This article is a fictional novel, the pictures are all network pictures, and the names of people and places are all apocryphal.
My name is Zhao Mingyue, sitting on the wooden bench at home that has fallen into disrepair, looking out the window at the long-ago but familiar Jiangnan water town, and my heart is full of waves.
This year, I will celebrate my 20th birthday.
Growing up in this small but beautiful village, I was always full of endless longing for the outside world.
My father was the principal of the village elementary school, and although he was strict, I knew that his heart was all for us.
My mother passed away when I was six years old, leaving me and my sister Xiaoyun, who was three years younger.
That year, I learned to take responsibility and grew into a little pillar of support for my family.
Life is both ordinary and difficult for me, in addition to studying, I also have to help with housework and take care of Xiaoyun every day.
My father often told us that early marriage and having children as a girl was the only way out for us, but I had a different dream in my heart.
In the spring of 1995, it was a sunny season, and I was about to graduate.
My heart is full of longing for the future, and I am looking forward to the opportunity to go to the big city after graduation and change my destiny.
However, my father's decision, like a thunderbolt in the clear sky, shattered all my dreams.
One night, my father suddenly told me that he had decided to let me marry a man I had never met.
My heart sank to the bottom, and I could barely breathe in the shock and helplessness.
In my father's mind, a girl's destiny is family, and my wishes never seemed to be a factor.
When I turned 20 years old, I put on my father's elaborate wedding dress and attended a simple and quick wedding.
In this way, with the blessings and smiles of everyone, I became the wife of Director Liu and entered a completely different world.
At the end of the wedding that day, I was ready to say goodbye to my dreams, and as I stood in front of Mr. Liu's house, I took a deep breath and reminded myself that this was the beginning of a new life, even if it wasn't what I expected.
But the unwillingness in my heart still reminds me of the dreams and hopes I once had.
In the dead of night, I would secretly pull out the big city postcard hidden under my pillow, which was a birthday present when I was 12 years old, and every time I looked at it, I could feel the longing and yearning for the future.
However, in the face of my father's unwavering decision, I knew that I had to make a choice between my dreams and the responsibilities of this family.
I chose to obey and accept this arranged fate, but I knew in my heart that the beautiful vision for the future had never been completely erased.
Standing at this fork in the road of life, I don't know what the road ahead will be, but I know that no matter where I go, that inner desire and courage will be the most precious treasure in my life.
During my first few months at Director Liu's house, I felt like an anachronistic puzzle that I couldn't fit into the picture.
He was a man who was busy running a factory and had no ill will towards me, but his busy and indifferent attitude made him feel lonely.
I tried my best to adapt myself to life here quickly, from learning how to accurately calculate the amount of food required by the family for a week, to memorizing the appropriate gifts for Factory Director Liu's parents on each important day, and trying my best to be a qualified factory owner's wife.
However, even with such efforts, the unwillingness and loneliness in my heart always haunted me like a shadow. I remember that once I accidentally fell in the kitchen and sprained my ankle, Director Liu immediately helped me up when he saw it, and hurriedly took me to the best hospital in the county.
At that moment I saw the rare worry in his eyes, which gave me a new understanding of him, perhaps not as completely indifferent as I had previously thought, it came down to the lack of communication between us.
Our lives are like two parallel lines that can never intersect. During my time in the factory, I also met the wives of several workers, who became my friends and comforters in this strange environment.
Sister-in-law Li is a warm-hearted eldest sister who always brings me the specialties of her hometown; Aunt Zhang, teach me how to make rich and varied meals with limited resources; And Xiaohui, a girl my age, whose laughter always brings me a hint of joy.
Their friendship was like a ray of sunshine shining into my heart, and I felt a trace of warmth in this lonely and oppressive life. Time passed quietly, and although life was still so repetitive and boring, I was slowly getting used to this rhythm.
Every day, I spend some time planting flowers and plants in the yard, and those little lives make me feel that the world is not so cold.
Sometimes Mr. Liu would walk with me after dinner, and even though we didn't talk much, I began to try to understand his hard work and pressure.
I found that he was not without emotion, but he was too tired of life and responsibilities and didn't have much energy to express it.
I began to learn how to have a more in-depth communication with Mr. Liu, although the process was not easy, but I firmly believe that as long as we respect and understand each other, one day our hearts can be closer.
I also secretly made up my mind in my heart that no matter what life is like in the future, I will maintain that vision of a better life and use my own efforts to make this home more warm and harmonious.
Time is like a long river, and unconsciously, I have been with Director Liu for 30 years. The traces of time have left marks on our foreheads, and more importantly, our relationship has quietly changed.
Now that I have fully adapted to life as the wife of a factory owner, Mr. Liu's attitude towards me has become warmer and more tolerant.
One ordinary afternoon, while sorting through my old cupboards, I stumbled upon a long-sealed letter and found it to be left to me by my father.
When I opened the yellowed letter, the handwriting was a little blurry, but it still clearly depicted the situation back then.
My father mentioned in the letter that he decided to marry me to Director Liu for the sake of the future of the family, hoping that this marriage would bring me a better living security.
This decision is full of helplessness and doubts for me, but judging from the background of that era of quick success, such a choice may be the most reasonable way out.
After reading this letter, my heart no longer rises with anger or incomprehension, but with a deep understanding and gratitude.
This letter is like a bridge between me and my father. I finally understood that everyone is doing their best in their place, even in different ways, but the purpose is for the happiness of the family.
Just as I was immersed in this newfound touch, Director Liu had to leave for a long time due to an urgent work task, and his departure made me re-examine my feelings for him.
I have found that over the years, although there has been less passion and romance between us, there has been more silent support and understanding.
In the days I left, I was full of anxiety and prayed for his safety every day, and after a few weeks of his safe return, our relationship seemed to have become closer.
That night, we sat together on the sofa in the living room, drinking tea and looking back on the past. When I talk about the difficulties and challenges we have spent together in those years, the corners of my eyes are moist unconsciously.
It was also that night that we began to plan for the future together, deciding to hand over the management of the factory to the younger generation, and we enjoyed life more to fulfill the dreams that were not realized when we were younger.
Through this experience, my relationship with Mr. Liu not only became stronger, but I also gained a new understanding of my father's decision.
Our lives are not as passionate as in TV dramas, and there are no vigorous love stories, but the deep emotions and silent support between each other are the most precious treasures.
Now walking on this road of life, I have learned to be grateful for every encounter and cherish everything I have in front of me.
This story is purely fictional, the names and events in the story are fictional, and the purpose of using place names is only for the purpose of describing the plot and making it easy to read and understand.