As promised in my previous writing, today I will conclude Wang Lining’s story.
After her daughter’s hurtful words, Wang dragged herself back to her room and cried uncontrollably. Living on the 17th floor, she opened the window, threw one leg outside, and was ready to jump. At that moment, a question pierced her mind: "What will happen to my daughter if I die?" This made her pull her leg back.
She locked herself in her room for several days while her daughter sang outside, celebrating her newfound freedom. By the fourth day, Wang began asking herself a crucial question: "What’s wrong with me?" For the first time, she questioned her own actions. In the past, she always believed others were at fault. Now, she thought, "There must be something wrong with me; otherwise, how could I have raised a child like this?" With this realization, a strong desire to understand herself emerged. She reached out to friends, asking them to find courses on parenting, child psychology, and counseling.
Wang attended a five-day course, during which she realized she had committed every mistake the instructor warned against. Deeply regretful, she knew what she had to do immediately: apologize to her daughter, something she had never done before.
When Wang returned home, her daughter remarked, "How come you don't look as annoying as before?" Wang immediately knelt down before her and said, "I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. I know I’ve been wrong." She recounted each incident where she had failed as a mother. "Can you forgive me and give me another chance to learn how to be a better mom?"
Hearing this, her daughter admitted that she had felt terrible over the past few days, feeling like a truly bad person. But she continued, "I couldn’t admit defeat. If I did, you’d completely control me, and I’d have to obey you for the rest of my life."
Wang gently replied, "Let’s forget the past and forgive each other. Let’s start it all over again, as if you were just born today." Her 16-year-old daughter smiled, a childish grin that hadn’t been seen for ages.
It took both of them four years to play catchup work. Her daughter eventually caught up academically and was accepted into the prestigious Beijing Film Academy (北京电影学院), one of the top film institutes in China.
The most touching part of their journey is this: Wang changed so completely that her daughter began to doubt whether this woman was truly her mother. She often asks, "Tell me some stories from my childhood or what one of my birthday events," just to confirm her identity. "If you’re not my real mom, I’ll find her. I want my real mom back, no matter how flawed she is."
A Chinese saying "浪子回头金不换" (Làng zǐ huí tóu jīn bù huàn) means "A prodigal son returning home is worth more than gold." It captures the essence of transformation and redemption, emphasizing that the value of reconciliation and personal growth is beyond material wealth.
Wang Lining’s journey with her daughter shows that if you want to change your child, you must first change yourself. What started as a painful, zero-sum conflict between them transformed into a win-win bond, built on mutual understanding and growth.
Ultimately, their story reminds us that the ties of family, especially between mother and child, are unbreakable. No matter the conflict, nothing can sever this bond. Wang’s transformation wasn’t just about her career or her role as a mother—it was about rediscovering the love that had always been there, waiting to heal.
In the end, children have the remarkable ability to change their parents’ lives for the better—if the parents are willing to embrace that change.