Footprints of Change Episode 15

Working against feudal thinking

The director is trying to push Yang’s promotion and Wen is the only holdout. She argues like Yang with him but she makes no more progress. He tells her to let the committee decide. This is a two edged sword for her. She swings it often to bend other’s wills but now that it swings against her she is frustrated. Wen has a very cute daughter. Yi was quite patient with her when the child was restless waiting on dad. Seems she likes art too but Wen refused Yi giving her a sketchbook because he doesn’t want it seen as a bribe. At the hospital Wen wants to tell the nurse he’s not interested but she gets called away by her job. Yang makes excuse to see Qing. I want to find it cute but still struggling. My bias against him is quite strong. It is interesting to me that he chose the same gift as Wen for Yi, a pen. Here he wants Qing to practice her calligraphy. He has invented his own style. This was a surprise for me that gives me a bit of hope for him. He did not want to just be seen as a master’s copier. He wanted anything he wrote down to be recognized as his work specifically. I did not expect one so zealot in behavior could have an understanding and appreciation of individuality. This is the first time I have something in agreement with him. Our handwriting and signature is how we can be seen on paper. It lets the world see our style and personality on paper. Wen gave Yi Yuan’s interrogation file and his final letter. It was a hard gift to receive but it gave her an insight to his last thoughts. Yang and Qi cornered her about going to a meeting and Yi surprised them by saying yes. I found it humerous that Qing tries to have him learn an inside voice instead of yelling. She is the first one to counter his complaints about the dark with why didn’t you bring them? He had to reflect for a moment. He brought candles and expected her to have the matches.😂He sees her as his complement and she really is. Usually this is where I get a warm fuzzy at a budding romance, but I can’t get past the stereo shrieking they will do.😝😂 Maybe they will both learn inside voices. Yi shares her husband’s last letter instead of the prepped speech Yang had written out for her. I like that she both respected and defied their attempts on interpreting her public thoughts. In the workshop a granny comes in and starts beating on a young worker. Her husband died early and she had remarried. The first mother in law counted it a betrayal because their custom was to stay single for the rest of their days after husband died. Here is where Yi stood up all pro party lines. Too bad director wasn’t there to witness. She forcefully told the Gma that in new China the feudal ways were no longer the standard. That they were allowed marriage and the freedom to work and make their place within the party. Here the first bit of understanding why the old regime was ousted. These were her own pet peeves with men ordering her about— deciding who and when she could marry, and claiming her inheritance, work and earnings for themselves. Now women were on an equal status for work. The new girl is the one that told on the young girl’s whereabouts. They were from the same town and new girl thought that was a way to diminish competition. Yi catches her in the act of gossiping and calls her on it. The Gma has actually started a brawl on the work floor and is escorted out. Qing and the leader hold her to task for gossiping against the widowed martyr. Here is where they missed what should have been addressed. The old woman trying to enslave a young girl to family tradition and feudal thinking. Here is where the party showed they were of like ilk because they did not value Yi as a person, but as the wife of a revered martyr. I think they expect her to keep that status indefinitely. Qing asking if she was so naive about rumors. However, in spite of her coarse criticism she is right. Lies told often become truth to the masses that don’t care or bother about what is really true. The irony is she never considered repeated accusations by the party made false evidence believed as truth. It’s the flip side of the coin. Yang has received a job offer as a reporter and Wen is all for it. As he re aligns the sofa doilies he is practically doing a happy dance that Yang will be gone and in a job where he can’t be as harmful to others with his judgments. The director tries to corner Wen about begging for Yang to stay. Wen is not biting and now director can feel what it’s like to be manipulated by party job offers. Qing has made herself Yi’s personal assistant. She wants to stick like glue to her. Yi questions why. I think there is a low key desire to learn how to date from someone she respects. Yi sees her as an extension of Yang’s monitoring and Qing can’t deny it. When Qing won’t leave, Yi does. Yi is appreciating the new freedoms in the workplace due to new leadership. But the strings attached monitoring of all things personal wears at her soul. This is why she told Wen she is appreciating the party more but sees herself better as one who watches the watchers. I love her determination to take the difficult but most true path for herself. She will follow nobody blindly. Aunt SiYun and her father taught her that very early on. She has her aunt’s spine and determination to follow a course of her choosing. She is starting to find it.

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