This is the most realistic and effective method.
Nowadays, families are reluctant to raise their daughters properly because they feel that once they grow up, they will get married and become someone else's family. They feel there is no need to spend money on raising them, since the family doesn't have that kind of money.
But now Jiang Jiuniang has opened up a new way of thinking for them: if they raise their daughter well, she will not only have a good reputation, but she will also be able to marry into a family with better conditions in the future, and then the bride price will be higher.
If a daughter can be well-educated and gain a good reputation, then it will be much easier for the sons in the family to find wives in the future.
This is a great idea that solves the problem once and for all!
Furthermore, what Jiang Jiuniang said makes sense. The most considerate person is still her daughter. It seems pretty good to have a daughter who will care about you when you get older.
Several people present were immediately tempted, but others remained unmoved. Jiang Jiuniang didn't care about that; she had already given them so many reminders, so whether they were willing or not was their business.
At this moment, someone nearby spoke up: "I think Madam Lu makes a lot of sense. Take Zhang's daughter, for example. Isn't she working as an accountant in the city with her master? Her good days are yet to come! We women aren't necessarily inferior to men!"
"Oh dear, that's so true! I'll go to the city sometime and see if there are any shops hiring female workers. I'll send my daughter there too, so she can learn something and broaden her horizons!"
"That's great! Let's arrange to go check it out together!"
...
Everyone seemed very interested. Although it's not necessary to send the girl to school, learning a skill is essential for making a living and will make her more respected in her husband's family.
They are just ordinary people who don't care about the old saying that women from wealthy families can't show their faces in public. As long as they can earn money and support their families, that's enough!
At this moment, an elderly woman said, "All the girls in the family have gone out, so who will do the housework? Are we to expect the men to do housework after coming back from the fields? Who is in charge of the household then?"
Jiang Jiuniang knew there would be such a person, and said with a smile, "Whoever has time can do the things at home. We're all family, there's no need to be so particular. If the family unites and works together, life will get better and better."
“Our family runs a few workshops in the village near Jingzhou that only hire women. The men in the family take the initiative to do the work. They feed the chickens and ducks in the morning and then go to work in the fields. Since it’s all our own land, it doesn’t matter if we go a little late.”
"Whoever gets home first at night should cook first. Those who get home later can wash the dishes after they've eaten. Don't worry about it. This will improve our status at home. Our in-laws will like it, and our husbands will be more friendly. What's wrong with that?"
She spoke gently and softly, without any hint of hostility, making everyone feel that she was speaking from the heart, after all, the life her family is living now is the best proof of that.
"Yes, yes, I think Madam Lu is right! General Lu is such a powerful general outside, but when he comes home, he still cooks and cleans for Madam Lu. If General Lu can do it, why can't the men in our family? We should learn from the Lu family so that our lives can get better and better!"
As everyone was saying this, the woman who had just spoken suddenly had nothing to say, but she clearly still didn't quite agree, and soon got up and left.
Jiang Jiuniang didn't mind and continued chatting and laughing with the others.
Although no one said anything more, they were determined to tell their husbands this idea when they got back, saying that it was taught by Madam Lu, so that their children would be more successful!
Although it's a bit unfair to make Madam Lu take the blame, it's the only way that their boss will listen to them.
After all, even the young master of the general's family does laundry and cook every day. Are the children of poor families more precious than the young master?
What are the things that cannot be done?
After boasting, Jiang Jiuniang was in a good mood when she returned home. When Gou'er saw her come back, he quickly brought out the washed fruit and said, "Mother, the food isn't ready yet. Have some fruit to tide you over."
Jiang Jiuniang nodded and said, "No rush, let's eat a little later today and wait for your father."
"good."
The dog didn't ask if his father would really come back for dinner; he just did as his mother said.
Jiang Jiuniang sat in the courtyard eating, while the dog practiced martial arts beside her, able to hear her mother's commands at any time.
Jiang Jiuniang felt a warm glow in her heart when she saw her son choosing a convenient place to practice martial arts. Thinking back to how she had boasted to those women earlier that day, she couldn't help but ask, "Son, when you go out these next few days, will the village children laugh at you for being a boy who stays home doing laundry and cooking all day?"
Gou'er doesn't always stay at home working. When he has nothing to do, he goes out to play with the village children. Although he is now a young master of noble status, he doesn't have the temper of a young master at all, and everyone is happy to take him along.
“No,” Gou’er shook his head. “They’ll be curious why I do all the housework. I tell them it’s because my father isn’t home, my mother is pregnant and it’s hard for her, so she needs me to take care of her. I also tell them that I should help my mother with more things and protect my older and younger sisters. That’s what a real man should do.”
After saying that, he looked at Jiang Jiuniang and flashed a row of white teeth: "Mother, do you think what I said is right?"
"That's absolutely right!"
Jiang Jiuniang gave him a thumbs up without hesitation and praised him, saying, "You did the right thing. You've read a lot of books and understand many principles, which is exactly what you need to do in these situations. The villagers have a strong preference for sons over daughters, and you've subtly corrected these children's thinking, making them try to be kind to their mothers and sisters at home. You've already done a great job."
"Also, if they ask you any questions, you can share what you know with them. Many of them don't have the opportunity to go to school, and the knowledge they have is very one-sided. You can take this opportunity to teach them some correct concepts. As for whether it will be useful or not, that's beyond our control."
Jiang Jiuniang knew there wasn't much she could do, but this could be considered as instilling some ideas of gender equality into these people's lives, so that when they wanted to bully the women in their families, they could remember what they had said at this time.
“I know, Mother.”
Gou'er nodded. During the time he had been out with his parents, he had seen many people and things, and finally understood why his mother had always insisted on doing things for women of this era.
In impoverished families, girls were sometimes abandoned at birth, or sold to wealthy men as maids, concubines, or even to brothels.
Women's fates are often unfortunate; they are not even treated well at home, let alone what fate awaits them after they are sold off.
That's why Gou'er always thought that if his mother could give birth to a little sister, he would definitely cherish her and make sure no one would dare to bully her.
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