In a few days it will be Thanksgiving. The school will be out for a week. Zhang Tianming returned home to visit his mom and dad. He flew to Boston and his father drove to the airport to pick him up. In the car, father and son started talking.

ZF: Tianming, busy this semester?

Z: It is OK. It is just that sometimes the Chinese class has a bit too much work to do.

ZF: How about the computer class?

Z: I did not take computer classes.

ZF: Why? You know that relying on your Chinese and history classes, in the future you can't make much money. If you want to find an "iron rice bowl", you will have to study engineering and technology. Otherwise, listen to your mother, studying medicine is OK too.

Z: But my interests are not there.

ZF: You need to know that, livelihood relies on money, and not interests.

Z: But some things you can't even buy with money.

ZF: Now, now, let's not talk about these things anymore. Tianming, still remember Huimin?

Z: Of course I do. Isn't she Uncle Li's daughter?

ZF: Right. This time you are back, go and look her up. It is best that you clarify your relationship.

Z: Dad...

ZF: I know that you have a girlfriend at school. But she is an American!

Z: I am also an American!

ZF: But first and foremost you are a Chinese. Chinese marry Chinese, right? Orientals and westerners have different living habits. You see, Tianhua and Tom broke up exactly on account of their different cultural backgrounds.

Z: Dad. The reason they parted is because of Tom's drinking and not because of cultural backgrounds. Furthermore, I am no longer a child. My business I myself know how to deal with. Don't you concern yourself with it anymore.

READING

Zhang Tianming's aunt's husband passed away a few years ago. The aunt is 60 years old this year and has just retired from a factory. These few years Auntie has always felt very lonely. Old friends at the factory would like to help her find an old companion. But his cousin's wife felt that for the aunt to find a spouse is a disgraceful thing. Auntie felt that the cousin's wife interfered too much and spoke too bluntly, so the relationship between mother and daughter-in-laws turned tense. They originally lived together and later cousin and his wife moved out taking the daughter Lingling with them.

Lingling is 8 this year. She is very smart and her grades at school are quite good. But as soon as she comes home from school, her mother would ask her to go to learn to play the piano or ask her to learn to paint. Sometimes, when Lingling wants to play for a while, her mother would scold her and said she is lazy. Lingling often went to her grandma to tell on her mother crying.

Zhang Tianming's cousin is very busy with work and can't find much time to take care of the daughter's matters. His wife therefore often quarrels with him because of this. If it were not for the fact that his wife feels that the effects of single-parent homes are not good on children, they probably would have asked for divorce a long time ago. Zhang Tianming never thought that there are so many problems for Chinese families as well.