Chapter 318
Chapter 318: Teaching Without Discrimination, Equal Treatment for All
Some things don’t need much explanation—preference for sons over daughters is far too common in this era.
Dong Sheng and Zhou Qingfang were both learned men, knowledgeable and well-informed. Moreover, having witnessed many injustices along the way, even though they didn’t ask the locals why only girls were being sent over, they could easily figure out the reason with just a little thought.
For common folk, raising children was difficult. Having fewer children was one thing, but when there were many children in a family, daughters were considered less valuable.
Not to mention anything else, just the fact that the Medical Academy would raise children free of charge for seven years was a great help. Many poor families who couldn't afford to raise their children but feared trouble were reluctant to send their precious sons away, so they would push their daughters out instead. This saved on household food expenses, and daughters who could read and write might fetch a good price when they married in the future…
Of course, these were shortsighted thoughts.
Those truly wise would send several children who met the criteria—no matter boys or girls—if they had them at home!
After all, such a windfall from the sky was very rare. In previous years, the government came to them asking for money, but this year, the government was actually subsidizing them instead. Such an excellent chance to "shear" government resources—if not now, then when?
Only the people from Xu Huahua’s village and the neighboring village, both rather narrow-minded, returned only with girls.