Chapter 172 is the same.

But after thinking it over and over, he couldn't figure out what the difference was, so he honestly said, "I think they're all the same."

Upon hearing this, Ma Xiulian wished she could pry open his blockhead to see if it was stuffed full of straw!

She took a deep breath and said patiently, "Let's talk about your father first. He held Honghong as many times as you brothers when she was little, but he beat her less often than all five of you combined."

Without thinking, Chen Jianye said, "Boys are more mischievous than girls, so they're bound to get beaten more often. Besides, your eldest sister is your and Dad's only daughter, so it's normal that you dote on her."

In the first two years after his eldest daughter was born, he often held her in his arms with great affection, after all, she was his first child.

Ma Xiulian glared at her and questioned, "Then why does Sanni, who isn't naughty, often get beaten up?"

Chen Jianye choked for a moment, then said in a muffled voice, "If I don't make any mistakes in the future, I won't let Chunhua hit the child again."

After saying that, he glanced at his eldest daughter standing at the door with a hint of guilt.

He had never noticed before that his wife beat their daughter so badly; if he had known earlier, he would have definitely stopped her.

Seeing his guilty look, Sanni felt no emotion whatsoever.

Now that she has her grandmother's support, she no longer has to be beaten and scolded by her mother at will.

Li Chunhua quickly chimed in, "That's right, Mom. Ever since you spoke up last time, I haven't laid a finger on her!"

In her heart, however, she was gritting her teeth, thinking, "Once we separate from the family, I'll beat that brat behind closed doors. Let's see who she can complain to then!"

Ma Xiulian raised an eyebrow, neither confirming nor denying, and continued, "Back when the family hadn't separated, your father would always divide his share of meat among your sister and the five of you brothers. Your eldest and second brothers would also remember to share any good food they had with their daughter. But what about you?"

Her mother-in-law favored sons over daughters. In addition, conditions were much harder back then than they are now. If parents didn't save meat from their own mouths, the girls wouldn't get even a scrap of meat.

She admitted that she also favored boys over girls, and a few years ago she wouldn't allow her granddaughters to use their chopsticks to eat meat, but she didn't say that she wouldn't let her son and daughter-in-law give the meat in their mouths to their daughters.

Upon hearing this, Chen Jianye opened his mouth, thinking that his two daughters being able to eat their fill and stay warm was already a great blessing compared to when they were children.

But the words wouldn't come out, because he remembered his daughter's disappointed and hurt eyes, and his younger daughter's unfamiliar and cold attitude towards him.

He hesitated for a moment, then changed his words, saying, "Mom, our family's situation has improved a lot in recent years, and Sanni can eat meat more often now."

As for his little daughter, she has been eating meat almost every meal since she was old enough to eat meat, which is much better than what her father, the father, has had.

Upon hearing this, Old Lady Li's old face immediately showed a pained expression: "My daughter is being raised by someone else for nothing. It's good enough if she doesn't starve to death, how can you give her meat?!"

And they often feed them meat!

It seems the little girl was right; this tigress has been bewitched by that little monster.

So he slapped his thigh and said to Ma Xiulian with a pained expression, "Mother-in-law, you're so confused! Daughters eat at their parents' home and work at their husband's home. No matter how good you are to them, it's all in vain! Only sons can carry on your family line and take care of you in your old age!"

She felt a little sorry for Ma Xiulian at this moment; it was really unlucky of her to encounter such a strange little monster.

(End of this chapter)