Bai Lu's mom and Elder Sister Zheng, during the Bai Family's most difficult times, lacked the ability to help their husbands and their families. In Grandmother Bai's eyes, a daughter-in-law like this was definitely a loss. Don't think about gender equality; during that era, equality wasn't a concept, nor was the idea of a couple splitting expenses. Even now, marriage laws decree that any profit made after marriage, unless there's a prenuptial agreement, is considered joint property. Debts are the same. If one party is in debt, the other must shoulder half of the debt.
The standard for choosing a good daughter-in-law was whether she could provide money and manpower in times of trouble for the husband's family, serving as a dependable support.
