Suddenly, an awkward silence swept through the village.

Having a baby here was a big deal, and anyone who wasn’t busy came to check it out.

At that moment, more than a dozen villagers gathered around the courtyard—men and women, old and young. When they heard it was a girl, several older men and women showed disdain on their faces.

The daughter-in-law had been in labor for hours. Everyone expected a big, chubby boy, but it turned out to be… a girl.

A girl with such a loud cry—would she even keep that strength as she grew?

“Say that again, are you sure it’s a girl?” the man in the yard asked anxiously.

He was loud enough that Fubao could hear him from inside. She whispered to herself, feeling a knot in her stomach.

So this is 1982. In backward, poor villages like this one, patriarchy is the norm. Many around here don’t want daughters and might even go so far as to discard a newborn girl.

Is that how this would end? Tossed into a well or left on a mountainside for wolves?

The midwife thought about how much the family favored sons and sighed to herself. It seemed like this little girl wouldn’t have an easy life.

Disapproving of the patriarchal mindset, the midwife’s smile faded as she replied indifferently, “Yes, it’s a girl, and a beautiful one at that. She looks just like her mother.”

The man’s face lit up, his worry replaced by sheer joy. “Really? Really? That’s amazing! I finally have a daughter—amazing, amazing!”

He was so thrilled that he kept saying “amazing” and rushed inside before anyone could stop him.

Fu Bao was taken aback.

Wait, why was this different from what she expected?

“Jianlin! What’s wrong with you, rushing in like that? What if you let in a draft and Xiujuan or the baby gets sick? You hear me?” Old Mrs. Shen scolded him, quickly pulling out two red envelopes from her pocket. She handed them to the midwife with a smile. “Our family doesn’t have much money, but please accept this small token of thanks.”

She handed over both envelopes. The midwife looked a bit surprised, but Old Mrs. Shen, practically glowing, continued, “Our Shen family hasn’t had a girl in generations. Now we finally have one—what a joy! So she gets two!”

The Shen family was known far and wide, primarily for being the poorest for miles. Even so, the villagers couldn’t wrap their heads around why they would hand out two red envelopes for a girl.

Giving one for a son made sense, but for a girl? Was it really necessary?

“After all that fuss, I thought it would be a big, healthy boy—but turns out it’s a girl,” someone scoffed.

“Ha! They haven’t had a daughter in ages, and the daughter-in-law has already given them four sons in a row. I bet they were hoping for a girl this time.”

“And if they don’t have a girl? I’d rather have all boys than a daughter. Other families treat their sons like treasures, but it’s strange that they act like their daughters are special! What’s going on in their heads? A girl is just wasted effort—a liability, a loss!”

“Exactly! They’re so thrilled about this girl; they must be out of their minds.”

Hearing the gossip around her, Mrs. Shen’s face burned with anger. Grabbing a stick from the corner, she stormed out of the courtyard, unleashed a stream of curses, and shouted, “What’s wrong with loving our daughters? What’s it to you? Get out of my way, or you’ll regret it!”