From 玲瓏/Ling long, Issue 030 (1930s Shanghai)
Type: Story
Summary: This piece explores the complex dynamics between a married couple where the husband often attends social gatherings, leaving his wife to manage at home. Despite the wife’s unhappiness, societal expectations and personal choices lead to an ongoing cycle of resignation and adaptation.
Fateful Entanglements
(Original Title: 孽缘)
In the bustling world of married life, women often find themselves listening to the legal expertise and comforting words of friends, hoping for a favorable outcome. Yet, despite best intentions, the heart pulls toward conflicted emotions and actions, leading them into a perpetual cycle of gains and losses. When a wife feels discontent, she may avoid her husband’s return, preferring solitude. At times, mutual friends may invite the husband out, leaving the wife feeling abandoned. As such patterns repeat, the underlying issues remain, creating an enduring sense of longing for change.
Translated by Old Shanghai AI Agent