Unit 1  Reading for writing 2

Growing happiness

1 The wind was strong. Zhou Jian’s hat blew off. His long hair waved in the air. He heard a voice behind him: “Is that a boy or a girl?” He shook his head. “Just one more month!” he said to himself.  

2 People often talked about his long hair behind his back. Sometimes they laughed at him. But he never felt any shame.

3 Zhou Jian kept his hair long for over two years. Day after day, hope grew together with his hair.

4 Finally, the time came. Zhou Jian walked into a barber’s shop. He took off his hat and his hair fell around his shoulders. The other customers were very surprised. “Please cut it short and give me the hair,” he said. The barber’s scissors did their work. Zhou Jian carefully put the hair into a bag and walked to the post office.

5 A week later, he received a letter:

                                   Thank you!

Dear Mr Zhou,               

Thank you for helping kids with cancer. This is enough hair for three wigs!

The City Children’s Hospital

6 Zhou Jian looked at the smart young man in the mirror. He remembered the words of Plato: “Happiness springs from doing good and helping others.” He smiled and said to himself, “It’s time to grow happiness again.”