In the long course of history, the fate of widows is like a veil of mystery, which is difficult for people to peep into. After losing their husbands, how did they keep their vows not to remarry and live a long and lonely life? An old woman in her late teens, with her voice full of the vicissitudes of time, slowly unveiled the complexity and bitterness behind this for us.
The shackles of the idea of chastity
In the Song Dynasty, with the rise of Zhu Lixue, the concept of female chastity was pushed to the extreme. Cheng Yi's remarks that "starvation to death is a small matter, but a loss of festival is a big thing" is like an invisible shackle, tightly shackling the widows' bodies and minds. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the government even sanctified the observance of festivals through the institutionalized honor of "chastity archway", making it the highest standard for judging women's morality. The widows who keep the festival have given up the freedom to remarry, and loneliness and hardship will accompany them throughout their lives.
The pressure of public opinion
The old saying "There are many rights and wrongs in front of the widow's door" profoundly reveals the difficult plight faced by widows in society. In a patriarchal feudal society, every act of a widow could become an after-dinner conversation among neighbors. In order to avoid being accused of infidelity, they had to be cautious and even voluntarily isolated from the outside world. Public opinion is like an invisible blade, hanging above their heads at all times, forcing them to stick to their chastity.
At that time, the status of women was relatively low, and widows were on the margins of society. They have lost the support of their husbands and have to bear the pressure of life and the gossip of those around them. Widows' every move can be interpreted as inappropriate or immoral, which makes them feel inhibited in social situations.
Economic and survival considerations
In feudal society, the living environment of widows was extremely difficult, and they not only had to bear great mental pressure, but also faced economic embarrassment and challenges. Once they lose their husbands, the breadwinner of the family collapses in an instant, and they have to bear the heavy burden of supporting the elderly and raising their children on their own.
Although the government of the Ming and Qing dynasties stipulated that families with widows who kept festivals could be exempted from military service, for those who were poor, these policies were only a drop in the bucket and could not fundamentally change their plight. In such a difficult living environment, the observance of festivals has become a helpless choice for widows in exchange for a place in society.
Emotional struggle and perseverance
Widows live in difficult circumstances, go through endless struggles in their hearts, and they yearn to regain the warmth of family, to be loved and cared for. However, the cruel reality is like a cold shackle, tightly shackling their hands and feet, making it impossible for them to pursue their own happiness.
Some of these widows, out of deep affection for their deceased husbands, chose to spend their lives guarding the lost love. Their stories have become good stories for future generations and role models in people's hearts.
epilogue
The words of this 70-year-old woman are like a key that opens the door to the widow's inner world, allowing us to understand the struggles and perseverance of women in that era. Their persistence is not only out of blind obedience to the concept of chastity, but also a deep understanding and cognition of social pressure, economic difficulties and personal emotions. Here, I sincerely invite all readers to leave a message to discuss and share your views and feelings on the fate of ancient widows.