Chapter 10 Nine Mom's Dream

My mother had a dream since she was a child that when she grows up and gets married, she will be the head of the family and everyone must obey her. When my mother first came to our Li family, my mother's mother followed.Grandmother is a strict and capable old man, authoritarian and strong, always aloof and in control: from the mother, down to our eight children (two ingots, six thousand gold); Although she is a young lady and a housewife, in the eyes of this "Emperor Empress", she is just a "king of children"; a small leader of children; a big child who can give birth to eight children.

Due to the infringement of the grandmother's rights, the mother had to continue to be a dreamer.She often lingered in the movie theater - it was a good place to make her forget about her disappointment. At the end of the nineteenth year of my grandmother's dictatorship, a black hearse took the awesome old man away.Five days later, Dad took out a burnt yellow scroll from the bottom of the box, and read aloud to Mom in a tone like reading an imperial edict: all my descendants, Acting as Liu Ling: woman's words, Don't listen! With a cold face, Dad went on to say: These sixteen characters are the ancestral motto of our Li family.In the past nineteen years, in order to make grandma happy, I have never brought it out to implement it. Now it’s all right. The power of your relatives should rest. From today onwards, the leadership of the Li family will still belong to me, and I will take care of all major matters. Continue to be the head of the child!

In a long silence, my mother's dream was shattered again!As a result, on several streets near the cinema, there were more footprints of mother's high heels. Dad's way of running the family is more democratic than that of his grandmother. Although he follows the ancestral precepts and does not listen to "women's words", he does not take any action to restrain his mother's freedom of speech.In other words, mother can use the rights conferred by Article 11 of the Constitution arbitrarily to criticize father.Usually after dinner, Mom unleashes her barrage, series of attacks, counting Dad's "ten sins": talking about how headstrong he is.There is no way to manage a family... I have heard it for a long time, and it is always the same.As for Dad, he sat in the big wicker chair, listening attentively, drinking tea leisurely, nodding his head frequently, smiling without answering.His broad mind, calm attitude, and demeanor of an ancient gentleman make people seem to think that his mother is criticizing others.It wasn't until my mother was tired of speaking that my father turned his head and said to his brother:

"The record is over! Young master, hurry up and pour a cup of tea for your dear mother!" When the old calendar year comes, my father always prepares nine red envelopes. In principle, my mother would never accept this lucky money, but when my younger brother secretly told her that the thickness of the envelope given to her was worth considering, my mother began to waver and hesitate. After a while, she finally had no interest in sticking to her "principles" anymore! A dignified housewife is treated like a child, this is the most unconvinced thing for a mother.But there are many things that make her angry!Mom gradually found that her eight children also regarded her as the same.For example, when Dad came back from buying fruit, the eight of us divided the fruit into nine portions. As usual, Dad seldom ate the fruit. Bought according to what she likes to eat, she will not hesitate to declare "this is not an example" again!

One morning in the eighth year of my father's reign, my mother took over the position of head of the family in tears.After the funeral was over, my mother called the six daughters into the room, and held a women's meeting for half a day, while my brother and I waited outside the door, waiting for the news to be released.Finally the door opened, and Miss Yao came out, shouting loudly: "The old lady summoned the young master!" I suddenly felt that the situation was not good.After entering the room, the eyes of fourteen women focused on me, and I was really terrified!Finally, my mother spoke, and she said calmly with the expression of a campaign speech: "The Li family was not democratic in your grandma's time and your Laozi's time; people who didn't respect sovereignty—the right of a housewife— Now their era has passed! Our Li family is about to start a new era! Last night I heard you reading scriptures in the room, and aloud the passage in the Book of Rites in which a woman obeys her father and brother when she is young; obeys her husband when she marries; I don’t know if you read it to me on purpose. However, young master, you are a smart person, and you are a student of history at National Taiwan University. You will not mistake the trend of the times and reverse the car, right? I think you can see it when you leave. Now is no longer an era of "husband dies and sons"..."

I quickly interrupted and said: "Of course, of course, what mother said is true. The times are really different now! Dad is dead, and you, the old man, are expected to return. Of course, you are the head of the family. This is the scriptures of heaven and the righteousness of the earth. Human relations! There is nothing to doubt ?You are the head of the family! I vote for you!" After hearing what I said, my mother—the great mother—heaved a sigh of relief and smiled; the "Six Gentlemen of Chiu'an" also laughed; The cat also wagged its tail for a while.I withdrew, spread my hand to the young master, made a face, and sighed:

Although the Li family's relatives are gone, the female disaster has come!Good men don't fight with women, those who know the current affairs are heroes, I think we brothers should "persuade" quickly! It's been five years since Mama's coup!In the past five years, my mother has voted for every big and small issue in the family, although my brother and I’s opinions—“Men’s Words”—often have been rejected under the democracy of two votes to seven votes. A few, but we are used to it, and we no longer have any complaints. We are big men and mother’s filial sons. It doesn’t matter if patriarchy is supreme or not—as long as mother can realize her dream!

〔postscript) 1. This article was written in 1959 and was originally published in the supplement of Taipei's "United Daily News" on November 20, 1960.After it was published, my mother finally found me and warned me: "Young master! If you write me as greedy for money and delicious, I will have to settle accounts with you!" (November 2, 1962 16th) 2. Here is a copy of a letter that "praises" my article: Ma Ge wrote a letter to Ao Zhi's feet in the mainland magazine: Long poems and short films have been received one after another. "Shui Tuo Ge Tou" insists on winning.People say that they are profound in Chinese culture, and they can't be false if they believe it.In the morning, I went to play with old friends, and in the afternoon I went to the club to study. I had to read the masterpiece "Mother's Dream" by Yu Lian.Meaningful and gratifying, it also has the gentleness and kindness of ancient poets who are gentle and kind, generous and good at writing various articles.If there is something in the heart, then its expression can be discussed, historical works, or novels, all of which are not harmful.And Croce's aesthetics, its focus is already here.Gu Jun is very talented, and I would like to spend more time. Not all the famous works in the world come from old people. (Letter from Ma Hongxiang on November 20, 1960)