More than ten years ago, when I revisited "The Gate of the Mansion", I was puzzled by the second grandmother's return of Xiangling to the Guan family, and felt that she was too naïve.
However, looking back on this episode, I realized that the second grandmother's decision was not simple, and the considerations behind her were far more complex than they seemed on the surface.
After taking over the family responsibility from Old Man Bai, the second grandmother spent just a few years to develop the family business thriving.
In Beijing, when it comes to the second grandmother of the Bai family, everyone praises her as an outstanding female entrepreneur.
The invasion of the Eight-Nation Alliance plunged the city of Beijing into chaos, and for the safety of the whole family, the second grandmother decided to lead them to Xi'an for refuge.
At this critical moment, the Guan family had a situation where they wanted to ask for Xiangling. Although the second grandmother was very reluctant to make this decision, she still chose to return Xiangling to the Guan family after careful consideration.
Because Xiangling is Guan Shaoxin's relative after all, it is natural for her to return to the Guan family. At the same time, she also took the opportunity to push Bai Yaping to the Guan family.
Some people may wonder why the second grandmother pushed Bai Yaping to the Guan family at this time, although Guan Shaoxin was not friendly to her?
Behind this decision is deliberate: Bai Yaping, as Guan Shaoxin's wife, has a discordant relationship with her husband and frequently returns to her parents' home, which leads to tension between the husband and wife.
Therefore, the second grandmother hopes to use this opportunity to promote the reconciliation between Bai Yaping and Guan Shaoxin. If the two can get back together, it will undoubtedly be a gratifying thing for the second grandmother.
In addition, the second grandmother has always been unwilling to offend the Guan family. Bai Yaping once lived in her mother's house with her children, and often came and went to the yard of her second grandmother.
Once, in order to amuse Bai Jingqi, she threw her child up and caught it, but unexpectedly Bai Sanye suddenly broke in, and the child unfortunately fell to death.
Although this has nothing to do with the second grandmother, she still feels guilty about the Guan family. Therefore, when the Guan family asked for the return of Xiangling, she hoped to repair the relationship with the Guan family through this move.
More importantly, she hopes to provide a guarantee for Bai Yaping's old age. She knows that it is better to dissolve hatred than to forge a new one.
Xiangling was abused by her stepmother when she was a child and was scarred. If it weren't for Bai Jingqi smuggling her back to the Bai family, I'm afraid she would have been dead a long time ago.
Therefore, in the face of the Guan family's request, Xiangling never considered going back with them, and she had lingering palpitations. She is determined to follow Bai Yaping, because no matter where Bai Yaping is, she will be by her side.
Her firm attitude made it impossible for the Guan family to refute. Obviously, the Guan family has a prominent status, and Xiangling is already an adult, so it's time to think about her future. The second grandmother's decision not only considered the family relationship, but also considered Xiangling's future.
If the second grandmother finds another mother-in-law to give Xiangling, it will undoubtedly be unjustifiable. She regards Xiangling as her own, and naturally hopes that she will have a bright future.
In those days, a woman's future was often tied to marriage. Therefore, the real purpose of the second grandmother is to find a happy marriage for Xiangling, which is why she agreed to Bai Yaping to accompany her to the Guan family.
However, the second grandmother didn't expect that Guan Shaoxin would abandon Bai Yaping and flee Beijing with her family. In the end, Bai Yaping was insulted by the foreign soldiers attracted by Bai Sanye, but the second grandmother's good intentions brought misfortune.
The responsibility does not lie with the second grandmother or Bai Yaping, but with the cruelty to women in that chaotic era. Bai Yaping's experience made the second grandmother's heart twist.
She wanted to make up for Bai Yaping, but unexpectedly put her in a deeper predicament. Although Bai Yaping's later life is still healthy, this is inseparable from the care of the second grandmother.
Even after the death of the second grandmother, Bai Yaping followed closely behind, as if they could continue to accompany each other in another world. Perhaps, in heaven, they will not be hurt and suffer, and they can be together forever.