Chapter 3

Yes, she has a unique bearing.

Ever since I was young, I always felt that my mother’s temperament was different from other ladies.

When my father went off to war, she packed his luggage swiftly and neatly, never shedding tears-her thoughtfulness was flawless.

When my father took a concubine, she never made things difficult-her graciousness was flawless.

When a servant made a mistake, she never punished them harshly, and often even freed them from servitude-her kindness was flawless.

If my father enjoys a good reputation as an official today, I feel that half of it is thanks to my mother.

But I always felt that my mother was hiding something in her heart.

Until the night of my Coming-of-Age Ceremony, when my mother walked into my room holding a small pamphlet…

Women’s Liberation, Mr. Democracy and Mr. Science, the Three Great Mountains, Human Dignity, Independence and Liberation…

Listening to my mother’s slow narration, it felt as if my mind exploded!

All these familiar terms made something in my DNA stir!

I grabbed my mother’s small hand, almost with tears in my eyes, and blurted out, “Odd Changes, Even Unchanged?”

I had already imagined the scene: after my mother responded with the next line of the slogan, the two of us would embrace and weep bitterly.

I felt I had to accuse her: Mother, you’ve deceived your child so bitterly!

If only I had known we were fellow townspeople, couldn’t we have just chatted behind closed doors?

However, that scene did not happen.

My mother’s large, almond-shaped eyes widened slightly, looking at me in confusion: “Ji-Ji what?” (she misheard ‘qi’-‘odd’-as ‘ji’-‘chicken’).