A short story

My mom's standards are: live closer to our home so I can visit my parents often in the future, taller than 175 cm, and look clean. My dad's requirement: the family background should be similar to ours, because he says if it's too wealthy, after marrying in, she might be looked down upon and bullied. What my parents say makes sense, after all, they are my parents. As for the man in my heart, first let's talk about appearance: too handsome is a no-go, I can't match him or look after him, and the feeling of my boyfriend being coveted by others is not great; besides, I am self-aware. I don't judge people by their looks, but I wouldn't want to spend my whole life with someone I find unpleasant to look at. So appearance isn't about being good-looking or not, just needs to look clean and pleasant. What counts as 'pleasant' is hard to define, mainly a feeling; some people just feel bad, somehow unpleasant. Smoking is okay but should be minimal because smoking is harmful to health. I don't want him to die before me — if he dies, who will I slowly rock in the chair with? He should be able to drink, and be good at drinking — both spirits and beer are fine. A guy who gets lost after two drinks seems a bit cowardly. I am not a princess, not Cinderella, and I don't expect him to be a prince charming. I want him to be more like a knight, just an ordinary person, so ordinary that in a crowd nobody would notice him, with the most ordinary joys and sorrows. He must be very filial and know how to be grateful! I hope my man looks like a real man, making me feel particularly secure when I am with him, unafraid even if the sky falls. He should have courage, be decisive in handling matters, and not turn into a weakling when facing challenges — I don't like sluggish types. I tend to have little decisiveness, so I hope he is someone quite decisive, sometimes even helping me make decisions. I don't like guys addicted to games, any games! Playing games is fine, but it must never be treated as a 'career'; he should see games clearly, as mere entertainment, never as a part of life. He should be responsible, motivated, not necessarily perfect at every subject in school, failing a course is fine — grades really don't reflect much. But he should understand the big picture and know what he is doing.I hope he understands a bit about politics, military, current events, and history—at least more than I do. I like guys who seem to know everything; it makes me feel, wow~ you know so much. A guy should have a broader perspective, not waste time on trivial entertainment news like which celebrities are rumored to be dating—none of your business! I dislike gossiping guys the most.

Ideally, he can talk more than me, full of clever arguments that make me pause in admiration and respect. It's best if he has a bit of a mischievous side because I think I'm a little mischievous myself, and that way it won't make me look bad.

He doesn't spend much time chatting on QQ, but reads the news, frequently browses certain websites, and reads posts, yet he doesn't just follow the crowd; he has his own opinions. He might affectionately call me 'girl,' or teasingly call me 'wife.'

He can seem idle all day but focus seriously on one thing at a time; boys are very attractive when they are serious. He isn't materialistic, arrogant, or self-righteous, he has no prejudice, and he doesn't casually speak ill of others—everyone has their own values, and he understands that, not lightly judging anyone.

He has thoughts about life and has considered his future, perhaps with a good plan in place. He can feel lost at times, but he must understand that being lost does nothing, and action is necessary!

He can be a bit lecherous, since almost all men are to some extent, which is understandable. I know I'm just average in looks, and it's okay if you look at other girls; I might even discuss with you which girl is prettier or has a better figure. But ideally, don't compare them to me—I know I can't compete, just as I don't compare you to campus crushes. So I hope you remember, you chose me, and I am the only me in the world.

Also, he doesn't have unrealistic notions; he doesn't expect to be discovered as a star or win billions in the lottery, or suddenly become rich. He doesn't naively believe in absurd things like pie falling from the sky. He understands that anything gained must first be earned. I hope he is an ordinary person, and that our life together is ordinary as well, without any extreme ups and downs. I like calm, stable, and peaceful living.