By the time Chu Molin woke up, he saw his wife leaning against the head of the bed, engrossed in her book. Their two sons were asleep in the crib, and everything outside was silent. It seemed all the visitors had left. He must have had too much to drink this time.
“Xue’er, what time is it?” Chu Molin rolled over and asked his wife.
“You’re awake. Why did you drink so much? Does your head hurt?” Qin Xue looked down at him, reaching out to touch his forehead.
“I’m fine — I unintentionally drank too much in my joy.” Chu Molin took her hand from his forehead, brought it to his lips, and kissed it.
“Wasn’t it you who was adamantly wanting a daughter? Now, you’re getting drunk in celebration. Chu Molin, which of your words should I believe?” Qin Xue looked at him, her expression a mix of amusement and annoyance.
“Xue’er, does it mean that I am not even allowed to celebrate the fact that you didn’t give me a daughter?” Chu Molin tucked his head against Qin Xue’s thigh, gazing up at his wife.
“Chu Molin, are you reasonable at all? The gender of a child isn’t determined by us women, but by you men, do you know that?
It’s scary how ignorance is bliss. No wonder people always say it’s terrible to be uneducated — they’re talking about men like you.
Let me tell you, chromosomes in a male and a female are different. A man’s sperm has two combinations, X and Y, while a woman’s egg only has one X. When a man’s sperm merges with a woman’s egg, it selects either the carried X or Y chromosome to combine with the other.
This forms a fertilized egg with a chromosome set of either XY or XX. XY is male, while XX is female. So, the gender of the baby is determined by the man’s sperm, not by the woman’s egg.
So, for future references when it comes to child reproduction, could you men please be clear about this? Don’t blame us women for not delivering a boy; it should be you men who are to blame.
Please, stop shifting the inability to bear a boy onto women’s shoulders. Women are being driven to death by these moral obligations and the like.” Qin Xue had witnessed too many instances of such unfair treatment in her past life.
Parents-in-law only curse their daughters-in-law for not bearing sons, but they don’t understand that the power of decision is not in the daughter-in-law’s hands, but rather it’s in their own son’s. They never blame their son for not being able to deliver a boy, only blaming their daughter-in-law. Frankly, they are corroded by feudalism and lack scientific knowledge.
Many women have to endure harsh lives because they don’t have a son. They are blamed for family break-ups, and some are beaten by their husbands for not bearing sons, unable to show their faces at their in-law’s house.
Qin Xue, as a woman, was truly furious. But what could she do alone? She had published articles on this issue, but to no avail.
Now, upon hearing Chu Molin making such a remark, she exploded in anger.
“Xue’er, calm down. I said the wrong thing. I didn’t mean to blame you. I just think that daughters are more tender and cute. I can spoil you guys. Sons are too robust — it can be exhausting for you. I definitely, absolutely do not blame you.” Chu Molin looked at his wife, who was furious like a fire-breathing dragon, and was taken aback. What on earth had he said?
Why was his wife so wrathful that he had no other option but to surrender?
However, he was also against families who preferred boys over girls. It was unfair to both women and children. But like his wife mentioned, people didn’t understand what the X and Y chromosomes were. They only knew to blame the women, even he was hearing about this profound knowledge for the first time.
How could he expect others to understand, even when he, who was free from gender bias, couldn’t grasp it?
However, Chu Molin saw another side of his wife. She despised men’s dominance and the ideology of favouring boys over girls.
Fortunately, he, Chu Molin, never held such biases. Otherwise, he would’ve been kicked out by his wife.
Thinking about the consequences gave him a chill. He realised he was quite content holding his tender wife in his arms, as that brought him the most comfort.