Because the ancient society had high requirements for women, and because the society as a whole was not developed enough, there were not many occupations suitable for women. The more popular ones are: servants, embroidered women, and nursing women. Among these three types of occupations, the most skilled is the embroidery lady, the most common is the servant, and the best future is the milk lady. Ancient noble families and even the nobles of the imperial palace would choose a nursing mother for their children. Some are not experienced enough, so choose more experienced nurses, while others are required by rules.
Ancient Women's Images
For example, the children of the royal family, the emperor in order not to let foreign relatives interfere excessively in the affairs of the dynasty, so they will choose a nursing mother for the prince, which is actually to prevent the prince from having too much dependence on his own mother. So why did nursing become the favorite profession of married women in ancient times? This is naturally because it is related to the development prospects of the nursing mother.
Nursing mother is also called nursing mother, nanny, grandmother, grandmother, grandmother, grandmother, etc., depending on the era, the title is not the same. The profession of nursing mother appeared very early, and in the Book of Rites, it is said that "the son of a scholar has a mother", and feudal society has become customized. Most of the nursing women are between the ages of fifteen and twenty, who have just given birth and are physically fit, experienced in breastfeeding. Why is it said that nursing is a promising profession, let's take a closer look.
Generally speaking, ordinary families will not invite nursing mothers, but all who can afford to invite nursing mothers are very good family conditions, and even those royal nobles. If you are a nursing mother for these children of the big family, then these women not only have a high income themselves, but also their children will become the milk brothers of these noble children, which is a good way for ordinary families to get ahead.
If it is to be a nursing mother for the children of the royal family, the future is even more extraordinary. Generally speaking, after these children do not need nursing mothers, although nursing mothers will leave these children, these princes will also be grateful to nursing mothers, so as to treat the nursing mother's family. For example, the Kangxi Emperor during the Qing Dynasty, his grandmother Sun Shi, was the grandmother of the great Qing Dynasty writer Cao Xueqin, after the Sun clan left the palace, Kangxi took good care of the Cao family, and the official position on Cao Xueqin's ancestors was constantly promoted, and Kangxi also lived in the Cao family many times during the southern tour, which was a great honor for the Cao family.
Portrait of Kangxi
In terms of high status, the nursing lady will be overly valued by the emperor and have a certain right to speak in the court. For example, Wei Zhongxian, a great eunuch during the Ming Dynasty, stepped into the center of power because he became the counterpart of the emperor's milk lady Keshi (the title of the ancient palace maid and the eunuch after marriage). The reason why Wei Zhongxian was highly valued by the emperor was because the emperor attached great importance to his own mother, keshi. At that time, the emperor was raised by Keshi from childhood, and Keshi was comparable to his own mother in the emperor's heart, so after he ascended the throne, he gave Keshi a lot of power, and after Keshi and Wei Zhongxian were in cahoots, not only cholera harem, but also set off a bloody storm in the Ming Dynasty court.
Portrait of Emperor Mingxianzong
And to reach the highest point of the pursuit of the nursing mother is to change from the emperor's nursing mother to the emperor's concubine. A typical example of this is Emperor Mingxianzong Zhu Jianshen and his grandmother Wan Zhen'er. Zhu Jianshen, who was brought up by Wan Zhen'er, has been relying on his own nursing mother since he was a child. As Zhu Jianshen grew older, this dependence gradually deteriorated, and family affection became love. After Zhu Mishen ascended the throne, he directly took his own nursing mother as a concubine. Since then, this nursing lady, who is more than ten years older than Zhu Mishen, began to spoil the harem, becoming the first officially recognized imperial concubine in the history of the Ming Dynasty. Even not long after Wan's death in the end, Zhu Jianshen died of excessive sadness.
I have to say that in the ancient times, the man's search for a job was also restricted, and the nursing mother could not only make herself live a good life, but also lead the whole family to get rich and live a good life, and even turn over the profession of being the master, which would naturally be sought after and welcomed by the majority of married women. After all, anyone is eager to change their lives and those of their families.
References: Book of Rites, Maxims of the Holy Patriarchs, Records of the Constitution