Dowry 嫁妆

Dowry 嫁妆
Cyanotype
Zhuoyu Gan, 2023

I don't want to become water that has been spilled.
“嫁出去的女儿，泼出去的水。”
This phrase is a famous proverb in China, implying that once a daughter is married, she's like water that's been poured out - her birth family should no longer interfere. I don't want to be a gift neatly packaged, or a sow only good for bearing children, and I certainly don't want my wedding to mean my womb will be rented out. I hope my children have the right to carry my surname, I hope having a son becomes less important, and I hope never to witness such a wedding again.