The Young Widower Goes to the Grave (Matriarchal Society)

The first day of the first lunar month.

Every household hung red lanterns outside their door. The young widower had nothing at home: bedding as thin as a brick, a room cold as an ice cellar, and a bare yard. Anyone who saw it felt sorry for him.

He sat alone in the yard, washing clothes. His hands were red from scrubbing and icy cold, just like his heart. The more he washed, the sadder he became.

His wife had died just after he married into the family. They said he brought death to his wife and mother. The great injustice weighed on him so heavily that he could hardly breathe.

Theme: Independence and self-reliance