Nanking Store

Family, culture, ambition, and betrayal --- these were all mirrored in the story entitled Nanking Store.

The story was about Linda and Peter who was a married couple and whose relationship was ideal at first but later on, everything changed. This was because the couple still did not have a child after how many years of living together. It was really a must for them to have a child, particularly a son, because Peter’s father was the only survivor of the Zhin family and thus, their family name was in danger of dying out and it would be the worst thing that could happen to a Chinese family, for the bloodline to vanish from the world. Peter would then be the only hope to carry on the family name.

It is true that Chinese family is much concern about preserving their family name because it is of great value for them since it represents their blood tie within a social structure.  This is the reason why Peter’s family wanted Peter to have a child, most especially, a son. But Peter was so pressured because of his family and it came to a point that he was dating a Bisayan bar girl and they had a son.

Linda and Peter already had a problem of not having a child. Now, because of Peter’s eagerness to have a child, Peter had an affair to other woman and betrayed Linda. The problem just became worse. They should have bear in mind that a problem would not be solved by creating another problem. Peter did not consider the consequences of his actions. He was so desperate to have a child and resorted to a wrong act. Although he was so proud of having a son, his parents were not that happy about it because they were conscious on racial purity.

Throughout the story, Linda’s mother-in-law was hostile to her. She would get easily irritated even if Linda had not done any wrong.  Peter’s family did not really like Linda. This situation is also seen in our society today, when in-laws are not that in favor of their son’s wife or daughter’s husband. The reason for this is maybe because they are not yet ready for their son or daughter to be married or they are looking for some qualifications  that their son’s or daughter’s partner should have. But even if some of the in-laws’ standards would not be met, they still have to accept and respect their son’s or daughter’s decision. They should have constant communication and be open to each member of the family to strengthen their bond with one another and to maintain a harmonious relationship.

The story unraveled various lessons that we can apply in our lives. Each character portrayed different personality. Each of them represented someone. Each character was unique. But whatever their personality, they still had their own reasons behind it. We can really never judge the lives of others because each person knows only their own pain and renunciation. As the saying goes, “Don’t judge the book by its cover but rather open it and discover.”

Some conflicts were also presented in the story. Each character faced their own struggles and they had their own way of solving them. In reality, we are also facing our own difficulties. But what matters most is that we should endure until the end. We must remember that life can get hard and things can go wrong, but we have to stand up and stay strong.