Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 3 - 2017 | Page 381

Another five years passed by, and Dinglan had never stepped foot inside of the city walls, only until when she was informed that
Mr. Liu had been seriously ill and was on the brink of death. Wearing her best domed skirts, made fuller by deep ruffles, Dinglan,
with her preferred name Daisy, took her first steps into the city. With the influence of Western culture, Daisy was surprised how
faded her sense of humiliation had been of that unforgettable incident. To some extent, Daisy even found it disgusting when she
came across a woman with lotus feet passing by in her sedan.
Driven by the sense of responsibility, Daisy decided to move back to take care of her deathly-ill father. As she arrived at the
mansion, she met her nieces, the daughters of Dingxiang, for the first time.
“Chunmei and Daidi, greet your Aunt Dinglan.” Dingxiang, who wore a silky dress with sophisticated details, elegantly ordered
her four-and three-year-old daughters. The twin girls bowed immediately. Daisy had no intention to correct Dingxiang or the
girls; moreover, she had thought that Dingxiang had been leading a joyous life for the past five years. On the other hand,
Dingxiang was impressed with Daisy’s Westernized outfit.
“How have you been?” The two sisters asked each other simultaneously. When they looked at each other as memories were
brought to mind, tears welled up in their eyes.
“Having a rough time” was an understatement to describe what Dingxiang had been gone through in the past few years. As the
eldest son of the patriarchal family, Dingxiang’s husband blamed Dingxiang for being sonless after giving birth to two daughters
and took this as an excuse to marry a mistress two years ago. The status of Dingxiang in the family was at stake. The situation got
even worse when the mistress gave birth to a son a year ago. These all had been too overwhelming, in which Dingxiang did not
know where to start. Daisy noticed the sorrow in the eyes of Dingxiang and instantly realized her sister was not living as well as
she thought.
“Why don’t you leave?” Daisy questioned Dingxiang sympathetically after hearing her story, “You are the daughter of Liu’s, and
you can live an extraordinary life without him.” Dingxiang was puzzled with what her sister was suggesting. It was a disgrace or
even a humiliation to the family for a traditional Chinese woman to get divorced. Daisy understood her worries and said, “No
one can diminish your sense of worthiness without your permission. And we, Liu’s daughters, deserve to determine our own
sense of ourselves, instead of being influenced by others. This is your own journey of life, and you should declare your right to
the pursuit of happiness. The world is your oyster, and it is up to you to find the pearls. Come with me, and let us explore the
world outside these walls.”
These trips to the foreign concession were journeys of rediscovery of the sense of self for Dingxiang. Within a month, she had
talked to an Italian Catholic pastor, shook hands with a British sailor, and met a French businessman. Her world has been
changed. Not only did she reformulate her narrowed view of women’s life and understand her unresolved trauma from her
marriage, she also regained her confidence in facing her damaged marriage.
One day, when the two sisters were just about to leave for another visit to the foreign concessions, a servant rushed in and told
the sisters that Master Liu’s health was deteriorating rapidly. Dingxiang and Daisy felt so helpless in front of the deathbed of their