在我国的许多城市中，城中村是一个特殊的存在。这里人口密集，环境复杂，生活节奏快速。去年，我在城中村住了一段时间，见识到了一种特殊的社会现象——临时夫妻。临时夫妻顾名思义，就是非正式的、临时组成的夫妻关系。这种关系通常发生在城中村的工人群体中。这里的男人和女人大多都在附近的工厂打工，为了生计，他们选择了这种特殊的生活方式。
那时候，我遇到了很多这样的人，其中一对临时夫妻的故事让我记忆深刻。他们并没有传统意义上的婚姻证书，也没有父母的祝福，但他们依然相互依赖，相互扶持。男人小李是一个外地来的工人，和他的妻子因为工作的原因一直分居。他每天的生活非常简单，早上六点起床去工厂，晚上七点回到简陋的房子。家里没有太多的装饰，甚至床单和家具也都很简单。可是，他依然习惯性地在傍晚的时候，带回一份外卖，和临时妻子小张一起吃晚餐。
小张是一个年轻的女孩，来自外地，她为了追寻更好的工作机会来到了城中村。刚开始，她也很迷茫，觉得自己孤单无助，生活压力很大。但通过认识小李后，她的生活逐渐有了些许依靠。尽管这种关系没有任何正式的承诺和保障，但至少她不再是孤单一人，每天都有饭吃，住的地方也不至于太差。她和小李之间没有太多的感情波动，更多的是互相的照顾和生活中的依赖。她知道，这种关系或许并不持久，但在当下，它为她解决了很多实际问题。
有时我会和他们聊起生活，发现他们的心情常常很复杂。小李说，他希望能和妻子团聚，但现实却让他只能在外面寻找这样的临时伴侣。小张则坦言，她并不期待这段关系能有未来，只希望通过这样的方式，暂时解决自己的生存问题。有时我会感到心酸，虽然这对“夫妻”彼此关心，彼此依赖，但他们的生活依然充满了无奈和挣扎。
这种临时夫妻的关系，虽然非正式，却在某种程度上满足了双方的需求。男人在城中村寻求情感和身体上的慰藉，女人则为了生存而选择妥协。两者之间的关系，既有合作，也有依赖，既有亲情，也有爱情。临时夫妻的现象在城中村依然普遍存在，这不仅反映了我国当前社会经济发展不平衡、人口流动大的现实问题，也揭示了人们在面对生活压力时所做的无奈选择。
我时常在想，如果社会能够为这些打工者提供更多的支持，是否就能减少这种临时夫妻现象的发生。也许，每个人都希望能有一个温暖的家，而不是为了生存而将就一段没有未来的关系。但在现实中，很多人都只能为了生活的重担和责任，做出这样或那样的选择。
English Translated Version：
In many cities across China, urban villages are a unique phenomenon. These areas are densely populated, with complex environments and a fast-paced lifestyle. Last year, I spent some time living in an urban village, and during that time, I came across a social phenomenon that was quite peculiar—temporary marriages. As the name suggests, these are informal, temporary marriages. These relationships often occur within the worker communities in urban villages. Here, many men and women work in the nearby factories, and in order to survive, they choose this unconventional way of living.
During my time there, I encountered many such individuals, but one particular temporary couple left a deep impression on me. They didn't have a traditional marriage certificate, nor did they have the blessings of their families, but they still depended on and supported each other. Xiao Li, the man, was a migrant worker who had been separated from his wife for a long time due to work commitments. His daily routine was simple—he woke up at six in the morning to go to work, returning home around seven in the evening. Their house was sparsely furnished, with simple bedding and furniture. However, he would habitually bring takeout for dinner every evening and share it with his temporary wife, Xiao Zhang.
Xiao Zhang, a young woman who had come from a rural area in search of better work opportunities, found herself struggling in the city at first. She felt isolated and overwhelmed by the pressures of life. However, after meeting Xiao Li, her life became somewhat more stable. Although their relationship had no formal commitment or security, at least she was no longer alone, and she had food to eat and a place to stay. There was no deep emotional attachment between them—more often than not, it was just mutual care and the reliance that comes with daily living. She knew that this relationship probably wouldn’t last, but for now, it solved many of her practical problems.
I would sometimes talk to them about their lives, and I found their feelings to be quite complicated. Xiao Li told me that he hoped to reunite with his wife, but the reality was that he had to seek out temporary companions in the meantime. Xiao Zhang confessed that she wasn’t expecting a future in this relationship—she just wanted a way to survive. Sometimes, I felt a bit heartbroken because although this “couple” cared for each other and relied on one another, their lives were filled with helplessness and struggle.
Although the relationship between these temporary couples is informal, it meets the needs of both parties in a certain way. The men seek emotional and physical comfort in the urban villages, while the women compromise for survival. Their relationship is one of cooperation and dependence, a mix of familial love and affection. The phenomenon of temporary marriages is still common in urban villages, reflecting not only the current social and economic imbalances in China, but also the helpless choices people make when facing the pressures of life.
I often wonder if society could provide more support for these migrant workers, whether it might reduce the occurrence of these temporary marriages. Perhaps everyone wants a warm home, not just to settle for a relationship with no future in order to survive. But in reality, many people can only make such choices because of the heavy burdens and responsibilities they face in life.
