Feelings are complicated. Even if Sun Lifang thinks that Aunt Pang is "blind" to Zhou Dahai, if it's her own choice, then there's nothing more to say.
No matter how much outsiders may feel it's unfair, as long as the person involved is happy, that's all that matters.
Aunt Pang's son said the same thing, "My mother has worked hard all her life, how many more years can she live?"
Life is short, only a few decades. No matter what children do, they cannot stop their parents from pursuing happiness.
Such a high level of awareness aroused Sun Lifang's curiosity—
How exactly did Aunt Pang educate her children?
It's amazing that she raised such a filial child who said, "My dad passed away when he was thirty. My mom has raised me all these years, and it hasn't been easy for her."
A widow, a pampered young lady, a woman who seemed to know nothing, was able to gain the unanimous protection of her son and daughter-in-law.
During the conversation, Aunt Pang's daughter-in-law said, "My mother-in-law still doesn't know whether to put the eggs or tomatoes in first when making scrambled eggs with tomatoes."
It's strange, if a mother-in-law can't do anything these days, how can her daughter-in-law like her so much?
What kind of magic is it?
Compared to those women in the countryside who treat themselves like "millstones" and are pitiful old women who are bullied by their sons and daughters-in-law and have nowhere to go in their old age, is Aunt Pang a chosen one?
Was the son born so sensible? And his daughter-in-law is so filial and understanding too?
Of course not. As Sun Lifang listened to Aunt Pang's son reminisce about his "poor but happy" childhood, the man's eyes were filled with tenderness and reminiscence.
Even though he had to get up early to light the coal stove himself and couldn't eat hot meals, the man was still grateful, saying, "My mother has always been by my side."
It's okay if you can't do it well, we can do it together, even Mom can't do it.
I'm sorry to have troubled you. Mom will go back and learn how to sew a schoolbag from someone else, and then buy you a pretty piece of fabric.
After losing her husband, Aunt Pang didn't wallow in self-pity; instead, she consistently instilled positive values in her son.
So even though she couldn't do anything, the man felt completely loved.
Especially in the 1960s and 70s, when other parents were beating and scolding their children, slapping them at the slightest disagreement to show off their power, Aunt Pang, a gentle and "incompetent" person, subtly raised a son who was very empathetic, sensible and reasonable.
From a young age, the mother and son faced challenges and thought about solutions together.
Men have become accustomed to thinking from their mothers' perspective.
Therefore, today, I can say, "I support all of my mother's choices."
As long as she's happy, her children don't care what they do.
"What's there to be ashamed of?" the man said. "Let's live our lives well and let others talk! It won't cost us a single inch of our flesh!"
If you dare---
"Let him stand in front of me and say it!"
Her son is Aunt Pang's strongest support.
Such a happy family gave Sun Lifang a new insight.
"Perhaps women don't need to be all-rounders, they just need to resonate with their partner emotionally."
Aunt Pang's son is like that; he's like someone who "put on Aunt Pang's shoes" and walks around from her perspective, achieving true empathy in this world.
Even if we leave aside this era, and even in later generations, a woman in her fifties who wants to find a second spring would be drowned in scorn and ridicule.
Her children might not even acknowledge her.
Even after their children have their own families, they continue to be "held hostage" by working for their children's sake and for their families' sake.
Sun Lifang told her daughter about her discovery, and Zhou Xinya, after thinking deeply for a while while biting her spoon, told her, "I already knew that."
Honestly, what do people need most in this world?
Zhou Xinya mentioned an experiment her teacher described in class, "from the textbook—"
"Scientists made two mothers for the baby monkey: one was an iron model with milk, and the other was a cloth doll mother without milk."
In the end, aside from drinking milk and satisfying their basic survival needs, the baby monkeys would not approach the iron mother.
"Mom, I think everyone in this world needs love and hugs."
Zhou Xinya was listening while the adults were speaking.
After listening to everyone, she came up with this experiment.
When Aunt Pang was young, she became a mother for the first time. She was so busy and flustered that she probably couldn't even meet the most basic needs of her child, such as "being fed and clothed".
But she gave love.
"Just like a rag doll mother, when the little monkeys return to her, they can get softness and warmth."
This is the inspiration Sun Lifang learned from Aunt Pang.
Many parents in later generations provided their children with a comfortable material environment, but failed to receive their children's love in return.
One last question: why?
Why do you think that is?
"Are you starving or freezing? Why are you giving me this deadpan look?" Before we moved, people didn't really close the windows in the summer.
With the window open, you can always hear the neighbor's kids arguing loudly with the adults, and sometimes they even start hitting each other.
"If this happens frequently, he must be a child with a bad temper," Sun Lifang thought at the time.
But whenever they bump into each other outside, the child will greet them politely, and he is gentle and courteous when interacting with people outside.
Sometimes, when he sees Zhou Xinya, he will take out a lollipop from his schoolbag and share one with her.
It's impossible to tell who was hysterically arguing with their parents at home.
The parents and child were torn apart, both suffering immense pain.
Parents work hard and come home to find their children talking back to them. Don't they feel wronged?
The child wanted to have a meal with his parents and chat, but the parents only asked him, "How are your grades? Why do you have such a deadpan face? Can't you smile?"
Before we moved, sometimes when the neighbors got into a heated argument and started throwing things, the woman would come out to take out the trash and say to anyone she met, "I gave birth to an unfilial son, I owe him, what a miserable life."
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