An Example for Women

"Oh, that's a good idea. Why don't you ask Madam Cui to inquire for us?" Lady Zhu said with delight. "Working under Madam Cui, she must know his character and personality. For your sake, Madam Cui will definitely do her best. Anyone who can work under Madam Cui must have studied at the Beining Women's Academy, and their family background can't be too bad. Such a person is really suitable for your elder brother."

"Have you asked your elder brother about these things? What is his opinion?" Zhao Ruxi asked.

Don't worry about it for so long. It turns out that Zhao Jingli already has someone he likes, or the wife he wants to marry is not what they think.

"I already asked," said Lady Zhu. "Your older brother came over a few times recently when you had your exams to ask how they went."

She glanced at her daughter. "He still cares about you quite a bit."

Zhao Ruxi nodded. "Yes, I know."

After all, Zhao Jingli's entry into the Ministry of Revenue was mostly thanks to her—she taught him mathematics, she helped him find Gan Lun as a teacher, and she was the one who ultimately got him into the Ministry of Revenue. Zhao Jingli wasn't ungrateful, so he was naturally very grateful to her.

"I saw he had some free time, so I asked him about it. He earnestly asked me to help him arrange a marriage. He said he had no objections as long as I thought it was good," Lady Zhu said.

Zhao Ruxi: "..."

That works too.

Lady Zhu was kind to Zhao Jingli and a very good person. It was normal for Zhao Jingli to trust his adoptive mother completely and be willing to entrust his marriage to her. After all, Lady Zhu would never harm Zhao Jingli. As long as Zhao Jingli didn't have anyone he liked, accepting the wife Lady Zhu chose for him was perfectly fine.

This is also how people choose a spouse in this era.

Zhao Ruxi said, "Okay, I'll write the letter right away."

She immediately returned to her courtyard and wrote a letter, which she asked Qingfeng to deliver to Madam Cui.

About half an hour later, Qingfeng returned and handed Zhao Ruxi a reply.

Zhao Ruxi opened the letter and saw that it only contained an address and nothing else. She looked up at Qingfeng, puzzled.

Qingfeng hurriedly said, "After you passed the imperial examination with top honors, many people wanted to study at the Beining Women's Academy, so Madam Cui has been very busy lately. When I went there, she only managed to say a few words before being called away. However, Miss He's situation is rather complicated, so she only wrote down an address for you and asked me to deliver the rest of the message."

"Okay, sit down and talk slowly." Zhao Ruxi reached out and pressed him down.

Qingfeng bowed and sat down, saying, "Madam Cui said that Miss He was confined to her home by her father half a month ago, forbidden from going out to work, and is to be engaged and married. The people from the newspaper shop went to visit her, but were all refused by Master He, so they don't know her current situation. She thinks Miss He meets Madam's requirements very well, so she suggests that if you are interested, you should go see her as soon as possible. If her family is still only in the stage of arranging a marriage for her, you can make the matter come to fruition immediately."

Zhao Ruxi glanced at the clock in the room, picked up a pen and wrote a visiting card, handing it along with the address to Qingfeng: "Have someone take this to Ma Wushi and have him make a trip there. If the He Family doesn't refuse, we'll go to their He Family this afternoon."

"Yes." Qingfeng took the letter and went out.

Just as Zhao Ruxi finished lunch and was about to rest, Ma Wushi returned and sent Qingfeng in with a message.

"Master He heard that it was you who had come to visit Miss He, he was very Gao Xing and said that the He Family would welcome you with open arms."

Zhao Ruxi nodded. "Tell Uncle Lu and Steward Ma that we'll leave at 2:30 this afternoon."

In the afternoon, Zhao Ruxi went to Beining.

Ma Wushi had already come once at noon, so he knew the way well. He rode his horse in front of the carriage and led Zhao Ruxi directly to the He Family.

The He Family was located two streets away from the courtyards of Kang Shilin, Zhao Ruxi, and Wu Zong in Beining County. It was a three-courtyard house with some mottled and old gates and walls.

The He Family was probably already waiting at the gatehouse. Zhao Ruxi got off the carriage and was about to have Ma Sheng deliver the visiting card again when Master He, his wife Lady Wang, He Yuqi's elder brother He Zhi, and He Yuqi, the whole family of four, came out of the gate to greet her.

"This humble student, He Jinshu, greets Lord Zhao." Upon seeing Zhao Ruxi, Master He immediately performed the junior's greeting.

This has always been the rule for scholars.

In ancient times, scholars who passed the county-level imperial examinations were called "friends," and those who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations were called "young friends." Once they entered school, even teenagers would address each other as "old friends"; if they had not entered school, even an eighty-year-old man would still be called a "young friend."

Regardless of age, a Xiucai or Juren would be considered a junior, a "lesser scholar and junior," before a Jinshi.

Zhao Ruxi was not only a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), but also more educated than the He Family father and son. She had already achieved "success and fame" and had been appointed an official by the imperial court. Therefore, even though she was a woman, a young girl of fifteen or sixteen, and a classmate of He Yuqi, the Master He family would receive her in this way, as a sign of respect for her achievements and power.

Seeing her father treat Zhao Ruxi with utmost respect, and her usually arrogant eldest brother becoming trembling with fear, He Yuqi's eyes shone with an astonishing light.

She was very strong-willed and always resented her father's favoritism towards her brother and his disdain for her. He felt that women should stay at home obediently, support their husbands and raise their children, and adhere to traditional wifely virtues.

Although she resisted her father and went to study at the Beining Women's Academy, and with her mother's support, she got a job in the newspaper shop, she was still confused and conflicted. Because she didn't know what way out was for women in this world. Even if she achieved a partial victory and got her father and brothers to allow her to work in the community, she couldn't fight against the whole society. In the end, she would get married, have children, and live the same life as her mother and sister, being a wife and mother.

Even though Zhao Ruxi passed the provincial examination and recently became a Jinshi, she was still confused, feeling that Zhao Ruxi was an exception. After all, apart from Zhao Ruxi, no one else was a disciple of the doting Mister Kumu, nor was anyone else a young lady from the enlightened Earl of Suiping's Residence, nor did anyone possess Zhao Ruxi's astonishing talent in painting, calligraphy, and reading.

Zhao Ruxi's path is unique and cannot be replicated. All the women she represents are still walking the same path their mothers walked, with no hope in sight.

But seeing her father and brothers' respect and fawning over Zhao Ruxi, she finally realized that for a woman to gain the respect of the world, all she needs to do is to achieve a certain level of success.

Looking back, aren't men the same?

An incompetent man, even if he has a social status or position, will only be talked about perfunctorily, and will not be respected from the bottom of his heart.

Therefore, regardless of gender, as long as someone is capable and can achieve certain success, they will be respected. Instead of dwelling on gender inequality, she should strive to improve herself and achieve success, just like Zhao Ruxi. Then, whether she gets married or not, people's attitudes towards her will ultimately be different.

Take, for example, Master Xiao, Madam Cui, and those women who went to work in textile factories. When others wronged her, she had the confidence and courage to leave that home and be beautiful on her own.

Self-reliance, self-respect, and self-love—this is the true path for women. Zhao Ruxi Zhao Zhiwei set an example for them.

The more He Yuqi thought about it, the brighter her eyes became.