Ling Qingyu leaned back, arms crossed, brows lightly furrowed. "Still… I've heard plenty of arguments from the other side. Men do say they had it worse."
Xiao Yue glanced over, motioning for her to go on.
"Like, dying in war. Getting tortured as POWs. Carrying the weight of being the breadwinner. Most men throughout history weren't nobles or kings. Just peasants or soldiers thrown into battle with a spear and no armor."
"Mm," Xiao Yue nodded, letting her speak.
"And unlike women, they couldn't cry for help. They weren't allowed to be weak. No room for emotional outbursts. No excuse to run. Everything expected of them was to shut up, suffer, and sacrifice."
"That's true," Xiao Yue agreed. "But keep going."
Ling Qingyu tapped her fingers against her arm. "Some men say women always had an easier ticket in peace times. Marry a rich guy, stay at home, avoid the battlefield. Even now, they argue women get lighter punishments in court, priority in rescue, sympathy in public."
