Grand Unified Theories of Shen Xi

[extrapenguin]

I have sent out inquiries about house showings! Only two places at first, but: progress.

To tide me over the anxious wait, I invite you to tell me your grand unified theories* of Shen Xi, Zhao Yunlan's mother, based on the few scenes of drama evidence we get of her! She wants her husband to pay more attention to her son, but how much arguing with one's husband over one's son is considered normative in the modern age? I, personally, find her strong-willed, but do you think she'd be strong-willed about things other than the proper treatment of her son? Do you think she shares her husband's prejudice against Dixingians? Did she know about Zhang Shi? /has perhaps unwisely chosen to tackle something related to her in fic

* Small sub-theories also welcome.

Comments

[ranalore]

I haven't watched the relevant episodes recently, so this is based on (extremely imperfect) memory, but when she shows up at the SID with Zhao Yunlan in tow, I seem to recall that one of the complaints she had against Zhao Xinci was that he had grown a lot more distant and erratic "lately," for whatever values of lately she had in mind. So I don't think she knew about Zhang Shi. I do remember, in the same flashback in which Zhang Shi transfers from the dead Dixingren to Zhao Xinci, he and Gao have the conversation about higher-ups thinking of starting a division especially to deal with Dixing cases, and at some point it's mentioned that the SID has been around for twenty years. So if Zhao Yunlan is at least twenty eight at the start of the drama, and twelve (I think?) for his primary education graduation, which is what Shen Xi is upset about Zhao Xinci missing, then Zhang Shi's been around for at least four years to cause confusing behavior.

I actually hypothesize that ZXC may have distanced himself from his family deliberately, in order to cut down on their exposure to his Dixingren "parasite." Which is not to say that I think he was the most affectionate and attentive husband and father beforehand, but he's the kind of guy who cuts off his nose to spite his face, and pushing his wife and child away to "protect" them from what he'd see as an invasion is in line with his behavior in the drama. To bring this back to Shen Xi, though, he was doubtless less erratic before Zhang Shi, a known quantity that was maybe "not the man she married," but only in the usual way. I think possibly they were an opposites attract situation? And I would say Zhao Yunlan likely does take after her, in ways that a person like ZXC might find inconveniently attractive in a partner (probably less so when she became his wife), but would find intolerable in offspring. Like a lack of respect for authority, reliance on intuition, social dexterity over painfully precise observation of social hierarchy, and possibly the worst offense, Zhao Yunlan is fiercely intelligent, and I don't see support for ZXC sharing that intelligence. Just contextually, I feel like when Zhao Yunlan talks about his mom being pleased he has a friend like Shen Wei, he's referring to Shen Wei's intellect and education. We don't see enough to know if Shen Xi was herself educated, with a career of her own outside the home, but it wouldn't surprise me if that was her intention, before marriage.

These are more or less my base assumptions about her. I do like to hare off in wilder directions sometimes, about whether she might have been Dixingren herself and not known it, about whether she was actually dead or caught in between dimensions somewhere, or trapped in Dixing. There are just so many fridged moms around, even the scant information we get on her makes me inclined to want to bring her back somehow, or AU it so she's alive, maybe even instead of ZXC.

[extrapenguin]

he had grown a lot more distant and erratic "lately," for whatever values of lately she had in mind.
Ooh, thank you! Also for the piece of timeline, though if you're referring to the remark I think you are, it's that the SID has existed for 20+ years/has an age measured in the decades. In ep 21, Zhao Yunlan mentions that something's more than dad has said to him in 15 years, so I assume Shen Xi has bee dead for about 15 years. (That'd make Zhao Yunlan 13, if he's 28 in the present.)

I actually hypothesize that ZXC may have distanced himself from his family deliberately, in order to cut down on their exposure to his Dixingren "parasite."
This is ... terrifyingly plausible. Oh dear. Yes, I can see an okayish dad distancing himself from his family and resenting his "parasite" (and all dixingians) for the fact. Does he blame Zhang Shi for Yunlan turning out like that, I wonder?

I would say Zhao Yunlan likely does take after her, in ways that a person like ZXC might find inconveniently attractive in a partner (probably less so when she became his wife), but would find intolerable in offspring.
Nodnod. This does make a lot of sense.

I think I sort of want to give her a career in the sciences and a large appreciation for Zhao Xinci's methodical approach to stuff. I agree that Zhao Xinci isn't exceptionally brilliant, unlike his son, and that his successes come from sheer perseverence and methodical approach, which a scientist might find appealing. Given my personal rage buttons and DNWs, I won't be making her a housewife. (Just for the humor potential, I want to make her an astrophysicist, because "dark energy" would mean something completely different to her, but I haven't actually thought about it.)