In the book, the female supporting role dreams of being an idle fish

"I have two younger sisters and a younger brother. Luckily, in those days, families didn't have to send their children to school. As long as they had enough food and warm clothes, that was all they needed."

"He doesn't eat the family rations, so I continue to earn a cent. But no matter how much I work, the family is never satisfied. My husband has to pay extra for meals when he comes home. I don't want to do that. I say I work hard in the fields, too. People say why would brothers bother with such things?"

"I just endured it. But it was not long before, in just two years, his two younger sisters got married. The third year, his younger brother also got married. My husband paid the bride price. I made a scene the day after the new bride came home."

"At that time, I had already given birth to my eldest son and was pregnant with another child. I don't know where I got the courage from. I told their family that if we could survive, they would separate us, but if not, I would leave with the baby in my belly."

"The family didn't believe it at all. I'm not one to swallow my anger. It happened that the Japanese invaders were passing through the country at that time. Many shops in the county town were empty. The owners were all killed by the Japanese invaders."

"I was 19 that year. I had just lived in their home for a few days when I gave birth. After that, I ate all the food in the house for only three days."

"My husband found the three of us. He's a filial man. He asked me to go home and apologize to his mother. But why should I? I walked out of that village step by step on my own. Why should I follow him back? We parted on bad terms."

"After I gave birth and the bleeding was almost over, I went to find a shop with a manager and became a clerk. I learned to write because I needed to keep accounts."

"I worked as a waiter every day, carrying my child on my back. Less than a month later, my mother-in-law from the countryside came. She pulled and beat me, asking me to go back. I even broke a bowl."

"My mother-in-law got even angrier. In that village, smashing a bowl means losing a person and a family. In my case, it meant my husband died, so we fought each other."

"That cowardly man was watching from the side. He saw his own mother beating me. The shopkeeper I worked for had three rooms and a backyard. The shopkeeper was accompanying the second wife back to attend the funeral. It was right here."

"I begged the shopkeeper. I took my wages for that month, all my savings, and my two children and came here."

"The boss in charge at the time was very fond of learning and required everyone under him to do the same. I was no exception. Because I had a little experience as a clerk, I learned the fastest."

"Naturally, I was pushed to the forefront. Later, I became a lecturer. I also experienced a lot. My husband found us and came here. I always said that I was a widow."

"Suddenly a man came to me. There were a lot of people who laughed at me. I thought about it. Maybe I'll remarry when my second child is older and more capable."

"I never thought my husband from my hometown would come looking for me. But he did. He coaxed my eldest son into accepting him. At that time, I had a job, but he didn't."

"Everyone was trying to reconcile us instead of breaking up. That's how we ended up living together. I sold some of the things I no longer valued. I found him a job."

"If he stays, I'll be the only one to receive his monthly salary. Once a person is willing to take risks, after the first time, there will naturally be a second and a third time."

"I went from being an illiterate village girl to a lecturer. I became the coveted azalea that everyone wanted to get their hands on. I was supported by others. My husband and child were also supported by me."

"Those chaotic years passed quickly. Our country was declared independent, but those things didn't fade away from history just by being declared. Four more years of this kind of life went on. Finally, it was over."

"I used the money I had saved to buy a job. My husband also found a way and got a job as a transport driver. He went out, sometimes for longer hours, sometimes for shorter hours."

"I don't care at all. I'm no longer the country girl I used to be. I only have two children. I don't know how many children he has. But his salary must be firmly in my hands."

"It doesn't matter where a person is. As long as he's alive and can make money, that's all. He has a child with him, so he has to raise it. He can't not raise it. He can even raise his brother's child. Why can't he raise his own child?"

"Later, a job change brought me here. No one knew my past. I was a vegetable-cutting maid in a landlord's house. I had a clean record. One of the people who were exploited."

"No one will know about the transactions during those years. If I don't tell you, you won't know either. The reason I'm telling you is because I can see that there must be something wrong in your life with Jiang Wen."

"Actually, my relationship with Jiang Wen's father is very simple. I don't live in our family compound. I live on the other side. One morning, after I collected food, I was robbed. Jiang Wen's father gave me half of the food he collected and then sent me back home."

"It's that simple. Food is life-saving. I've never paid it back. I don't plan to pay it back."

"To be honest, I'm not thinking about having anything to do with him. I just feel that I should reach out when I should. I took care of Jiang Xiu when she was a child."

"My husband and I are both very good at disguising ourselves. So there are no rumors. To me, there is no difference between you now and me back then."

"I can only tell you that sometimes being too kind will only hurt yourself. How can someone who always gets first place in the exam be a reckless person? This storm has been going on for several years."

"When it's time to protect yourself, you must protect yourself. You must not get involved in things that you shouldn't get involved in. Your most important thing right now is to teach your class well every day."

"Go home, clean up the house. Take care of the three children. Home and children. Just these few words. It's enough to keep you busy all day long. But Jiang Xiu is a good girl. She will help. That child is weak and can be bullied."

"I can see that you want to manage your relationship well. Then you can't treat anyone in the Jiang family badly. It's two years before Jiang Xiu graduates from middle school. You must have a child."

"Without children, you can separate at any time. But with children, things are different. How exactly is it different? I can't tell you right away. You need to experience it yourself later."

"Jiang Wen's job is only his temporarily. In another seven years, Jiang Huainan will have grown up. We need to consider these issues when the time comes. We can't turn back when we hit a wall. It will be too late."