1994: Starting with unpaid leave

Although the Tohoku region is often regarded as one of the regions with the highest level of gender equality in the country.

However, in the early 90s, some people inevitably clung to outdated ideas.

Especially among elders like my father, Dong Xuewen, who were born before the founding of the People's Republic of China, it was not uncommon for people to believe that boys were more important than girls.

Moreover, Dong Xuewen, a man of strong character throughout his life, loved to compare himself to his second uncle.

Now the old man has taken early retirement so that his son can take over. He has become a night watchman for a private business owner, and his work is nowhere near as good as his second brother, who is still a factory manager.

Although the number of sons was slightly higher than that of the second brother's family, they were completely defeated when it came to the grandchildren.

His three sons have only given him one grandson so far, which is completely inferior to his second brother's four big, fat grandsons.

So now he really hopes that Xiuyun's belly will be able to produce offspring and help his lineage continue.

When he said that, the children at the banquet were momentarily speechless.

The eldest son, Dong Baoguo, and the older sister, Dong Shaoying, could be persuaded, but since both of them have sons, whatever they say feels like they're talking without understanding the situation, and their words are likely to provoke resentment.

The second brother, Dong Weiguo, only had daughters in his family, and they weren't particularly favored by their father. Bringing up the topic now would easily attract criticism, so after finishing his drink, he lowered his head and ate his meat without saying a word.

As for her mother, Zhang Guifen, she was too lazy to say anything to the old man.

If he choked on the medicine, he might have to force-feed the old man his medicine, so he just glared at him and then remained silent.

Seeing that no one was speaking up for him, Dong Jianguo could only smile and try to smooth things over:

"Dad, what's so interesting about this? Times have changed. Having a boy or a girl is the same, isn't it?"

"Bullshit, that's just that times have changed. Men and women are equal! Having more boys in the family means there will be help when things get tough."

"Your thinking is so outdated! Besides, what's wrong with being a boy? When I was little, my sister beat me so badly I didn't dare fight back, and you and Mom never stood up for me!"

Father Dong Xuewen's face darkened: "How can this be the same? I have three sons, but only one daughter!"

"It's only right that your sister uses you as practice; she needs to learn how to handle men!"

"If you and Xiuyun could have this many sons, I wouldn't care whether they're boys or girls!"

My father spoke with absolute certainty.

Back then, the birth policy in Northeast China was implemented very effectively, both in cities and rural areas.

The accompanying penalty rules are strictly enforced, so there are almost no second children.

Dong Jianguo rolled his eyes: "Dad, to put it bluntly, what if it turns out Xiuyun is pregnant with a girl? What will you ask us to do next?"

"It's best to abort it."

Dong Xuewen's face was gloomy as he lowered his head and picked up some food.

Hearing her father-in-law say this, Xiuyun's face turned pale, and she subconsciously reached out to protect her already showing belly.

"You two are still young, having children won't be difficult. If you lose this one, you can have another."

"But once a child is born, nothing can be changed. Without a boy in the family, you'll always suffer later in life. Your second brother didn't listen to me back then..."

Dong Jianguo reached out and grabbed Xiuyun's hand, scoffing, "What, does our family have a throne to inherit? Besides, doesn't my eldest brother's family already have Junjun? Why do we have to have a boy too?"

"Jun Jun is your older brother's son, not your son!" Father Dong Xuewen tapped the dining table and said sternly.

Dong Jianguo nodded, then shook his head: "I like Xiuyun, and I like the child in Xiuyun's belly. That's enough, and it has nothing to do with the child's gender!"

He spoke with a strong and firm voice, and his warm hand pressed against Xiuyun's, making her feel incredibly comforted.

Not only her, but everyone at the dinner table was surprised after hearing this, because these words were not something that the usually carefree Lao Xiao would say.

His older sister, Dong Shaoying, gave him a thumbs-up, expressing her deep admiration.

However, this answer inevitably sounded rather harsh to the old man:

"You...you think you're all grown up now, huh?!"

Dong Jianguo shook his head again:

"I don't have wings, I'm just going to be a dad."

"Dad, how you protected me when I was little, now it's my turn to protect Xiuyun and the baby in her belly."

"As for saying things like 'if it's not a boy, we should abort it,' it's not appropriate for the child's grandfather to say that... The baby can hear what adults say in the womb, what if he holds a grudge?"

"Sigh, you..."

Seeing that the father and son were about to start arguing, the mother, Zhang Guifen, coughed lightly:

"Jun Jun, go and get Grandpa's medicine."

The eldest grandson, who was showing off his physique to the fullest, agreed and dashed off.

When he returned, he had a bottle of nitroglycerin tablets in his hand.

After handing the medicine to his grandmother, the grandson picked up his bowl and chopsticks and grabbed four or five pieces of pork ribs, filling the bowl to the brim. Only then did he take the bowl off the table and close the door behind him.

Seeing this familiar scene, the younger generation of the Dong family tacitly put down their bowls and chopsticks.

Dong Xuewen, who had been so confident just moments before, was now a little stunned. His lips trembled slightly, but he still stubbornly refused to back down.

Zhang Guifen ignored this, clutching the nitroglycerin pills in one hand while turning to look at the old man beside her:

"I think the old novel is right."

"What's wrong with being a girl? I've been busy in the kitchen all day, washing vegetables and cooking until I'm exhausted, and you old geezer just sleep in bed. When you wake up, you watch TV and don't even offer to help me."

"I might not even be able to get Shao Ying back in time to help me serve the dishes!"

Dad retorted, "I just finished my night shift, don't I need to rest?!"

"You never cared about anything in the kitchen before you started working the night shift! From the eldest to the youngest, they'd dawdle over changing a diaper when asked, and now you're spouting nonsense about wanting a grandson, what are you thinking, you old bastard?!"

"Who are you calling a bastard?!"

Zhang Guifen's neck stiffened even more than her husband's:

"You call my son a little rascal, but what are you if not an old rascal? The youngest child I had with someone else?"

"Our son and daughter-in-law finally came back for a visit, and they even brought you ribs, but that still can't shut you up."

"I'm his father, isn't it his duty to bring me food?!" Dong Xuewen tried to retort, but only provoked even stronger attacks:

"You even know you're the father?! Whether the young couple is having a boy or a girl is none of your business as their father-in-law!"

"Mind your own business! She's pregnant and you, as her father-in-law, keep nagging. What's wrong with you?! You're upset because she hasn't put in the effort?!"

"Stop talking inside, Jianguo! Open the front door and let all the neighbors upstairs and downstairs hear what this old bastard has to say! You old codger, you're all going to be a nuisance!"

When Zhang Guifen, the mother, speaks out, she goes all out.

Later, he even stood on the bed, looking down at Lao Dong and completely overwhelming him with his imposing presence.

Seeing his mother passionately speaking into the microphone while clutching a nitroglycerin pill, Dong Jianguo couldn't help but feel his blood boil.

As for the other three siblings... the Dong family children had experienced this scene many times when they were young, and for a moment they felt as if they had returned to their childhood. Instead of feeling uncomfortable, they felt warm and at ease.

This was the first time Xiuyun had ever seen her usually smiling mother-in-law so angry. She forgot to put down her chopsticks, and her mouth remained open for a long time...