The content of this article is based on authoritative historical data, and there are citations at the end of the article
The small mountain villages that can't get out often hide one soul after another bound by fate. For Zhang Lin, this small mountain village is not only her birthplace, but also the prison of her fate. Zhang Lin married a wife in the fifteenth year of cardamom, and in her mother-in-law's house, she suffered from her husband's domestic violence and her mother-in-law looked coldly, even if she sought help from her parents, she would be sent back to hell.
In Zhang Lin's life, the escape of two marriages was a turning point in her life, and the final choice to become a truck driver was a symbol of her pursuit of freedom. Her story was picked up by British director and two-time Academy Award winner for Best Documentary Short Film, and was made into a documentary, Limbo.
Zhang Lin, a very ordinary-looking woman, what is so unusual about it that can make the Oscar director take a fancy to her?
Walking out of the small mountain village, Zhang Lin ushered in a new turning point
Zhang Lin, a resilient and courageous woman, was born in a remote and quiet mountain village in Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province. Although life there was difficult, Zhang Lin showed a unique tenacity and optimism since she was a child. Before the sun rose, Zhang Lin got up from the bed early. She quickly put on the old clothes that had been washed and turned white, stepped on her worn-out straw sandals, and went out to chop wood.
The woods around the village were the source of firewood for the family, and she skillfully wielded her machete, and in a few moments she had gathered enough firewood for a day. When she got home, Zhang Lin didn't have time to rest, so she started to light a fire and boil water again to prepare breakfast for her younger brothers and sisters.
She herself hastily packed her own food, tortillas wrapped in old cloth and some pickles, which were simple but the main ration of the day. After breakfast, Zhang Lin put on her schoolbag, wore a pair of straw sandals that had been worn out, and set foot on the mountain road to school.
She carefully stepped on the stones and roots under her feet, for fear that one of them would fall off the cliff if she was not careful. The round trip took nearly two hours, but Zhang Lin never complained. She knows that only through learning can she change her destiny. In school, she always listened carefully and spoke actively, and her grades were always among the best.
However, poverty is like a boulder, inexorably pressing down on every corner of this small mountain village. Zhang Lin's tuition problem has become a major problem for her family. She looked at her father's tightly knit brow and her mother's pale face, and knew in her heart that she had to share some of the pressure for the family.
So, she silently packed her schoolbag and prepared to drop out of school and go home. Not long after Zhang Lin dropped out of school, a matchmaker came to the door with a bride price of 6,000 yuan. In a small mountain village of that era, the amount of the bride price was a great wealth for a poor family.
The father knew that the money would give his son better access to education and improve the quality of life of the family, but it also meant that he would have to "sell" his daughter as a wife.
And this experience is not just Zhang Lin's personal, but the experience of most of the mountain girls in Yunnan, in order to save the family's expenses, the girl has to marry at a very young age, which is something that most people are accustomed to. But Zhang Lin has a different view, she doesn't think that a girl's life is only to get married and have children, she yearns for a wider world.
She resisted her father, in exchange for only beating and abuse, and the people in the village all came to accuse her of unfilial piety, thinking that only by taking the bride price money to her mother's family and giving birth to a big fat boy for her in-law's family can her life be fulfilled. In this way, Zhang Lin was forced to marry the husband she had never met.
At her mother-in-law's house, Zhang Lin showed her hard-working nature, she worked hard to cultivate the land and harvest the crops, although the sweat soaked her clothes, she never complained. However, no matter how hard she tries, her mother-in-law always seems to be dissatisfied with her.
The mother-in-law was always critical of her work and thought she wasn't good enough. She would deliberately find fault with Zhang Lin when she was busy and accuse her of being lazy. The mother-in-law always had a cold and mean expression on her face, and she would only smile with satisfaction when she saw Zhang Lin working around the clock.
And Zhang Lin's husband is a domestic violence man. He was rough and ruthless, and often punched and kicked Zhang Lin. Whenever his mother-in-law pretended to reprimand Zhang Lin, he would step forward and punch her a few times, regardless of Zhang Lin's face. During that time, Zhang Lin's body was always covered with scars.
Although Zhang Lin gave birth to a child, her situation has not improved. Her family's attitude towards her is still bad, as if her existence is a burden. She tried to call the police several times, but each time everyone was calmed down on the grounds of "family disputes". Everyone's indifference and helplessness made Zhang Lin feel desperate, and she began to try to escape.
Zhang Lin ran back to her parents' house every time she ran away, but every time she was pushed back by her mother's family. Her parents and siblings told Zhang Lin that this was her life and that she had to accept it. The many "repatriation" experiences made Zhang Lin full of despair for this closed village.
On a dark and windy night, Zhang Lin quietly packed a few clothes and a little dry food with a nervous heart, and stepped on the train to Hangzhou. Her heart beat faster as the train started, and her heart was filled with anticipation for the future and fear of the unknown.
The train is speeding through the night, and the scenery outside the window is constantly receding. Zhang Lin's heart also began to fly at this moment, she imagined her life in Hangzhou, imagining being able to start her life again. After a long journey, the train finally arrived in Hangzhou.
Zhang Lin stood on the bustling railway station square, feeling the bustle and hustle and bustle of the city. She took a deep breath, as if to inhale all the courage and strength into her body. She knew she was about to reach the biggest turning point in her life. In Hangzhou, Zhang Lin found a job in the factory, although it was hard, but the pay was not bad.
In the bustling Hangzhou, Zhang Lin's life seems to have been rekindled
By chance, she met Chen Xun, a truck driver. The two went from strange to familiar, and then to deep affection, as if it was a providential arrangement. The train driver earns much more than he does to work in the factory, and Zhang Lin understands that if she wants to live well with Chen Xun, she must increase her income.
So, she made up her mind to learn how to drive, and she studied the driving manual day and night, practicing her driving skills under the scorching sun, rain and rain. Finally, in the midst of repeated challenges and failures, she successfully obtained her driver's license.
When Zhang Lin and Chen Xun embarked on the journey of "husband and wife car" with their driver's license, their truck shuttled between thousands of mountains and rivers, from the bustling city of Shanghai all the way to distant Chongqing. The journey of more than 1,700 kilometers is an adventure and an emotional bond for them.
Female drivers are rare in China's trucking industry, and they often need to put in more effort and sweat in a male-dominated world. Her courage has earned her the respect of her peers, with some calling her "the Mulan of the trucking world."
And Zhang Lin, an ordinary but extraordinary woman, has left her unique mark in this industry. After accumulating a considerable income, Zhang Lin finally returned to his hometown after a long absence with Chen Xun. Her emotions are emotional and complicated, because she is about to face a big secret - she was once married and has a son.
Zhang Lin wore her carefully selected new clothes, and her face was full of happiness. She took Chen Xun's hand and walked towards the familiar and unfamiliar village step by step. As the footsteps approached, Zhang Lin's heartbeat gradually accelerated. She remembered that when she left home, her son was a toddler and now an adult and a schoolboy.
She couldn't wait to meet him and tell him about her experiences and thoughts over the years. Finally, she came to her son's school. Zhang Lin stood outside the classroom door, waiting nervously and expectantly. She looked through the window to see which boy was her son, and when the bell rang, the children poured out of the classroom.
Zhang Lin looked nervously, looking for her son's figure. Finally, she saw a small, but energetic boy walking towards her. When her son really appeared in front of her, Zhang Lin couldn't control her emotions anymore and burst into tears in an instant.
Zhang Lin gently patted her son's back and said in a trembling voice, "I'm sorry...... Mom hasn't been by your side to take care of you all these years...... You must have had a hard time, right? The mother and son hugged their heads at the door of the classroom and cried for a while before they gradually calmed down. Zhang Lin wiped away her tears and took her son's hand and said, "Let's go, let's go home, my mother has a lot to say to you......"
However, the scene of Zhang Lin reuniting with her son also made Chen Xun on the side feel complicated emotions. He witnessed the deep mother-son relationship between Zhang Lin and his son, and the kind of family affection that was thicker than water made him wonder if Zhang Lin could really completely let go of his son and spend the rest of his life with him.
Chen Xun knows that he loves Zhang Lin, but he also understands what family means to a child. He was worried that Zhang Lin would not be able to give up his son, and he was even more worried that their marriage would be affected because of this. After some inner struggle, Chen Xun decided to sit down with Zhang Lin and have a candid conversation.
He knew that this issue was crucial to the relationship between the two and could not be avoided. The reunion with her son made Zhang Lin realize the importance of family again, and also made her realize her debt to her children. She has been thinking about how to find a balance between love and affection.
In the process of the conversation between the two, Chen Xun selfishly threw out a very realistic question, "Do the two continue to care about this ex-husband's child after they have their own children." Zhang Lin was very entangled, but she quickly replied, she said, "I want to choose my son." ”
In this way, the two parted unhappily, although their hearts were full of reluctance and regret, they both understood that this was a decision they made together. They decide to break up peacefully and give each other a chance to start over.
In the process of going through the divorce procedures, they packed up their emotions and gave each other a decent goodbye. They know that while they can no longer go on as husband and wife, they are still important people in each other's lives.
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Resources:
- ZHANG Zhongyue. Research on the rights and remedies of women victims of domestic violence in rural China [D]. 2022.
- CHEN Peipei. Research on social work intervention in rural domestic violence[D]. 2017
[3] Zhang Jiayuan. The application of social work in the intervention of domestic violence among rural women[D]. 2017