Poor people are often extremely clever.
“peasants, male and female, are canny survivors, not idiots, and they plan for these things (seriously, far too many of my students seem to instinctively fall into the trap of assuming serfs, peasants, etc. are idiots who don’t know what they are doing. These people have survived for generations with very few resources, often in situations of significant volatility and violence; they’re not stupid, they’re poor, and there is a difference!)”
https://acoup.blog/2019/08/29/collections-this-isnt-sparta-part-iii-spartan-women/