love story of opposites: Little Loach That Couldn’t Stir Up Big Waves
Meijing and Weihua were classmates at a high school in Beijing. Meijing was a fiery, outspoken girl, capable and daring, serving as a class officer. She wasn’t afraid to manage both the boys and girls in her class. Weihua, on the other hand, was a quiet, introverted, and simple person who spoke little. Despite their vastly different personalities, they fell in love during their school years.
When they graduated, it coincided with Chairman Mao’s call for the youth to go to the countryside, to the frontiers, to places where the country needed them most. Following the convention of the time, most graduates from big cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin were sent to remote areas.
However, since Meijing’s hometown was in City A, several hundred miles from Beijing, she returned home to join the local commune. Naturally, Weihua followed her.
Meijing’s hometown wasn’t truly rural but rather an urban village formed during the city’s development, with almost no farmland. So, after joining the commune, both Meijing and Weihua soon became factory workers.
Their subsequent life followed a typical pattern: work, marriage, and children.
A few years after their marriage, their work unit allocated them a house. Although the householder’s name was Weihua, Meijing remained the de facto “leader” at home, making almost all the decisions.
Close female colleagues often advised Meijing in private, “Don’t always boss Weihua around. Be careful, he might hold a grudge secretly.”
“It’s fine. He’s used to me managing him all these years. I don’t think this little loach can stir up any big waves!” Meijing confidently replied.
Years passed, and when their child was just starting high school, Beijing introduced a new policy: former educated youth who had gone to the countryside and still had their household registration (hukou) outside Beijing could apply to return, bringing their children’s registration with them.
This policy was a tremendous boon for these former youth, especially for their children, as everyone knew that attending school in a big city like Beijing offered more opportunities for advancement.
After discussing it, the couple agreed to move Weihua’s registration back to Beijing and bring their child’s registration along. As for Meijing, since her parents had also returned to their hometown, she decided to stay behind to take care of them.
The process went smoothly: Weihua and their child’s registrations were transferred back to Beijing, Weihua got a new job, and their child joined a new school.
However, less than a year later, something completely unexpected happened: Weihua asked Meijing for a divorce!
Previously, under Meijing’s “strict control,” the clumsy and quiet Weihua had always accepted things as they were. But once he returned to Beijing, he felt as free as a bird out of a cage. Coincidentally, there was an older female apprentice at his new workplace who admired him greatly. Over time, the two fell in love, and Weihua felt compelled to ask his wife Meijing to make way for his new love.
The strong Meijing, who had “ruled” their love life for over twenty years, was easily overturned by the formerly meek Weihua. Their story ended with the new lover laughing and the old one crying. So, who dares to say that a little loach can’t stir up big waves?
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
