Double-sided tape

Author: Liu Liu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features: All women who have been wives and mothers-in-law, as well as men who suffer from the "double-edged sword" pressure, should read this! Liu Liu's controversial family drama novel is sure to leave you deeply moved! The story tells of a tragic family conflict between a Northeastern mother-in-law and a Shanghai wife. The mother-in-law-son-in-law relationship has always been a complex one—men caught in the middle, like double-sided tape, must wonder how to navigate it? In Yaiping's eyes, his wife is an extension of himself, within his domain of authority, someone he can negotiate with. But with his mother, he can only bow his head and obey. Some things, he knows his mother's words will surely upset his wife, but he can't say to his mother, "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll show you!" This kind of fierce anger, these words laced with subtle threats, can only be directed at his wife, the one he shares his bed with and may spend his life with. There's an old saying about the hierarchy of family roles: with his wife, they are equal; but with his mother, he must be humble, grateful, and obedient. There's no room for logic with his mother. The hardest job in the world is juggling multiple roles—you can be a good husband and a good son, but not both at the same time.
A Shanghai girl named Li Juan marries Yaiping, a Northeastern man who stayed in Shanghai after graduating from university. With the help of his mother-in-law, Yaiping buys a house in Shanghai and starts a family. Before his parents arrived, Yaiping was the epitome of a perfect Shanghai husband—caring, attentive, and deeply devoted to his wife. Their little family was filled with warmth and love. But after his mother-in-law's arrival, the cozy life begins to change dramatically. The mother-in-law, with her strong traditional views, tries to influence and reshape her daughter-in-law according to her own way of life. These ideas clash completely with Li Juan's modern lifestyle, and the conflicts between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law escalate daily, turning them into bitter enemies.