At this moment, the man waiting outside burst through the door and saw his mother and midwife unconscious on the ground, and instantly flew into a rage.
"You dare hit my mother? I'll kill you!" With that, Jin Shanyao.
Jin Shanyao clenched her fist with one hand and pressed the man down onto the kang (a heated brick bed), twisting his arm behind his back.
"You only saw your mother, didn't you see your wife crying while holding the baby?"
The man looked up at his wife and daughter, pounding his fist on the bed in anger, "Why is it another girl? Can't you be a little more assertive?"
Chunniang cried, "My dear husband, we've already lost two children. I want to keep this one."
The man lay on the kang (a heated brick bed) and began to sob. After a while, he crawled to Chunniang's side, pulled back the quilt, and looked inside. The baby was covered in a white film, its eyes were closed, and it was making little noises.
The man's eyes held reluctance and unwillingness as he said in a hoarse voice, "Keep it... maybe I'll never have a son."
Upon hearing his words, Chunniang hugged her child and burst into tears.
Jin Shanyao and Meng Anzhi had left the house sometime earlier, until the crying stopped.
"Auntie..." Meng Anzhi wanted to say something, but for a moment she didn't know what to say. Her heart felt like it was filled with wet cotton, so swollen and uncomfortable that she couldn't breathe.
Are boys' and girls' fates really different?
Jin Shanyao took her hand and led her back. "Raising a boy is like buying a knife. He can earn military merit on the battlefield, or he can perform labor to pay taxes."
Whether one could pass the imperial examinations and become a high-ranking official, or at the very least, work in the fields, all of these could be earned back, or even doubled in value.
Raising a girl is like buying porcelain. You have to handle her carefully, afraid of breaking or damaging her. After all that hard work raising her to adulthood, she's sent to someone else's family with a marriage certificate.
The wealth she created and the children she bore would all belong to other families; in their minds, it was a losing proposition, not worth investing time and effort in raising them.
Meng Anzhi retorted, "Girls do housework before they get married, and they still do housework after they get married. Doesn't their labor count as labor?"
Besides, families with sons will also get married, and the daughters-in-law will bear their children and take care of the household chores. Why can't they treat girls better?
Jin Shanyao her eyes with a hint of mockery, "They're imprisoned because they can bear children and manage household chores, so we need to restrict their thoughts and control their abilities."
Men fear losing power and women becoming uncontrollable, so they create all sorts of rules to tell women, "Your world is just this little plot of land in the backyard."
Being a good wife and mother is your duty; to put it nicely, it's taking care of the family; to put it bluntly, it's exploitation.
Seeing the confusion in her eyes, Jin Shanyao smiled and said, "In life, it's not about being a man or a woman, but about your own abilities. When you have the ability to support yourself and don't need to rely on anyone, you've already won 70% of the battle."
Meng Anzhi asked, "What about the remaining 30%?"
"It is thought; only intellectual independence and clarity will allow you to go further and live a more enlightened life."
"So, medicine is my specialty, right?"
Jin Shanyao smiled with satisfaction. She said, "Isn't my child quick-witted? He got to the point in just a few words."
"Yes, our Anzhi is the best, so don't worry, don't be sad, and don't care about gender discrimination."
Because you can't change other people's thoughts, nor can you change your environment, but you can make yourself happy.
Meng Anzhi breathed a sigh of relief. She seemed to understand a little, yet she also seemed more confused. But none of that mattered; the only thing she couldn't lose was the ability to protect herself.
"Auntie, did you read all of this in a book?"
Jin Shanyao thought of the books Su Wenqian and Old Madam Su had sent, and nodded, "I summarized them myself after reading them."
Meng Anzhi thought to herself that she should read more books and summarize more in the future, so as to become a knowledgeable woman like her aunt.
Back at the Anzhi Hall, Meng Anzhi pulled Meng Anci into the study to share knowledge. They emphasized that the concept of valuing sons over daughters should not only be taught to girls, but also to boys.
Half an hour later, Meng Anci experienced an unprecedented baptism from mind to body.
In the morning, Meng Anci stood before the bronze mirror, reflecting on himself three times a day.
Did tuition fees cost money? Did writing materials cost money? Did the imperial examinations cost money?
Have you done any housework? Can you cook? Can you do laundry?
After two days of deep thought, Meng Anci finally realized that he was a money-loser.
His sister has already started earning money for the family, and he's still spending it all. He deserves to die...
A grown man like him, living off two women—how is that any different from Little White? No, he must study hard.
Strive to pass the imperial examinations to become a scholar, a provincial graduate, and a metropolitan graduate, so that your family doesn't have to pay a single penny in taxes. This is what a man should truly do.
At the dinner table, Jin Shanyao saw Meng Anci pick up a piece of meat like a thief, but after meeting Meng Anzhi's gaze, the meat fell back onto the plate with a thud.
He turned his chopsticks, picked up some cabbage, and silently ate his meal without saying a word.
Jin Shanyao glanced at Meng Anzhi, Meng Anzhi was taken aback. She hadn't expected a few words to have such a big impact. She only had one younger brother, and she couldn't afford to overreact.
Meng Anzhi picked up a piece of meat and put it in Meng Anci's bowl. "Remember, a man doesn't get a free bite of meat."
Meng Anci looked up gratefully, "Sister, don't worry, I will definitely pass the imperial examination and become a scholar in three years. Then I can go to the government office to receive grain, and I won't be eating for free anymore."
Jin Shanyao cold. "Who said you're a freeloader?"
Meng Anzhi's heart skipped a beat. "Little brother... think carefully before you speak. I'm your own sister, you can't just spout nonsense like that!"
Meng Anci glanced at Meng Anzhi and said righteously, "My sister said that the Meng Household doesn't support idlers, and that my tuition, writing materials, and inkstones all cost money... She said she's been earning money to support the family since last year."
Seeing his aunt's face darken, a smile flickered in Meng Anci's eyes, "She even said I'm a money-loser..."
" Meng Anci, you cunning and shameless bastard, you dare to frame me..."
Meng Anzhi cried out in alarm, and before she could even put down her chopsticks, she took off running outside.
Jin Shanyao himself up, glanced around the room haphazardly, grabbed a broom, and chased after him.
" Meng Anzhi, you stop right there..."
"Good heavens! This is domestic violence!" Meng Anzhi cried out throughout the yard, "Auntie, Auntie, listen to me! It's not like that! I never said he was a worthless piece of trash!"
Meng Anci stood under the eaves, a meat bun in his hand, and mumbled, "Auntie... forget it, forget it..." He took a big bite of the bun, chewing and chewing...
The Jin Shanyao and circled around the ginkgo tree, making the tree seem to laugh, its branches trembling and its leaves rustling.
The broom nearly hit Meng Anzhi several times, startling Meng Anci so much that he hiccuped, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.
"My aunt... I summed up the term 'money-losing girl' myself; it has nothing to do with my sister. She said that you should be able to summarize things when reading and speaking... so I summarized what she said."
Please don't hit her! She's my own sister, how could she call her brother a burden...?
I took a big bite of the meat bun, chewed it... Mmm, it smells so good.
" Meng Anci, you dare to try anything with me? You're dead..."
Pfft... Meng Anci accidentally squeezed out the filling of the meat bun. Oh no... this could be fatal! He grabbed his bag and ran out as fast as he could.
"Auntie, I'm going to the academy! I won't be back for lunch."
After Meng Anci, Jin Shanyao tossed the broom aside, glared at Meng Anzhi, and said, "Come inside and eat."
Meng Anzhi touched her nose, chuckled twice... then patted her chest with her little hands, looking utterly scareful...