Bold and passionate love: Acting coquettishly in Mr. Huo's arms

"No, I didn't go to school."

The little girl lowered her head, her voice pure and innocent as she whispered, "Mom said it's useless for girls to go to school. My family is poor, and we need to save money for my younger brother... I don't have to go to school, I can help Mom with the work."

After she finished speaking, she raised her head and smiled, her eyes sparkling: "Mom said that when I grow up a little bit, I can go out and make money to support my brother's education."

Ruan Xingchen stopped moving and the smile on his face froze.

Her voice was a little dry, and she said softly: "Do you want to go to school?"

"I do not know."

The little girl shook her head, bit her fingertips, and whispered, "Mom said girls don't need to go to school. I've never been to school, so I don't know what it's like..."

She was silent for a while, probably because she had eaten Ruan Xingchen's candy and felt a natural closeness to her.

Then he added quietly, "Erniu next door went to school, and when he came back he could recite poems and write calligraphy. I also want to write my own name."

For a little girl with little knowledge, being able to learn to write her own name is a luxury.

Looking at the pear blossoms, Ruan Xingchen couldn't help but feel a little sad.

Since the family returned to Linjia Village, it has been Mrs. Niu who has been helping them enthusiastically and solving many of their problems.

In Ruan Xingchen's impression, Mrs. Niu is a typical working woman, enthusiastic and hardworking, simple and capable, and nimble with her hands and feet.

However, it is this kind of person who would tell his daughter that going to school is useless and that she should go out early to earn money to support her younger brother's education.

With the development of the times, gender equality is becoming more and more popular.

However, in some remote areas, the old system is still followed, favoring boys over girls.

At this moment, an elderly woman from the village came out carrying a basket of blessed fruits. She smiled and waved to the children waiting outside, saying, "Children, come and eat the blessed fruits bestowed by our ancestors!"

Fuguo is actually fruits such as apples and oranges.

The best quality ones are selected and placed in front of the ancestral tablets during ancestral worship as a tribute to the ancestors.

When the sacrifice is over, these sacrificial fruits become blessed fruits, which are believed to carry the instructions of the elders. They are distributed to children in the hope that they can grow up safely and without illness or disaster.

Hearing the old lady's call for the lucky fruit, Lihua bit her fingers and looked over eagerly, but her little body remained obediently where it was without moving.

Seeing her like this, Ruan Xingchen felt even more sad. He was silent for a moment before forcing himself to smile.

She pushed Lihua's thin body and said softly, "It's time for the fattening fruit. Lihua, go get it quickly. I'm waiting for you here and won't leave."

She thought Lihua didn't move because she wanted to chat with her.

However, Lihua shook her head, swallowed her saliva, and said crisply: "The blessing fruit is for boys to eat. I am a girl and cannot eat the blessing fruit."

Ruan Xingchen was stunned for a moment.

She was raised by her grandmother and never experienced the so-called preference for boys over girls.

Lihua's childish words suddenly made her realize that in this small mountain village, gender is a huge gap that naturally divides boys and girls into different classes.

Lihua kept staring at the old lady distributing the blessed fruits with greed in her eyes.

Maybe she wasn't really craving the fruit.

Although Linjia Village is backward and poor, every household has planted some fruit trees, and there are many wild fruits on the mountain.

However, for Lihua, this is something she cannot taste. The blessed fruit with the blessing of her ancestors becomes particularly delicious and tempting.

There are many little girls like Lihua.

Whether ignorant or beginning to understand things, they quietly watched the old lady give out lucky fruits to the lively boys.

Ruan Xingchen felt a blockage in his throat and could no longer watch this scene happen.

"Who says girls can't eat blessing fruit?"

She took Lihua's hand and said in a deep voice, "Nonsense, boys and girls can eat it. Come, I'll take you to get it."

Lihua was stunned, her eyes flashing with desire, but she shook her head sensibly: "Lihua doesn't want to eat. Sister, don't go...my cousin will be angry."

My cousin’s great-grandmother is the old lady who grew up with a fat fruit.

"Come with your sister." Ruan Xingchen didn't say much, took her hand and walked to her cousin's grandmother.

My cousin's grandmother was putting an apple into the hands of a boy of seven or eight years old. When she saw Ruan Xingchen smile, she asked lovingly, "What's wrong, Xingnan?"

"Aunt, I'm here to ask for a blessing fruit."

Her clear eyes stared at the old man's wrinkled face, and Ruan Xingchen spoke clearly, "There are so many blessed fruits, why are you only giving them to the little boy? Give some to the little girls too!"

Her lips were smiling, but her eyes were firm and cold. "I remember we prepared a lot of fruit. If we don't eat it quickly, it will become stale."

As a party offering ancestor worship, these fruits were specially purchased by them.

My cousin's aunt was stunned, obviously not expecting her to say that.

After all, she was not a member of the Lin family and was considered a guest in the village.