Been hearing some family history tonight. Some I knew, but I’d never been told that my wife’s grandma committed suicide to “not waste food” so her kids could eat after her family were refused enough for everyone due to having once been petty landlords.
*Sorry, great-grandma
Also learned that while still a teenager my father-in-law was used as slave labour in his village, forced to carry things around on a pole across his shoulders if he wanted to eat. His dad, working in Shanghai, smuggled rice to his wife and son in rural Jiangsu just so they could survive.
Sounds like rural china in 1950s, 60s? Sorry to hear of your grandmother suffering. Hope more of these stories (from anywhere) get out so we all learn from mistakes of the past (anywhere)
Yes, rural Jiangsu. I said my father-in-law should write it all down before it’s forgotten, which is exactly what the Party hopes to happen.
Sad to hear this. Our father erased the existence of our elder brother, who had mental illness, after he committed suicide.