Deep Space Wandering Fleet

Chapter 144: Chapter 145: This Era Does Not Need Dreams

Mr. Aiding was surprised to find that the already small ramen shop had been divided into two adjacent storefronts, one belonging to Xia Yueyue’s father and the other to her.

“Come try my new recipe!” Xia Yueyue stood at the shop’s entrance, enthusiastically calling out to passersby.

Mr. Aiding tried it and thought the taste was okay.

Looking up at Xia Yueyue, he saw that the girl was still as lively as ever, bubbly and adorable just like before.

“I’ve made a lot of new recipes, including tomato, pork bone, and spicy flavors… Which one would you like to try?”

“Do you plan to start your own business? But why does your store have no customers?” Mr. Aiding looked next door, where various seats spread out to the sidewalk.

Then he looked back at hers and it seemed he was the only customer.

“Doesn’t anyone like it? I think it’s quite good!” Mr. Aiding sipped the soup and found it really tasty.

“Sigh, I don’t know… Maybe it’s because my dad has a lot of regular customers,” Xia Yueyue said, propping her chin, feeling very troubled.

It was strange… her noodles were even more diverse than her father’s, and yet they couldn’t compete with his.

Then, the following year…

Seeing that the business couldn’t go on, the two shops naturally merged back into one.

Xia Yueyue’s father was getting old and had started preparing for retirement, only occasionally lending a hand. As common folk who did physical labor for a long time, their lifespans were admittedly not very long.

However, with Xia Yueyue’s abilities, she managed to take good care of the shop.

Clearly, after giving up those peculiar recipes, the business became as busy as before. The regulars were quite willing to support Xia Yueyue’s business.

“You gave up on them? I thought they were delicious,” Mr. Aiding said, puzzled.

“Maybe it’s because people get tired of eating the same thing for too long, or maybe for some other reason… Anyhow, sticking to the same old way seems to be the best approach for business,” Xia Yueyue shrugged, a bit disheartened.

Then she said ambitiously, “I’ve decided to open another store! Otherwise, how could I become the Ramen Queen!”

“Uh… make sure you choose a good location,” Mr. Aiding advised. He wore a slight smile; this was the Xia Yueyue he knew.

“Do you want to invest in me?” her eyes twinkled.

“Of course, no problem.”

…

The third year.

Xia Yueyue opened a new franchise store in a pretty good location with high traffic.

Furthermore, she used her father’s old recipes.

But looking at the deserted storefront, it was clear that she had failed again.

All the surrounding old shops were packed, except for her ramen shop, which hardly had any customers.

“Why is that? Mr. Aiding, I’m so sorry, I wasted your investment.”

Repeated failures had drained Xia Yueyue of the confidence to be the “Ramen Queen.” After three years of battling it out in society, she was no longer as green as before.

Mr. Aiding exhaled deeply; the money he invested meant hardly anything to him. Yet, Xia Yueyue still couldn’t pinpoint the reason for her failures.

The fourth year…

The newly invested ramen shop closed again, and Xia Yueyue obediently took over her father’s shop.

“I’m really sorry, Mr. Aiding. The losses were just too severe,” Xia Yueyue said with a wry smile.

Four years had etched lines of hardship on her face; the business was truly demanding, starting at six in the morning to begin simmering broth, working until eleven or twelve at night to close up, getting at most one day off a week, and barely thinking about holidays. The income was okay, but only just okay…

But what else could she do?

The fifth year…

Xia Yueyue was still making ramen in her father’s shop.

The sixth year…

He remained in her shop, after all these years, and it wasn’t possible for him to start a new business anymore.

The seventh year.

He was still in her shop.

The eighth year, the ninth year…

Fifteen years passed…

He was still in her shop.

Thirty years passed…

At this moment, Aiding had truly become a sociologist.

He had set foot on all the planets in the Solar System, delving into the deeply rooted cultures of the major planets. Many Star Domains were distinct from one another, yet they had commonalities.

Over the years, Aiding had seen many people and encountered many events, wrinkles forming on his forehead. These wrinkles were not symbols of aging but of growth.

Today, he quietly returned to Earth to fulfill his promise.

The ramen shop was still thriving, and he sighed softly, “Xia Yueyue, give me a bowl of beef ramen!”

Even in the midst of the busy business, Xia Yueyue still personally cooked, “Your ramen.”

She looked at Aiding with her curved eyes by the table.

Under the passage of time, it seemed nothing had changed, yet so much had.

“Looks like, I was the one who realized my dream first,” Aiding said, finishing the last sip of soup with a sigh.

Talking about those bygone days, Xia Yueyue could only smile wistfully, “I’m very sorry, Mr. Aiding, I was just too naive back then…”

“Dreams, they are indeed beautiful…”

“And truly…”

“Far away indeed…”

…

“Friends of the Earth Era Time, The Golden Sun, can you understand this state of stability rooted in the entire society?”

“This world is no longer suitable for the existence of dreams. Xia Yueyue is not an isolated case.”

“In this world, the gap between rich and poor isn’t too big, but making money has become exceptionally difficult. Out of a thousand entrepreneurs, only one is lucky enough to survive.”

“…The chairman’s son remains the chairman, the lawyer’s son remains a lawyer, the doctor’s daughter continues being a doctor, and the ramen shop’s daughter continues making ramen… There’s virtually no interaction between the upper, middle, and lower classes.”

“Few people can escape this fate. Any attempt to break free is met with failure.”

“Only someone inherently free like me could engage in the work I desire.”

Actually, such a world isn’t necessarily bad.

Given the option between a society with high wealth disparity but high mobility and one with low wealth disparity but low mobility, which one would a commoner choose?

Many think the former is better. But for a vast number of ordinary people with average intelligence, courage, and insight, the latter might be the preferable choice.

The former offers hope to the ambitious, but the latter is a better place for the vast majority of mediocre individuals, signifying at least stable families without the risk of destitution.

If you’ve earned enough money to occasionally indulge in freedom… that can be considered a good life.

That is to say, the majority of society has accepted their mediocrity. The environment of the world and the culture ingrained in the depths of civilization have imbued them with this mindset.

Is mediocrity bad?

Mediocrity is fine; the world’s productivity is high enough that there is no need to develop technology or innovate further. Ordinary people can enjoy life with flavor as long as they inherit their parents’ positions, without worries about food and clothing, living happily is not a problem.

Additionally, the paths to promotion are too narrow, and as the primary subjects of class mobility, the younger generation’s ambitions are increasingly dimmed, falling into the lingering malaise of an “effort syndrome.”

The benefits brought about by striving are just too small.

As for the issue of lifespan, it’s no longer a big problem. With technology stagnating, average life expectancy has stopped increasing.

Considering the upper class can live three to four hundred years, and the lower class two to three hundred years, it doesn’t seem like such a big deal… Isn’t it natural for richer people to live a bit longer? In the end, everyone still has to die. If one can accept that, there won’t be so many conflicts, big or small.