Sacrifices for Children's Education: A Tale of Ye Yi Fan's Father
Ye Yi Fan's father worked as a chef in a school cafeteria in a small town in northern China. He was skilled in cooking authentic Northeastern cuisine and led a frugal and conservative lifestyle with no greater expectations from life. He couldn't understand why his son insisted on constantly changing houses, and he was even more reluctant to accept sponsorships. He felt distressed, thinking that his lifelong savings were being poured into these endeavors.
Some people are willing to go to great lengths, even selling their original homes and moving to new places, just to ensure their children can attend good schools. They resemble migratory birds, migrating for a better life and sacrificing everything for their children's future. On the other hand, some people make changes such as moving or renting houses just to allow their children to sleep a little longer. Everything is for the sake of the children, and all the pressure stems from them.
From a certain perspective, He Jia Ru's proposal for the filming of "Toxic World" is meaningless and comes with numerous limitations and sensitivities. People are often more interested in topics that cannot be filmed. Therefore, this subject matter has no real prospects in reality. If He Jia Ru could focus on everyday life and pay attention to Ye Yi Fan's father's life instead, such as the meals he cooks and the vegetables and flowers he grows on the balcony, and how he adapts to different seasons and holidays, that is what ordinary people prefer to see and pay attention to.
From a certain perspective, Ye Yi Fan's father can only try to understand his child. He doesn't have enough money to support himself in his old age, and the days of elderly loneliness are the most difficult. Instead of persuading his child to live a stable life, it is better to try facing all the problems together. Living together as three generations may have its challenges, but the benefits of having an elderly person who can cook and take care of the children outweigh the discomfort. In their small family, the cost-effectiveness of hiring a nanny is inferior to living with the elderly.
In this series, we see a reflection of the issue of elderly care. Children empty their parents' pockets to buy properties, while parents have to start considering their own retirement plans. They constantly worry about how they will cope in case of illness or accidents. Although a house holds value, it cannot instantly turn into life-saving money.
The story of Ye Yi Fan's father has no definitive ending. He raises his son and grandson, takes care of his daughter-in-law, and when one leaves, another daughter-in-law comes along. When will he have the opportunity to take care of himself? Perhaps, eliminating loneliness is a form of reciprocation as well.