Let青春 be the witness.

　　While the post‑80s generation is drawing widespread attention, there is another cohort that may have gradually faded from collective memory. They have lived through sweeping changes in both the times and the political system, endured life’s hardships, and witnessed the Republic’s journey of growth. These are the parents of the post‑80s—those born in the 1950s. Among them are 43 of my colleagues at Pulin, and I am one of them as well.
　　Do you still remember that, from the very first day we stepped into life, the times entrusted us with the noble responsibility of striving against heaven, against earth, and against man, charging us with the sacred mission of transforming the world? We were scattered to every corner of our motherland, far removed from beauty, fashion, leisure, and pleasure, yet embraced by the spirit of battling nature, working hard, and enduring hardship. Today, we choose not to dwell on those long‑gone winters of bitter cold and summers of scorching heat, nor on the twilight of yesteryear or the dawn of a new era—whatever judgments others may have passed upon that age. Yet we live without shame; this is our self‑defense and solemn declaration to the world, borne out of our encounter with history. If there was ever selflessness, it was genuine selflessness; if there was ever loyalty, it was unwavering loyalty. We gave the prime of our youth, offering the most tenacious support to a national economy torn asunder; we paid for the nation’s soaring accumulation with the very fabric of our lives, thereby safeguarding our people’s dignity and our country’s peace and stability.
　　And when all this finally passes, we will no longer be young. Two heavy burdens rest upon our shoulders—one is our career, the other our family. We have entered an era in which everything must be measured by the yardstick of value: without formal degrees or credentials, we are nonetheless expected to stand on equal footing with those ten or twenty years our junior, engaging in a competition that purports to be fair. At this juncture, fate has brought us together at Princeton—by chance, and by fortune. We will never succumb to despair; that is not our nature. We will honor our commitments and courageously accept history’s call. From Princeton, we set out together to rediscover a second youth in our careers, mending the lives we once let slip away.
　　Abandon cheap pride and start anew. Amid numbness, rediscover the sensitivity long lost; in chaos, reclaim the clarity that has slipped away. Absorb, with insatiable hunger, all the new knowledge born of social progress and civilizational advancement—making it my own, putting it to my use. Retrieve every fragment of memory, refreshing it again and again with the fresh insights of my life; reexamine all the principles that govern how we navigate the world, and repeatedly test them against the life‑lessons we have once more come to embrace.
　　The trials of youth have been a great source of strength; the sacrifices we once made have made us less attached to fleeting fame and success; the crucible of hard work has taught us to face even the most arduous efforts without fear; and the setbacks we’ve endured have forged in us an unyielding resilience—ready to rise again, no matter how utterly we may have fallen, with no time to dwell on the wounds within.
　　Adversity refines you into success. This group at Pulin has ultimately refused to be left behind by the times; while shouldering the responsibilities of family life, many have risen to become pillars of the company—some now, others in the past. Though we may not be wealthy, we live without want; though we hold no lofty titles, we do not bow in servility. We can stand tall and walk this world with dignity and integrity. We are grateful to life for the opportunities it has bestowed upon us, and even more grateful to Pulin for its patience and forbearance.
　　As all this once again becomes history, in the face of the rise of the younger generation, we cheer for them and rejoice from the bottom of our hearts. They will surely surpass us—this is an inevitable course of history, just as we ourselves once surpassed our fathers and elder brothers. Our responsibility today is to do everything in our power to enable them to excel even more quickly and effectively, to bravely shoulder the burdens that rest on our shoulders, and to ensure that the spirit of indomitable perseverance endures unbroken, passed down from one generation to the next.
　　There is a book that was an essential classic we all had to read back then, titled “How the Steel Was Tempered.” It contains a line that has become our motto: “The most precious thing a person has is life. And life is given to each of us only once.” One should live one’s life in such a way that, when looking back, one neither regrets having squandered one’s years nor feels ashamed of having done nothing meaningful… Each time we revisit it, it fills us with passion.
　　As far as life itself is concerned, our youth has long since passed, yet along the journey of our lives, the sun shines brightly and the waters flow clear amid verdant mountains. Youth will accompany us every day of our existence: at forty, we learn to use a computer, daring to vie with the young, even if our hands have grown stiff; at fifty, we take up driving, speeding up the pace of life—surely we can do that too; and by sixty, we will master foreign languages, translating the twists and turns of our own lives. Though times have changed and systems differ, though materialism runs rampant and competition is fierce, we will uphold the fine qualities of our generation, yearning for fairness and justice, and calling for friendship and sincerity. With hard work and an unyielding spirit, undaunted by hardship, we will live each day, each hour, each minute with vigor and vitality.

　　Let青春 be the witness!

Gao Yue