Chapter 63.2

The argument escalated, with both women hurling insults at each other. A pregnant woman and a woman over sixty were being pulled apart by bystanders who feared the situation would get out of hand.

Chen Xiaohong, seething with frustration, said, “How have I mistreated my daughters? I gave birth to them, provided for them, and raised them to this age. How can you say I’m unfit to be a mother? Isn’t this how everyone lives? She, Li Chunmiao, has the nerve to criticize me without even cleaning her own mess.”

If it weren’t for her pregnancy, Chen Xiaohong would have already attacked Aunt Li.

Chen Xiuni, worried that Chen Xiaohong might harm herself, tried to comfort her: “You know Aunt Li’s always been difficult and unreasonable. You’re pregnant, so take care of yourself.”

Chen Xiaohong immediately responded, “Yes, my son is still in my belly. I can’t let him be scared.”

Chen Xiuni thought to herself that Aunt Li’s criticism wasn’t entirely unfounded. Chen Xiaohong was fixated on having a son, viewing her daughters as mere helpers for the household and future dowries.

“Teacher Jiang, Teacher Jiang, Xiaocao is crying.” A little girl ran over.

“Xiaocao is crying?” Jiang Suihan paused for a moment. She recognized the girl as a student from the fourth grade. “What happened? Please tell teacher.”

Hong Chunmei took a breath and said, “Xiaocao’s mother won’t let her go to school, so Xiaocao is crying.”

That was clear enough, but the reasons behind it were still unclear.

Jiang Suihan walked with her, asking, “Why won’t Xiaocao’s mother let her attend school?”

Hong Chunmei’s voice was a bit downcast: “Xiaocao’s mother is pregnant. She said Xiaocao needs to stay home to take care of her little brother and won’t be coming to school next year.”

As Xiaocao’s friend, Hong Chunmei had hoped that if Jiang Suihan spoke to Xiaocao’s mother, she might change her mind and let Xiaocao continue her studies.

“Teacher Jiang, Xiaocao really loves going to school. She’s very upset and has been crying. Can you talk to her mother and convince her not to make Xiaocao stop attending school?”

Seeing the innocent eyes of the young student, Jiang Suihan couldn’t make any promises but assured her, “I’ll do my best.”

At the small school, they found Xiaocao by the wall at the back of the classroom.

Xiaocao was squatting on the ground, hugging her knees and burying her face in them, crying over her imminent end to her schooling.

Hong Chunmei ran to her: “Xiaocao, I’ve brought Teacher Jiang. Teacher Jiang said she will try to persuade your mother. If your mother changes her mind, you can come back to school.”

Hearing her friend’s voice, Xiaocao finally lifted her head. Her eyes were red, and she wiped her face with her sleeve, speaking softly, “Teacher Jiang.”

Jiang Suihan knew Xiaocao and her mother, Chen Xiaohong. Xiaocao had two younger sisters, one in the second grade and the other, six years old, who stayed at home.

Seeing Xiaocao’s frail body and clothes full of patches, stained and not very clean, with faded cloth strips tied in her hair—each braid with different colored strips—it was clear she wasn’t well cared for at home.

“It’s okay, Xiaocao, don’t be afraid. Teacher just wants to understand your family situation. Chunmei said your mother is pregnant and wants you to stay home to help take care of your siblings next year. Is that right?”

Xiaocao looked down, her voice muffled: “My mother says the baby brother will be a future support for me and my sisters. I need to be good to him. She also says that as the oldest child, I should set a good example. Without the baby brother, I won’t have any standing when I get married.”

An eleven- or twelve-year-old child looked up with earnest determination and asked, “Teacher, do girls have to get married?”

Jiang Suihan felt a pang of discomfort and frustration, though she couldn’t quite pinpoint the cause. She patted Xiaocao’s head, noting her dry, yellowish hair.

She squatted down to be at eye level with Xiaocao, speaking calmly but firmly: “What your mother said is not right. Everyone’s life is their own, and no one else should make their choices for them, even if that person is someone very close. Girls can choose to marry or not. There’s no ‘must’ about it.”

“The meaning of life isn’t limited to marriage and children. Girls can also create their own opportunities and achieve their own success. You’re still young, and you might not fully understand what I’m saying today, but remember this: education helps you understand the world. It might not make you rich or famous, but it will help you grow and become a better person.”

Zhang Xiaocao looked confused and bewildered. “Teacher, I don’t quite understand. You said that everyone’s life is their own, and only they can make their own choices. But I can’t disobey my mother. If she says I can’t go to school, then I can’t.”

She quietly thought to herself why she wasn’t Teacher Jiang’s child. Teacher Jiang was so gentle and kind. If she were Teacher Jiang’s child, she would surely be the happiest child in the world.

Jiang Suihan held Zhang Xiaocao’s hand. “That’s because you’re still young and can’t support yourself yet. You have to rely on your parents. When you grow up and can live on your own, that’s when you’ll truly be grown up. Teacher wants to ask you, does your father treat you and your sisters well at home?”

Zhang Xiaocao replied, “Better than my mother. Sometimes he buys us candy.”

She understood that both her parents wanted a son. In the village, the old women and aunts sometimes joked about how her family didn’t have a son and how she and her sisters would have a hard time without a brother. When she was younger, she didn’t understand why not having a brother meant her and her sisters would suffer. Didn’t they still have their parents?

Jiang Suihan supported her chin with her right hand. “So, does your mother fear your father?”

Zhang Xiaocao thought for a moment, somewhat unsure. “She should be afraid.”

She had never seen her father hit her mother, but she knew her mother must be afraid of her father.

Jiang Suihan snapped her fingers. “Got it. When you go home tonight, tell your father you want to go to school. While you’re telling him, cry as hard as you can. The more you cry and the more pitiful you make it, the better. If your father doesn’t agree to let you continue your studies, don’t stop. If he hits or scolds you, keep on causing trouble until he agrees.”

After a pause, she felt a bit guilty, wondering if this approach might mislead the children. However, since she had started, she continued.

“You need to understand a principle, the crying child gets milk. The more obedient and sensible you are, the more your parents might ignore your feelings. If they get very angry and want to hit you, open the door and run outside to find help from neighbors. Adults care about their reputation and won’t want to make a scene in front of others. You should seize this opportunity, tell the neighbors how much you want to go to school, and have them put pressure on your parents.”

Start by showing weakness, if that doesn’t work, create trouble, and finally use public pressure.

In any case, the goal is to catch them off guard.

Zhang Xiaocao’s eyes lit up, then she hesitantly asked, “But what if I run and get caught?”

Jiang Suihan couldn’t help but laugh, impressed by Zhang Xiaocao’s focus on the practical concerns. She had thought Zhang Xiaocao might be too timid to oppose her parents, but instead, she was concerned about being caught.

“Then you just run faster and shout for help. I’m not sure if the military has a women’s association, but I’ll ask tonight. If not, we can apply to the military. If your parents hit you, find the women’s association. The key is to fight for what you want. You’re a child, so you shouldn’t be afraid of losing face.”

The advice seemed increasingly outrageous to Jiang Suihan, and she felt a slight pang of guilt, realizing she sounded like a scheming old wolf deceiving a naive little rabbit.

Zhang Xiaocao looked at Teacher Suihan with bright eyes, nodding vigorously and clenching her small fists to cheer herself up. “Don’t worry, Teacher. I won’t let you down.”

Hong Chunmei cheered with delight. “Great, Xiaocao! I knew Teacher Jiang would have a way.”

Jiang Suihan secretly thought that she had even more direct and effective methods but didn’t want to scare them, so she kept it to herself.

…

Xu Zhao tapped Jiang Suihan’s bowl with his chopsticks. “What are you thinking about? You haven’t even eaten your meal.”

Jiang Suihan came back to her senses, looking at him hesitantly. “I was reflecting on myself.”

It was a new term for him.

Xu Zhao glanced at her. “Did you do something out of line today?”

Jiang Suihan felt a bit caught off guard and debated whether she should tell him that he knew her well.

“Today, a student told me her mother doesn’t plan to let her continue school next year, asking her to stay home and help with her younger brother. The student was very upset and asked me for advice, so I gave her a suggestion.”

Xu Zhao cut to the chase. “A bad suggestion?”

Jiang Suihan gave him a look. “You’re the one with the bad suggestions. I gave her a feasible and effective plan.”

Xu Zhao continued eating calmly. “So, are you reflecting on teaching students poorly?”

This type of conversation, where someone can predict your next words, really affects the desire to share.

Jiang Suihan gave a forced smile. “You’re so smart, really impressive.”

At this point, Xu Zhao realized he might have upset her and quickly stopped. “Okay, I won’t say anything more. You continue.”

Jiang Suihan replied grumpily, “I’ve finished, what else is there to say?”

Jiang Leyun stifled a laugh and leaned towards Xu Zhao, whispering, “Brother-in-law, you’re in trouble. How could you upset my sister? She’s like a ticking time bomb right now.”

The voice was not very clear. Jiang Suihan shifted her gaze to her younger brother. “Which side are you on?”

Jiang Leyun immediately picked up a bowl and chair, moving to sit next to his sister. “You’re my real sister, so of course, I’m on your side.”

Xu Zhao: “….”

Well, in their family of three, it was clear that the siblings would always side with each other, leaving him isolated.