Every time I see news about favoring sons over daughters in the media, I feel fortunate.

Fortunately, in our family, it's the opposite. My mom spoils me endlessly, but she is much stricter with my younger brother.

I still remember when we were kids, our grades were similar, always at the bottom, but we received very different treatments.

If my brother did poorly, he would be scolded and criticized, then sent to suffocating cram schools.

But if I did poorly, my mom would take me out for a feast instead. She said it would encourage me to do better next time, but I had to keep it a secret from my brother.

I was very happy, this was our little secret between my mom and me.

This was proof that my mom loved me more.

So even though I watched my brother go from one tutoring session to another, with endless classes to attend, I never felt jealous. Instead, I pitied him, he wasn't like me.

My mom said, girls don't need to study too well, as long as they marry well in the future.

Looking at it now.

I was so silly, so naive, so stupid, so foolish.