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Chapter 795: Chapter 801: Doting on the Wife Mania_1
The busy farming season was imminent, and for the peasants, nothing was more important than the harvest.
Thus, many men stayed home to rest and gather strength, with few willing to come out to do work.
However, Tan Zhenghong was well-liked, and when he previously asked for help to change the layout or repair houses, no one ever refused.
Most crucially, the daily wage of thirty-five wen was quite tempting, so he easily found plenty of people.
An auspicious day was chosen and the construction of the Embroidery Room officially began.
At first, everyone was extremely respectful towards Master Tan, only daring to work in silence.
But after a few days, when they realized that Master Tan was still the same Tan Zhenghong, they grew bolder.
During a break, some men couldn’t help but chat about Tan Zhenghong.
Every time Fourth Boss’s wife came to deliver water, it would distress Fourth Boss for half the day; they couldn’t bear to watch!
Which of the village women were so delicate?
Normally, they would all do household chores, and during the busy times, they would also work in the fields!
Now, with Fourth Boss’s wife setting an example, their own wives nagged about it constantly.
"Ah Hong, don’t spoil your wife too much. Look at other people’s wives; which one doesn’t do work?"
Tan Zhenghong said indifferently, "If we feel tired carrying a twenty-pound load, how much more for women who carry a belly every day? And when it’s time to give birth, they suffer anew. As long as the household can get by, we shouldn’t let them get tired."
That was how he acted, and that was what he advocated.
When it came to this, some men strongly agreed, having seen their own wives pregnant.
"Women are quite amazing. Watching them give birth in excruciating pain, yet they rush to do it again and again."
"Isn’t that because they adore us? Do you see a woman willing to bear children for a man from outside their home?"
"Do you think it’s all easy after giving birth? Take breastfeeding; you have to get up several times in the night. I sleep like a dead pig at night, blissfully unaware of everything."
"How are women tired? It’s their duty. Aren’t we men working ourselves to death outside just as hard?"
Someone argued back, aren’t farming and casual labor mostly done by men?
If you really want to compare, men are definitely more exhausted.
"Exactly, if women couldn’t have children, why would we bother marrying?"
"You say a woman should look after her husband and teach her children, but a man should also provide for his family. How can you have the nerve to let your wife supplement the household income?"
Sun Erhu retorted, leaving that man with no reply. 𝖓𝔬𝔳𝖕𝖚𝖇.𝖈𝔬𝔪
"We spend silver to get a wife; shouldn’t she help earn it back?"
Tan Zhenghong disagreed, "She’s also raised by her parents. If you want to marry her, shouldn’t you make some gesture? As long as my wife didn’t suffer or work hard at her parents’ home, I’m willing to spend the silver."
"Are you saying that you’ll give away your daughter for free in the future? Or if your daughter marries someone like you, won’t you feel heartache?"
Sun Erhu swept a contemptuous glance over a few dissatisfied men.
In Big Willow Village, Sun Erhu and Tan Zhenghong were closest and cherished their wives the most. When they spoke up, some men hung their heads in shame.
Yet they weren’t beyond redemption, for they had already begun to recognize their mistakes.
"If my son-in-law were like these men, I’d beat him to death!" said Dàlín, the father of a just-married daughter, seriously.
"This... indeed, why should my hard-raised daughter suffer for someone else’s household?"
"Isn’t that a bit of an exaggeration?"
"Giving birth, doing housework, serving in-laws and husband, and still having to earn money to support the family—that’s even worse than being a maid!"
...
A bunch of men gathered and after much discussion, they arrived at the conclusion that women had it tough and deserved better treatment.
Unbeknownst to them, the status of women in Big Willow Village had quietly risen a notch.
As the construction of the Embroidery Room commenced, Fat Aunt began to consider hiring staff.
She always remembered that Duo’er was the owner of the Embroidery Room; thus, she chose an afternoon to report the matter.
"These are the almonds my family just picked. Eat one when you don’t feel like having a meal," Fat Aunt handed the basket to Duo’er.
Almonds weren’t anything rare, but her family’s almond tree matured early, while others were still green.
Qiao Duo’er was very grateful. "Thank you, Auntie. I was just thinking about these, and you brought them over."
"As long as you like them, there are more on my tree, all saved for you," Fat Aunt said cheerfully. She was glad she had already told the bear-like kids at home; otherwise, these almonds wouldn’t be enough to satisfy their mischief.
Duo’er invited Fat Aunt into the house and poured her water, then they started discussing business.
"The Embroidery Ladies from the other villages all have ox-carts to pick them up, but the carts are never full. So I’m thinking of hiring more people. First, have them embroider simple insoles at home; once the Embroidery Room is built, they can start working right away."
