Daily Life in the 70s-Chapter 130 Complaining

Yang PeiMin glanced coldly at them, then turned and went back to the kitchen.

He really thinks he is the lord of the manor.

"What does sister number four mean by that?" Shen Yixiang said angrily, staring at Yang PeiMin’s retreating figure.

Shen Yidong also looked visibly upset, "She lacks any familial affections!"

"No, I must talk to mother. She does not take any responsibility as a sister-in-law, no daughter-in-law behaves like this."

Shen Yidong pulled her aside, "Do you think mother would listen to you?" Her lips curled in bitterness, "Haven’t you seen? Ever since she married into our family, mother has treated her even better than her own daughters. What use is there in telling her?"

Shen Yixiang was unconvinced, "Then what do you suggest we do? My studies are genuinely demanding, and it gets hotter day by day. You can’t not change clothes, and if you don’t wash them daily, they’ll stink to death. Washing and drying take half a day. In half a day, I could have read several pages."

Shen Yidong sighed as well, "Who are you telling? I’m nearly giving birth, and it’s painful to even stand for a while. In these two months, we only asked for her help, not for her to take responsibility forever. Did she really need to snub us like that?"

She glanced at her sister and whispered, "Just now when I saw her coming back, she was carrying a harmonica. You know she went to hand over her work this morning. That harmonica might not have been bought but gifted, most likely."

Shen Yixiang was puzzled, "Isn’t that normal? What’s the issue? Didn’t she also bring a lot of sweets there? It’s quite normal for them to reciprocate."

Shen Yidong rolled her eyes, "Who has such generosity? To give something so valuable? Those teachers might look decent, but do you think they earn a decent salary? They earn less than the temporary workers in the factory. That harmonica costs at least seventy or eighty, doesn’t it? Would you just give it away? And how much are those sweets worth?"

Shen Yixiang opened her mouth slightly, staring at her and whispered, "What do you mean then?"

Shen Yidong pulled her into the room and sat on the Kang bed before speaking, "I think the person who gave her the harmonica definitely has a close relationship with her. Did Yiyue tell you anything? Have you heard her talk about who she got along with at school?"

Shen Yixiang thought for a while and shook her head, "Not really, I’m not sure. I don’t think she mentioned anything to Yiyue..." she finished, but Shen Yidong gave her a scornful look, "You’re usually not very observant."

Shen Yixiang grew anxious, "Then do tell, who could it be? Is there something wrong with the person who sent it?"

"I guess it was a male teacher who sent it. There are only two female teachers, and which woman would be so generous? Doesn’t every woman have her hands full with kids at home? Who would give her such a thing? Hmph, that leaves only the male teachers. We all know men can be foolish; perhaps smitten by her looks and to save face, he might have impulsively given her something pricey."

Shen Yixiang almost screamed aloud as she stood up, "How dare she?" freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

Shen Yidong quickly pulled her back down, "Keep your voice down, do you want to get us killed? We’re just guessing at this point. What we need to do now is to confront her with the harmonica. If she shows guilt, she’ll end up washing our clothes obediently."

Shen Yixiang sat down and sighed deeply, then thought for a moment before adding, "What you guessed, sister, the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. But if it turns out to be true, should we just have her wash clothes and let it be? That would be letting her off too easily, wouldn’t it?"

Shen Yidong pointed at her forehead and laughed, "Of course not just that. I don’t even know how much money he gave her before he left. These days, she’s been willing to spend on food and clothes, and even bringing back medicinal herbs to mess around. She’s living comfortably, and sooner or later, she’ll squander all my brother’s money."

Shen Yixiang also caught onto something and hesitantly asked, "Big Sister, are you saying you want her to take out the money?"

Shen Yidong looked at her appreciatively, "Not for me, for our parents. Hasn’t she bought a lot of skincare products for her room? Have her take them all out for us to use. She previously said she made them herself; she isn’t afraid of biting her tongue off. Now, those lipsticks are available in the county for one yuan each, just a bit bigger than a thumbnail. Goodness, her table is full of them—how much money is that?"

At this point, Shen Yixiang felt uneasy. It immediately occurred to her that those products might have been sold by Yang PeiMin.

She knew from Shen Yiyue that she had made those products herself.

And it seemed like they were somewhat effective. After using them for a while, Shen Yiyue’s skin seemed smoother than before, but she was too embarrassed to ask Yang PeiMin for it herself. If she took this opportunity to demand all of those products, that wouldn’t be bad.

She also pondered if she was selling these products to make money. Her brother was an honorable soldier; she couldn’t let her engage in speculative and opportunistic activities that could dishonor him.

Also, to let her brother find out and see if he would still cherish her afterward.

Having made up her mind, Shen Xiangyi nodded to Shen Yidong, agreeing.

When Yang PeiMin was carrying bath water out of the kitchen, she was stopped by Shen Yixiang, "Hey, I want to ask you something."

Yang PeiMin paused in her steps and frowned, "If it’s about laundry again, don’t bring it up. I’m not your family’s servant, and I have no obligation to wash your clothes."

Shen Yixiang sneered, "You really don’t act like a sister-in-law at all. It seems my brother has misjudged you. You won’t even help with a small thing and yet you talk about being family—selfish and self-serving!"

"Are you done? If you are, let me by. After I take my bath, I’ll go to our mother to discuss this. If that’s not enough, I’ll ask around in the troop or even go to Shen Yidong’s in-laws. Have they all died there? Leaving a pregnant woman here, with no visits for many months, what’s the meaning of that? If you don’t care, then let’s just divorce. If you still care, then stop overstepping your boundaries," she fired back, her anger rising. These were the issues Shen Yidong frequently incited, and she wasn’t unaware.

Upon hearing this, Shen Yidong, who was hiding behind the door, could no longer hold back and stepped out, pointing at Yang PeiMin and accusing, "What are you planning, Yang PeiMin? Not content with driving me out, you also want us to divorce? How malicious can your heart be? I ask you, who gave you the harmonica you brought back at noon? Don’t think we don’t know it was given to you by a male teacher. What exactly are you trying to imply?"

Yang PeiMin felt no guilt about the harmonica Hao Qinghui had given her, as it was just a gift of thanks, as Hao Qinghui had mentioned.

Shen Yidong actually brought this up; had she not considered her brother’s dignity?

Feeling betrayed, she wiped away tears and went to find Chen Guizhi.

Inside the house, Chen Guizhi, who was sieving wheat, got startled and hurriedly asked what was wrong.

Yang PeiMin didn’t speak but threw herself onto her and cried desperately.