Lin Xiaoxiao’s comfort with her new body is suspiciously fast. She felt her hands and saw wrinkles, was devastated, but after a few days, she’s fully scheming and joking. The narrative doesn’t dwell on body dysmorphia, which is fine for a comedy, but might feel jarring if realism is expected. The author focuses on her mental youth rather than physical age. That’s actually clever—it allows her to be a “young at heart” grandmother without the constraints of an old body limiting actions. But in the flowerpot shoe scene, she is physically weak and needs support, so the contradictions are present. The story seems to want to have it both ways: old enough to be respected, young enough to be active. I hope the author commits to some physical limitations eventually, for consistency. Otherwise, the only reason for being old is the title. It could be a missed chance for deeper exploration of aging.
