The paper is dyed blue

"I wrote this book with the extravagant hope of proving that my mother's life was not in vain, and to tell the world through words that she existed." - Hong Kong's three major lyricists, Chow Yiu Fai, won the Recommended Award in the Prose Category of the 13th "Hong Kong Chinese Literature Biennial Awards". Tracing back to unreliable memories, this book searches for the truest image of a mother.
A tear-jerking family book that is comparable to the history of Hong Kong's modern development.
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"'Liang' feels incomplete to me. It reminds me of 'niang'. I understand that a woman who is 'Liang' becomes a 'niang', but I think it's the 'niang' who must give up something precious as a woman to achieve 'Liang'. Are all so-called virtues incomplete, requiring sacrifice to achieve?"
"In 2010, my mother passed away. One day, driven by longing for her, I went to a place I thought was most worthy of my presence, sat down, and reflected. I sat there from dusk until dark, the twilight creeping into my eyes. I attempted to write down on a piece of paper what I remembered about her. This page later ended up in the pocket of my new jeans. It had become stained blue. The faint blue tinge on the paper was a promise."
My father left when I was young, starting a new family halfway around the world. From then on, the only connection between us was a bimonthly money order, leaving the three of us, mother and son, to depend on each other for survival. From childhood dependence to teenage rebellion, the bond between me and my mother seemed close yet distant—family seemed like something I took for granted, yet never truly understood…
Renowned lyricist Zhou Yaohui, with his subtle and restrained pen, word by word, re-explores his mother's choices and memories. Without the unbearable weight of regret or the nostalgia of the past, these plain accounts of life are the most delicate and sincere remembrances of a son for his mother. His words seem to remind us that, though the person may be gone, the support we once shared will endure forever.
"There is never a real goodbye, only endless departure."

2018-02-01

逗點文創結社

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