fuel, parking fees, and so forth, also need to be sent back home in the amount of 5,000 yuan

There is no luck; the stock that was fully invested in is still at its daily limit down today

This is the money for buying a house, the entirety of the family's savings

"Dead handsome! In Pengcheng, you earn in Pengcheng and spend in Pengcheng; do not think of taking even a penny back home"

Due to the relatively small area of the room, there is no dedicated dining room, and since guests do not usually visit the home, there is not even a dining table.

However, what is meant to come will still come, as I heavily open my phone and launch the Galaxy Securities app

He even considered whether to resign and become a professional stock trader

In less than a month, I earned around 400,000

In Pengcheng, this can already be considered a relatively decent life

Another loss of over 100,000

Having not washed up at all, he staggered to his feet, pushed open the bedroom door, and collapsed onto the bed, falling into a deep sleep...