What's going on? Why is everyone looking at her like that?
Qin Xiaoxiao subconsciously touched her face.
Is there something dirty on my face?
"Waaaaah..."
"Waaaaah..."
"Waaaaah..."
...
A suppressed sob suddenly rang out, followed by a series of sobs all around. Before long, almost all the women on the threshing ground had red eyes and were silently shedding tears.
Qin Xiaoxiao was startled and looked around, accurately locating the old lady Qin's position.
Qin Xiaoxiao quickly got up and ran to Qin's old lady's arms.
Grandma, that's scary, I'm afraid, I need a hug.
Grandma Qin could tell at a glance that her granddaughter was frightened, and she patted Qin Xiaoxiao's hand with amusement, saying, "You, you're just making things worse for me."
Although it was funny that her granddaughter was so timid and easily frightened by a few cries, she couldn't help but feel a deep sense of helplessness regarding gender inequality.
People in the countryside have limited knowledge, and the old ideas of valuing sons over daughters cannot be changed overnight. It would probably take decades to change this situation.
Seeing that everyone was silent and the atmosphere was inexplicably oppressive, Qin Feng stood up and said loudly, "Did you all hear what my niece just said?"
Do you think what she said is right?
I think she's right, I think she said it very well.
That's right. The leaders have said that men and women should be equal, so we should respond to the call and pay attention to girls as well.
What's wrong with girls? Aren't girls your own children too?
Girls can be just as capable of supporting themselves in old age if they are well-educated!
Su Zhiyuan also stood up and said, "Captain Qin is right. Think about it, how many families have elderly people who are paralyzed and bedridden, and it's not their daughters who come back to take care of them? Have their sons ever helped them?"
We can't say the daughter-in-law didn't take care of them; she did. Take the Jia family's daughter-in-law, for example. Their elderly parents are very fortunate to have her. She personally takes care of both of them, never relying on anyone else. That's excellent.
At this moment, Jia's daughter-in-law stood up, wiped the tears from her face, and said, "It is only right that I take care of her. My mother-in-law treats me like her own daughter. She never holds anything back and always thinks of me when she has something good to eat."
When I was in postpartum confinement, there was an egg in the house that was mine. It was a difficult time, and the family was just eating. They only drank one bowl of cornmeal porridge a day, but I had two bowls and a boiled egg.
Without my mother-in-law, I wouldn't have survived that year.
"Just because my mother-in-law has been so good to me, I will take care of her in her old age and see her off when she passes away."
Qin Feng then added, "See? All the women with daughters-in-law should learn from Old Mrs. Jia. If you treat your daughter-in-law well, she will treat you well in return."
Of course, there are those who are never satisfied; no matter how good you are to them, you won't get a smile in return. But don't be afraid. Treat your daughter well, and she'll take care of you in your old age.
Luo Hongxing also stood up and said, "That's right. My parents owe a lot to my sister's care. Everyone knows about my family's situation back then. My wife was in poor health, and... she couldn't even take care of herself, let alone the elderly. If it weren't for my sister running home eight times a day, my parents probably wouldn't be alive today."
Luo Hongxing's younger sister, Luo Ermei, suddenly stood up. "Brother, what are you saying? Parents have always favored me. When I was a girl, even you had to take a backseat. Now that they're old, what's wrong with me taking care of them? Isn't that what I should do?"
When my sister-in-law first married into the family, she treated me like a younger sister. When I got married, she even gave me ten yuan as a dowry. I will remember this kindness for the rest of my life.
When she got married, it had only been a short time since the founding of the People's Republic of China. Ten yuan was almost equivalent to a month's salary for a city dweller. It wasn't easy to save money in the countryside, but her sister-in-law gave it to her. How could she not be moved?
“My sister-in-law is in poor health and just gave birth. It’s just a coincidence that we’re both in this situation. Otherwise, my sister-in-law wouldn’t need me, and I wouldn’t have the opportunity to fulfill my filial duty.”
After speaking, Luo Ermei wiped away her tears and looked at Luo Hongxing's wife and parents with a smile.
Luo Hongxing's wife was also looking at her with a smile, and it was clear that the two had a very good relationship.
Grandma Luo held her daughter-in-law's hand tightly, smiled and whispered, "You are both good people, I understand."
Luo Hongxing's wife smiled and looked up at Old Madam Luo, her eyes filled with boundless gratitude, "Mother."
The mother and daughter smiled at each other, everything understood without words.
Qin Xiaoxiao stared blankly at everything in front of her, suddenly realizing that although what she had done today was a bit outrageous, it would bring a different kind of scene to the village.
A lively pig-slaughtering feast began and ended in silence. Qin Xiaoxiao returned to the educated youth compound after 1 a.m., and Qin Ye was the one who brought her back.
The next day, everyone in the village got up late, but that morning, it was no longer the girls in the family who cooked, nor were the girls who swept the yard. Every household's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law rushed to do the work, and the men in the family no longer lay on the kang waiting for food, but silently picked up brooms to sweep the yard, filled the water tanks, and cleaned the manure pits.
From that day on, the atmosphere in Qinjiagou suddenly changed, but this change was subtle and gradual, like a spring rain nourishing the earth silently.
The New Year is fast approaching. Qin Xiaoxiao has been staying at the Qin family home since the Little New Year, and she helps Grandma Qin and Ma Dahua prepare New Year's food every day.
Qin Ye was responsible for cleaning. Qin Wei came back once in the middle of the year and helped Qin Ye with the heaviest chores at home. He said he would come back again after the Chinese New Year. Including the holiday he didn't get to rest last month and the holiday next month, he can stay at home for about seven days.
Soon the New Year arrived, and early on the morning of New Year's Eve, Qin Hai returned with Sun Zhirou, Qin Ming, and Qin Yue, a family of four.
As soon as Qin Yue entered the room, she looked for Qin Xiaoxiao. When she saw Qin Xiaoxiao knitting a sweater on the kang (a heated brick bed), her eyes lit up, and she quickly took off her shoes, climbed onto the kang, and hugged her.
Qin Xiaoxiao glanced at her sideways while knitting, "Where have you been all this time, little girl? You're so dark and thin. You haven't even come home to see your grandpa and grandma."
Qin Yue hugged Qin Xiaoxiao, rested her head on her shoulder, and said coquettishly, "Sister, I'm back now, so don't be angry. I'll stay home for a few more days this time and spend some quality time with you."
Qin Xiaoxiao stared at Qin Yue in horror, "No, you better stay away from me. When Uncle and Auntie go home, you can go back with them."
School starts after the New Year, have you finished your homework? If not, hurry up and finish it.
You little punk, I don't believe you're not afraid of the thing students fear most before school starts? Back in my day, that was my biggest fear too... cough cough...
Sure enough, Qin Yue stared at Qin Xiaoxiao in horror, "Sister, how could you do this to me? Can't you let me have a few good days?"
Qin Xiaoxiao snorted coldly, "Harm you? I'm harming you! I'm saving you!"
Qin Xiaoxiao raised her chin in Sun Zhirou's direction. Qin Yue was stunned for a moment, then lowered her head dejectedly.
Qin Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow and gave Qin Yue a meaningful look.
There's a saying that everything has its counter, and Qin Yue's natural enemy is her own mother.
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