mtl008 Chapter 517 They will walk this road together.
Chapter 517 They will walk this road together.
When Lu Yangyang and Jiang Zhiyi came out, some curious girls who heard the commotion outside secretly hid at the door to peek.
At first there were only one or two people, but as Xiu Niang spoke with Uncle Yu Liu, more and more people gradually appeared. Many of these girls, like Xiu Niang, still had families. Xiu Niang was a little luckier than them, having been rescued by Lu Yangyang in time, but she also seemed a little more unfortunate. They had heard that those girls who were actually taken to the Immortal Palace had all had their hearts ripped out and their blood drained to make pills.
The thought of saving someone sends chills down one's spine.
No matter where they were sent, they had no future and nowhere to go.
So what good are family members? Even if they are willing to take them back, can they really withstand the gossip and rumors in the future?
They have a home but can't go back; from the moment they were abandoned, they had no home.
Their families would probably rather they were dead than have them go back with broken bodies.
So when they learned that a girl's family had come to their door, they were really curious. They wondered if she could really go back, and what choice Xiu Niang would make.
When Xiu Niang said those words, they couldn't help but wonder, did they hate her?
They must hate it, hate that God is so unfair, why does He play such a cruel trick on them?
All they ever wanted in their lives was a peaceful marriage, to be good wives and mothers and live like everyone else, without any extravagant desires. Yet, fate cruelly forced them to their doom.
But what good is hatred? More than hatred, they care about what to do in the future. They don't want to die, and they're afraid of dying, but they don't know how to live. The place that took them in is nice, but how long can these old roof tiles, which only provide shelter from the wind and rain, protect them?
They envied Xiu Niang for being able to say such things and for having the courage to make choices, but did they have any choices?
The gate to the courtyard was half-open, and all the sounds outside could be heard clearly. An impatient girl even poked her head out to look.
More and more girls came out of the house.
They listened quietly, waited, and pondered.
Upon hearing the words "establish a female household and register her household," Hongdou, the most impatient of them all, disregarded her weakened state after her miscarriage and rushed out first, asking loudly, "Sir, is it true? Can we really register a female household?"
Over the years, the Great Zhao Dynasty has promulgated many laws and regulations, and the household registration system has undergone many changes. However, the issue of independent female households has been difficult to advance despite repeated discussions in the court.
The conditions for establishing a household with a female member were not only stringent, but also depended on whether the local official was lenient. Even if the conditions were met, if the local official refused to give his approval, it was impossible to establish a household with a female member, and unmarried women were even less eligible.
The cost of establishing a household with a woman in it is so high that there are very few precedents.
But today, the prefect of Yuzhou Prefecture actually said that he could make an exception for them and establish female households and register their household registration. This is equivalent to giving them a legitimate identity. Even if they really have no other choice but to sell themselves into slavery in the future, it will be their own decision, instead of being sold off by someone at will.
Although they are now saved, their household registrations were cancelled when they were married off as sacrifices, and they are already considered dead. Even if the government restores their household registrations, they will simply return to their original homes, with no autonomy whatsoever. Their future is entirely up to them.
If their household registration is not restored, they will remain an unregistered group with nowhere to go.
It is often said that the fate of women in this world is like duckweed, and they are often not in control of their own destiny.
Because no matter what their status is, they cannot make their own decisions.
But if they could establish female households, they would be able to make their own decisions.
Hongdou was still weak, her face was deathly pale, and there was no color in her eyes, but her eyes were unusually urgent. The two girls who had run out with her knelt down with a thud, huddled together, and looked up at Magistrate Ling with helplessness and longing.
Prefect Ling's eyes welled up with tears. He looked at the girls in front of him, then at the girls hiding behind the door, too afraid to step out. He bowed to them and solemnly said, "My word is my bond. I will establish a household for you women and register your household!"
Hongdou covered her face and could no longer hold back her tears, but her eyes were full of hope.
The girls who had been hiding behind the door stepped out upon hearing the sound and knelt silently on the ground. Then came the second, the third... For the first time, those girls who had been imprisoned by fate stepped out of the cage that confined their souls.
The sky had already darkened, but the lanterns hanging on the gate tower of the courtyard lit up one after another, illuminating the entire alley.
The world may fall into darkness, but there will be people who light lamps.
Amidst the overlapping shadows of the lights, Lu Yangyang met Zong Que's gaze from afar, across the crowd.
She raised her eyebrows, and he smiled.
His ideals will eventually be realized, and her hopes will gradually become a reality.
They will walk this road together.
There is nothing more exciting than this.
Lu Yangyang thought.
……
With a single sentence from Prefect Ling, establishing a female household and registering her, Yu Liubo's schemes were completely thwarted.
From now on, they truly no longer need him as their husband and father.
They no longer need him as the head of the family.
He slumped to the ground in despair, and was helped up by the villagers as the crowd dispersed.
He felt completely powerless, and although he wanted to turn around, it seemed as if he couldn't do it even if he exhausted all his strength.
The responsibilities in this world are incredibly difficult, so why would he think of letting a young girl who hasn't even reached marriageable age bear them?
Uncle Yu sobbed, but no sound came out; it was stuck in his throat, like a trapped beast struggling in its death throes.
Meanwhile, after bidding farewell to Prefect Ling, Lu Yangyang gathered all the girls together and told them about her plan to establish an academy.
“Once you establish a female household and register your household, you will be able to take charge of your own lives. If any of you have a skill and want to start working and earning money as soon as possible, I will arrange it for you. If you want to learn, come with us and choose what you want to learn. After you have learned it, we will arrange it for you based on what you have learned. But no matter what you choose, you will be able to live here for free for two years. We will never let you become homeless.”
Hongdou was the first to respond, looking eagerly at Jiang Zhiyi, "Master, I want to learn the law! You promised to teach me! You can't go back on your word!"
Jiang Zhiyi smiled and nodded: "Of course it counts!"
Xiu Niang chimed in, "I said it too, I want to study medicine, and I will definitely study hard!"
With the two of them taking the lead, the others also started discussing it, "Can you really learn anything?"
“I can learn embroidery. I used to be good at needlework. If someone could teach me, I could make a living by selling embroidery in the future!”
"I'm a good cook. If I can learn a few dishes, I've heard that some people at the docks can set up stalls. I could go and set up a stall there!"
"I'm big and burly, and my parents always looked down on me because I only had strength. What can I do? I wish I could work as a porter at the docks!"
"I... I don't have any special skills. Does taking care of children count? I've taken care of all seven or eight of my younger siblings..."
"A lady just said she can teach makeup and hairdressing, and I want to learn that!"