The things sold at my family’s place fall into two categories: cooked noodles and similar foods, and liangpi (凉皮, cold rice noodles). That’s why we have two stalls. There used to be a third one, actually, selling stir-fried dishes, but after my father passed away, we couldn’t keep it going. I
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How did Xiaoxingxing come to realize this?
All my relatives are petit bourgeois. Whenever the family divides up my grandmother’s inheritance, they bicker over every little detail and end up arguing bitterly. They used to be as close-knit as could be.
I took a look, and it seems your mother is actually pretty busy running a stall. I was also quite surprised—and pleasantly so—that you managed to persuade her to go work at a factory, because for many comrades, struggles with their families don’t usually go as smoothly as yours did.
I wonder how Xinhuo has been lately. Has he talked with you about anything?
The class character is right there, after all: on the one hand, there’s the petty bourgeoisie’s tendency to compromise; on the other, there’s no social status to inherit, so the goals won’t be particularly lofty either. I don’t know much about Xinhuo’s specific circumstances—we generally don’t talk privately.
A smooth life is not necessarily a good thing. What matters most is whether, in one’s own thinking, one is willing to struggle—whether life is comfortable or oppressive. If comfort is the predominant condition, one won’t persist in struggle; even if one does struggle, it will only be to make oneself more comfortable. If oppression is the predominant condition, then one will certainly seek ways to overthrow it. The key is still to follow the path of proletarianization and undergo reform through labor.