Feng Yuanzheng shielded his wife Liang Danni from harsh criticism over her late-life performances. The long-term DINK couple always prioritizes each other's feelings over personal desires.
Feng Yuancheng, 63, once publicly shielded his 71-year-old wife, Liang Danni, with his body, warding off all the harsh criticism directed at her for “causing a fuss in her old age.”
This couple, who have been together for many years and agreed early on to remain child-free, embody a marital philosophy that resonates deeply with many of their peers.
In 1993, Feng Yuancheng returned to China after studying abroad and soon after began a relationship with Liang Danni, who is eight years his senior.They exchanged no dowry and held no wedding banquet. After registering their marriage at the civil affairs office, they sat at the desk in their rented apartment, watching a friend’s crying child, and laughingly agreed not to have children. At the time, they both felt that as long as they had each other, their everyday lives would be peaceful and content.
More than a decade had flown by in the blink of an eye. While visiting a friend’s home, Feng Yuan Zheng watched as children ran about the floor, holding out pieces of candy to him—and in that instant, his eyes suddenly welled up with tears.He had never regretted his marriage to Liang Danni, but in that moment, a sudden sense of unease washed over him—the fear that, decades from now, the house would echo only with the sound of their two footsteps, devoid of even the slightest sign of life.
He kept these thoughts bottled up inside for half a month, but in the end, he confided in Liang Danni. Liang Danni didn’t argue; the very next day, she returned home with the hospital test results and simply remarked, in a matter-of-fact tone, that her physical condition still allowed her to have a child.Feng Yuan Zheng stared at the report—which detailed the risks of pregnancy at the “advanced” age of forty-eight—for half the night; every word weighed heavily on his heart. As soon as
dawn broke, he tucked the report into a drawer and said to Liang Danni, “We won’t have a child. Having you is enough for me.”
Later, when Feng Yuanzheng became the director of the Beijing People’s Art Theater, a clip resurfaced showing Liang Danni performing a dance on stage with a head full of silver hair. The comments section was flooded with harsh criticism, accusing her of not knowing her place at her age.Feng Yuanzheng stepped forward to respond directly, shielding her from all the malicious comments. Her resolve was no different from the day she first declared she would not have children.
When others talk about their marriage, the conversation inevitably turns to how to handle the uncertainties of a “child-free” agreement in middle age and how to cope with sudden urges to have children. Having seen too many couples who changed their agreement partway through, I’ve come to understand that putting your partner’s considerations before your own choices is, in itself, a rare thing.The road
ahead is long, and if you can hold your partner close to your heart, your life will naturally be steady and secure.
