Daily Life in the 70s-Chapter 169: Speaking Out

Yang Peimin gestured for Luo Dahua to take a seat and brought out some peanut candies. "If you’re not busy right now, sister-in-law, would you keep me company for a chat?"

Luo Dahua laughed heartily. "What’s there to say? Isn’t it just like any other day, visiting from one neighbour to the next?"

Yang Peimin smiled and nodded, pouring her a glass of water. She didn’t beat around the bush and went straight to the point. "Sister-in-law, I didn’t expect you to know Mr. Wen. Was there something unpleasant between you two before? Look, you are my sister-in-law, and Wen Qing is my friend. We will have opportunities to interact in the future. If there’s any misunderstanding, why not speak up?"

She also remembered what Shen Yiguang had said. Considering Wen Qing’s performance today, which didn’t quite match with her previous impression, she wasn’t sure if it was just her perception at play.

She felt a bit uneasy about broaching the subject like this, which was why she asked Luo Dahua to stay behind, hoping to learn more about Wen Qing indirectly.

"Sister-in-law," Luo Dahua suddenly became serious. "I really shouldn’t be here wagging my tongue, but I’m someone who can’t tolerate sand in my eyes."

Yang Peimin felt a pang in her heart, observing the expression on Luo Dahua’s face with a premonition of something bubbling up. "Sister-in-law, please feel free to speak your mind. I’m young and only arrived here not long ago; I don’t understand many of the rules. If I’ve done something wrong, please point it out."

Luo Dahua sighed. Faced with Yang Peimin’s earnest and humble expression, she hesitated several times before speaking.

"Sister-in-law, how did you get to know Wen Qing?"

"A friend of mine introduced us. They asked me to help Wen Qing with her makeup."

Yang Peimin was impatient by nature. Seeing that Luo Dahua still seemed hesitant, she cut to the chase. "Sister-in-law, you must tell me whatever is on your mind. We are both military wives. If you think I’m not too dreadful to associate with, please tell me. Otherwise, I will be the last to know if anything happens in the future. I promise, whatever you say to me won’t be spread by me."

Luo Dahua’s expression showed approval, and she felt that this sister-in-law was also open-hearted. She spoke tactfully, "I’ve been accompanying the army here for three or four years. I’ve watched several of the troop’s cultural events and performances because I love watching them. Back in my hometown, I also saw those cultural propaganda team performances when they went to the countryside... When Comrade Wen Qing was dancing with the other two actresses, I didn’t quite understand what it was called, but it looked pretty good..."

"I heard that Deputy Commander Shao’s wife is related to her. If you ask me how I know, Camp Commander Shao lives just above me. They must have been newlyweds when they moved in. I saw Comrade Wen visiting Commander Shao’s wife several times, and they always seemed very friendly and amiable."

"Because they had just moved in, everyone was curious, and sometimes I would notice them more. I ran into them a few times in the hallway. Commander Shao’s wife seemed a bit arrogant, but Comrade Wen was always gentle and would greet us. When chatting with the other wives, I always said that those who perform onstage are of good quality, and they don’t act high and mighty, looking down on us countryside folks." freēnovelkiss.com

"One time, Commander Shao hosted guests at his home, celebrating their marriage, though they only invited a few close friends. Since my own husband was not around, I stayed home with the kids and didn’t join the festivity. But the next day, rumors began to spread, claiming that Comrade Wen was dating Camp Commander Shen."

After speaking such a mouthful, Luo Dahua’s voice grew softer towards the end. She looked cautiously at Yang Peimin’s expression while hurriedly adding, "Sister-in-law, that rumor died down after a while. Now that Camp Commander Shen has married you, it must have been nothing."

Yang Peimin looked surprised, then scenes of Wen Qing talking with Shen Yiguang flashed through her mind, followed by Shen Yiguang warning her to be wary of Wen Qing. She didn’t have a strong concept of past relationships, feeling they belonged in the past, and because she had never experienced love before in her previous life, she didn’t understand these matters deeply. One can never truly understand the feelings involved in situations that haven’t happened to oneself.

Now, naturally, her mind began to fill in the blanks. She wondered if something had happened that night to spark such rumors. In those days, people were very strict about their conduct; rumors were not to be taken lightly. If words were circulating, they couldn’t have been baseless.

However, the more Luo Dahua hurriedly tried to console her, the less Yang Peimin believed her.

"Sister-in-law, if you think there was nothing between them, then why did you slight Wen Qing earlier?"

Luo Dahua paused, at a loss for a rebuttal for a moment, before finally saying, "Look at me, it was just a moment of surprise. After all, there had been such talk before, and now she’s become your friend. Who knows what might be said afterward? I know you weren’t aware of this, so you interacted with her. But Wen Qing knew, she knew about the rumors involving her and you, and still she approached you. What’s that about? Is she thoughtless or does she have an ulterior motive?"

Luo Dahua had little respect for such behavior. It was one thing before they were married, but now that they were married and she still approached, Luo Dahua found it shameless. Even if there was nothing between them before, it was common sense to keep a distance to avoid suspicions, especially for someone from the Cultural Troupe who supposedly had seen the world and been broad-minded. Yet, she seemed to lack even this bit of sensibility.

"Sister-in-law, please don’t be upset with my bluntness. I’m just speaking my mind, with no exaggeration. Regardless, Wen Qing shouldn’t be interacting with you, because inevitably it will lead to Camp Commander Shen running into her. I’m not saying there’s something between them, it’s just, it’s just such situations can look bad if others see..."

Yang Peimin expressed her gratitude. "Thank you for telling me this, sister-in-law, otherwise I would still be in the dark." She pondered for a moment before asking, unable to hold back her curiosity, "Sister-in-law, don’t hide it from me, were the rumors really that bad at the time?"

Otherwise Luo Dahua wouldn’t keep warning her about future gossip.

Luo Dahua offered her a reassuring smile and patted her hand. "Sister-in-law, we both know that Wen Qing is from the Cultural Troupe, and she had just performed, so many people recognize her. Wouldn’t such rumors spread like wildfire? Even the slightest matter can get blown out of proportion. Although I haven’t interacted much with Camp Commander Shen, my husband works in the same battalion and knows him to be decent and steady, not that kind of person."