New Year's Greetings

Second Uncle’s career was just beginning to take off, so his whole family didn’t return to their hometown for the New Year. Lin Xia’s family first paid a visit to Eldest Uncle’s household, then to Third Uncle’s, and afterward, the direct descendants of the Lin family gathered together with the prepared spirit money and incense to visit the ancestral graves.

Lin Xia’s mother stayed behind at Third Uncle’s house, chatting idly with Third Aunt.

The so-called ancestral grave was, in truth, just a cluster of earthen mounds. Yet all those buried there belonged to the Lin family, or were linked to them by countless ties.

Among these graves, Lin Xia’s grandfather’s was undoubtedly the grandest. Her grandmother rested beside him, her grave only a modest mound of earth, while her grandfather’s burial place boasted a small multi-tiered pagoda clad in shiny ceramic tiles. From afar, it looked remarkably upscale.

Faced with these two graves, the contrast was so stark that Lin Xia couldn’t help but be at a loss for words. The preference for sons over daughters was all too obvious—no wonder that when she was born, not a single member of the Lin family bothered to give her a name.

With that in mind, her enthusiasm for this New Year’s visit waned. Although she could now earn her own living, in the eyes of these people, no matter how successful a daughter became, she was still a burden—destined to be married off, her achievements and money ultimately belonging to someone else’s family.

There was nothing to be done. The tradition of favoring sons had endured for thousands of years in China; how could it be cast off in just a few decades? It was like the notion of chastity: many girls believed it mattered little, that as long as love existed between two people, nothing else was important.

Yet they failed to realize that when things reached that stage, love was not all that remained—there was also responsibility.

Stories of this sort often appeared in lifestyle magazines, those so-called “heartwarming tales”—a girl falls in love, loses her virginity, doesn’t end up marrying the man, and, feeling she’s committed a grave sin, is wracked with guilt until she meets her true love. After much internal struggle, she bravely confesses her past, and to her astonishment, the man forgives her. What a blessing, what happiness, what a moving act of grace…

But in Yishu’s novel “The Story of Rose,” the same situation is treated very differently. When Rose’s brother Huang Zhenhua learns that his girlfriend Su Gengsheng has been married once before, he says, “I will forgive you.” Su Gengsheng, however, responds with dignified clarity, “What do I need you to forgive? What have I done to wrong you, that I need your forgiveness?”

“Everyone has a past, and that past is a part of me. If you’re dissatisfied, you’re free to seek another woman. But why should I need your forgiveness? Your thinking is completely muddled—does a girlfriend need your grand forgiveness to become a person again if she’s not a virgin? Who do you think you are?”

Lin Xia had to admit that the first time she read this passage, she felt a surge of agreement. It was an intensely powerful expression of female consciousness, articulated in such a vivid and emotional way.

Such feminism was clearly unconventional in China. Even accomplished career women like Yang Lan, when interviewed, said their true aspiration was to be a good wife and loving mother.

Yishu’s assertion of the right to demand genuine love and respect—if denied, there was no need to humble oneself—was a quintessential expression of feminism.

Lin Xia, in her previous life, had never encountered such thinking.

At first, she found it thrilling, but after the excitement faded, she realized this mindset had its limitations.

At least, for the thirty-year-old Lin Xia of her past life, she could not have managed it—she couldn’t maintain her own identity within love.

Who gave her such courage and confidence?

Such confidence stemmed from psychological independence and financial security.

She was a capable woman who could solve her own problems through her own efforts. Most importantly, the environment she lived in allowed her to stand tall with such pride.

But for Lin Xia, even if she possessed untold wealth, the environment and community around her would never accept such boldness.

Gossip was truly to be feared.

In her previous life, a girl in Xishui Town had fallen for the wrong man when she was young. After being used, she was discarded, and when she reached marrying age, all the eligible young men her age avoided her, calling her damaged goods. The marriage was delayed again and again, until finally she hastily wed a widower.

This incident left Lin Xia’s mother deeply concerned; she repeatedly warned Lin Xia to remain chaste.

Such are the differences that environment brings.

Perhaps in big cities, adults scarcely care about these things. But in a small place like Xishui Town, these matters still carried immense weight.

Having lived another life, Lin Xia found she still could not break the mental shackles of these beliefs.

Naturally, she couldn’t change her family’s preference for sons, either.

Looking at her grandfather’s grave, Lin Xia’s expression was serene.

In such an environment, to have parents who loved her so dearly—she truly had reason to be grateful.

After paying New Year’s respects and sharing festive meals at both Eldest and Third Uncle’s homes, the family only called for a car to go home at dusk.

In previous years, they would stay in the old house only until noon, but this year Lin Xia’s mother was especially pleased. With her daughter having brought such honor to the family, she naturally wanted to show off a little to their relatives.

So, the conversations lingered.

Though Lin Xia’s aunts didn’t know exactly how much she had earned, seeing that the family had bought two homes in the county, they guessed it must be considerable.

With curiosity and the intention to cultivate good relations, they plied Lin Xia with questions, and naturally, she stayed for dinner.

Sitting in the van, hearing Lin Hui’s constant yawning, Lin Xia gazed calmly out the window.

The New Year, it seemed, had lost much of its festive spirit.

Still, life was getting better and better, and she needed to start planning for her own future.

When she went to university, she certainly wouldn’t settle in Rongcheng—at most, she’d return home for family gatherings during holidays.

As for her parents, she would definitely bring them to live in the city.

If she wanted to buy a place in the city center, it all came down to the same thing: money.