Words about Marry and Love (12-1)

孔雀东南飞

Peacocks flying towards south east:

This story was written by an unknown writer lived in the year towards the end of Han Dynasty (202 BC -220AD). In ancient China, the most appreciate sense of worth was filial piety. They believed that parents was A to Z. In the human’s society, everything is equivalence exchange, but only the love that parents pay you is exception. So, if you don’t tread parents good that means you don’t have faith with anyone else who were good for you. Or we may say, filial piety is the basic credibility of every one. Without it, you have no credit in the society. For this reason nearly every emperor hoped people to believe him ruling his region by filial and piety. That means to say, he is good to his parents and he will tread his people as his children. This is the main reason of Chinese population growing up and up. No matter how hard the current family planning policy work, people still looking for more baby in secrete. Because they regard children as a part of their property. They believe the only difference between animal and human is that human can take care of their parents while animal can’t. Today, the benefit of taking care parents for any one is that how to communicate with your children when you are old that they take care of you. Besides, there are many thing that could not be told publicly but parents could tell you by their experience. Some hereditary disease that parents can warn you before it getting worse. And to take care of grandchildren are the pleasure of grandparents for their retired time, if the grandchild was told to be filial piety.

But in ancient China, there were few cases, perhaps the old generation didn’t understand what the younger generation thinking about. They treat their children badly, here is the tragedy.

刘兰芝was a beautiful girl from a poor family. Before she was 16, she could cut out and made a dress like a tailor, she could play a music instrument called 箜篌 konghou:

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She could read and write and good at verse. At the age of 17, she married a lower level officer named 焦仲卿. As the husband was concentrate at his work, the couple rarely had any chance to stay together. Every day, the wife got up early and worked hard to weave cotton cloth. But the mother-in-law complained that she was too slow in her work.

One day, 刘兰芝 told her husband that if the mother-in-law really didn’t like her, he might divorce her and sent her back home. (In ancient time divorce must started from husband, otherwise the wife would losing face more)

焦仲卿 loved his wife very much and came to see his mother said, “Mother, I am not a handsome man and I am only a lower level officer, my salary is pitifully low. It is my luck to have such a virtuous and skilful girl as wife. We have decided to die together. But you don’t like her, what shall I do? ”

The mother said: “I don’t like her, and I have chosen another girl for you, she is nicer than this one.”

焦仲卿 said, “No way, mother, if you send her back home, I will never marry again.”

The mother was angry, “she is already make me unhappy and you stand on her side. Are you getting old enough, as heartless as a bird; when matured left home and never come back again?”

焦仲卿 dared not say anything, he went back to his own room and tell his wife, “My dear, I am so sorry to tell you that my mother couldn’t allow you to stay with me. But don’t be sad, I swear I will be with you forever. Now, I have to pay some official duty at other city, I will be back soon, and during this period, you have better go back to your parents home. I will bring you back soon after I returned. ”

刘兰芝 sighed: “Darling, don’t say anything. I think we have no chance to see each other again. I have tried so hard to make my mother-in-law happy, but I am failed and finally I have to go. Here is my dowry, I will leave them to you and if you married another woman, please keep them as souvenirs and remember me.”

Next morning刘兰芝 wore a neat cloth and bid goodbye to her mother-in-law. She said, “It is a pity that I could not make you happy. I am not a well-bred woman. This period when I stay with you, I have caused many trouble for you. Now I am leaving, the only thing I am worry about is how you stand so much housework?”

Then she left.

By a wagon, 焦仲卿 drove刘兰芝 home, he sworn to his wife “I will never separate you.”

刘兰芝 said, “Thank you to say this for me, I will wait for you, I hope you don’t break your word, and come to take me soon, for I have a brother, he may not allow me stay with my parent for long.”

As 刘兰芝 went into the house, she felt so shame to see her mother. The mother was surprised to see her daughter came by like this. She said, “My daughter, I had been teaching you making cloth, playing music instrument and understanding courtesy so hard. I thought you will behave very well. But why you come to see my like this?”

刘兰芝 said, “Mother, I really didn’t do anything wrong. But it just happened like that.”

The mother was very sad for her too. Within ten days as the county head knew that 刘兰芝 was divorced, he sent a matchmaker telling 刘兰芝 that he had a son, a talent and handsome young man. His age was two years older than 刘兰芝 and he hope she will be his daughter –in-law.

The mother said, “My poor daughter, you may accept his son as your husband. It is a good match.”

刘兰芝 said with tears, “Mother, I have sworn with my husband that I will never leave him. It has only ten days passed how can I find another husband in such a short time? ”

Then the mother told the match maker, “We are a poor family, my daughter is not well-bred girl. She married not long, then divorced. She could not even be a good wife of a low level officer, how can she be the wife of the son of county head? ”

Not too long, the satrap sent an officer to刘兰芝’s home and told her mother that the satrap had a good son and he wanted to marry刘兰芝. The mother was hesitate, as she knew the daughter would not accept this arrangement. But刘兰芝’s brother got impatient of his sister. He said, “The son of satrap is much better than your former husband. You are lucky, if you miss this opportunity, what shall you do when you getting old?” 

刘兰芝 knew her brother didn’t like her to stay home and she got no choice but accepted this marriage. For the wedding, the satrap paid a good money, but when the wedding day coming, 刘兰芝 didn’t want make-up herself.

As焦仲卿 got the message of what happened to刘兰芝, he asked for leave from his work. When he saw刘兰芝, he said, “it is my fault, I don’t blame you, I will die by myself and I hope you may happy in the future.”

刘兰芝’s tears like thread-broken-bead, she said, “Both of us are bad luck, if you die, I will not live alone”

焦仲卿 went to home and saw his mother said, “Mother, today, there is a strong wind and it broken the branch of the tree in our yard. Some flower are covered by frost. Take care about yourself, don’t catch cold. If I left, your life will be lonely, but I hope you may live longer.”

Hearing this the mother was sad, she said, “My son, you are from a noble family. You have a good job, don’t die for a woman. I have find you a better wife, she is more beautiful than刘兰芝.”

But before the mother finished, the son left for his own room.