Director Yuan paused, then continued, "I tried to point out this unfairness, but they said every family has come this way, every woman has come this way, so why did they raise the issue with me, asking if I had been cursed.
Isn't it ridiculous that we who have been working hard for years are being lectured by these men who enjoy our service. I'm just asking for fairness. I haven't even asked them to live the way we lesbians do for the rest of our lives, but they can't stand it.
Another point: gay men say this to protect their own interests. I can understand that, but my mother-in-law and my mother have always urged me to just sit back and watch them go by, living a muddled life, saying I was being rebellious for thinking that way. One night, they even fed me talismanic water. What are they trying to achieve? To work hard all their lives and finally be praised as a virtuous person?
Director Yuan's eyes were filled with confusion when he spoke of this. "I wasn't strong enough. I should have forced them to tell me where they got the talisman water and busted all these charlatans in one fell swoop."
Old Lady Xia: "Everyone is soft-hearted. Your mother should be pretty good to you, and your mother-in-law shouldn't be a difficult person to deal with either, so it's understandable that you'd be soft-hearted towards them."
Director Yuan: "But I refuse to accept this. I don't want to continue living this way, compromising."
Old Lady Xia: "Uh...you don't want me to help you get a divorce, do you?"
Director Yuan shook his head and shook Mrs. Xia's hand. "Comrade Xia, I hope more female comrades can change their mindsets. Put aside the old habits of favoring boys over girls and the notions of what female comrades should do. I simply hope that female comrades can realize that they have access to the same resources and opportunities as male comrades, and shoulder the same responsibilities, rather than being forced to remain trapped at home in obscurity."
Director Yuan became excited and spoke a little confusingly, but Old Mrs. Xia understood.
Because I have experienced it, I can better understand how difficult, painful and tiring life is for women in this era. I also know that changing my own mindset is difficult, let alone changing the minds of others.
"Director Yuan, I can't help you. If you want me to help some female comrades who are stuck in the quagmire, I can help you, but if you want me to change their original ideas, I can't do it." Old Mrs. Xia refused rationally and heartlessly.
Director Yuan panicked, "Why?"
Old Lady Xia: "I can't even manage my own children, and I can't change their mindsets. How can I possibly do what you're saying and encourage women to fight for resources and opportunities, to nurture their own ambitions, and to break free from their patriarchal families? I can't do it. People's mindsets are the hardest to change. As the saying goes, a dog can't change its eating habits. Even if they listen for a while, they'll eventually revert to their old ways."
Director Yuan: "As long as they listen a little, they will change a little. Even if it's not a complete change, as long as everyone changes a little, then our current disadvantaged position will change a lot, and that's progress."
Mrs. Xia: "I'm about to retire. How much can I achieve in the next one or two years? How many people can I change?"
Director Yuan: "I still say that every little change counts. And I hope you can strive to reach the position of Director of Women's Affairs and delay your retirement."
Old Mrs. Xia felt something was wrong. "What on earth do you want to do? That's a leadership position."
Director Yuan: "Most of the leaders in every factory are men, and most men look down on women. Even in our textile factory, where women make up a large proportion of the workforce, there are only a few female leaders. In the eyes of the male leaders, even if we women are very capable, the chances of promotion will still favor men."
So, I hope you can take that position and give women more opportunities. I'm just asking for fairness, and that shouldn't be too much to ask. Only when there are more female leaders will the women below us have more opportunities to climb up the ladder. They'll also realize that devoting more energy to work is more rewarding than spending it on family. Anyone with a normal mind will know which choice to make.
Mrs. Xia was silent for a while. "What if the women just like to do housework at home?"
Director Yuan said, "There are many ambitious girls in our factory. Those who like to do housework can do it. I'm not forcing them to climb up the ladder. Not everyone likes to serve others for free. Many times, they can't escape this miserable home."
Director Yuan took a sip of water, his eyes reddening, "Old Xia, will you help me?"
Old Mrs. Xia: ...Why did you call Old Xia too?
To be honest, she was really moved by Director Yuan's words.
All afternoon at work, she'd been thinking about why most disgusting things happened to lesbians. Whether it was her past, her sister, or her previous family, it was always women who suffered. Throughout her experiences, from childhood to old age, from past lives to this one, men rarely suffered more from women than women did.
She was very angry and helpless.
In the past, she just wanted to escape from that home and live a good life. She didn't want to see or be bothered by the bad people who got involved with her. It would be nice to be heartless until she died.
But I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been idle for too long, but whenever I lie alone at night, I always think about a lot of things, and the unfair things Director Yuan said often circulate in my mind.
She actually wanted to do it, but she just didn't know how. If she didn't want to do it, then when others came to her for help, she could just ignore it, and just focus on her own happiness without caring about the lives of others.
But she still took care of Fang Yingdi and Zheng Qianlan's affairs. She was not short of money after the divorce. Unlike Jiang Wenhua, she simply wanted to help, and the reward was just a more reasonable excuse for herself.
Seeing Fang Yingdi and Zheng Qianlan was like seeing her past self. Fang Yingdi was like her younger self, nearly dragged to death by her natal family. If it weren't for her sister, she might not be alive today. Zheng Qianlan was like her confused self when she was still in the Chen family, stubborn and stubborn, burdened by her reputation.
While helping them, she was also saying goodbye to her confused past self, thinking about the stupid things she had done in the past, and thinking about how to live the rest of her life.
If it is as Director Yuan said, it seems... she is not opposed to it and is even quite ambitious.
"Old Xia?" Director Yuan called her.
Old Lady Xia: "I agree, how do I sit in that seat?"
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