"What else could there be? The same ’first place’ every year," Zhou Lanfang’s expression changed when she spoke of Shen Mianmian, looking at her sideways, "When teachers lecture her, it’s like playing the lute to a cow. I’ve said to stop schooling already! Learn a craft, but her dad won’t listen to me."
Zhang Changfa’s wife joined in, "If she’s not good at studying, it really might be better to stop. After all, Mianmian is a girl, studying doesn’t do much for her."
The others chimed in as well, "Exactly, schooling costs a fair bit of money each year. We don’t need to read to do farm work. She’s already in junior high school, practically educated. Since she won’t get into university, continuing is just wasting money."
"If you ask me, being able to recognize a few characters by the fifth grade is enough. What’s the point of going to junior high?"
"The neighbors back in my parents’ house had a kid who also made it to junior high, even had better grades than Mianmian. But didn’t get into high school either, now isn’t she just back home farming? All that money spent just drifted away."
"If she’s not good at studying, it really is better not to go. Save the money for those who are good at it."
Being bad at school and still attending, it’s just a waste of money. These people weren’t targeting Shen Mianmian specifically; this was their common mindset. They thought raising a daughter was just preparing a dowry for someone else’s family.
So, families with sons would usually prioritize their boys. That was the mindset of most people; to put it bluntly, it was gender bias. Newest update provıded by 𝖓𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖑~𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖾~𝖓𝖊𝖙
Shen Jianhua’s smile gradually faded. He felt it was inappropriate for his wife to say these things in front of others, praising Siyu without having to put Mianmian down.
The kids were all grown up and needed face. It was not okay to talk about her in front of others, but with so many people around, mostly women chatting, it wasn’t his place to interrupt as a man.
Seeing that Shen Mianmian didn’t react much, he pretended not to hear.
Since Shen Jianhua didn’t say anything, Zhou Lanfang let her tongue loose, "Jianhua coddles her. What can I do? Keep studying then! At most, another half a year to go, if she doesn’t get into high school, she still won’t be able to continue. Our family doesn’t have the means to buy scores with money."
Before anyone else could respond, she held her waist, "The old ailment flared up again. My back, oh! It hurts so much. Siyu is busy studying, having to do this and that for me. I’m afraid of delaying her studies, but I can’t help it..."
"Doesn’t Mianmian help you?" asked Zhang Family’s daughter-in-law offhandedly.
The others followed suit, "Isn’t Mianmian a few months older than Siyu? She’ll be sixteen after the New Year. Not young anymore, she should be able to help you out, doing the laundry, scrubbing pots and pans. My kid started doing all that at twelve."
Shen Mianmian remained silent, and these people acted as if she didn’t exist.
"Jianhua just spoils the kids," Zhou Lanfang said sarcastically. "He says it should not interrupt the children’s studies."
"So you’re not afraid of interrupting Siyu’s studies?"
In the eyes of outsiders, although Zhou Siyu bore the Zhou surname, she had been brought over since she was little and raised by the Shen Family just like Shen Mianmian, no different from a daughter. After all, neither was actually their biological child—whichever was better at studying would get treated better, ensuring support for their old age.
"What can you do about it?"
Zhou Lanfang intentionally glanced at Shen Jianhua.
Listen, whenever it’s mentioned outside, who wouldn’t think Zhou Siyu should be favored a bit more?
"Jianhua, don’t be foolish. Siyu is good at studying, you should let her study properly. She can’t be delayed by these things."
There were those who began advising Shen Jianhua.