Mr. Kang was surprised to see the Lu family. He was quite busy that evening with many guests and couldn't handle them all. Seeing the Lu family was like seeing a lifeline. He grabbed them and said urgently, "You're here just in time! Please help me entertain them. I need to wash up and go to the palace to meet the Emperor. I'm running late!"
After saying that, he ignored them and ran off on his own.
Before the group could react, a group of guests surrounded them and started talking to them.
"Madam Lu, you've finally gone out! I've been wanting to visit you since the palace banquet, but you've been so busy that you haven't had time to see guests. I never expected to see you at Lord Kang's house!"
"Oh dear, Madam Lu, how's the matter you mentioned last time about allowing women to attend school and participate in the imperial examinations going? Is there any chance of it being implemented?"
"I think you're absolutely right. We're all human beings. Why should men be able to do what they want, while women are stuck at home their whole lives?"
"Madam Lu, you are truly a role model for women of our generation!"
"Mrs. Lu, please tell us more, we want to hear it!"
"Yes, tell me about it!"
...
Those who came to visit the Kang family included both men and women. The men swarmed around Lu Baichuan, while the women flocked to Jiang Jiuniang's side.
The Lu family had always kept their doors closed to guests, so they had no chance to enter the Lu family's house. They never expected to see the couple at the Kang family's house, so they naturally couldn't let it go!
Lu Baichuan: ...
Jiang Jiuniang: ...
Good, good, if they had known this would happen, they wouldn't have come!
But now that things have come to this, even if we're unwilling, we have no choice but to face it.
Fortunately, they brought a group of children with them when they went out, and Jiang Jiuniang pushed Lianhua and Youya out without saying a word.
This was a rare opportunity for the girls to show off. Although they were a little shy, they knew that this was a rare opportunity, so Lotus took the lead and told the women present what else women could do besides taking care of children and doing housework at home.
The girls in the family were all taught by female tutors. Although they didn't specialize in one subject, they learned a variety of things, but the children all learned very well. They were not shy in such situations, spoke without stammering, and could even add some beautiful words and phrases, making people feel like they were bathed in a spring breeze and very happy.
At the same time, he was secretly amazed at how well the Lu family had raised their daughters. No wonder the Yang family insisted on marrying a Lu family girl despite the negative comments from the outside world.
Any one of these girls is top-notch; which family wouldn't want to marry one of them?
The shrewd ladies have already started to plan: they want to marry a virtuous wife. The mistress of the house is wise and intelligent, understands right and wrong, and can bring prosperity to the family!
Marrying a woman like Lu, who is eloquent, sensible, and understanding, will surely bring prosperity to the family for another hundred years!
Kang's mother was initially flustered by the sudden arrival of so many people, and her daughter-in-law, who was pregnant and had just returned home, was suffering from motion sickness and vomiting. There wasn't a single person in the house who could be of help. But then the Lu family arrived, and they solved everything just by standing there. There was no need to even pour tea, because everyone was so engrossed in listening that they didn't even have time to drink tea.
Finally, Kang's mother joined the crowd. Listening to the girls talking, she got excited. If she were ten years younger, she would definitely do what she used to be most interested in—selling pork!
When she was very young, she had a dream: to sell pork when she grew up, so that her family would have meat to eat every day.
Later, when I grew older, my elders told me that those were jobs only men could do, and that women shouldn't go out and show their faces in public; only shameless people would do that.
At the time, she felt she still had some sense of shame, so she listened to her elders and gave up on the idea, but it remained a knot in her heart.
Even now, with her son holding an official position and her becoming the mother of an official, she still feels some regret that she never got to sell pork at the market in her life.
She used to hear her elders say what women could and couldn't do, so she followed their advice and lived her whole life as a daughter, wife, and mother, but never became herself.
Now I hear a group of young girls saying that everyone is human, so why can't women do what men can do?
Do what you want to do while you're young!
"Yes, just do it while you're young!"
Her eyes welled up with tears, and she stood up, saying, "If someone had said these things to me when I was young, I definitely wouldn't be like this now, unable to even entertain guests at home, flustered and unsure of what I can do. Perhaps I would have followed my childhood dream of selling pork, or perhaps I would have learned a trade and supported myself with my own hands, instead of being confined to the home, obeying my father after marriage, and my son after my husband's death!"
Originally, everyone was very excited after hearing what the young girls said. But when Kang's mother stood up and said something with a sob in her voice, the atmosphere instantly ignited. Everyone was greatly encouraged and echoed her, saying that they also wanted to do what they wanted to do and did not want to be trapped in the inner quarters for the rest of their lives.
Of course, there are also many people whose minds have been corrupted, who think that Lotus and the other girls are spreading rumors and misleading the public. They believe that what men and women should do is a rule passed down from their ancestors. If men do women's things and women do men's things, wouldn't the world be in chaos?
As a result, the Lu family became infamous again for "spreading rumors and misleading the public." Many people spread rumors about the Lu family, saying that they harbored evil intentions and wanted to cause turmoil.
The next morning, the court was in an uproar. The officials were all impeaching the Lu family, saying that Jiang Jiuniang herself had impure thoughts and had corrupted the children in her family.
Now look what's happened, those kids in the family are causing trouble again!
Last night, after my wife and daughter came home, they made a huge scene, shouting that they wanted to do what they wanted and didn't want to be trapped in the inner quarters for the rest of their lives. It's ridiculous! If all the women are going to do what they want, who will take care of the men in the house and manage the household affairs?
"Your Majesty, this matter must be severely punished!"
"We have all witnessed the contributions the Lu family has made to the court, but their actions of bewitching women across the land are a grave mistake! Given time, everything will descend into chaos!"
"Your Majesty, I beg you to severely punish Jiang Jiuniang of the Lu family! This old minister is willing to die on the spot!"
...
As they were talking, an old minister with white hair recklessly charged at the nearest pillar, intending to give everyone a live demonstration of blood splattering on the spot.
Everyone around was frantic and wanted to pull him away, but at this moment, Mr. Kang, who had just returned from court, said slowly, "It's alright, everyone, there's no need to stop him. Let him crash. The one less person like him will greatly reduce the obstacles to our women's imperial examinations."
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