( _: h2 l9 X5 F4 p* X+ m, `- c' g5 ?/ q5 a$ N2 | In Chinese culture, respecting your parents’ wishes is one of the most important lessons children are taught. And for many parents, they met their S.O. through an arranged marriage, normalizing the concept for them. & {% X8 a6 S x2 D . i( T/ |; U: C4 M- i! i# S4 |7 J+ K
; E" a1 J* D/ r, _1 | | ! B" ^" A& i( Z$ E3 L1 H# lOne mother said that while her daughter had a “great personality,” she was “just average looking…”( e$ @5 `& d/ T$ d2 M. b
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, o: A2 \ q x/ D [1 H8 G4 j0 D, l: d …and she attributed her “leftover” status to her daughter’s looks.& n5 Y# m$ y1 G' p, q
1 I# {% D2 S6 [7 | 0 c4 g: W! v/ L& O# J% Z ' @# O5 d/ X( _5 R( ]+ _& H: |/ J8 J; ]7 J1 } Many unmarried women feel an overwhelming sense of guilt for remaining single. 0 O: X8 Q# f+ c; c2 R( e" v6 y$ d& X" p
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8 O% e6 t, D% x( E8 w% d And though they yearn for real love, the pressure they face from their families and culture makes deciding to wait for a genuine connection difficult. 6 F$ w* k8 J: E9 U ) y0 A6 o" j) ^7 T6 }) }" u7 J% i0 @
( c' Y3 D5 [% B$ ]; n' I" }( K7 o # K6 Q; x4 m9 W" SSo, a few of the women decided to go back to the marriage market — not to make a profile for themselves, but to leave their parents a message. # Z8 b9 Z2 R% k! S; }# _, k# r( T% W) H2 [9 n0 Q5 w& z
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( d+ G* e6 _5 x& W “Even if I’m alone, I will be happy, confident, and have a good life.” # }$ j% d e6 M8 J7 a2 q 0 ]- ~/ ~/ ~2 @ r% P4 P" R! d6 _7 T. S2 |; v
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, I- d4 o! s4 O* E" w ) e) k- E/ B" g& x* r4 O q L3 Q' v# a0 U+ @“As opposed to the term ‘leftover woman,’ I have a great career and there is another term called ‘power woman.’” / u* \% I1 u. j% H" m( G* r- D0 j $ Q9 y% v) \( }5 u+ J, I( j1 x5 j# u& I. v$ T
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2 l' `% ~6 M/ P, O* k, { “I don’t want to get married just for the sake of marriage. I won’t live happily that way.” + Y% C5 M9 H! P% f. h+ Y2 K ( E* i$ Q7 d% h1 f . D2 w! f" L! a( \/ l2 ]9 l' V( g$ a; i0 O- T0 e) S
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7 M. q+ c4 Z) z- R7 ]$ x* P! k! UAnd luckily, many of the parents were receptive to their daughters’ messages. As this mother said, “My daughter is beautiful. Leftover women should be proud.”; t% @, X/ q$ q! e' ^
6 Q- T m: K( c" E % [+ D3 M; m3 I7 J6 w+ A8 c }5 i; Z! E* y/ y : A9 s8 O2 j+ T: pBecause being a single, independent woman does not make you “leftover.” It’s makes you strong, beautiful, and confident in your own right. 7 V' [: _% w: @( p" n( K( g$ A* z 4 o3 |+ i6 ]. a3 R3 G1 Q( @! l " Q* M' F; K9 T9 c C# g2 v! ~ 5 s+ e; ]) i9 G! e5 ~* K I6 M5 G; b" J Buzzfeed.com 9 N0 U9 w0 O4 l2 ~4 h% K( g2 \' f; [0 u