In rural China, there are many long-standing sayings, which are the wisdom summed up by farmers in their life practice and an important part of rural culture.
There is a saying that "poor single, rich widow, widow has land and no one to cultivate", this sentence sounds simple, but it contains a profound meaning, reflecting the social reality and human sophistication of the countryside.
So, what exactly does this mean? Why do widows get richer? This article will analyze and interpret this issue from the historical, social, economic, and cultural aspects.
1. Poor and single, rich widow
The first half of the sentence is "poor single, rich widow", which means that in rural areas, an unmarried man is often poor, while a widowed woman is often rich. This may seem a bit unreasonable, why is there such a big difference between being single and being single?
The first reason is the influence of family background. In the past, in rural areas, marriage was a major event and required a lot of money, such as bride price, dowry, wedding banquet, etc.
If a man's family conditions are not good and he does not have enough money to marry a daughter-in-law, then it is difficult for him to find a suitable partner and can only remain single. And if a woman marries a man from a wealthy family, then she can enjoy the property of the man's family, and even if the man dies, she can inherit a part of the inheritance, so she is relatively wealthy.
The second reason is the influence of lifestyle. In the countryside, a bachelor's life is often irregular, he has no family ties, and he does not have a wife to take care of, so he is easy to indulge himself, such as drinking, gambling, prostitution, etc., these are all things that cost money, so it is difficult for him to save money.
And a widow's life is often frugal, she has family responsibilities and children's expectations, so she will be careful about her finances, such as growing vegetables, raising chickens, weaving cloth, etc., these are all money-saving things, so it is easy for her to save money.
The third reason is the influence of social climate. In rural areas, a bachelor is often unpopular, he has no family warmth, and he does not have social recognition, so he is easily discriminated against and ostracized, such as not being able to find a job, no friends, no relatives, etc., these are all factors that make him even poorer.
And a widow is often sympathetic and helped, she has the sorrow of the family, but also the care of the society, so she can easily get support and assistance, such as the distribution of land, borrowing money, sending goods, etc., these are all factors that make her richer.
To sum up, we can see that the gap between the rich and the poor of bachelors and widows in rural areas is caused by many factors such as family, life, and society, which also reflects the inequality and injustice in rural areas.
2. The widow has no land to cultivate
The second half of the sentence is "The widow has a field but no one cultivates it", which means that in the countryside, a widow has a field, but there is no one to cultivate it. This may seem paradoxical, why not plant when there is a field?
The first reason is the lack of labor. In the countryside, cultivating the fields is a very hard task, requiring a lot of physical strength and time, which is the main job of men.
If a woman loses her husband, she loses her most important labor force, and it is difficult for her to take on the heavy work in the fields herself, and even if she has children, she may not be able to help, because the children may be young, or have gone out to work, or have married and started a family, so her fields can easily be abandoned.
The second reason is the low economic efficiency. In the countryside, planting fields is a very cost-effective thing, which requires a lot of costs, such as seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, etc., and the harvest income is very small, and sometimes even loses, because the price of agricultural products is very low, and the market competition is very large, so it is difficult for her field to be profitable.
The third reason is the rise of social risks. In rural areas, planting fields is a very dangerous thing, and there are many threats to face, such as natural disasters, man-made disasters, theft, etc., which are all factors that cause her fields to be damaged.
Moreover, if a woman hires a man to help with the farming, she is prone to causing trouble, such as being gossiped about, framed, harassed, etc., which are all factors that make her reputation hurt.
The lack of cultivation of widows' fields in rural areas is caused by labor, economic, social and other factors, which also reflects the reality of rural plight and challenges.
summary
A profound allegory, it reveals the social status quo and philosophy of life in the countryside. It tells us that the gap between the rich and the poor of bachelors and widows in rural areas is not innate, but is caused by family, life, society and other factors, which have both historical roots and practical constraints.
It also tells us that the widows' fields in the countryside are not uncultivated, not helplessly, but caused by labor, economic, social and other factors, which have both objective obstacles and subjective choices. It also tells us that the social problems in rural areas are not isolated, but are caused by political, economic, cultural and other factors, which are not only the responsibility of the state but also the participation of the people.
Therefore, we cannot simply judge the fate of rural bachelors and widows with a common saying, nor can we use a common saying to solve the problem of rural fields, still less can we use a common saying to summarize the social phenomena in the countryside.
We need to analyze and understand the complexity and diversity of rural areas from multiple angles, levels and dimensions, so as to find more reasonable and effective ways and means to improve rural life and development, so that rural bachelors and widows can live a happy and prosperous life, so that rural fields can be fully and rationally utilized, and rural society can achieve harmony and progress.