The Boy From Humble Backgrounds

Ming Yue Guang, aged 23. The boy was born on the day of the Moon Solistice, hence the name directly translating to Moonlight. It was said that the boy's forehead shone brightly when he was born (Definitely not because the operating lights were far too bright), further reinforcing the reason for his name.

His father was an honest construction worker. His mother, a worker in a local bakery. The income from his parents were just enough to allow the family three to live a humbling life.

Ever since Yue Guang could remember, his father would say to him that the happiest point in anyone's life is that "The greatest friend of truth is time, her greatest enemy is prejudice, and her constant companion is humility."

Of course, a young child would never understand such a saying. To Yue Guang, his father would always explain it in two phrases. Be satisfied with what you have. Never compare yourself to others. The young boy would grow up living by this saying.

As time went on, Yue Guang never once complained about the lifestyle that his parents led. Yue Guang's father's job required him to always be away from home. The longest time the young boy would ever see his father would be two weeks before he would leave the family for another three months or more.

However, this did not weaken their paternal bond. Most of the time, the boy would not have the latest shoes or newest school bags. Maybe only during his birthday, would Yue Guang receive a present from his mother and father.

His father, Ming Jiang Fei, would always give the boy a similar type of gift. The present, a book. The book would get increasingly difficult to read as Yue Guang grew older. Inside the book, there would be a message left by Yue Guang's father.

"Xiao Guang. Happy 7th birthday. Your father is very proud of you. I heard from your mother that you won first in the school sports day race. Indeed, you are truly my son! I hope you will enjoy this story book that I bought for you from Country V. Take your time to read through it. If you don't understand the word, you can always count on the trusty internet!"

"Xiao Guang. Happy 12th birthday. I'm sorry that I am unable to spend your birthday with you once again. Work is inevitable in everyone's life. It is what keeps us living and breathing. I stumbled upon this interesting book in Country I and so, I decided this is a very suitable book for you. Keep growing my son! Take care of your mother!"

"Da Guang. Happy 20th birthday. I am currently working at the border of the Country B. There is sadly no bookstores in this area and so I was only able to send you a letter this time. However, that does not mean I do not have a book recommendation for you! I have asked the bookstore uncle to save a copy of this book for you. All you got to do is collect from him. Remember to live with humility, my son. Treat everyone as an equal and live happily!"

"Da Guang. Happy 22nd birthday. This would probably be the last job that I would receive. Your father is now 57 years of age and can barely lift bricks without an aching back. I am now situated in the mountainous areas of Country N. Surprisingly, there is a small bookstore that sells rustic books. Give this book a try and see if you like it. Stay strong my son. You are now in your final year of university. Soon enough you would be entering true adulthood. There would always be ups and downs, but always remember that if you stick to the truth, everything would go your way!"

Sure enough, the books that came from Yue Guang's father we're all written in different languages. The old man was special that way. It was also the main reason why Yue Guang developed a keen interest in languages and had studied International Studies as his major in university.

Over the years, Yue Guang's mother, Melisa was different to her husband. Melisa married Ming Jiang Fei when she was only twenty five. It was a typical love at first sight story. They met at a book store where Jiang Fei had made the first move on her. Within four months, they were happily married and the next moment, Yue Guang was born. Although she gave up her youth for a guy that was 9 years older than her, Melisa did not regret her decision. She was considered a beauty that was comparable to super stars around the world. Even as she got older, with her body becoming more frail from the strenuous work, she was happy and contented with her life.

Melisa was a practical person. As her husband was always away for work, she was the one that was physically there for Yue Guang through his childhood, teenage years and university life. For birthdays, she would buy the boy things like birthday cakes, school bags, stationeries, etc. The extra bread that were left unsold would be brought back home to feed her growing son. Not once, did she complain about having to raise Yue Guang by herself. Melisa was understanding that her husband was out earning a living for their family. She herself had her own role in the family. And that was to be there for both of the boys.

Just like his mother, Yue Guang never once complained about it. He was raised this way and he knew that these practical gifts came from his mother's hard work in the bakery. His father had to stay months away from his family. He knew it was tough on everyone.

It was why Yue Guang was extremely happy that his father was finally retiring for good. They would then be able to spend more time together as one family. Or so he thought…