Chapter 66: That's a woman's empathy for another woman.
Tang Mingli had no idea that her words of concern had stirred up such a huge wave in Tang Mingmei's heart.
At that moment, she was boarding the bus with the return gift given to her by Li Hong.
Although it is already autumn, the ancients said that the autumn sun is fiercer than a tiger, and there is some truth to that.
The sun is shining brightly today, and it's noon now. Sitting on a bus without air conditioning feels like sitting in a steamer.
Fortunately, she was sitting by the window, and the hot air generated by the car's rapid movement helped to dissipate much of the heat.
She wondered when air-conditioned buses would become commonplace, and at those moments she did feel a pang of nostalgia for the convenient and comfortable transportation of her previous life.
The bus traveled for a while, and probably around rush hour, many people got on.
Tang Mingli originally had two seats to herself, but now a woman is sitting next to her.
Perhaps worried that the open window would mess up his hair, he mustered his courage and whispered to Tang Mingli, "Comrade, could you open it a little smaller?"
Tang Mingli certainly couldn't say no.
In public places like these, one cannot only consider one's own feelings.
She closed the window slightly, leaving only a crack so that a little breeze could still get in.
The man smiled and said thank you.
Tang Mingli smiled too. Looking at someone with such a gentle temperament, she felt less agitated.
Young people at that time were so peaceful.
Little did she know that, in the other person's eyes, her smile was also extremely approachable.
The other person pointed to what she was holding and asked, "Did you buy this?"
Tang Mingli shook her head: "It was given to me by a relative."
The other person said "Oh," and laughed, "I also loved eating this when I was a kid."
Tang Mingli understood her unspoken meaning, but still asked out of curiosity, "Why don't you like it anymore?"
In this era of material scarcity, people are actually not that picky.
Of course, even though she hasn't tried it yet, it's highly likely she won't like it.
When she was little, she almost choked to death while eating rice cake, so she has never really liked this kind of powdery, cake-like food.
It's so dry after just one bite; if you eat it too quickly, you'll definitely choke.
The other person told Tang Mingli, "When I was little, we never had enough to eat. It was unthinkable to be able to eat anything other than staple food. I liked everything. Now that I'm grown up, I can work and earn money. If I want to eat something delicious, I can occasionally satisfy myself. It's so good to be grown up."
She spoke calmly and with a smile about the hardships of her childhood.
When she exclaimed how wonderful it is to be grown up, her eyes sparkled even brighter.
Tang Mingli was also infected.
Unfortunately, the other person was going to work and got off after only a few stops.
During their brief journey together, Tang Mingli saw positive vitality in the other person.
People getting off the bus one after another got off, and when the journey was halfway over, only a few people remained on the huge bus.
Tang Mingli was hot and sleepy, but knowing they were almost at their destination, she forced herself to stay awake.
She was worried that missing her stop would be a greater loss than a gain.
Anyway, I can sleep as soon as I get home, and I can lie comfortably in bed and sleep.
Surprisingly, although I was very tired on the way back, I was miraculously energetic again when I got to my doorstep.
Not sleepy anymore?
What kind of mental strength helped you overcome sleepiness?
Tang Mingli herself was puzzled.
However, since she was no longer sleepy, she didn't force herself to sleep and enjoyed the mooncakes she had brought back from her uncle's house with her grandparents and Zhang Guihua.
The other three were obviously familiar with this, but Grandpa Fu and Grandma Fu hadn't eaten it in a long time. They were quite surprised to see Tang Mingli bring it back, but everyone still happily picked up a piece and ate it.
After taking a few bites, Grandpa Fu said with satisfaction, "Hmm, it still tastes the same."
He couldn't describe the taste. But since that was the taste he remembered, he thought it was delicious.
Madam Fu nodded in agreement, "It's been a long time since I've had this, and I've been craving it."
Tang Mingli was also eating it. To be honest, this thing was a bit like a combination of glutinous rice cake and cloud cake slices.
It's confirmed; it really isn't something she likes to eat.
But in the spirit of not wasting food, she still finished the piece in her hand.
After finishing the meal, I didn't eat any more. Instead, I quickly ate a few grapes to cleanse my palate. Then I told my grandparents about my visit to my uncle's house that day.
I had considered that telling my cousin about her pregnancy might evoke some feelings in the two elders, but this couldn't be kept a secret, so I just mentioned it casually.
Unexpectedly, the two elderly people did not connect the news that Tang Mingmei was pregnant less than a year after getting married with their grandson and granddaughter-in-law. They just looked surprised and told her some news.
Madam Fu: "What a coincidence, we also received a call from your great-aunt today. Gu Lin is also pregnant."
Then he asked Tang Mingli how many months pregnant Tang Mingmei was, and told Gu Lin that she was newly pregnant, not even three months along, and not to tell anyone.
Tang Mingli didn't know how many months pregnant Tang Mingmei was, but guessed it was after they returned from their trip. It's not hard to understand why the past few months had been so peaceful.
"It doesn't matter if I don't know how many months pregnant I am," Madam Fu said with a smile. "My due date is next year."
It's already Mid-Autumn Festival, so the due date isn't necessarily next year.
"Your great-aunt was hoping on the phone that she could take advantage of this momentum and have Gu Lin have two children in three years."
Tang Mingli smiled; the elders all like to have two children every three years.
However, she quickly realized something.
Next year is 1980.
The initial year of the implementation of the one-child policy.
Couples like Gu Lin, who both have jobs, can only have one child, and Tang Mingmei and Li Dazhu are no exception.
At this age, elders probably all hope to have grandchildren.
If the couple has a boy as their first child, that's fine, but if they have a girl...
Life at my in-laws' house probably won't be any easier after having a child.
For many people decades from now, when discussing the national policy of family planning, the conversation will inevitably revolve around population, the economy, and gender selection.
But Tang Mingli is not.
She deeply felt that the one-child policy had indeed improved the status of many women.
Whether they like it or not, many families do indeed only have one daughter, and can only invest all their resources in their only daughter.
They received a better education and grew into advocates for women.
Generation after generation, they are changing the world little by little.
Take her as an example. If it weren't for the one-child policy, her parents would definitely have had more sons, and she might not be just a left-behind child.
They might be sold off, or even suffer an even more cruel fate.
For that reason alone, she felt it was a good policy.
However, any policy will inevitably cause pain to someone.
Tang Mingli realized that whether it was Gu Lin, Tang Mingmei, or many other women of this era, they were all the ones who suffered.
And she, a lucky one, is about to witness how a generation of women navigates this long and painful period.
Thinking of this, she suddenly felt an indescribable pity for both Gu Lin and Tang Mingmei.
That's women's empathy for other women.
We girls can openly dislike another girl, but we can never remain unmoved when society is full of malice towards us.
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