Why do rural people value boys over girls?
Actually, in addition to the old thinking of carrying on the family line, it is also influenced by the larger environment.
In the countryside, everyone has to farm the land and do agricultural labor, where having greater strength is certainly an advantage, and women definitely can't compete with men.
Another point is that in an era where people can't get enough to eat or wear, conflicts often occur, even over a single grain of food, which can escalate into fights between families or villages.
At such times, having more brothers and uncles in the family can be a powerful advantage.
What good are the old folks and women in such situations?
Women are inherently disadvantaged, so of course, farmers want more boys in the family to hold up the household.
In a household like Chiang Xiao's, even if nobody looks down on them, they still seem very vulnerable.
