• A patriarchal system influenced heavily by Confucian teachings.
• Key Confucian rule: Wives obey husbands.
• Net Result: Gender discrimination against women.

💡Did you know? Patriarchy means a system where men hold power and women are largely excluded from it.

• Typical Women
  • No formal education.
  • Main job: Raise kids and manage home.
  • Fun Fact: "Wen Qimei", which means 'seventh daughter', shows how female kids were often just seen as a number.
• Exceptional Women
  • Cixi (Xi Xi): One of the rare ladies who played a big role in public life.
  • The exception, not the rule!

💡Real-world parallel? Think of it like a movie where there's a superstar lead (men) and then there's that surprise cameo (women like Cixi) that shocks everyone!

• Customary in imperial China.
• Not about love or compatibility.
• Main reason? 💰Money!💰
• It was like a business transaction. The groom's family paid the bride's family based on how many kids she'd likely produce.
• Bride's new role? An unpaid maid! Yikes!

💡Real-world example? Remember when you traded your lunch with a friend because you wanted their cookies? Well, these families traded lives for benefits. Gosh!