Daily Life in the 70s-Chapter 137: Many Matters

She had another reason as well.

"Minmin, you know that my two co-sisters-in-law back home are also a handful. I’m not here helping you just for fun, I’m thick-skinned enough to take the wages, right? They’re green with envy, it’s like they’ve got chicken eyes. Ever since I got this ’little nemesis’ in my belly, my cravings have gotten pickier. Once, I had no idea why, but I was just dying for some canned fruit. I had some at Lanzi’s place last year, and I’ve never forgotten the taste. That’s what I craved."

"Your brother-in-law saw that I wasn’t enjoying eating anything and secretly bought me some. But we couldn’t let everyone find out; it’s such a precious item. If my mother-in-law learned about it, she’d scold me for wasteful spending. In the end, I didn’t feel good about it, so I asked your brother-in-law to buy another two pounds of meat to share with everyone, so they could have a taste of meat too."

"Usually, we earn our work points and get paid at the end of the year when the team distributes them, and then my mother-in-law divides it among the rooms. There’s not much money to begin with, and she holds the purse strings for communal expenses—anything from medical expenses to money for visiting the natal family requires asking her. So no one has the means to add meat to our family meals."

"By doing this, we’ve made ourselves the center of attention in the family. They all think I’ve made a lot of money working with you. My mother-in-law and co-sisters-in-law beat around the bush to probe for information, and my cousins from my uncles’ families often crowd around me to see if I’ve hidden some tasty treats or to find out exactly how much money I’ve taken from your place."

"I was careless. Right after dinner, I brought out a piece of pickled fruit in my room, and your brother-in-law’s nephew saw it and ran straight to my mother-in-law to tattle. It was like stirring up a hornet’s nest. My mother-in-law called me over for a grilling, accusing me of selfishly eating alone. I explained it was because of my pregnancy that I ate it, but she called me frivolous, wasteful, and selfish, and wouldn’t rest until I brought out the remaining canned food to share."

"But that was just one hurdle with my mother-in-law. Then there were my two co-sisters-in-law, who started gossiping about your brother-in-law’s and my wedding—how many tables we’d set and how much dowry we’d given. They insisted that our room had taken advantage of theirs and that when they got married, they didn’t spend nearly as much money. They insinuated that Man Cang and I should ’even out’ the difference."

"Tell me, aren’t they just crazy for money? How would I know how much they spent on their weddings? They’re just beating the dog to find its owner!"

Yang PeiMin was stunned by the outrageousness and asked with concern, "But you didn’t agree to their demands, did you?"

Pan Shuiqin patted her hand. "Don’t worry about it, your cousin isn’t a fool. As soon as your brother-in-law came home from work, I brought it up at dinner. If they really wanted to calculate it that way, let them also include their husbands’ work points and the number of people in each room to see who’s really at an advantage. After that, they had nothing more to say. You know, in their two rooms, they each have three or four kids under eight years old. Aren’t those mouths to feed?" freewebnσvel.cøm

"Even though they’ve stopped bothering me about the wedding, it doesn’t mean they’ve given up entirely. They’re still squeezing me, indirectly or by sweet-talking me. It’s all about earning my own money. If I were to take this ’recipe’ from you now, who knows, it might spark another big fight with the Zhao family."

Yang PeiMin was worried for her as well, faced with such a family. "Can’t you all split the family?"

With a laugh, Pan Shuiqin replied, "Do you think my mother-in-law would ever let go, Minmin?"

Indeed, her cousin’s mother-in-law had control over the household’s finances, had people waiting on her, and was being obeyed—it was a comfortable life that she wouldn’t give up easily.

"But you can’t just cut off your toes to avoid sandworms, can you? You should think about making life a bit better for your baby after it’s born. How can you know whether or not it’ll work out without trying? Just think of a way to keep them from getting involved. After all, Cheng Lan is still one step removed from you; there’s no reason for me to consider her over you. I’d feel bad about that. Please, think about it. Your mother-in-law and co-sisters-in-law are already hard to deal with. Wouldn’t things get worse if you didn’t have something of your own?" Yang PeiMin advised earnestly.

Knowing Zhao ManCang was also a shrewd man, she added, "Maybe, cousin, you could discuss it with your sister’s husband, see what he thinks?"

Pan Shuiqin nodded, "Okay, I’ll go back and discuss it with my brother-in-law."

She finished speaking and stood up, unable to sit still any longer.

"I’ll walk you out."

Pan Shuiqin suddenly slapped her forehead, "Look at my memory, I almost forgot again. Lanzi sent this month’s bonus over early for you."

Yang PeiMin smiled and shook her head, "Cousin, you really are ’pregnant for three years, silly for three years.’"

"It does seem like that. My memory has really gotten worse since becoming pregnant."

Yang PeiMin wanted to walk her home.

Pan Shuiqin stopped her, "No need to walk me, it’s just a few steps, I can walk by myself."

Yang PeiMin picked up a few eggs and said, "Let me walk you back, so your mother-in-law can’t complain. It’s also time to make lunch now. If you don’t go back to help, will your sisters-in-law let you off the hook?" She used to be unaware of these things. She always thought that when you marry, you marry the man, and as for his family, it was fine to just treat them courteously from a distance. But nowadays, it’s as if you’re marrying his entire family too. This was a lesson that Zhang Minghua had taught her bit by bit, to be thorough and considerate when you’re out and about. An extra bit of courtesy never hurt. As the saying goes, "No one strikes the smiling face." Even if she didn’t care for them internally, the right attitude was essential.

She said as much to Pan Shuiqin, "Don’t push me away; I’ve just received the bonus and my hands are not so tight now. Truth be told, I’ve been married for so long and have yet to visit your home. Don’t let your in-laws find fault with you. After all, your cousin is from the same village, supporting you, and not letting them push you around."

Pan Shuiqin tapped her on the forehead and laughed, "Alright, Minmin, you’ve really grown up, becoming so astute. I remember when you used to be so impatient and wouldn’t bother with all these detours..."

Yang PeiMin linked arms with her, "That’s why I say, we should look forward and not just focus on what’s at our feet. People change..."

"Okay, okay, you can always tell who’s been a teacher, there you go showing off your knowledge."

They joked for a while and then arrived at the Zhao family’s house.

There was no one in the yard, so Yang PeiMin followed Pan Shuiqin into the east room, handing the eggs to Mrs. Zhao.

But before they got close to the door, they heard Fourth Aunt Shen’s voice from inside, "Don’t be formal, auntie, our families are related. My niece-in-law and your daughter-in-law, Man Cang, are they not close cousins? I won’t speak of pleasantries—my niece-in-law can be quite formidable. I said a couple of words to her the other day, and she hit back with ten, even taking control of my second brother’s household matters. But in a family, there shouldn’t be any disagreements, and we elders don’t hold it against her... She’s heading out now, and I wanted her to help me pick up a few things..."