The cruelty of the poor, the rural lady happily announced everywhere that she was despaired
Neighbors Lao Zhang and his wife have been in a particularly happy mood recently. Every warm winter day, they would chat with their old friends in the neighborhood, their voices were a little louder, and their faces were full of joy. This stems from the fact that the old Zhang family recently ushered in a "big happy event".
Mrs. Zhang's son found a local girlfriend in Shanghai. This girl comes from a wealthy family, her parents are both businessmen, and she is the only daughter in the family, although the marriage has not yet been confirmed, Lao Zhang and his wife are so excited that they can't sleep at night. They saw it as a huge turnaround, as if a table full of pies had fallen from the sky.
Although Lao Zhang and his wife have lived a difficult rural life all their lives, and even food and clothing have been a problem, they have raised an excellent son. This son has excellent grades since he was a child, he has won many awards in school, and not only that, he is also handsome and dashing, and is considered a promising young man. After graduating, he found a high-paying job in the magic capital and started a relationship with a local girl. Although the marriage is still far away, Lao Zhang and his wife are already looking forward to the future, they believe that once the Shanghai girl marries into the family, the fate of the old Zhang family will usher in earth-shaking changes, after all, the rich girl will pass on the surname to the old Zhang family, and the future will be promising.
"Eating out of households" has a profound impact on our traditional culture. For Lao Zhang and his wife, although they had lived in the countryside, they also knew the power of the word "no household". Families lacking men are often seen as cut off, have a low status, and even suffer from disdain. Once the male in the family dies, only the mother and daughter are left to rely on each other, and the family property is often regarded as ownerless, and in many cases, even a mouthful of food becomes the object of grabbing. As for the livelihood of the mothers and daughters, they can only rely on themselves.
The distribution of traditional inheritance in rural areas is still skewed in favour of men, which is in fact a phenomenon of extinction. Even in contemporary society, if a rural family does not have a male heir, the homestead and arable land are often divided among male relatives rather than for female inheritance. This practice stems from the emphasis on male lineage, believing that only men can continue the family incense, while women are seen as married people and no longer associated with the family.
I am reminded of a story about the death of a well-known comedian who had only one daughter in the family. However, his younger brother forcibly seized his brother's property, claiming that it was their family's property and could not be given to outsiders. Later, the niece and uncle started a lawsuit that caused a sensation across the country.
This behavior seems taken for granted in the eyes of many people, who believe that the family property should be inherited by the male heirs, and that women marry off and become outsiders and should not enjoy the family property. This notion is actually a continuation of the influence of traditional culture.
Another meaning of "eating out of the household" is to acquire the property of the woman's family through marriage. In rural areas, people generally dislike the absence of a male heir in the woman's family, as this means that the woman's family will lose the right to inheritance. However, the situation is different if the woman's family is wealthy, and the man will often claim all the property of the woman's family through the legitimacy of the family name. This phenomenon is the embodiment of "eating out of households".
Nowadays, many young women are reluctant to get married in a hurry, which is deeply hidden behind the unfairness of traditional culture to women. Historically, family structures in agrarian societies were often dominated by men, and women lacked social and family status, were oppressed, and even treated as objects. They were seen as free domestic workers and fertility machines, and marrying a man meant giving up one's self and passing on the man's surname, all rooted in the social structure of agrarian societies in which men were more useful and able to maintain family power. In such a social context, women are forced to accept cultural constraints and face great pressure.
Part of the reason for personal dislike of the countryside is that the countryside is the cradle of traditional culture, and there are many irrational concepts in traditional culture. With the advancement of industrialization and urbanization, many women choose to stay in the city, reluctant to return to the countryside and no longer bound by traditional concepts of marriage. Patriarchal attitudes remain deeply entrenched, leading to the abandonment or even murder of some baby girls. Cities represent modern civilization, and more people are beginning to accept the concept of equality between men and women, which is not only reflected in material life, but also in spiritual level. This is a manifestation of social progress.
The phenomenon of "leftover women" is prevalent in the cities, and although the term is an insult to women, women still have the right to choose their own marriage. Marriage is not a necessity of life, and women have the right to choose their own path in life and not be bound by family and men. It is a positive change that they can enjoy a certain freedom of choice, not be oppressed by traditional culture, and will not be forced to marry by their elders.
What happened to women is a testament to the oppression of traditional culture. Therefore, it is recommended that women should pay attention to each other's moral and material conditions when choosing a partner, and pay more attention to each other's family background. If the other party is from a rural area and is the kind of person who is extremely respectful to her elders, it is recommended that women think carefully to avoid falling into the situation of being manipulated by the other party. Otherwise, you may suffer a tragic end.