Daily Life in the 70s-Chapter 172: Speak Frankly

Chapter 172: Clearing the Air

Yang Peimin glared at him with puffed cheeks.

Now that they had talked things through, she also needed to get out of bed and start preparing for dinner; the meager lunch she had eaten at noon had long since left her hungry.

As she threw back the covers, Shen Yiguang’s eyes fell upon her. She wore a short-sleeved, blue floral dress, its round neckline and tailored fabric accentuating her slender waist, her small feet smooth and elongated, graceful and elegant, her skin fair and her looks charming.

"Why are you wearing this dress today?" he asked, his eyes flashing with amazement though his tone remained calm.

Yang Peimin stood on the floor. The dress was made of cotton and had creases from sleeping; she began to regret a bit, as she hadn’t planned on sleeping. She had just felt sleepy while reading and laid down...

But that didn’t stop her from showing it off to Shen Yiguang. She gently turned in a circle on the spot and threw him a flirty glance, "How about it? Do I look pretty?"

Shen Yiguang’s throat tightened, "You look beautiful. You should dress like this at home from now on..."

Yang Peimin shook her head, "No, I want to wear it out. After what’s happened, I realize it’s not just women who attract unwanted attention, men do too. If I keep looking plain and simple, won’t that make people think they have an even better chance to approach?"

Shen Yiguang came over and pinched her nose, "Keep telling yourself that."

Yang Peimin wrapped her arms around his, "I don’t care. You owe me. From now on, I want to dress up nicely, and you can’t interfere with my freedom."

In the end, Shen Yiguang still lost the battle and conceded, but with conditions: She must dress appropriately for the occasion, nothing too extravagant, and her skirts should be knee-length...

Yang Peimin didn’t care about his conditions; she counted the money in her pocket, considering when to buy some fabric and make herself a couple more dresses.

The rain had stopped outside, and the edge of the sky was bright. The air was fresh with the scent of grass and trees after the rain.

Yang Peimin went to open the door; people were also coming out and moving around.

Those who were moving stoves to burn coal, those calling their children back for dinner, those standing by the door chatting with neighbors—it all brought the corridor to life.

Of course, it was still Shen Yiguang who handled their own coal stove, while she took down the clothes that had dried from the previous day and began changing them, scooping water into the pot on the side.

Neighboring Luo Dahua, who was also tending to her stove, glanced over and then walked towards them. Seeing the couple’s dynamic, she commented with a smile, "Oh, look at how much he dotes on his wife, lighting the stove for her."

Shen Yiguang nodded in response.

Luo Dahua pulled Yang Peimin aside and asked softly, "Little sister, did you ask him?"

Yang Peimin replied quietly, "I asked him, sister-in-law, thank you for your concern. He explained it to me, there was nothing going on with dating anyone. It was just that some old squad leaders at the dinner were trying to set them up, and somehow it got spread around. There’s no issue."

Luo Dahua appeared relieved, "That’s good, that’s good. I knew Shen Ying wasn’t that kind of person." After returning from Yang Peimin’s, she had thought it over and still felt a bit uneasy, unsure if her actions were right or wrong. Yet, it wasn’t the kind of thing she could discuss with just anyone; not being close enough, she feared spreading the word would only cause trouble.

Her greatest worry was that she would unintentionally complicate matters. The relationship between husband and wife had been fine, and her words could have caused a rift. Now, reassured by Yang Peimin’s words, she could let go of the concern. But then her curiosity returned, "Little sister, so are you still planning to do Wen Qing’s makeup? She has to perform tomorrow, and I have no idea what she’s thinking."

Yang Peimin nodded, "That’s no big problem, and I’ve already promised her and my friend. It wouldn’t be good to go back on my word."

Luo Dahua seemed hesitant to speak but maintained her sense of propriety, "Well, if you’re sure about it, that’s fine, and if there’s anything, or any decision you’re unsure about, you can also come and chat with your sister-in-law." Believing she was being let into Yang Peimin’s private matters, and since the other was straightforward and sincere, someone she could associate with, Luo Dahua spoke with an added warmth.

Yang Peimin was grateful and pulled her into the room to pack her some candy, "It’s nothing much, just a treat for Ziming and Xiao He to try. Don’t refuse it; I really need to thank you for this."

Luo Dahua saw her expression and received the gifts with a chuckle, "Alright, I’ll tell them that the beautiful Aunt Yang from next door gave them these snacks, so they can’t complain I don’t buy them these things."

Yang Peimin smiled cheerily, "When you’re free, bring them over to play."

"Sure, then you’ll complain about them making a racket." Luo Dahua patted her clothes, preparing to leave, "Speaking of which, I need to get back. If it gets too late, those little grievances of mine will start to wail for dinner."

Yang Peimin smiled and nodded, escorting her to the door.

At this moment, Shen Yiguang had already lit the stove, placed the pot on it, started boiling water, and was straightening up to head back to his dormitory when he caught sight of Luo Dahua coming out.

Luo Dahua eyed the stove situation with a mocking smile and squeezed her eyes at Yang Peimin as she turned, "The younger sister-in-law really knows her stuff."

Yang Peimin couldn’t help but laugh and mouthed the words ’make it up to her’.

Luo Dahua burst into hearty laughter, snuck a thumbs-up to her, and then left.

Obviously, Luo Dahua greatly admired the fact that she could get Shen Yiguang to help out with chores, but Mrs. Cui, living next door, did not share this opinion. She let out a surprised exclamation, "Mrs. Shen, how can you let your husband do chores for you? In my hometown, a man of the house doing these things would be laughed at."

Shen Yiguang turned his head and said, "Old lady, we don’t have that custom where I’m from."

This retort left Mrs. Cui speechless, and under the authority of Shen Yiguang’s military uniform, she remained silent. But as she turned away, she pinched her daughter-in-law, whispering harshly, "Listen to me, if you dare to order your man around like that, I’ll wring your neck!"

Yang Peimin pulled Shen Yiguang inside, pretending not to have heard a thing.

Shen Yiguang felt guilty for not spending much time with his wife due to his busyness, and with the recent event, he felt even more tender towards her. He proposed to take a walk with her after dinner.

Yang Peimin had no objection, just took the dress she had changed out of, filled an iron kettle with boiling water, and used it as a makeshift iron to smooth out the creases in the dress.

Watching her, Shen Yiguang said, "It gets chilly with the evening breeze, wear your coat before going out."

"Cold?" she asked.

Shen Yiguang pulled her close and slipped the short coat over her, immediately covering the waistline that the dress had revealed.

Yang Peimin glanced at him with mild disdain, "Petty."

Shen Yiguang mixed love and annoyance as he ruffled the top of her head.

Although she said this, she didn’t take off the coat, agreeing to wear it out was already a good sign. She didn’t want to overstimulate him. After putting on her pair of white sandals, they were ready to go have dinner. freёweɓnovel.com