Do not think of this as a psychological story. Do not ask what personal motivations drive these characters. This is a sociological story, just one anecdote in a country full of ruthless and vengeful selfishness.

What you're seeing in this story is the consequence of the Cultural Revolution (1965 to 1976). Long context short, Chinese leader Mao Tsetung was facing a Rebellion among the Chinese Communist Politbouro for the rather trivial act of killing sixty million Chinese people by engineering the greatest famine in human history. Rather than go meekly into retirement, Mao (with assistance from the head of the People's Liberation Army) started a countercoup that enlisted China's Post-Revolution generation who were mostly idealistic youths that were dedicated to Mao's desire to finish the Revolution's goals.

These youths formed a militia called the Red Guards, and they targeted older Chinese in traditional positions of authority (professions, community leaders, religious figures, university professors) by denouncing them for so called revanchism. Most of the accusers were employees or students of the accused, and in many cases they were relatives or neighbors. The accused were tortured and dragged into public denunciation meetings to be humiliated for their alleged crimes, destroying their reputations before neighbors and colleagues. Most of those denounced lost their jobs and livelihoods, and were packed off to prison. Some of the humiliated committed suicide. And many died from execution or further rough treatment in Chinese prisons.

Mao's campaign effectively crippled his adversaries, since millions of their loyal cadres were arrested and imprisoned, and much of China came under the de facto control of the Red Guards. But the CR also destroyed Chinese society. Because of the unprecedented mobilization of youth against traditional authority, and the insidious way that the Red Guards were recruited, brainwashed, and weaponized, basic societal trust was completely destroyed. Many people found that it was easier to preemptively accuse or denounce relatives, neighbors, and colleagues to save their own reputations and positions, adding a permanent bias of betrayal to the proceedings.

Chinese youth of this period, both the victims and the perpetrators, were taught that nobody could be trusted, and that you should only look after yourself. Love is an illusion, camaraderie is a lie, and solidarity only exists as an ephemeral mob mentality for mutual enrichment. Everybody cheats everybody else, and if your not trying to win then you're a fool. This attitude permeates every layer of Chinese society, particularly the Communist Party. The cheating girlfriend is only exhibiting this ethical selfishness, having learned it from her peers and elders in a conspiratorial manner.

That's just how China is now. And it could take a century or more for the country to return to its traditions and to regain it's moral grounding.

last edited at Jul 22, 2024 11:51AM

this is way too depressing in my opinion but i like her resolve. altho if it was a guy who said "i will kill her" well, y'all wouldn't be so enthusiastic about this plot

Honestly, I think I still would be. I think the author does a good job portraying how this girl became a leech on someone's heart. I don't even care if she stole the money because there was a sick relative or something.

What she's done and how's she done it are unforgivable to me.

Do not think of this as a psychological story. Do not ask what personal motivations drive these characters. This is a sociological story, just one anecdote in a country full of ruthless and vengeful selfishness.

What you're seeing in this story is the consequence of the Cultural Revolution (1965 to 1976)...

SNIP

That's just how China is now. And it could take a century or more for the country to return to its traditions and to regain it's moral grounding.

Hi uh

Sorry what?

Cause this happened to both the US (Red Scares 1&2) and the Soviets (Stalin's Great Purges), along with the DDR/GDR (basically all of it). And before you say "no it didn't", yeah sure, not exactly as how it happened in China, but it rhymes along the same lines. Patriotic fervour worked up to dispose of the ruling party's political opponents, which extended beyond and spilled over into the wider society due to said fervour.

In those periods and in the immediate aftermath sure there was a weakening of trust, but putting faith, goodwill, and trusting your fellow human is what constructs a society and maintains it. There is still a baseline level of trust present. Some folks may be more paranoid than others in the wake of it, but in what appears to be the setting of the 2010-2020s, if it's due to mao's purges it's going to be in the people who actually lived during those times, not some kids. Human memory is surprisingly short. The cultural revolution to my knowledge is not fondly remembered, and iirc sometimes evoked to accuse someone of political foolishness or wrong doing.

Besides Radical Idealism (aka Neo-Confucianism. I am assuming this is what you mean by tradition) is still alive and present in wider Chinese society, it's the whole reason it's official party line is Socialism with Chinese characterises, and it's currently evolution of Xi Jinping Thought.

I'm not going to touch on the famine stuff because there's a legitimate historical debate to be had if it was considered a acceptable consequence of rapid re-industrialization or if it was a series of misfortune and errors, or if it was planned as you said.

Also what the fuck do you mean by moral grounding?

this is way too depressing in my opinion but i like her resolve. altho if it was a guy who said "i will kill her" well, y'all wouldn't be so enthusiastic about this plot

I can assure you, I’d feel the same way, I literally don’t care about gender. The MC literally got scammed by the shame chick twice, spent 6 years with this woman only to get abandoned and all her money stolen from her

The “gf” fucked around and didn’t find out for long enough bro, it’s fucked up but she fucked around so it’s justified. Tho the MC is actually stupid so if her revenge plan doesn’t work out or she dies beforehand, then I won’t feel bad.

“Both characters are bad so whoever wins doesn’t matter.”
Is the mindset I’ve got for this story, I’m in it to watch how far things’ll go

And I just realized, given how insane the MC is, she could be an unreliable narrator and important details could’ve been left out. idk but I’ll still watch this ship wreck either way

last edited at Jul 23, 2024 3:27PM

Six years of living together and fucking is one hell of a long con to carry out just to steal the savings of a factory worker. Was this just impulsive and opportunistic when she realized how long she'd been stuck with the same sugar momma?

Who knows, I’m feeling it was the latter and she got bored of the MC so she dipped orrr given how mentally unwell the MC is, she could be an unreliable narrator in some aspects

Like maybe she was a bad GF or maybe the girl didn’t even talk to her as if she was her lover and MC got it twisted?

I wonder if we’ll ever get a pov chapter for the scammer

Wait til we have to hear the other girl's side-- but she didn't MEAN to be a scumbag!! For really reals!!! She had a really sad time of it okay /sarcasm

Low key, I would love to see if MC is gonna be portrayed as an unreliable narrator if there will ever be a scammer POVA

This is a sad story for the main character but at one point, one must also learn to protect themselves... So much red flags, starting by the fact that she already got scammed once by her...

Yeah, in a way it was to be expected that she would steal her money eventually.

i saw it a MILE a way that she will be betrayed LMAO

Same, that’s why I don’t feel too bad about MC getting scammed, she’s too easy, and like, I can’t fathom even falling for someone who scammed you out of your money, let alone living with them for 6 years

Anyway, the art's gorgeous.

BTW, I googled the exchange rate, and apparently the amount that she stole is equivalent to about US$14,000. So she didn't exactly get rich off of this.

BTW, I googled the exchange rate, and apparently the amount that she stole is equivalent to about US$14,000. So she didn't exactly get rich off of this.

Excuse my nitpicking, that just happens what I based my entire personality around:

First of all, we need to account in inflation. Assuming the story takes place in the futuristic year of 2006 (based on her mother leaving in 1984) ¥117'600 would equal about ¥176'428, which is more like 24 grand. Additionally, roughly approximating living costs via the BigMac index, these have a 50~100% higher relative spending power. So whilst it might not seem much, it's a rather realistic estimate for what a single-income lower-middle class household can build in savings over 3 to 6 years.

last edited at Jul 24, 2024 4:03PM

yurifan97 posted:

Our mc sorta rarted aint she?

Don't use the word "rarted," thanks.

last edited at Jul 26, 2024 6:02PM

yurifan97 posted:

Our mc sorta rarted aint she?

Don't use the word "rarted," thanks.

I had never heard the word before; seems to be new slang? You might want to explain why it's banned.

yurifan97 posted:

Our mc sorta rarted aint she?

Don't use the word "rarted," thanks.

I had never heard the word before; seems to be new slang? You might want to explain why it's banned.

I've never seen it before either but my assumption is they mean retarded, that's what it reads as to me

BTW, I googled the exchange rate, and apparently the amount that she stole is equivalent to about US$14,000. So she didn't exactly get rich off of this.

Excuse my nitpicking, that just happens what I based my entire personality around:

First of all, we need to account in inflation. Assuming the story takes place in the futuristic year of 2006 (based on her mother leaving in 1984) ¥117'600 would equal about ¥176'428, which is more like 24 grand. Additionally, roughly approximating living costs via the BigMac index, these have a 50~100% higher relative spending power. So whilst it might not seem much, it's a rather realistic estimate for what a single-income lower-middle class household can build in savings over 3 to 6 years.

I actually really appreciate those kinds of details, so thanks!

PLEASE tell me there's more of this, this was gorgeous