自大学毕业后，至今，我已经工作了超过4年。每次回家，都会被一些熟悉的或者不熟悉的长辈问到：“你一个月挣多少钱？”如果回家时间是春节，这个问题则变成了：“你去年一年挣了多少钱？”

这个问题，真的很不好回答。

2009年6月份到2010年6月份，是正式从事销售工作的第一年，也是我工作及生活状态最好、最亢奋的一年（后来，我跟朋友讲起那一年“尽管穷却很快乐”时说道：“原因大概有两点，其一是上一份台资企业的工作让我太痛苦了，前后反差明显---我相信，如果你先去富士康这样的公司工作一年，然后再跳到其他公司，幸福指数肯定会提升许多；其二是2010年初开博写作让我尝到了点甜头，精神上的充实弥补了物质上的匮乏。”）；但同时这又是收入最低的一年——那段时间，我一直在2000元以下，不过，我却一直没有发过“工资太低”的牢骚。事实上，可以说，那段最穷的日子里，我对工作是很满意的。唯一不的地方，就是当别人问到我“你一个月工资多少”时，我从来不敢说得太具体，只能含糊其辞、打马虎眼：当急功近利的同学问我“你一个月挣多少钱”时，我不敢回答，不仅仅是因为面子、可怜的自尊心，更是因为，一旦他们得知我工资太低，他们马上会建议我跳槽，而我对这种建议早已经厌烦了；当爸妈问到我“情况怎么样”时，我也不敢如实相告，是因为，以我的那个可怜的小小工资来说，说出来还不把爸妈愁死？他们肯定会感慨“这娃大学白上了”。

后来，当脱贫之后，对父母遮掩之必要性也就不存在了；但是，还必须对更多的人说谎。

有一天晚上，在扬州火车站候车室等车的时候，与旁边带着几大包行礼的一个老人聊天。我得知他手里并没有当天的车票，而是一天后的站票！——老人年龄在六十五岁左右，从河南安阳来的，他告诉说，被劳务输出公司给骗到了扬州打工，但结果发现，一天只给60元，而且食宿费用还要自理，这样计算下来，一个月净收入也就是几百块而已。他觉得还不如在老家，便辞职不干了；单位已经给他结清了工资，他退了宿舍带着行李到了火车站，只得将就一夜……I ask him if there is enough money for the road fare besides the train ticket, he said it's enough. So I didn't give him any money; I also looked at the food bag he was carrying, and found that he had little food, so I gave him half of my instant noodles and biscuits.

The old man thanked me and then asked me how much I earned each month. After thinking about it, I said: "It's around one thousand yuan." This might be the first time since college that I have given a lower figure when asked this question by someone less fortunate than myself; yet it is still more than what they are currently earning.

Returning home after that encounter with an elderly man who was being cheated out of his wages in a labor dispatching company led to another round of questions from my family members as to how much money I earn each month. They were curious because they knew my salary has been higher than theirs ever since our children started attending school.

How do you make 150k in a year? The answer is simple: everyone can do it. What do you want? Go out there and earn it yourself! Why are you making less than others? It's not like anyone owes you anything!

And now, let me tell you something else: no matter what your age or background may be, always remember that education matters most. You don't need to go all the way up to university level but learning must continue throughout your life.

So here we go:

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