Women: A Journey of Self-Rescue and Reclaiming Freedom

Why, in Chinese horror, are the most terrifying ghosts female, often clad in bridal attire? It's because the ones sacrificed are always women, their true sufferings—rooted in poverty, illness, and marital misfortune—strike directly at the soul. But they're not really ghosts; they're my sisters who've yet to experience happiness. If Western horror is about one consuming many, how many does it take to consume one in Chinese horror? Others may don happy silver earrings, marking the start of a longed-for marriage; she, however, dresses in her mother's bridal gown, facing her own abyss. Do you remember the once viral Yi wedding video, featuring a young, attractive couple where the bride seemed unhappy? The comment section criticized her dissatisfaction even with such a handsome partner, asking what more she could want, suggesting it's fine to marry first, love later. But how is this different from arranged marriages of the past? Her sorrow isn't just about losing her virginity and a beloved lover; it's about the helplessness and despair of not controlling her own fate. If lucky, it's love after marriage; if not, it could end in decades of domestic abuse. Who would want their life's fate in the hands of parents and a husband, akin to a transaction?

If parents consider only their gains and losses in this transaction, ignoring the bride's feelings, then conforming out of sensibility and filial piety means one could indeed be trapped in the mountains for life. Some ask lightly, why not resist? Open your eyes and see—she sits there, witnessing the despair under feudalism, too exhausted to resist. She stands barefoot in a thicket of thorns, each step taken with difficulty! Young woman, please live for yourself, and do not lose your freedom in life anymore. Young woman, when others ask you to consider them, first ask who considers you? Young woman, you must save yourself from peril over and over again!