The Weight of the Land
I am not clear who divided the city and countryside, or from which dynasty it began. All I know is that my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather lived in the countryside; they were all genuine country folk.
The biggest impression I have of country folk is that they rely on tending the land for food; without the land, they cannot survive. My grandfather tended the land his entire life, then my father continued to do so. I was born on the night of the fifth day of the first lunar month, also known as the Little New Year according to the villagers. Being born at this time, the fortune-teller said my fate would be better. Because during the New Year celebrations, it's when the villagers are most comfortable and don't need to work the fields.
I envied those extravagantly dressed city dwellers and vowed that when I grew up, I would definitely become a true city resident. For this vow, I carried a heavy burden. I knew that the only way for country folk to escape the yellow land was to study hard, get into university, and then eat the "emperor's rice," avoiding having to dig for gold in the fields.
My grandmother was born in the fourteenth year of the Republic of China era (1925). She followed the teachings of her great-grandfather, believing that women should spin yarn and weave cloth at home, assist their husbands, teach their children, and that schooling was useless. When I was four years old, I saw Hua Hua and Rong Rong on the street go to school with their backpacks, and I came home crying for a backpack, wanting to go to school. My grandmother scolded me, saying what use was there for a girl to attend school, but my mother did not listen to her. She remembered the fortune-teller’s words, saying I was born at a good time, looked prosperous, and was destined for great things.