Apr 06 2007
Tongyangxi 童养媳
A child daughter-in-law raised by the family of her future husband. Tantamount to indentured servitude, it was a traditional arrangement born of convenience and necessity. The young girl would sold to a richer family for labour first, then in the future, would be married to the son, yuanfang 圆房. The girl was both an adopted daughter and free labor. This was eradicated after 1949.
My wet nurse Jin Quanzhen 金全真 was a tongyangxi. She was originally a Wang, from Anhui. When she was only 12 years old, to elimiate a mouth or burden, she was sold to the family Jin, and eventually married Jin Quanming. Jin was a distant relative to Popo.
1959-61 was the three years famine, my family was much better off than the rest: Lucy sent oil, milk powder, sugar, rice, flower .. to us from Hong Kong every other month. My mom was never domesticated, she would change six blouses a day, and someone else would have to pick them up, wash and fold. Nainai had no child of her own, wanted me with her very much. .. So we hired Quanzhen. Every one was happy. Mom worked hard in Zhongguancun, Nainai got to go play mom, Quanzhen just had her fifth kid now found a job ..