I'm Qiao Yingzi. I have a pretty unreliable dad and a very forceful, controlling mom.
I used to have a happy family, but six years ago, when I was about to start middle school, my dad divorced my mom.
At the time, Mom told me it was because Dad had another woman and had abandoned us. But I still felt that Dad had just been unable to put up with Mom's restrictions anymore, so he wanted to escape from our family.
I thought that because our family seemed to be the opposite of most families.
Like those textbook passages we read in elementary school: a father's love was like a mountain, while a mother's love was like water.
Most of the time, though, in many families, that mountain of a father's love was the kind that never moved.
It seemed that after a busy day, most dads took it for granted that Mom would look after them, and only played with the kids when they had some free time.
That was why they weren't especially attentive when caring for their children. It had even led to the saying that when there was no danger around, Dad was the greatest danger.
Still, no matter what, a responsible dad braved the elements for his family, like a warrior fighting for them.
Of course, there were harmonious families, too. My childhood friend Fang Hou's parents, for instance. His dad was the lubricant that smoothed over the little clashes between Fang Hou and his mom.
At first, my dad had also worked hard outside the home to provide for us. When he came home, he helped Mom take care of the household.
I didn't know when it started—probably after our family became wealthy. Dad became like the men in those stories who turned bad