Wealthy Beauty in the 60s
Chapter 54 - 53 Teach Children

Chapter 54: Chapter 53 Teach Children

Gao Yongfang and Wang Xiumei had just left when Zheng Xianghong turned to Gao Jiazhi and asked, "Jiazhi, what do you think of Teacher Wang?"

"What does Mom think?" Gao Jiazhi asked.

Zheng Xianghong shook her head, "I have no idea, the key is what you think. If you fancy her, I will follow your lead. If you don’t, don’t bother your elder sister again. It hurts my heart to see her like this now, she used to be such a lovely person but changed so much after a few years in the Capital."

"I don’t know." Gao Jiazhi also shook his head, "Anyway, if Mom likes her, I’ll give it serious consideration. The main thing is that the Gu family should be filial to you." Gao Jiazhi didn’t know what kind of wife he was looking for, but at least it had to be someone with a good temper and who was filial.

His mom was gentle by nature and had been bullied by his grandmother for so many years—he didn’t want to find a wife who was fierce and troublesome, who might end up bullying his mother.

Zheng Xianghong gave him a stern look, "Listen to you, it’s not me marrying a wife. You are the one who has to live with her for a lifetime, so you should choose her yourself. Otherwise, even if I like her and you don’t, or you just bear with it, what’s the point?"

"Mom, I’m still young, what’s the rush?" Gao Jiazhi shook his head.

"Young? You are almost twenty, and it’s time to seriously consider the matter of finding a wife. Otherwise, all the good prospective brides will be taken." The girls from the village usually got engaged and married early, and Zheng Xianghong hoped her son could find a good wife to live a good life with.

"You can consider the girls from the production team, but forget about the educated youth. City girls can’t settle down in the countryside." Zheng Xianghong didn’t have high hopes for daughters-in-law who were educated youth. City girls weren’t bad, but the countryside wasn’t as good as the city, and how could they stand to stay here?

If there was a chance to go back to the city later, who knew what choices they would make? What if they left their sons and grandsons behind to return to the city? These were scenarios that Zheng Xianghong didn’t want to see.

"How can educated youth be no good?" Gao Jiaxing argued.

"Yeah," Gao Jiazhi joined in, "If it weren’t for those female educated youth for comparison, the village girls would be great, but with those educated youths, the village girls just seem less remarkable."

It was also due to the general village mindset of valuing boys over girls, where parents seldom spent money on their daughters’ education, so there were few learned girls in the village, and they didn’t have the same demeanor as city girls. However, compared to city girls, village girls were more down to earth and reliable.

Zheng Xianghong said, "The city is different from the countryside. Not to mention anything else, just look at Xia Xiao’s dormitory. Educated Youth Wang and Educated Youth Yang are from the Capital, Xia Xiao and Educated Youth Sun are from S City, which is the most flourishing city in the country after the Capital. Then there’s Educated Youth Feng, Educated Youth Dong—they all come from big cities. If there’s a chance to go back to the city later, how could they possibly stay?"

Gao Jiazhi and Gao Jiaxing fell silent. After a while, Gao Jiaxing said, "Maybe national policies will change. By then, the educated youth might be able to return to the city, and we won’t necessarily have to stay in the village forever."

Gao Jiazhi nodded. Both brothers were ambitious and didn’t want to settle for a lifetime of farming in the village.

"The future is uncertain; I’m only concerned about the present," Zheng Xianghong said. Seeing that her sons were silent, she continued, "Well, it’s up to you guys in the end. Your wife is someone you have to live with for a lifetime, and I won’t stop you. If you really want to marry an educated youth, I won’t object, but just treat them well. Otherwise, what are you going to do if they run away?"

"Your father hasn’t been particularly nice to you, but you’re still devotedly following him," Gao Jiazhi remarked.

Xianghong replied, "Look at the men in the village. Your father has already treated me pretty well."

"A man should treat his wife well," Xianghong continued, "that’s the only way a woman will want to stay with him."

Gao Jiaxing sneered, "Red Army Uncle-in-law wasn’t nice to Li Shengmei, but she was pampered like a deity for so many years. Look at what Li Shengmei has turned into, not doing any chores at home, as if her food should be brought directly to her mouth. She behaves like she’s higher than everyone else in the production team."

"That’s right, as soon as Red Army Uncle-in-law put his foot down, Li Shengmei straightened right up. Some women just need to be disciplined," Gao Jiazhi added.

Xianghong paused for a moment and then said, "Your Red Army Uncle-in-law had a hard time back in the day too. He joined the army and fought in battles, earned merits through his abilities and became an officer, but then he got injured and disfigured his face, which caused his fiancée to break off the engagement. At the time, Li Shengmei was the belle of the village. With your uncle’s condition, many women wouldn’t want to marry him. Li Shengmei was willing and gave birth to three sons for him, naturally she would be put on a pedestal."

"I’m telling you to treat your wives well, to fulfill your responsibilities as husbands, not to go and put them on pedestals. Marriage is for a lifetime, your wife is not an animal. And even animals need to be cared for, otherwise if they get hurt or die, you’re the one who loses. Besides, your wife is a person, the mother of your children, someone to accompany you for life. Put yourself in her shoes: if you treat her well, she will reciprocate. But there’s a limit to everything, and as a husband, you need to maintain a sense of balance and know what is and is not acceptable.

If you end up spoiling your wife, that’s on you. Teach your sons in public, instruct your wife in private. If she turns out poorly, it’s because you failed to teach her. However, you cannot just hit or scold her at will, that’s wrong. Some women are timid and may just accept their fate, but not all will. Especially women from the city, they grow up in urban environments, receiving education that doesn’t tolerate abuse. If you mistreat them, you won’t be able to keep them in the long run. Whether a country girl or a city girl, no wife should be hit or scolded at whim. If they find a better opportunity, there’s no way they will stay or remain devoted to the marriage."

After a long speech, Xianghong sighed with emphasis and concern, "I may not be well-educated or cultured, but I’ve lived more than half a lifetime and I understand how to be a decent person."

Gao Jiazhi and Gao Jiaxing nodded, looking as if they had learned a lesson.

"Mom, don’t worry, I’ll marry a good daughter-in-law who will honor you," Gao Jiazhi said.

Xianghong gave a faint smile, "Whether she honors me isn’t important, as long as she’s good to you."

Then, with concern, Xianghong looked at Gao Jiazhi and said, "Jiazhi, I know you’ve been close with Yongfang since you were young, but you don’t need to cater to her unreasonable demands. She chose her life, and if it turns out well or not, she can’t blame anyone else."

Xianghong didn’t think much of this match, but she was afraid that if Yongfang pleaded with Gao Jiazhi, his soft heart might agree.

"Mom, don’t worry, I’m not fond of Teacher Wang," Gao Jiazhi said.

Xianghong replied, "She’s not a bad person, but she’s divorced and several years older than you."

Gao Jiazhi shook his head, "Teacher Wang seems shrewd and calculating, always with her little schemes; I don’t like that."