#18: Why Do Women Make Things Hard for Other Women?

One weekend, Lin Zhiyi drove us out to play during the day, and by evening, he was so tired that he collapsed on the sofa to rest.

After Xinbao and I finished washing up, we went to call him to get up and wash up too.

Xinbao called out to him, “Dad, hurry up and go brush your teeth and wash your face.”

Lin Zhiyi didn’t respond at all.

Xinbao said to me, “You try calling Dad.”

I said, “Da Lin, get up. Hurry and brush your teeth, wash your face, and sleep.”

“Oh—okay,” Lin Zhiyi replied.

I said, “Go now.”

Then he got up and went to the bathroom.

Then I saw Xinbao pout and say with a look of dissatisfaction, “Why does Dad listen to you and not me?”

Oh! So she was jealous!

“Probably because I’ve been with him for sixteen years, and you’ve only been with him for six. Those extra ten years I spent with him weren’t for nothing.”

Xinbao said stubbornly, “Then I’ll be with him for twenty years, no! A hundred years!”

“Alright, alright! We’ll both be with him for a hundred years.”

I stopped arguing with her since she’s just a child! As Lin Zhiyi once said, “Adults don’t hold grudges against children.”

When we were traveling in Guangzhou, Xinbao suddenly asked me, “If I and Dad get lost, who would you look for first?”

Seeing my stunned expression, Lin Zhiyi teased from the side, “It’s over! The classic ‘who to save if they fall into the river’ question has appeared so early.”

I thought for a moment and answered Xinbao, “I won’t let this situation happen.” Both are equally important!

Xinbao insisted, “I’m just assuming, if! Just answer!”

I said, “I’ll look for you first.”

Xinbao immediately looked pleased and then asked me, “Why?”

I said, “Because Dad is an adult, he’s smarter, and he can find his way home by himself.”

“Uh...”

This kid thought I loved her more, but unexpectedly, her intelligence was discriminated against.

In April one year, we went on a spring outing to Mount Jiuru in Jinan. After getting on the high-speed train, Lin Zhiyi reminded me to put away my ID card.

Xinbao asked, “Is the ID card important?”

I said, “Of course, the most important things when going out are the ID card, phone, and wallet.”

Xinbao became dissatisfied and asked, “Doesn’t the baby matter?”

I laughed and said, “The baby is the most important luggage.”

Only then did Xinbao reveal a satisfied smile.

After getting off the high-speed train, we had a meal at a restaurant near the station.

The cold dishes came first.

I said to Xinbao, “Look, these are Dad’s favorite shredded potatoes and Mom’s favorite shredded tofu.”

Xinbao calmly continued playing with her phone and said, “The baby doesn’t like either.”

I said, “You’re so old now, how can you still call yourself a baby?”

Xinbao said, “Dad still calls you a baby!”

“...” I had no strength to refute her.

Mount Jiuru was in full bloom with spring flowers. We climbed the mountain, walked along the plank paths, admired the spring flowers, listened to the waterfalls, and felt our hearts open and relax.

In the evening, back at the hotel, thinking about how much walking we did during the day, a bath would feel very comfortable.

So, I invited Xinbao to take a bath with me.

“Not taking a bath today.”

Unexpectedly, she refused.

I persuaded her, “You sweated during the day; taking a bath will feel good.”

She proudly said, “I make decisions for my own body; it has nothing to do with you.”

I said, “How can it have nothing to do with me? You’re my child. If you’re not feeling well, I’ll have a stomachache.”

She continued proudly, “No matter what. Be a strong woman inside.”

“...”

Be a Strong Woman Inside was a book in the hotel. I had picked it up casually to read earlier, but I didn’t expect her to understand it without any guidance.

Lin Zhiyi commented, “Why do women make things hard for other women?”