Old Madam Lu walked up to Shen Qiqi angrily, knocking the ground with her cane "dong dong", as if she wanted to break the ground.

"Chen Qiqi, you are really getting more and more outrageous! How can you quarrel with a man in front of the whole village? You are simply ruining the family tradition!" The old lady's face turned red like liver, and her wrinkled face was full of anger. The saliva also flew out, which showed how angry she was at the moment.

Facing the old lady's anger, Shen Qiqi was surprisingly calm.

She took a deep breath and said calmly, "Mom, I'm arguing with Wang Laoer not for the sake of arguing, but to clarify the facts and to protect the rights of us women! You also saw that Wang Laoer spread rumors and slandered me. Should I just swallow my anger?" Her tone was firm and resounding, slightly different from the sharpness when she confronted Wang Laoer just now. At this moment, she was more patient and rational.

"What women's rights? I think you are just talking about heresy!" The old lady was so angry that her chest heaved violently. "Women should stay at home to take care of their husbands and children. How can they show their faces in public? If you make a fuss like this, won't others laugh at our Lu family?" The old lady's voice was so loud that it made people's ears buzz. Her weather-beaten face was wrinkled into a ball, making her look particularly stubborn.

Shen Qiqi looked at her stubborn mother-in-law and sighed helplessly.

She knew that the old lady's thoughts were deeply rooted and could not be changed with just a few words.

But she couldn't give up. She had to make the old lady understand that women were not appendages of men. They had their own value and rights.

Shen Qiqi slowed down her tone and said in a gentle and persuasive manner: "Mom, look at my eldest sister-in-law. She works hard for the family every day and works herself to death, but the men in the family think it's their due and won't even say thank you. Look at my second sister-in-law. She works so hard to support the family, but what's the result? She has to listen to the men in everything at home. Is this how we women should live our whole lives?"

Shen Qiqi's words were like a hammer, hitting Mrs. Lu's heart hard.

She thought about how she had lived her life in the same way. When she was young, she worked hard for the family, and when she was old, she still had to look at her son's mood.

Do women really have to live such a frustrating life?

Her heart began to waver, and the anger on her face gradually faded, replaced by a hesitant look.

When the women around saw the old lady's face soften, a flame of hope seemed to ignite in their hearts.

They all said one after another: "Yes, Auntie, Shen Qiqi is right, we women can't live like this all our lives!" "We must also have our own dignity and rights, and we can't live in the shadow of men all our lives!" Their voices became louder and louder, more and more determined, like a passionate war song, echoing throughout the square.

Old Mrs. Lu looked at these women who were full of hope and strength, and her heart was filled with mixed emotions.

She knew that times had changed and women could no longer live the same way as in the past.

Shen Qiqi is like a seed breaking through the soil, working hard to change the fate of this village.

And it seems that she should think carefully about which side she should stand on.

At this moment, Lu Qing suddenly walked to Shen Qiqi and whispered, “Qiqi, people from the village committee are here and they said they want to talk to you.”

Shen Qiqi followed Lu Qing to the village committee, only to see several male village representatives sitting upright, looking condescending.

Wang Lao Er was among them. When he saw Shen Qiqi come in, he didn't bother to pay attention to him. He walked straight to Village Chief Sun and said straight to the point: "Village Chief Sun, I came here today to talk to you about women's voting rights in village affairs."

As soon as he finished speaking, several village representatives were furious.

"What? Women can vote? How shameless!" "What do women know? They only know how to take care of children and cook at home!" "Stop talking about useless things and go home quickly!" Various objections came one after another, like a group of noisy crows, causing people a headache.

Shen Qiqi sneered, not moved at all.

"My dear uncles, you always say that women don't understand. Then let me ask you, if women don't understand, how are babies born? How are meals cooked? How are households managed?" Her words left everyone speechless, their faces flushed, but they couldn't find a reason to refute.

Seeing this, Village Chief Sun coughed lightly and signaled everyone to be quiet.

"Qiqi, your idea is good, but voting rights have been a man's matter since ancient times. It's probably not appropriate for women to participate." Although his tone was tactful, the implication of his words was still a rejection.

Shen Qiqi had expected this result a long time ago. She was not annoyed, but just smiled faintly: "Village Chief Sun, the times are progressing, and concepts must also change. Women can hold up half the sky, this is not a joke. We women can also contribute to the village, why can't we have the right to vote?" She talked eloquently, and every word she said made sense. Village Chief Sun couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

In the end, Village Chief Sun was persuaded by Shen Qiqi.

"Well, let me think about it and give you an answer in two days."

Shen Qiqi knew that this was already the best outcome.

The excitement in her heart was like a flash flood, almost drowning her.

She suppressed her joy and nodded to Village Chief Sun: "Then I'll trouble you, Village Chief Sun."

Lu Qing looked at Shen Qiqi. He was proud of her bravery and wisdom, and happy for her upcoming victory.

At this moment, a timid voice sounded outside the door: "Qiqi, I... I don't want to participate..."

Shen Qiqi turned around suddenly and saw Ms. Liu standing at the door. Her face was pale and her eyes flickered. She seemed to have something to hide...