Some words for women

 　　Data shows that in 80% of Chinese families, women age faster than men. Chinese women are far more likely to suffer from depression than men.

　　In the past, it was often said that a woman's virtue lay in her lack of talent. Women in the old society, before marriage, were as innocent and carefree as pearls; after marriage, these pearls turned into fish eyes, becoming harsh and materialistic, increasingly focused on money as they aged. This is because women in the past lacked the right to education, were bound by the "Three Obediences and Four Virtues," and had no personal freedom. In their youth, they were protected by their parents and brothers, but after marriage, they had to care for their husbands and in-laws, raise children, and share the family's finances. Throughout history, there has been no shortage of stories like Chen Shimei (a notorious
　　figure in Chinese folklore known for abandoning his wife and children), nor of irresponsible and shameless men who would sell their wives and children. Even today, when women are considered to hold up half the sky, there are still many blatantly chauvinistic men who expect to be waited on hand and foot, easily angered and even physically abusive, as if women are inherently inferior. They have an insatiable sense of self-importance and still openly hold the robber logic that a woman's family is paramount, that you are a woman and should sacrifice for your family, and that not having children makes you incomplete. People who hold this view should be left to remain bachelors for life.
　　Many girls still cling to a misguided sense of responsibility. They lack the ambition to live a fulfilling life independently, mistaking constraint for security and endless, misunderstood sacrifices for love. They feel obligated to sympathize with, protect, and tolerate men, continuing to pay for their selfish, incompetent men, doing their laundry and cooking, struggling alongside them (in reality, alone) to build a future and single-handedly support the family. They resemble women of the old era, oppressed by both society and men, aging rapidly, bearing too much of life's hardships and responsibilities, almost solely fulfilling obligations, taking on their husbands' duties without exercising any rights, as if exercising rights is an evil act—is this the lingering influence of old societal thinking? Because women in the old society were treated like commodities, indeed possessing little right. Look at the seven grounds for divorce: unable to bear children, get out; contracting a serious illness, rendered unusable, get out; I take a concubine, you're jealous; you have feelings; you can laugh and talk as you please, get out… None of these seem like demands on a person. A machine is discarded when it breaks; you can marry as many as you want, I don't care. This is demanding things from a person without any rights. This feeling of "you have no right, you don't deserve it" is the greatest disrespect to a person. Too much hardship will wear away all the beauty in a woman. So please don't treat yourself that way. Use that misplaced sense of responsibility on your career and life. Love is just an embellishment, something to nourish. I always believe that the qualities of water are superior to those of swift action. If women can focus on their careers and not completely sacrifice themselves for their families, they can create more fulfilling value than men.
　　No one should be responsible for another person's life. Even with my parents, I refuse to let them be responsible for me in that way. Complete responsibility isn't love; it's a form of kidnapping and abuse. You forgive me while simultaneously criticizing me because you feel you have that right. So women shouldn't do wrong things, and shouldn't be unconditionally responsible for a man or a child, especially when you don't have a legal relationship.
　　Don't be a parasite, either financially or emotionally dependent. Don't let your life revolve around only one man during the best years of your life. Don't let your vibrant youth be filled with nothing but TV dramas and romance novels... Although many people tell you girls don't need to work so hard, I want to tell you that every path in life is tiring. Whether you choose to marry for a stable life or become a strong person and create value for society, you must ensure you can live well on your own. Only then will you find true love, and marriage won't be a mere shell. Don't dwell on this; think about the new marriage law. Many say everyone's youth is filled with confusion, but I want to tell you, the sooner you wake up, the better. The earlier a girl matures and perseveres, the brighter her future will be. Don't drift through life aimlessly, and don't believe any excuses for youth—they're just fig leaves.
　　Perhaps you're thirty and still see yourself as a little girl, yearning for security and protection. Perhaps you're eighteen and feel young, but you're truly not young anymore. Being precocious, insightful, and mature beyond your years is far better than simply growing older without developing intelligence. May time bestow upon you wisdom, not an ever-growing sense of materialism, pessimism, and despair.
　　Let me end with the words of Sanmao: "I hope you grow into a tree, utterly silent and proud, never relying on anyone, never seeking anything."