I was born into an ordinary working-class family, and my parents were hardworking and simple people. Although the conditions of the family are not very good, our parents have been eager to give our three sisters a good educational environment since childhood. We live in a small northern city, the city is not too big, but it also has its own characteristics and charm.
All three of us are good-looking, fair-skinned, with beautiful facial features and slim figures. However, I am more introverted and shy, Xiaomei has a straightforward and hearty personality, and Xiaohong is more lively and cheerful. Although the personalities are different, the relationship between our three sisters has always been very good.
Mom is 58 years old and a traditional housewife. She has high expectations for our three daughters, hoping that we will all marry into good families and live happily ever after.
Recently, my mother has become more and more anxious about the marriage problems of our three sisters. She often sat alone in the living room in a daze, her brows furrowed and her face full of sadness. Every time she saw us coming home, she would let out a long sigh and look at us with worried eyes.
Once, my mother suddenly said to me: "Eldest sister, you are 32 years old, why are you not in a hurry to find a partner? If you don't hurry, you will face the situation of a married old family." "I was a little embarrassed by my mother's blunt words.
Xiaomei has always been more straightforward, she smiled and said, "Mom, don't worry about this." Today's young people pay more attention to personal development, and they will not think about getting married like you did back then. "
Xiaohong also echoed: "That's right, that's right, we have to realize our self-worth first, and we will naturally meet the right person in the future and form a happy family." "
I looked at my mother with some helplessness, her traditional ideas were deeply rooted in my heart, and it was not easy for the three of us sisters to change her mind. However, I am not in a hurry, I believe that as long as we stick to our principles, one day my mother will understand us.
Mom was obviously not very happy with our answer. Since then, she has been doing everything possible to introduce us to a partner, hoping that we can find a partner as soon as possible and enter the palace of marriage.
Once, my mother happily told me that at a party at a relative's house, she met an old uncle, whose 35-year-old son was a civil servant with a good career and was interested in me. Mom wanted me to meet the civil servant first.
In the end, the blind date that Mom was looking forward to didn't come to fruition, but she didn't get discouraged and continued to look for a partner for us.
As a hospital nurse, Xiaomei's working hours are irregular and she often needs to work night shifts. Although her salary is not too high, she has a decent life due to the relatively stable work of medical staff.
However, then Xiaomei learned that the man was engaged. Although Xiaomei has no waves on the surface, she feels unprecedented loss and hesitation in her heart.
Compared with her sisters, Xiaohong's situation is easier. As a designer, she not only earns a good income, but also makes a lot of interesting friends in the industry.
Xiaohong's biggest worry is that her love life has been unstable. She tends to quickly develop a crush on the opposite sex, but enthusiasm can fade as quickly as a flash in the pan.
Once, Xiaohong met a handsome young man on a meeting, and the two hit it off at first sight, and they almost didn't go on a date for a week. Xiaohong thought that she had finally found her sweetheart this time, but unexpectedly, the young man quickly left her behind.
Compared to my sisters, my situation is much more uneventful. Due to my introverted personality, I haven't had much chance of falling in love. My life is simply to go to work, get off work, and replenish my knowledge.
Although my mom had introduced me to a few people, I wasn't very interested. I prefer to be able to wait for someone I really like, rather than passively accepting other people's arrangements.
One day, my mother suddenly brought up the topic of bride price, which sparked a heated discussion in our family.
It was a weekend and my sisters and I were back home. Mom has prepared a table of good dishes, and we are enjoying our meal.
Mother suddenly said: "You three sisters, if you get married in the future, I have to give you a decent bride price, and you can't be ashamed!"
Xiaomei was stunned for a moment, and retorted directly: "Mom, these old concepts of yours are really speechless. Now there is no bride price or no bride price? Men and women are equal, and everyone can get married as long as they love each other. "
Xiaohong also echoed: "Yes, Mom, you see that many young people are now systematized, and everyone bears a part of the expenses, how can there be any such thing as a bride price?"
Although I didn't directly refute my mother, I was a little unimpressed. The old custom of bride price has become more and more obsolete in modern society.
But her mother insisted on her opinion, she frowned and said, "You young people are too young to understand these rules. The bride price is not just some money, it represents respect for the future husband's family, and it is also a manifestation of the groom's heart for the bride. When you marry into someone else in the future, if you don't even understand this rule, you will be looked down upon in the future!"
The three sisters looked at each other, clearly annoyed by our mother's statement.
That night, I was alone in bed, and my mind kept circling with my mother's words during the day.
What my mother insisted on was a deep-rooted traditional concept. In her upbringing, getting married meant that her daughter would marry into her husband's family and change her family, so the bride price naturally became a way to show respect.
However, society has changed dramatically. More and more young people are pursuing equal marriages, and the status of both men and women is completely equal. Marriage is no longer about the woman marrying into the man's family, but about two people forming a new family.
In such an environment, is there still a need for the old custom of bride price? My heart rejects it, because it implies discrimination and contempt for women.
Still, I can understand my mother's thoughts. She is motivated by good intentions and hopes that we will be respected and live a decent life in the future. It's just that her cognition is stuck in a few decades ago and has not been able to keep up with the changes of the times well.
As daughters, do we have an obligation to guide our mothers to change this stereotype?
One evening a few days later, while the three of us were watching TV in the living room, my mother walked in with a rare look of seriousness on her face.
She sat down, looked around at the three of us, and said slowly, "In the past few days, I have carefully reflected on the ideas you have put forward, and I have also reviewed my own life journey again. I found that many of my ideas were too old and conservative. "
"You're right, in today's society, men and women are completely equal. Marriage should not be one party marrying into the other's family, but two people walking side by side, working together and sharing responsibilities. The old custom of bride price is no longer in line with the values of modern society. "
When our three sisters heard this, they were all stunned. I didn't expect my mother to admit her mistake so simply and apologize to us. I was very touched in my heart, although my mother was a little old-fashioned, she was indeed a reasonable person.
Looking at my mother's sincere gaze, our three sisters also made up their minds. Xiaomei said: "Mom, of course we understand your good intentions. We're not little girls anymore, though, and it's time for us to make our own decisions. "
Xiaohong continued: "Yes, Mom, our future marriage will definitely be handled according to our own ideas, and we will not be bound by any stereotypes. "
I also said, "Mom, don't worry, we will definitely live the life we yearn for without being looked down upon by anyone." We will use our attitude towards life to win the respect of others. "
Mom nodded, tears already in the corners of her eyes. She stretched out her hands and embraced the three of us into her arms.
In this way, an old concept disappeared in the understanding of the mother and daughter. I know that from now on, our family will take a new look and move towards the future path of life.