Wang Shi waved her hand, "I know you young ladies have private matters to discuss, and I didn't intend to interrupt. But lately, I've been worried sick about Rou'er. Your Aunt Tang is a soft-hearted person. If you let her manage things, she'll speak in a gentle tone, but Rou'er will completely ignore her. If I scold her, she'll appear to listen, but as soon as I turn around, she'll do as she pleases. Nuan'er's disposition is also like your Aunt Tang's; she can't control Rou'er at all. Tell me, what kind of proper young lady abandons poetry, etiquette, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting to spend all day fiddling with a pile of wood? Rou'er has always listened to you; could you talk to her?"
Li Nuan chimed in, "Don't even mention it. As soon as Zhenzhen arrived, Rou'er dragged her off to see the waterwheel. After the waterwheel, they went to her room, where she showed Zhenzhen all her treasures. Zhenzhen was kind enough to praise her a few times, which made that girl so happy she thought she was floating on air. She even said we couldn't understand the joy of it. It made me so angry!"
Wang Shi was dumbfounded, "Zhenzhen, is Rou'er really okay like this?"
"Historical records state that the founding Empress of our Great Feng dynasty placed great importance on agriculture. Besides overseeing the six palaces, she was also the Minister of Agriculture for Great Feng," Qi Zhenzhen said. "She is remembered in history as the foremost figure in farming."
Li Nuan said, "That's true, but..."
It wasn't that she thought her sister was incapable, but the founding Empress was a legendary figure of Great Feng, someone not easily surpassed by later generations.
"I'm not saying Rou'er will surpass the founding Empress. What I mean is, as women, we are not limited to music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, nor are we solely meant for raising children. If a woman sets her mind to it, there are countless things she can do. In fact, they can do them even better than men," Qi Zhenzhen said. "So, there's nothing wrong with Rou'er dedicating herself to this. If she succeeds, it will be a great feat that benefits the country and its people, something that will be recorded in history!"
"Exactly, exactly!" Li Rou, who had arrived at some point, excitedly agreed. "It's just as Sister Zhenzhen said. Why should we confine women's lives within a single framework? Clearly, women can do many, many things, at least as many as men. Take fighting on the battlefield, for instance. Both in the previous dynasty and the current one, there have been female generals whose fame and achievements were no less than those of men!"
Wang Shi stamped her foot, "How many people are like that? Do you think it's easy to be such a person? Out of so many women in the world, only a handful become the people you speak of. The rest live their lives step by step, don't they? Those who are remembered in history, think of the hardships they endured!"
"That's why I will work very hard!" Li Rou said stubbornly.
Wang Shi was rendered speechless by her stubbornness. "I'm done with this. Do as you please! When your father gets angry later, I won't stop him! When you face hardship, you'll know your mother wasn't trying to harm you."
With that, Wang Shi huffed and walked out. After a few steps, she turned back, "Zhenzhen and Xuanxuan, stay for lunch. I'll ask the cook to prepare some dishes you like."
"Okay," Qi Zhenzhen replied.
After Wang Shi left the courtyard, Li Rou happily took Qi Zhenzhen's hand, "Sister Zhenzhen, thank you for understanding me."
"This path is not easy. You may face not only a lack of support from your family but also various voices in the future. There will be praise, but slander will be unavoidable. You must hold firm to your beliefs and forge ahead," Qi Zhenzhen said.
Li Rou nodded heavily, her expression resolute. Qi Zhenzhen looked forward to seeing how far this seemingly delicate young girl would go. At that time, no one expected that Li Rou would indeed become a woman remembered in history, benefiting many people, receiving commendations from the court, and becoming the pride of the Li family.