Postscript: May You Meet a Good Person and Taste Seven-Tenths Sweetness

Have you ever noticed that humans often perceive pain more acutely than happiness? Tragedies tend to be more moving and unforgettable, indirectly proving this point.

The Buddha said, “All sentient beings suffer; only self-salvation can help.” The poem goes, “Though life spans less than a hundred years, we carry the worries of a thousand.”

Suffering and worry seem to be innate—our first sound upon entering this world is a cry. Is it precisely because of this that we yearn so much for sweetness?

In fact, life isn’t always bitter; there’s plenty of sweetness too. All the “sweetness” in this book, Seven-Tenths Sweet , comes entirely from life.

Many readers first came to know me through With You, It’s the Whole World , and I am deeply honored and grateful for that. This book may not be the best one I’ve written, but it is undoubtedly the most meaningful to me.

When I wrote With You, It’s the Whole World , I never imagined that so many readers would love it. I’m just an ordinary person who enjoys recording daily life. By chance, I met the person I fell for on a university campus and made a lifelong commitment with him. As the flower of love blossomed and nourished my heart with seven-tenths sweetness, I worried that over time, the sugar content might fade. So, I transformed into a diligent little bee, gathering that honey of love and recording it as “Dà Níng and Lin Zhiyi’s Daily Life.” As the collection grew, the honey could fill jars, producing pure, natural textual honey derived from life, including the With You, It’s the Whole World trilogy and the book you now hold, Seven-Tenths Sweet .

At the peak of With You, It’s the Whole World ‘s popularity, a bookstore invited me to host a book signing. But after some thought, I realized that at the so-called peak, one is most prone to arrogance. What’s needed then is calmness and reflection, not striking while the iron is hot. So, I made a “seven-year promise” to my readers—we’ll each strive, and meet again seven years later at a higher place. To make this promise more concrete, I even boldly declared—”Seven years, one book per year, every Valentine’s Day.”

What should I write for the seventh book of the “seven-year promise”?

After much deliberation, since I connected with everyone through With You, It’s the Whole World , it would be more meaningful if our meeting revolved around this book. Let’s return to the beginning and write the “With You, It’s the Whole World” series, symbolizing “a seven-year promise,初心未改 (the original intention remains unchanged).”

Writing Seven-Tenths Sweet didn’t feel like writing a book to me—it felt more like savoring a jar of honey stored in memories, smiling secretly as I tasted it, as if unearthing a treasure from the depths of time, eager to share it with everyone.

Time is the greatest thief, stealing not only youthful appearances but also joyful and beautiful moments. Fortunately, my habit of recording life has kept those sweet moments from being stolen by the thief of time.

Tasting the sweetness of love, even if life is short and bitter, leaves a lingering aftertaste.

Pablo Neruda said, “Being together is the greatest wealth that can accumulate in this world.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Lin Zhiyi and I met on a university campus—I was a sophomore, he a senior, both of us poor students. Later, we came to Beijing to strive together and achieved the material life that the secular world craves. But I’ve always believed that the best wealth we leave each other isn’t material wealth—it’s love and memories.

Lin Zhiyi is like a pistachio bestowed upon me by heaven. His casual words can make me smile, bringing genuine happiness and ease. He makes me feel deeply that being with the person you love makes every day feel like Valentine’s Day.

This book is simple—it’s about the seven-tenths sweetness of two people’s small moments together. Yet, it’s not simple—it distills the essence of life’s sweetness.

Perhaps you don’t need to see it as a book. Think of it as a small dessert to bring a smile after tea or dinner. When you’re feeling down, flip open a page; before sleeping, flip open a page; when you’re bored, flip open a page… You don’t need to finish it in one sitting—you can pick it up anytime and put it down anytime.

If, while reading this book, you feel relaxed and your lips curl into a smile, I’ll be content!

Life goes on, and so do the stories.

Those gentle, beautiful, and delightful small moments of certainty in life—I faithfully record them to share with you. I hope these small, seven-tenths sweet joys will become the moonlight nourishing your heart, letting you feel the small pleasures of life.

May you meet a good person and taste seven-tenths sweetness. If you haven’t yet met someone special, may you become your own star—someone will surely discover the light that belongs to you.

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