240: Chapter 38: The Young Widow Hides It Well 240: Chapter 38: The Young Widow Hides It Well Many naive young girls from later generations, influenced by harmful movies, literature, and anime, add a rainbow-colored starlight filter to their impressions of ancient women, especially the courtesans of ancient brothels.
They imagine that by time traveling back, with the original host’s beauty that brings calamities, and the interesting soul of a transmigrator, they could easily win the favor and adoration of various sons of nobility and gentry, flitting amongst a crowd of handsome men, and ultimately be forcefully married off by a domineering young master with a wave of his silver note, thus starting the drama of domestic battles…
In reality, such good fortune is rare.
Last year, the government’s special crackdown rescued a large number of fallen women from the brothels; most of these women were young, even underage, and it was rare to see anyone over twenty-four, and most of them were the kind of skilled “famous courtesans” that young girls fantasized about.
It’s not that other women didn’t want to live to that age.
They were not redeemed by spiteful men or sycophants spending money; they simply died early.
Not to mention ancient times, even in the future era, no black technology has been developed that can safely prevent pregnancies and perform abortions.
The safflower, musk, and Contraceptive Soup mentioned in the harem literature are just like the Foundation Establishment Pill in fantasy novels, fictional creations invented by authors to entertain people.
Once a technician in this line of work became pregnant, she was typically close to death.
The pimp still expected you to make money, how could they allow you to have a safe pregnancy and spend money on medicines for you?
You would be beaten with a stick across the belly; if the fetus was dislodged, you were lucky, if not, the beating would continue until you hemorrhaged and both mother and child died.
The corpse would be wrapped in a mat and tossed carelessly into the Chaotic Grave Mound outside the city.
It was possible that a nearby beggar would take advantage of the situation to conduct business in the night, and in a few days, wild dogs would have gnawed away everything that remained.
After the special rectification operation, the girls who were slightly older, that is, thirteen and above, were all taken in by the Qianjin Church and sent to technical schools under the Church’s management for a three-month technical training before being sent to work in factories.
The age standard was thirteen because ancient people valued it as the age when girls were said to be in their “years of cardamom” or “when first feelings of love awaken,” which meant the same thing.
Respectable girls could discuss marriage at this age, and in disreputable places, they could start receiving clients.
This only speaks for the mainstream majority, those into heavy metal are excluded.
The thought and consciousness of people in the past were more conservative, holding the belief that for women, a lack of talent was a virtue, and women should not be educated to read and write.
In the new era, people’s minds have opened up a bit.
Even so, the mainstream public opinion has only changed to the extent that it’s acceptable for girls to study, but once they reach thirteen, they should consider marriage and child-rearing, and there’s no need to waste the family’s money on further education.
Not just men think this way, the vast majority of women in this era think the same.
If you ask them to study, they might even feel you are harming them.
Anyone daring to liberate women would be considered the epitome of sin and completely unforgivable.
The personal experiences of Jiang Yinyin and Zhou Qing are just a microcosm of the women’s group in this era.
Cui Xiaoying’s background is slightly better than those two young girls, but she is still truly a widow.
A fifteen or sixteen-year-old young widow going out to work to make a living is already shameless enough in the eyes of the neighborhood gossips.
You still dare to go to school?
It’s simply a sign of the decline of social morals!
“Principal Zhou and the Archbishop argued about this issue for a long time, and I think what he said makes sense.
Even if the Church’s factory can recruit female workers, it cannot change the objective disadvantage of women compared to men in terms of physical energy consumption.
Without the Church’s policy support, it’s impossible to achieve equal pay for equal work.
It seems like learning a skill could provide a way to make a living, but in reality, it’s still just a band-aid solution,”
Veronica explained as she fiddled with the roasted meat, “Don’t bother with those strange looks and idle gossip; you can’t change the stereotypes others have in their hearts, you can only try to change yourself.
Read more, learn more, arm your mind.
Maybe you alone truly can’t change the overall situation, but if we all work together, it will make a difference.”
“Of course, I will also respect your personal wishes, if you are determined to refuse, I will remove your name from the list.
But the premise is—you must give me a reason that can convince me.”
Cui Xiaoying hesitated for a moment, then, gritting her teeth, said, “Sister Veronica, I know you mean well, but Wei and I rely on each other for survival and we don’t have much in savings.
Even just supporting her education is difficult, not to mention considering her future dowry.”
“You don’t have to worry about that, the Church will provide you with a scholarship, and besides…
with your skills, you might even make a small fortune.”
Veronica turned to look at Wang Yunxiao, “Because we have a rule of secrecy within our Church, she probably hasn’t told you that she has already obtained her Level 2 Machinery Repair Engineer certificate, has she?”
Wang Yunxiao looked utterly confused.
Is there any need to tell me that?
Do you really think I’m her beau?
Seeing that Wang Yunxiao seemed not to understand, Veronica laughed and added, “She’s not just skilled at repairing machine tools and boilers, but she also has certain knowledge of our active military equipment, like maintenance of the Liuyun series firearms.
Section Chief Wang, you should take care of her business in the future!”
Wang Yunxiao was truly shocked.
I thought she went to work at the cotton mill to weave, and now you’re telling me she repairs machines?
Widow sis, you’ve kept your cards close to your chest!
Facing Wang Yunxiao’s intense gaze, Cui Xiaoying turned her head away, somewhat embarrassed, and said softly, “Why are you saying all this, the things I can do, how could they possibly be of use in school…”
“Whether they will be of use or not, you’ll find out in time, and there’s another matter.”
Veronica took a bite of the roast meat and spoke seriously, “Among the students sent by the Church this time, many have backgrounds related to the Red Lantern Society.
You must know Du Sanniang, the Oiran sister who heads the Altar, right?
This time we need you to step forward and appease that auntie.
Of course, I wouldn’t let you negotiate with her empty-handed; you may selectively reveal some information about ‘that thing’ to her.
She will be interested.”
Wang Yunxiao snorted coldly, “Sister Veronica, you eat my roast meat and talk in riddles in front of me; isn’t that a bit much?”
“What’s the hurry, I was just about to explain to you!”
Veronica laughed heartily, then turned to Wang Yunxiao and said, “Actually, it’s no longer a secret among us—it’s a ‘Divine Artifact’ that our mechanical factory has just produced, named ‘Shaoguang’.”
“Its side effect is that it can beautify.”