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When I was watching Stephen Chow's film "Journey to the West: Conquering Demons" before. There was a song called "300 Children's Songs" that could subdue demons, but it felt so nonsensical that I couldn't understand it at all. Want to awaken the true nature of demons with childlike innocence and kind thoughts?
Many years later today, I happened to listen to the children's song "Let's Row the Boat", which I had heard countless times when I was a child. My heart gave an instant jolt. I immediately understood why "300 Children's Songs" could subdue demons and also knew exactly what kind of demons it was. In the clear voices of children, I will recall my carefree childhood. For a moment, let go of the obsession of wandering for half a lifetime and striving to rise to the top. Back on that dam slope where the gentle breeze was blowing and the fragrance of all the herbs was wafting...
Back to the era when I was still the successor of communism...
Recently, I've been completely out of form when doing things. The efforts I've made haven't received any positive feedback at all. A positive mindset is constantly being eroded. Every day when I turn on the computer to work, it's hard to focus. Then, it automatically starts watching videos and playing games. Lost in nothingness.
I think I have suffered from intermittent listlessness, but I just don't know to what extent. Just strive to find some meaning in a meaningless life. I clearly know I should move forward, but it feels as if I'm being pulled by something, unable to take a single step. Clearly watching oneself sink into despair...
It's not that I don't want to strive, but even if I do, I still can't see the end. So I might as well hide in a brief moment of happiness, numb myself and pretend that everything is okay. I was constantly on the move. After walking for a long time, even the scenery along the roadside became blurred. Only in a corner where no one can see, one can break down while healing oneself, doubt while struggling...
Dear ideal, please allow me to browse my phone for a while and just give up.
I can't remember exactly when I started to like cycling. But almost every time I drift to a new city, I would buy one, from the permanent island tour to the fixed flight to the popular P8 and K3P folding bikes...
It feels more pleasant and suitable to explore by bike. Because cities are huge, taking a taxi or the subway to a place would waste a lot of time on the way. But cycling is different. You can freely move around different streets. Different weather, different times and taking different paths will bring different feelings.
In Beijing, I like to wander through hutongs. For instance, the roads in Beiluoguxiang are very narrow and it's very convenient to ride a bike. One can feel the atmosphere of the common people. When thirsty, stop and drink the Arctic Ocean. In Shanghai, I enjoy cycling along the Huangpu River, where the river breeze is accompanied by the scent of grass in the small woods. There are boats on the river in the distance. Also, Urumqi Road and Changle Road. Riding slowly on the sunlit road, one can see many beautiful girls and individualistic boys...
A few years ago, I even took the National Highway 318 to circle Taihu Lake once.
I think I might just love the feeling of the wind blowing on my face while riding on the road...
Some time ago, when drawing the new character "Shaking the Little Tree Xia", I also reorganized and optimized the overall image of the core character "Shaking the Little Tree".
The basic outfit retains the original clean and simple core. The top is still the classic and versatile white T-shirt, without any superfluous or complicated decorations. The bottom wear has been adjusted. The original pant style has been changed to nine-inch tapered pants, which are neat and have a loose feel. Paired with solid black socks and white sneakers, the overall look is simple and refreshing. For daily use, there might be very minor adjustments in the future based on the overall texture, but this version is already the final look.
In addition to the styling, the character proportions have also undergone core modifications. The previous cartoonish proportion of big heads and small bodies has been abandoned, and a proportion closer to a normal human body has been adopted to weaken the childishness and enhance the inherent personality tension of the characters. The core purpose of this all-round adjustment is to make Yao Xiaoshu fully fit his three-dimensional persona of freedom, ideals, and a touch of stubbornness, shedding his naivety and highlighting his inherent stubbornness and purity.
In 2026, "Shaking Little Tree" will join hands with the newly launched "Shaking Little Tree Summer" to jointly present the ordinary stories of ordinary people.
In early 2026, Shaking Little Tree will welcome a brand-new character - this image has previously appeared in the illustrations. She is a short-haired girl who inherits the minimalist visual style, black and white tones, and expressionless design of Shaking Little Tree. Her name is Xia and her full name is "Shaking the Little Tree Xia".
Summer represents passion, growth, brightness and vitality. Trees thrive in summer, free, bright, warm and full of vitality. "Shuxia, that is, under the tree." With thick shade and gentle breeze, one can rest and settle down, soothe emotions and accumulate strength... There is always a tree that embraces everything.
Shaking the Little Tree Summer is not merely about the addition of a character, which provides a complete expression of the group of people represented by Shaking the Little Tree, and also offers a richer interpretation of the IP values of Shaking the Little Tree.
It's exactly the 88th one. The Year 2026 is the Year of the Horse. First of all, I wish everyone success in the year of the Horse, taking the lead, embarking on a new journey, immediate prosperity, immediate auspiciousness, good fortune upon the horse's arrival, good luck in the horse's journey, good news on the horse's back, good luck on the horse's back, and good fortune on the horse's back...
The wooden horse we rode in our childhood was always wobbling but made us hold the REINS tightly and refuse to get off - just like our life this year: some people typed out unexpected project plans at their workstations, some managed to get tough certificates at their desks late at night, and some turned their casual hobby into a lucrative side business. These moments that were not marked as “excellent” in advance are all the hoof prints of “dark horses” : not naturally dazzling, but willing to hand over a saddle to life in a place where no one can see.
The “horse” in the Year of the Horse is never a thousand-mile horse only to be admired. It's not that TA suddenly shone; it's that you first lived your life as a rider, and only then did you wait for your own horse.
This year, don't wait for others to label you. You can be your own dark horse: On the track of the Year of the Horse, there's no need to chase after others“ hoof prints. Hold the REINS tightly and move forward steadily.
The world is still uncertain. You and I are both dark horses!!
There are only five or six days left until 2026. I tidied up my workstation today, getting ready to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new.
Time really flies. I'm one year older. Looking back on the past few years since the pandemic, the world seems to have truly changed. The chill in the overall environment, the intensification of competition among major countries, and the slowdown in economic growth... Everyone is striving to live, and it was in such an environment that the little tree was born.
Perhaps it is precisely such an environment that, on the contrary, has made me no longer impetuous. What financing, venture capital... Several times the growth is just a past narrative. What we should do now is to keep our cool, take a solid path, paint the content well and make the product more solid.
Over the past year, “Shaking the Little Tree” has indeed grown a lot. However, in this growth, there were not many smooth sailing chances. Most of it was the gritted teeth and perseverance of “going all out”, and the confidence was gradually built up in the anxiety of “not doing well”. In fact, we have always been in such a state: trembling with fear while moving forward and setting off.
Because we believe. True courage is not about being fearless, but about moving forward despite fear.
Ai Gong (Ai Yuejin) said, “Don't betray your country. Don't be a traitor to the Han.” Perhaps foreign countries are more developed in some aspects, or perhaps what you are engaged in requires communication with the world. But remember, although science has no borders, scientists do.”
I completely agree. To be shameless, although Yaoxiaoshu is very small, it had a vision from the very beginning: to contribute a brick to the cultural Great Wall built for the next generation of China. In fact, Japan's cultural infiltration of the younger generation in China has been evident for a long time. From textbook illustrations to the value output implied in some Japanese anime, it has been quietly influencing the cognition of some of the younger generation. For this reason, as an original IP from China, it cannot merely focus on the market and traffic; it still needs to have a sense of patriotism and family. China's original ips should unite and jointly address the issue. We should be more differentiated and localized to jointly build the cultural Great Wall of the country.
From the perspectives of history and geopolitics, it is inevitable that there will be a war between China and Japan. This is not a lack of peace or nationalist sentiment. It is because over the past few hundred years, Japan has been constantly addressing the so-called survival crisis of moving from “island” to “mainland”, and has launched multiple invasions against China (the loss of 32 million people is not worth mentioning). Could it be that every time we repay evil with kindness and hand over our beautiful land? ?
History is repeating itself. Now we have no choice and no need to choose. Just follow the will of the country and forge ahead bravely...
If the Japanese invaders prevent us from unifying and dare to attack, they will surely deal us a heavy blow and solve the problem once and for all. We mustn't pass the problem on to the next generation!
The “Imperial Contempt” feigned by the May Fourth Youth”
How can one always be on high alert and keep charging forward without stopping? Occasionally, one needs to be a bit “depressed”. This is not slackness; it's giving oneself a chance to catch one's breath once in a while.
When I was young, I always thought that life was like in inspiring stories, believing that the harder one strives and the faster one runs, the less time one has wasted. But as I walked on, I came to understand that compared to “always being energetic”, “being truly at ease” is more like what life should be like.
Truth is not about forcing yourself to say “I can do it” when you are exhausted, but about openly admitting that “my ability is limited and I just want to take a break today.” Freedom means being able to decide for yourself “when to charge forward and when to curl up on the sofa”, without being bound by the standard of “must be efficient”. Ordinariness means being able to focus on your phone at ease during those moments when you don't feel like doing anything, without worrying about “how much time this will waste”, and understanding that you are just an ordinary person.
Of course, it's not that I've given up my persistence in my ideals; it's just that I've learned to make peace with myself. When one is full of energy, they will naturally devote themselves wholeheartedly to the things they love. When you're not in the right state of mind, just casually put yourself on the sofa and let both your body and mind relax. This “laziness” is never about being lazy; it's about building up strength for future persistence, allowing life to have both the confidence to forge ahead and the peace of mind to pause.
I'd like to recommend Greg McGivaughn's "Easilism" to everyone.
