Chapter 29: Dividing the Tofu
Eldest Aunt’s Sun Xiaoxue was fine. She was six this year and didn’t take issue with this way of divvying up food. Even though her half bowl wasn’t enough and she wanted to eat more, she ultimately said nothing, just watched her brothers’ bowls with envy.
Aunt’s Sun Xiaoyu, who was only four and a half this year and the same age as Zhao Zhitong, didn’t have enough from her half bowl. She wanted to eat more, so she asked her mother for more.
Then Aunt from the Liu Clan rejected her, saying, "Haven’t you already eaten? We have guests at home; you shouldn’t be so ill-behaved."
Sun Xiaoyu wanted to cry but dared not, so she just pouted, feeling extremely wronged.
Zhao Zhitong was even more confused, so she asked Grandpa Bai, "Grandpa Bai, are Eldest Aunt and Aunt bad mothers?"
Grandpa Bai stroked his beard and fell silent for a moment. "One can’t really say that," he said. "It’s more of a habitual mindset, I suppose, determined by the general environment we live in. Is it because your parents dote on you that you’ve never realized that in this era, the phenomenon of preferring boys over girls has always existed?"
Zhao Zhitong’s small face was a picture of bewilderment. "Prefer boys over girls? Why would they prefer boys over girls? I’m not light at all; I’m heavy! Papa even said today that I’ve gotten heavier."
Grandpa Bai was amused by this, then said seriously, "Young girl, ’preferring boys over girls’ means male superiority and female inferiority. Within a family clan, males are considered the continuers of the family line. Elders naturally place more importance on them, and correspondingly, males have higher status and receive greater rights and benefits.
For example, if guests come to the house for a meal, women are not allowed to eat at the main table. The way your aunts are currently dividing the food among the children naturally favors the boys."
Zhao Zhitong listened in a daze. After all, she had previously lived in modern times where everyone was equal. Now, having transmigrated, she was also doted on by Sun Mei and Zhao Dong, so she had never encountered this kind of thinking.
At this moment, she found it somewhat incomprehensible. "Why?" she asked. "Grandpa Bai, I don’t understand. Mothers and aunts work so hard to prepare the meals, so why aren’t they allowed to eat at the table? Aren’t boys and girls equally precious to their parents? Why should boys be considered more esteemed?"