The 1970s: The Lin Family's Young Bride Has It Tough

On their wedding night, He Yiqiu found herself facing a room as bare as a snow cave, and her heart sank. The bed they were supposed to share was just an empty frame, without so much as a plank, let alone a mat. He Yiqiu sat on the straw-covered floor as the groom, looking apologetic, told her their engagement was off and she should leave the next day. He warned her she’d live a hard life with him...

He Yiqiu said, “So what if your father doesn’t like us? So what if your older brother and sister-in-law think you’ll never make something of yourself? What’s there to be afraid of? We’ll build a life together, raise fat pigs, and make our days comfortable. A home with everything we need doesn’t appear overnight. It takes time to build one from nothing...”