On page 10 with Honnyan "She's too talented which is not an attractive trait to men." I was like, wait, what? But then I remembered that the "virtue" of a woman was knowing nothing at that time. The Confucian Three Obediences and Four Virtues has as the "virtues" of a woman to only know proper "ethics" (of marriage), "speech" (of marriage), to have lots of children (in marriage), and her looks. You might be able to take up needlework, dance, or a musical instrument, if you're particularly edgy.
This is, of course, for the upper classes. Peasant women still need to know how to sew and cook and farm and all the other things required for life at the sustenance boundary. They should still follow the Obediences, though.
@Kampfarsch I agree it wasn't really clear, but I think he spooned some out so that he could carry it without touching it (in a cloth) but without spilling it. The spooned out amount was probably dumped on the ground, and this is the original bowl.