Facing a long wait

　　China Writers Network is a national-level website and one of the most authoritative literary institutions in China, enjoying widespread influence among writers and literature enthusiasts. As an official literary website, its purpose is primarily to provide a platform for literary exchange and display. It has high requirements for the quality of works, conducting rigorous reviews, especially favoring works that excel in literary merit, originality, and innovation, regardless of genre.

　　My recent short story, "Unnecessary Worries," was submitted on November 16, 2025, and approved and published on November 30, taking two weeks and 14 days. It marked the longest wait for approval and publication since I registered on China Writers Network in 2019 and published my first literary work.

　　Through years of observation, I've noticed a pattern in the China Writers Network's review process: exceptionally excellent manuscripts are published within a day, most take 2-3 days, and the longest I've experienced was a week before publication or rejection. Whenever this happens, I assume it's because the editors value the author and are giving you a chance to revise. Some of my published works on the website have been produced under these circumstances. I have submitted 300 articles to the website so far, of which 144 have been published and 156 have been returned.

　　During the two weeks of waiting for approval or rejection, I experienced a process of calm, anxiety, anticipation, and finally, surprise. While waiting, I constantly paid attention to and pondered the intentions of the reviewing editors, repeatedly revising and polishing my articles. The title alone was revised seven times. Looking back on the whole process, I believe it was a great test of my patience, willpower, comprehension, and writing skills.

　　My short story, "Unnecessary Worries," is told from the first-person perspective of my daughter, recounting the daily life of my parents, an elderly couple in their seventies, who frequently bicker and argue over trivial matters. Through the detailed depiction of their daily lives, it reflects the life experiences and emotional adjustments of many modern elderly couples who, despite their conflicts, manage to overcome them. In witnessing and handling my parents' arguments, I always act as a mediator and peacemaker, trying to ease the conflict and even trying various methods to calm them down, but often to no avail, leaving me feeling very conflicted and frustrated.

　　However, a turning point occurs in a special situation. Despite rumors circulating that an earthquake would strike the area that night, and despite official denials, many people still went out to seek shelter. Returning home early the next morning, my first stop was to visit my parents, who hadn't wanted to go out with us to avoid the earthquake. Surprisingly, my parents, who usually bickered endlessly and slept in separate beds, were sound asleep in the same bed. And afterwards, they gave me the sweetest answer I'd ever heard. This story, beginning with conflict and ending in comedy, concludes in a traditionally romantic atmosphere – this is the brilliance of this novel.

　　Two days after submitting the article, there was still no response. I comforted myself, thinking it was probably due to the large number of submissions to the website and the heavy workload of the editors; I just needed to wait patiently. On the third and fourth days, still no reaction, I began to realize: perhaps the editor was giving me time to revise. So, my first thought was the title. Initially, I considered titles like "Fighting Without Breaking the Bond Between Husband and Wife," "Fighting Without Breaking the Bond Between Parents," and "Young Couple Fighting in Old Age," but after some thought, I felt these titles were too broad and general. Later, more straightforward titles appeared, such as "Parents Who Love to Bicker" and "Parents Who Love to Bicker." After a week of waiting, still no news, I felt a bit panicked and anxious. Re-examining my article, I felt unsure how to revise it and began to consider giving up, mentally preparing for rejection.

　　Ten days later, the review notification section was still blank. I began to rekindle hope, thinking there was still a chance for a turnaround; otherwise, it would have been rejected long ago. I reread the article again, considering shifting the focus from simply describing the couple's bickering to developing the story around the ending. The scene where the elderly couple, fearing external disturbances, the father crawls into the mother's bed—this plot design realistically portrays the parents' shared bed life. The initial title was changed to "Unnecessary Worry," but considering that a daughter worrying about her elderly parents is natural, it didn't adequately express the novel's theme and conflict. After further thought, I finally settled on "Unnecessary Anxiety," enriching the relevant content. I felt this revision both elevated the article's theme and conveyed positive social energy.

　　Every argument between parents touches a nerve with their children. "I" try various methods to resolve the conflict, hoping to allow them to spend their later years in a quiet and peaceful environment. Once, I suggested signing them up for a senior citizen tour to see famous mountains and rivers. The mother said her legs weren't strong enough to walk long distances, while the father said he wouldn't enjoy traveling with her. The story seemed to have reached a dead end, but the ending was unexpected yet, upon reflection, quite logical.

　　According to research, arguments between elderly couples are often the result of a complex interplay of emotional, physiological, and social factors, essentially reflecting the resilience of their relationship. As the proverb says, "The most quarrelsome marriage is sometimes the strongest anchor." Psychologist John Gottman suggests that mild conflict between partners can prevent the relationship from becoming rigid. Arguing is like a "low-intensity game," stimulating thought through verbal exchange and preventing life from becoming too mundane.

　　The short story "Unnecessary Worries" realistically reflects the lives of elderly couples we encounter and those around us, further illustrating the research findings of experts and scholars. In life, you'll find that many elderly couples who constantly argue and bicker often grow old together, while couples who seem calm and respectful eventually choose to go their separate ways.

　　Ling Muqianxue, an editor at Wenyunfang Reading Network, commented after reviewing my short story: "The brilliance of the story lies in using numerous seemingly trivial details to build up the emotions. Not washing hands after using the toilet, unfinished groceries, leaky pot lids after washing dishes, even arguing heatedly about mobile internet speed—the parents' arguments are all the small frictions of daily life. The author writes these scenes realistically—the mother's grievances when complaining to her daughter, the father's temper when eating braised pork, the resolute decision to sleep in separate beds—all fit the characteristics of the elderly, making the characters three-dimensional and vivid. Especially the parents' metaphor of the internet as a 'narrow road' reveals both the limitations of the older generation's understanding and adds a touch of humor to life."

　　Guo Shudi, a retired teacher from the former Nanchang No. 28 Middle School Education Group and my colleague, a Chinese language teacher, commented after reading it: "The short story is interesting; it's a true reflection of elderly couples in this era. I've read it and enjoyed it!" Since its publication, the article has received 3923 clicks on the Lancaodi Literature Network. It was also selected as a recommended reading on the Wenyunfang Reading Network, achieving a record high click rate. The results show that, facing this wait and test, I did not choose to retreat passively, but instead rose to the challenge and delivered a satisfactory result.