On Thursday evening, a customer came for a face-to-face transaction. She had immigrated to the UK from Hong Kong many years ago and was teaching at Cambridge University. This year alone, 5,000 Hong Kong people immigrated to Cambridge. I heard that in the past two years, there have been 120,000 Hong Kong immigrants in the UK , making them the second largest group of Chinese immigrants after mainland China.
I chatted with her at the studio and invited her for tea. I learned that her father passed away when she was 7 years old, and her mother raised three children by herself as a caregiver. Fortunately, all three children are very sensible and successful, and they are very grateful for their mother's sacrifices.
Her words reminded me of my maternal grandmother, who was a single mother. This made my mother mature very early and help support the family from a young age. Even though more than 40 years have passed, I still remember my mother telling me that she had to get up very early every day, ride her bicycle, push peanuts out to sell, and thus be late for school every day. In addition to being beaten by the teacher, she would be beaten again because she didn't have money to pay the tuition. Her classmates also bullied her, which made her feel very painful. She said that she worked very hard because she wanted to give us a better life and advised us to cherish what we had and not to always complain. But how could I, a teenager, understand her good intentions?
But listening to my mother tell these childhood stories breaks my heart. I wonder why some people live such wealthy lives while others suffer so much? What can I do for them?
The poverty spurred my mother to work incredibly hard, building something from nothing. She told me, "A person can be poor, but their spirit can never be poor!" She said she never considered relying on others for survival because she had her own two hands. Although I was too young to understand what she was saying, her words and actions are deeply etched in my heart: "No matter how much hardship I face, I will never give up!"
I used to feel inferior to others because I didn't have highly educated parents, because they didn't know how to teach me to read. But I forgot that "knowledge is dead, but wisdom is alive." If I really learned my mother's never-give-up spirit, her courage to innovate, and her hard work, I would definitely succeed no matter what environment I was in.
I feel guilty for not being a good daughter to my mother while she was alive, and for always arguing with her. Now that she has been gone for more than 21 years, all I can do is use the life she gave me to benefit the world and repay her for raising me.
Running Kang Chiao Bakery is really hard work. Some people may question my motives, thinking it's just to make money. But what I want to say is that I want to be like my parents, using my own hands to help others, no matter how little. This is my sincerity. Whether you graduate from elementary school or have a doctorate, your academic qualifications are not the point. What matters is whether you have the heart!
Giving up the life of a "laid-back" housewife, I strive for my ideals. Whether I can realize my dream of becoming the largest pineapple cake producer in the UK or transforming into a cooking class, I am happy that I have done my best to be myself.
Perhaps I am no longer the poor child who was ridiculed 50 years ago. My past experiences are just motivation for me to improve. Now, after 10 years of hard work, I am no longer ashamed of my education. Although I am not good at studying and speak broken English, so what? I will use my strengths to shine and do good within my capabilities. As long as I have a clear conscience, why should I care about what others say?
I enjoy cooking and baking, but I enjoy chatting with customers even more because I can see different life experiences and different worlds. Although there is never any easy part in starting a business, and Facebook always shows the bright side, I actually swallow all the bitterness.
But "when you need her, she will silently come to your side. Her eyes and heart can understand you, and she will take your thin arm in her hand."
One person who understands you is better than a thousand passersby;
A single word of understanding is worth more than a thousand words of comfort.
The person who truly understands you doesn't need explanations; they'll understand without you even realizing it. They understand your unspoken words, the pain behind your words, your thoughts, and your intentions.
Thank you to this thoughtful customer, you give me the courage to keep trying ! 💪💪💪💪
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