People in the Ming Dynasty are lawless

Chapter 693: Why Women's Status Gradually Increases

After reading Zhu Youwei's plan, Chen Han was still surprised.

Because the wife felt that she had to complete a task, and even after this plan, she had to devote a lot of manpower and material resources, and have the cooperation of many people.

After reading it, Chen Han felt that his wife's plan was a bit too bold.

Because she actually needed some Confucian scholars from the Hanlin Academy to participate in its construction.

After reading it, Chen Han wanted to ask his wife: "Youwei, have you ever thought about whether or not the Confucian scholars would be willing to help you build the city if you really ask them to? Another question is, do you think you can trust them?

"If they do something to you again, you may not be able to see it. Don't think that they have been suppressed by your husband, but they are still very powerful. Don't underestimate them."

Zhu Youwei smiled after hearing what Chen Han said, "I have never looked down on those scholars. The reason why I put forward such an opinion is actually to tell those scholars not to think that they can look down on those women just because they are men. I have never looked down on you men.

"But don't underestimate us women. We women can also do something. We are not here to affect your status, and we don't even want to replace you."

After hearing what Zhu Youwei said, Chen Han immediately started to argue, "But no one will listen to your serious explanation. You have to know that if they really want to find something to talk about, they don't need you to do anything. They just need to guess your thoughts and many people will be willing to listen."

Chen Han now talked about a very heartbreaking point for Zhu Youwei, which is that those scholars now seem to be very fair, and even seem to have been suppressed by their husbands, but after all, the power of those scholars is still very strong, and they have never given up on turning the tables on this matter.

Especially against Zhu Youwei, she was deliberately plotting. Zhu Youwei was already considered a hen crowing at dawn in the eyes of some people. If she came up with something like this, wouldn't it just cause more trouble?

Zhu Youwei asked directly: "You mean you don't support me either?"

This is why the couple quarrel over some things, because sometimes they have different opinions, but this does not affect their relationship.

And this kind of argument can sometimes really help both people make progress, especially what Zhu Youwei is going to do now, which seems a bit radical to Chen Han.

It's not because he doesn't believe his wife can't do it, but because he feels that the current atmosphere is not conducive to his wife stepping forward at this time and having a good result.

So Chen Han immediately shook his head and said, "I never think that my wife can't do something, I just feel sorry for my wife.

"You also know that I came from the modern era. I have 600 years of advanced knowledge, so I understand very well how different the ideas of the people in the Ming Dynasty are from those of modern people. I also understand very well what the current atmosphere in the Ming Dynasty is.

"What you are doing is actually very good in terms of the progress of civilization, but you have to understand one thing, that is, other people may not think that what you are doing is right, even some women."

When Chen Han said that some women might not understand, Zhu Youwei suddenly lost the confidence to compete with Chen Han, because Chen Han was right. Under the influence of today's trend, many women may not think that awakening is a good thing. They just want to rely on the wings of men and then have a stable life.

Under the influence of this environment, do those women have the courage to stand up and ask to learn some knowledge from me? They are afraid that they will lose the protection of their husbands.

Chen Han said directly: "You have the courage to stand up, you have the confidence, and you even have the energy to do something more manly than men. You can tell everyone that as long as you stand up, women can also hold up half the sky, but you have to consider one thing, not every woman has the same conditions as you, what can they do after they stand up?"

Chen Han said this in a rather serious tone. He was not discussing with his wife, but directly stating one thing. It is impossible for everyone to understand because everyone has a different perspective.

You have your energy, and you look at those problems from your perspective. You think that as long as you stand up, wake up, and break those rules and regulations, you can save many people, but others may not see it that way.

After all, no matter what others say about you, no matter how many people are behind you and give you a bad face, no matter how many people hate you in their hearts, they can't do anything to you, because you are the daughter of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, you are the Princess, and even your husband is a man who dares to say no under any conditions.

This man also dug up the graves of the ancestors of those scholars, the Kong family, so everyone will be afraid of you when they see you, including the dignitaries.

No one dares to mess with you, but what about ordinary women?
Chen Han's next words were even more pointed, "You have always said that we should let the women of the common people stand up, let them learn more good things, and let them understand their own value. Your ideas are very good.

"To be honest, I also think that if women can stand up and use their own energy, instead of staying at home as a wife and mother, instead of spending their whole lives cooking, they will be able to do things that men cannot do. But there is a prerequisite, how many women are there?"

When Chen Han's questions came one after another, Zhu Youwei was speechless. She didn't know what words she should use to refute him. She even felt that she could not refute him at all. At that moment, she felt that her husband was sober.

Sometimes, she always looks at this issue from her own perspective because she has never really been to the homes of ordinary people to take a look.

I haven't even done any real research. Do those women really want you to rescue them?

Zhu Youwei then said, "So you didn't object to me opening a women's college class in your Daming Engineering College at the beginning, because the girls enrolled in it were all daughters of high-ranking officials and dignitaries, right?"

Chen Han nodded: "Indeed, I have always felt that you women are actually very outstanding. You take the initiative to stand up, you learn these things first, and then change little by little over time, and little by little let all the women in the world feel that they are not the kind of people who are timid and can only hang on men's waists as ornaments all their lives." Chen Han admitted that the things his wife did were meaningful, but meaningful things do not necessarily have to be publicized right away, because it requires a process, even if one really wants to break the current trend.

This is not something that can be done by just a few women like you. It is something that requires a lot of patience.

Chen Han said directly, "I have always told you that we may not succeed in doing these things. What I wanted to tell you at that time was that it is actually difficult to succeed. At least in our generation, it is difficult to make women stand up.

"Because the trend is there. Without a few hundred years of sedimentation, this trend cannot be changed. Because the most important thing now is that we have not yet reached this level of productivity."

Zhu Youwei has heard, and Chen Han has said, that the so-called productivity level refers to the level of resource utilization by a country or the entire society.
In fact, it is a question of efficiency. The efficiency of the Ming Dynasty is still very low, and the population that can be fed by farming is small.

Chen Han patiently explained to his wife, "I told you before why women of our generation were able to awaken their minds and feel that they should be paid the same as men for the same work, and even learn to read and read with men, and compete with men for a job. It's not that women of our generation could achieve this overnight."

Zhu Youwei was very interested when she heard what Chen Han said. She also wanted to know why people of her husband's generation could read and write like men and go to the same private school.

Even this will not cause disgust from others, will not exclude them, will not throw them into a pig cage, and will not humiliate them.

Chen Han explained to her: "I didn't tell you in detail before, so I will tell you in detail now."

Zhu Youwei was a little unhappy. "Why didn't you tell me before? If you had told me earlier, maybe I wouldn't have put so much effort and time into running the women's college, right?"

Chen Han smiled bitterly: "My dear, I always thought that you just treated this as a fun side job. I never thought that you really wanted to treat it as a career."

Zhu Youwei became even more unhappy, with a stern face and pouting lips, "Look, what you mean is that I shouldn't do this at all and shouldn't take this as a main job. I should sew and do housework like ordinary ladies, right? This is in line with your view of women. You also said that you came from the modern era, and your awareness is not high either."

Seeing his wife acting like a little woman, he laughed and said, "Okay, I'm very sorry about this. I underestimated my wife and her strengths. I look down on people."

Zhu Youwei felt a little relieved after hearing Chen Han's words. "Now you can tell me why it is like this, why I can't do it, why the women over there can do this, and what methods they use to gain the respect of men so that others won't think they are hens crowing at dawn."

After Chen Han sorted out his emotions and organized his words, he began to explain to her, "In fact, the reason why women of our generation were able to stand up was not because they achieved success overnight. They rose up thanks to the modern industrial revolution.

"Of course, this is not accurate, because in the late Ming Dynasty, which is one or two hundred years after our starting point, after the rise of handicraft workshops in the Jiangnan region, the status of women also improved a little, because at that time women could make a lot of money by spinning and weaving."

Zhu Youwei's eyes lit up after hearing this: "You mean to say that women are able to stand up because they can make money, not because men's views on women have changed over time?"

Chen Han clapped his hands and said, "It seems that my wife is very smart. She knows the underlying logic as soon as she hears what I say."

After hearing her husband's compliment, Zhu Youwei immediately held her head high and said, "Of course. Don't underestimate the wisdom of us women. When we women become smart, we can sometimes surprise you."

Chen Han immediately clasped his hands and bowed to her, "Yes, yes, that's right. You women really make us feel like poets sometimes, and sometimes even us men feel astonished."

Zhu Youwei immediately waved her hands, "Okay, okay, stop saying these compliments, just continue."

After taking a sip of tea, Chen Han immediately continued, "After the advent of the Industrial Revolution, earth-shaking changes took place because women could do the same things as men through a series of machines, such as weaving.

“The Industrial Revolution was able to emerge because machine-made cloth saves time and effort compared to handmade cloth, and can be produced on a large scale, so it is cheap.

"In this process, the importance of many female workers was reflected, and at one point these female workers even earned more money than ordinary men.

"You also know that men are good at physical labor and mechanical manufacturing, but when it comes to weaving, women are more attentive, eat better, and are more patient, so naturally they make more money than men through this industry, and their status is gradually reflected.

“In any era, whoever makes more money will have more say.

"It is also because of the Industrial Revolution and the use of machinery that women's work efficiency can be equal to or even exceed that of men. There is no longer a need for a large number of men to do physical work like in the past, such as farming.

"With this foundation, these women can put forward a series of demands. For example, women can ask, since my work efficiency is the same as men's, and sometimes I do better than men, why should my wages be less than men's?

"At times like this, men can't say it's unfair, right?"

……

(End of this chapter)