Li Ming stood in the hall of the international conference, his gaze weaving through the crowd until he was fixed on a blonde figure. It was 32-year-old Anna, a representative from Europe. She was intently discussing something with the person next to her, occasionally smiling charmingly. Li Ming was deeply attracted by her temperament, and he plucked up the courage to step forward and greet him in his not very fluent English, "Hi, my name is Li Ming, and I'm from China." ”
Anna turned around, looked at him with her blue eyes, and responded with a smile, "Hello, Li Ming, my name is Anna." Nice to meet you. Her voice is soft and infectious.
The two quickly chatted, from work to life, from cultural differences to personal hobbies, and they found that they had an amazing tacit understanding with each other. After the meeting, Li Ming invited Anna to taste Chinese food, which she gladly accepted. In a quaint Chinese restaurant, they ordered a sumptuous table of dishes, and Li Ming patiently introduced Anna to the origin and characteristics of each dish.
"This is called Kung Pao Chicken, which is a famous dish in our Sichuan, spicy and sweet, you can try it. Li Ming said, sandwiching a piece of chicken for Anna.
Anna took a careful sip, and her eyes immediately lit up, "Wow, this is so delicious! It's just right, I love it!"
Li Ming looked at Anna's satisfied appearance, and a warm current surged in his heart. After the meal, they walked the streets of the city together, and Li Ming told Anna about the history and changes of the city. Anna listened with relish, and she was full of curiosity about everything in China.
As time passed, the relationship between the two quickly warmed up. A few months later, Li Ming proposed to Anna, and Anna gladly accepted. Their wedding was simple and warm, without lavish pomp and circumstance, but full of sincere emotions.
After getting married, Li Ming took Anna back to his hometown. Their union caused quite a stir in the local area, and Li Ming's relatives and friends were curious and excited about this foreign daughter-in-law. Whenever someone asks about their love story, Li Ming always proudly tells about their encounter and acquaintance.
However, life is not always smooth sailing. Although the two love each other deeply, the friction caused by cultural differences is gradually revealed. Anna is not very comfortable with Chinese living habits, and Li Ming is also confused by some of Anna's behavior. But they all know that it is only through communication and understanding that they can overcome these barriers and build a happy family together.
After marriage, Li Ming took Anna back to his hometown. Their marriage has become a hot topic in the neighborhood, and whenever they appear together on the streets, they always attract the curious eyes of passers-by. Li Ming's pride came spontaneously, and he felt that he was the happiest person in the world.
"Look, that's Li Ming, he's married a foreign daughter-in-law!" the neighbors whispered.
Anna smiled and waved to them, and although her knowledge of Chinese was still limited, she could feel the warmth and friendliness of the people around her.
However, as their daily lives unfolded, the two began to feel the challenges of cultural differences. Anna is accustomed to a Western-style breakfast, while Li Ming prefers soy milk fritters. One morning, the two of them were preparing breakfast in the kitchen.
"Honey, what are we going to eat today?" asked Anna, holding a box of cereal in her hand.
Li Ming frowned, "This... We Chinese generally eat soy milk and fritters in the morning. ”
Anna tried to take a bite and shook her head, "Oh, this one is so greasy, I still prefer cereal." ”
Li Ming smiled and didn't say anything, but he felt a little lost in his heart. This is just the beginning, and the difference in diet between the two is gradually emerging. Anna prefers simple cooking, while Li Ming prefers oily and spicy Sichuan cuisine.
In the evening, the two sat on the sofa and watched TV. Anna suddenly said, "Li Ming, can we change the show? I want to watch "Friends". ”
Li Ming was a little confused, "What is 'Friends'? I'm not familiar with it." ”
Anna patiently explained, but Li Ming still couldn't quite understand, he preferred to watch domestic dramas. The two also disagreed on the choice of TV program.
In terms of family roles, the two are also different. Anna is accustomed to sharing housework equally, while Li Ming believes that men should take on more financial responsibilities and women should take care of housework. Once, while Anna was cleaning, Li Ming sat on the sofa and played with his mobile phone.
"Li Ming, can you help me?" Anna was a little dissatisfied.
Li Ming glanced up at her, "Oh, you can just do these housework, how can I, a big man, do this?"
Anna was a little angry, "In our country, housework is shared by husband and wife. ”
Li Ming was stunned, and he began to realize that they needed more communication and understanding.
As time passed, the two began to try to adapt to each other's lifestyles. Li Ming began to learn to cook simple Western food, and Anna tried to embrace Chinese food culture. They do housework together and watch each other's favorite TV series together. Although there is constant friction, they are all trying to find common ground and strive to build a harmonious family.
On the day of the family gathering, Li Ming's home was bustling, and relatives and friends gathered together to see the demeanor of this foreign daughter-in-law. Wearing a red Chinese cheongsam, Anna stood out, and she tried her best to greet everyone in her newly learned Chinese, and although the pronunciation was not quite accurate, her warmth and friendliness infected everyone.
At the dinner table, everyone sat together, the dishes were sumptuous, and the atmosphere was warm. However, when Anna grabbed a piece of braised pork with her hand and prepared to put it in her mouth, the whole room suddenly fell silent. In China, the use of chopsticks is part of table manners, and it is considered impolite to hold food by hand.
Li Ming's face instantly became embarrassed, and he whispered to Anna, "Honey, let's eat with chopsticks." ”
Anna was stunned for a moment, then quickly put down the meat in her hand, smiled apologetically, and said, "Oh, I'm sorry, I don't know." ”
Although Li Ming's family didn't say much on the surface, Li Ming could feel the displeasure in their eyes. He felt very embarrassed, and blamed himself for not telling Anna about these table manners in advance.
After the party, Li Ming and Anna sat on the sofa, and the atmosphere was a little heavy. Li Ming sighed and said, "Anna, I know it's hard for you, but we need to learn more about each other's cultures. ”
Anna nodded and said seriously, "I know, this time it was my negligence. I should have learned these etiquettes from you in advance. ”
The two looked at each other and smiled, deciding that they would try harder to understand each other's culture in the future. They began to participate in cultural exchange activities together, learn Chinese, and learn about Chinese traditional customs. Li Ming also began to learn English, trying to understand the culture of Anna's country.
Over time, the two gradually found a balance in learning from each other and respecting each other. As their relationship became stronger, cultural differences were no longer an obstacle, but a valuable asset in their relationship.
The air after the quarrel seemed to condense, and Li Ming and Anna sat on the sofa in the living room, both of them silent. Li Ming's hand clenched the teacup tightly, while Anna lowered her head and played with her fingers. Finally, Li Ming broke the silence.
"Anna, we can't go on like this. Li Ming's voice was low, with a hint of exhaustion.
Anna looked up, a flash of surprise in her eyes, "What do you mean?"
"We always fight because of cultural differences, and it's not your fault, and it's not my fault. We need to find a solution. Li Ming looked at her sincerely.
Anna took a deep breath and said, "I agree." I'm willing to learn about your culture, but I also want you to understand me. ”
The two decided to take action, and they began to participate in various cultural exchange activities. On the first weekend, they attended a Chinese calligraphy workshop. Anna picked up the brush and carefully imitated the teacher's movements, her face full of excitement and satisfaction, even though the ink was a little skewed on the paper.
"Look, Li Ming, I did it!" Anna excitedly displayed her work.
Li Ming smiled and nodded, "Great, you are really talented." ”
In the days that followed, they learned Chinese together, tried different Chinese dishes, and even started learning tai chi. Li Ming also began to learn about Western culture, he read books about Anna's country, watched foreign movies, and tried to eat with a knife and fork.
Once, the two participated in an international cultural festival. There, they saw performances and food from all over the world. Li Ming was fascinated by the watch of a foreign band, and he took Anna's hand and danced to the music.
"It's so cool, I never thought I'd like this kind of music. Li Ming said excitedly.
Anna responded with a smile, "Look, we can enjoy each other's cultures." ”
As time passed, the understanding and respect between the two grew deeper. Instead of bickering over cultural differences, they learn to appreciate and respect each other's cultures. The process was challenging, but it also made their relationship stronger and their love deepened as a result.
Over time, Li Ming and Anna gradually found a balance between their cultural differences. They began to respect and understand each other more, and the relationship between the two became more harmonious as a result. At a community cultural exchange event, Li Ming and Anna were invited to share their stories.
"We had a lot of friction at the beginning, but now we've learned to respect each other. Li Ming said with a smile on stage.
Anna went on to say, "Yes, we realized that different cultural backgrounds were an asset in our relationship, not an obstacle. ”
The audience listened with relish and nodded their heads in agreement from time to time. After the event, many community members gathered around and asked how they did it.
"How did you overcome cultural differences?" A curious neighbor asked.
Li Ming replied with a smile: "By learning each other's culture and participating in each other's activities, we slowly found common ground. ”
Anna adds: "Also, we learned to listen and understand instead of sticking to our own opinions. ”
As their story spread through the community, they became a model of cultural exchange and marital harmony. Li Ming and Anna also started holding small cultural exchange activities in the community, inviting neighbors to participate.
"This is the pasta I made, you can try it. Anna warmly entertained everyone at a party.
The neighbors complimented: "It's so delicious, Anna, you really have a hand!"
Not to be outdone, Li Ming demonstrated his Chinese cooking skills: "This is the fish-flavored shredded pork I made, I hope you like it." ”
During the gathering, everyone exchanged their respective cultural and life experiences, and the atmosphere was warm and harmonious. Li Ming and Anna looked at this harmonious scene, and their hearts were full of satisfaction and happiness.
Li Ming said with emotion: "In the past, I always cared about other people's opinions, but now I finally understand that the real face does not lie in the evaluation of the outside world, but in our inner happiness and satisfaction." ”
Anna snuggled up on his shoulder and said softly, "Yes, our happiness is the most important thing." ”
The story of the two has inspired many people and made everyone realize that couples from different cultural backgrounds can also have a happy marriage as long as they respect and understand each other.
This article is a microfiction, please do not sit in the opposite seat