Chapter 345 The Orphanage's Lies: The Handsome Flower Boy 45
For families who love their daughters and are willing to support their education, this request is not a problem and there is no loss at all.
True love isn't about giving them more food or less housework, nor is it about constantly saying things like, "My sons do all the heavy work, and my daughters can enjoy life."
Such affection is too shallow and too weak.
If you truly love your daughter that much, then allocate resources to her; that would be the greatest help.
The biggest problem for the people of Shenjia Village is that the girls who receive financial aid cannot get married before the age of twenty.
Getting engaged at fifteen or sixteen and getting married at seventeen or eighteen is the more normal practice in this area. Some people even get married at fourteen or fifteen, without caring about getting a marriage certificate.
Collecting money and gifts, sending your daughter to live with a stranger's family—that's considered marriage.
In earlier years, there were also child brides who were sent to the family at a young age for a fee, which saved the family a lot of food.
Even under such common circumstances, there are still families who raise their daughters until they are older before they get married; it's simply a matter of personal preference.
"Secretary, this won't do! I have four sons; wouldn't that be a loss?!"
"Boys should stand tall and upright, while girls should be good wives and mothers. If girls all go to school and don't get married until they're twenty, they'll all be old maids!"
"How about we change it and apply this rule to boys? But it's too late for boys to get married at twenty. They can have children first instead of getting married."
...
She's still here, and her schemes are already blatantly obvious. Once she leaves, how long can she maintain this facade?
Shen Ci and Party Secretary Li sat on chairs in the courtyard. They both knew that this matter was very important, and they also knew how many people would oppose the idea of sponsoring the girl.
The Party Secretary still needs to live in the village and oversee the villagers, so he has to be careful what he says and not make any definitive statements, otherwise it will be difficult to carry out his work later.
To put it bluntly, it's because they've been spoiled.
Shen Ci wouldn't tolerate their bad habits. We're rich. Money isn't everything, but it's certainly a powerful tool!
"Shut up, all of you. I'm paying for it, and you're still nitpicking? You're so capable."
If you guys are so capable, why don't you just earn your own money to study? Why are you worrying about these pittances?
Who just said it's a loss to not have a daughter? Who said it's useless for girls to study?
Women hold up half the sky! I think the ideological work in the village hasn't been done well enough. There are still some feudal and stubborn ideas.
That's unacceptable.
I'm just a nobody, but I've come up with two solutions. One is to build a girls' school and not admit boys. The boys can just walk the mountain path to town to go to school.
Or, from among all the men in your family who have had good fortune for generations, one capable one could step forward and sponsor a boy, wouldn't that solve the problem?
Do you all agree with what I said?
They don't even look at who's paying them! They haven't contributed a single penny and are still causing trouble. They're really shameless!
There was complete silence. They couldn't afford the money, but they wanted the benefits.
That's how people are, and that's how society is. Whoever holds decision-making power for a long time will profit from it. Centuries-old problems can't be eradicated overnight.
That's why she's even more determined to sponsor the girl.
Finally, it was Secretary Li who made the final decision. He tapped his pipe, stood up, and addressed the crowd.
“Building schools is a good thing in itself. It’s difficult for children in the village to go to school. Don’t let your own actions delay the education of all the children.”
Think about it, your children, your children's children, your grandchildren, which one of them doesn't benefit?
As for the rest, we are happy and grateful that Shen Ci is funding it. We will do whatever she says. If you feel that your family is not receiving subsidies, you can just send your daughter to school.
"Haven't you heard? They even give scholarships to students who do well in their studies!"
Everyone knows the道理 (principles/reasons), but there are always one or two bad apples who are greedy and want to take more benefits.
At this moment, Mother Shen moved. She had finally understood what was going on, and her eyes were filled with raging anger.
Her daughter finally came back, so whatever she says goes. How dare these people argue back? They're so shameless!
My daughter is my everything, my daughter is my goddess! Even if my daughter spits on the ground, it's like nails!
"We are all one family in Shenjia Village, with the same ancestor."
Secretary, my daughter is going to fund the construction of a school, so she must be given a separate page in the family genealogy!
And they also have to write those long, flowery words praising her!
Mother Shen demanded, "We can't just throw so much money away and not get any response. Why should we? My daughter has had such a hard life. In my opinion, not a single penny should be given to anyone else."
Not only should you not give it to others, but you should also avoid giving it to your own family.
Whoever earns it should spend it; enjoy as much happiness as they are capable of.
No matter if it's a son, daughter-in-law, or grandchild, they can't spend their daughter's money, let alone covet it. Their daughter is buying it as a token of her affection, so they can't take advantage of it.
"What? Feng Juxiang, what did you say?"
A member of the Shen clan was dumbfounded. This old woman, she's recovered from her illness and she's so imposing?
This is a new society now. Unlike before, there used to be a clan chief or something. With the arrival of the new society, the so-called clan chief no longer dares to occupy that position.
Attack! Attack the clan leader!
The Shen family originally had a clan head, but that's no longer the case. When it comes to clan affairs, they let a few of the older members make a decision based on seniority.
"A separate genealogy?"
This is no small matter; it's such a big deal that it will alarm our ancestors.
"Although Shen Ci is indeed capable and kind-hearted, and the things she does are indeed good things."
But creating a separate genealogy record? It's not that easy. You say you can just create one, but do you even know what that means?
Mother Shen's suggestion—no, it wasn't really a suggestion, but rather her unilateral decision—was met with disapproval from many people, as most of the villagers in Shenjia Village shared the surname Shen and were essentially from the same clan.
Shen Ci hadn't expected her mother to be so brave as to request a separate genealogy; she hadn't anticipated this at all.
In terms of self-worth, Shen's mother felt that her daughter was the best, and nothing was better than her daughter.
Mother Shen's eyes gleamed; the more someone forbade it, the more she wanted to give it to her daughter.
“This is building a school, this is a great thing! Who can sponsor children’s education?”
If we count back five generations from Shenjia Village and forward five generations from Shenjia Village, is there anyone else who can do that?
It must be dedicated to a separate page to reflect my daughter's sacrifices. If you refuse... either we don't build the school, or our family will create a new family tree and we'll no longer need the Shen family!"
With a wave of her hand, Mother Shen came up with a solution, which terrified Father Shen. He had been honest his whole life, so how could he have been expelled from the clan in his old age?
"Old woman, take it easy. You can't spoil your daughter like this!"
"Can you just sever ties with a family genealogy like that?"
"Yes, Mom, calm down and let the clan elders discuss it."
Even though they doted on their younger sister, they never thought of giving her a separate page in the family genealogy. Mom, really, she's gone too far in her desire for her daughter.
They had no doubt that even if Shen Ci asked Shen's mother to kill someone, Shen's mother would not hesitate.
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