2
After staying in the hospital for two weeks, I had to leave early because my husband didn’t pay the extended fees.
As soon as I returned to the neighborhood, a group of gossiping older women saw me and “caringly” surrounded me.
“Couples don’t hold grudges overnight. It’s not easy for a man to make money out there…”
f your “That’s right. In our generation, which woman hasn’t been hit by her husband? We’ve lived through decades like this. For the sake of y Chloe, just endure it.”
They enthusiastically advised me one after another, saying it was for the child’s sake, and that all women get hit sometimes.
I didn’t get angry. I smiled and agreed, “You’re right. My husband is everything. I should always support him.”
“Look, on my way back from the hospital, I even bought a few pounds of pork ribs. My husband loves eating them.”
I showed them the bag in my hand. “I need to go now. I have to get home and start cooking the ribs.”
“Oh… it’s good that you can think this way.”
They looked at me with expressions that seemed to wonder if I had been hit stupid.
I slowly walked towards the apartment building, holding my left side. My ribs hadn’t fully healed yet, and even the slightest movement caused
pain.
“Has Ava been beaten into submission by her husband?”
“! told you she just needed some discipline. Women become obedient after a few beatings.”
I heard the older women talking behind me. It was hard to imagine that women themselves would say such things so matter–of–factly about
other women.
The sun was shining brightly, but I felt a chill deep in my soul that couldn’t be dispelled.
I grew up in a family that favored boys over girls. I thought it was because my mom had two daughters before finally having a son that she particularly favored my brother.
But now I realized that the whole society favored men over women. Even women themselves valued men more than themselves.
As I carried the pork ribs upstairs, my mother–in–law saw me and immediately slapped me across the face.
“You worthless woman! Let me tell you, you’re not getting a divorce until you give my family a son or two!”
“You think that $20,000 bride price we paid was for nothing? We bought you for our family. So what if my son beats you when he’s in a bad mood? It’s not like it’ll kill you!”
My mother–in–law unleashed a torrent of abuse. My daughter hid in the corner of the sofa, wanting to come hug me but not daring to.
When my mother–in–law finally tired of yelling, I forced a smile and apologized, promising to live a good life from now on and give the Wang
12:27 PM
<
When my mother–in–law finally tired of yelling, I forced a smile and apologized, promising to live a good life from now on and give the Wang family a healthy baby boy soon.
Only then did my mother–in–law glare at me a few more times before turning to scold my daughter, calling her a money–losing burden and
other insults.
“Mom, go rest. I’ll start cooking the ribs. They’ll be ready when my husband gets home from work.”
I turned and went to the kitchen. I didn’t talk back like I used to, saying that the $20,000 bride price was actually money I had saved up myself from seven years of working.
There was no point in saying it. Even though we all knew that $20,000 was my own money.
But once I married into their family, any money became theirs.
I dropped out of school at 15 to work. My parents didn’t want me to continue studying and waste time, so they sent me to work in a factory.
For the first two years, I sent most of my wages back home every month.
Later, as I had more contact with the outside world, I met several girls who, like me, grew up in families that favored boys over girls.
We slowly became aware and started sending less and less money home.
I had a natural talent for painting since childhood. Although I couldn’t continue my studies, I still paid for adult art classes.
Later, I worked part–time as an artist while keeping my day job, slowly saving up money.
The first time I met my husband was at a coworker’s wedding. That day I had terrible menstrual cramps. Somehow he noticed and gently offered me a cup of hot water.
It was the first time I felt the strange sensation of being specially cared for by someone.
After that, it seemed like fate. We kept running into each other every few days.
When my husband first started pursuing me, he treated me so well, like I was the most precious thing in the world.
In the first half of my life, my husband was the person who treated me the best. I gradually fell deeply in love with him.
During our dating period, we were inseparable. I truly believed I would live happily ever after for the rest of my life.
When it came time to discuss marriage, my parents demanded a $20,000 bride price before they would agree.
My husband said his family had just bought a house and didn’t have the money. He asked me to wait a few years. I couldn’t wait, so I took out my $20,000 in savings and gave it to him.
I used my own money to marry myself.
It was also because of this $20,000 that my parents later found out I had secretly saved money without telling them. They called me an ungrateful white–eyed wolf. Even when I was abused later, they didn’t lift a finger to help me and instead gloated and mocked me.
