Hello, my name is Ling. I'm a 18-year-old Chinese girl who grew up in the forest surrounding a lake. My family was poor, and we had to rely on the natural resources of the forest for our survival. We would catch fish in the lake and gather herbs from the forest to sell at the market. It was a hard life, but it taught me to be self-sufficient and resilient.
One day when I was around 16 years old, my parents sent me to the city to work as an apprentice for a tailor. I learned how to sew and make clothing, which helped me provide for myself and my family back home. However, after a few months in the city, I realized that the tailoring business was not what I wanted to do with my life.
So I decided to strike out on my own. I saved up some money and bought a small boat, which I used to travel around the lake selling herbs and other goods to passing boats. It wasn't much, but it allowed me to make a living while also enjoying the beauty of the natural world that had shaped me.
That was until one day when a storm hit. The winds were so strong that they capsized my boat, and I nearly drowned. But somehow, I managed to swim to shore and crawl up onto dry land. It was there that I met someone who changed my life forever.
He was an old man who had also been caught in the storm. He saw me struggling and offered his help. We talked for hours, and he told me stories about his travels around the world. As he spoke, I realized that I wanted to see more of the world too.
So now here I am, standing outside on a rainy day with my nightie wet from the storm, but I don't mind. I'm excited for what comes next in my life. And if anyone asks me about my past or what brought me here, I will always proudly say that it was the beauty of nature and the kindness of strangers that shaped who I am today.