Daily Life in the 70s-Chapter 205: Visiting

Yang PeiMin glanced over the crowd and indeed, she didn’t spot Ou Lei and Hao Qinghui.

She had arrived at just the right time, though the matter had little to do with her; she had no intention of continuing as a teacher, and it didn’t seem like anyone with her had the capacity for the job either.

So she was merely surprised for a moment, "Had you not mentioned it, I wouldn’t have known."

"You didn’t really come back to ask about this?" Mr. Li, who had substituted for her in the past, still wore a look of disbelief.

Yang PeiMin gave her a glance, her tone full of insinuation. Did she really need to write her a guarantee? "Is Mr. Li afraid that I’m going to take this position?"

That left Mr. Li at a loss for words.

Indeed, she didn’t want Yang PeiMin seizing the position, as she had plans to keep a spot open for her own brother. But knowing Yang PeiMin’s good relationship with Principal Li, and Yang PeiMin having just returned at this crucial time, she was understandably anxious.

It seemed that there were others in the office who shared Mr. Li’s sentiments. Yang PeiMin had no desire to get involved in their office rivalries. After exchanging a few words, she bid everyone farewell.

Returning to the Shen family home, she parked the bicycle, washed her hands, and could already hear the lively chatter from inside the hall, not knowing which neighbor had popped by.

Once home, she needed to speak with Chen Guizhi and sort out her own matters.

"The daughter-in-law is back?" Chen Guizhi was seated on the kang, cradling a swaddled baby in her arms and appeared quite pleased to see her.

Next to Chen Guizhi was a young woman – the very same one she saw in the morning with a baby. It was clear the infant in Chen Guizhi’s arms belonged to her. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

"This is Li Xiaoer’s wife from the Li Family next door, call her your sister-in-law," Chen Guizhi introduced, gesturing toward the younger woman.

Li Xiaoer’s wife? The woman who had lent her the bicycle?

She seemed quite delicate in appearance, but perhaps due to recently giving birth, her complexion appeared rather sallow. And her high cheekbones lent her a somewhat severe look, not the face of someone who would be easy to get along with.

She exaggeratedly smiled at Yang PeiMin, "Look who’s back from her parent’s home!", and then her gaze quickly shifted to Yang PeiMin’s hands, as if to see whether she had brought anything back from her family’s place.

Zhang Minghua was always meticulous about social niceties; she never returned empty-handed from her parents’. This time, she had brought Yang PeiMin caramel candies and eggs, but she had just put them in the kitchen as she passed by.

So, at that moment, Yang PeiMin was empty-handed.

Knowing that the woman before her was the one who had borrowed her bicycle and not taken care of it, Yang PeiMin wasn’t too keen on dealing with her and just smiled faintly.

She said to Chen Guizhi, "Mother, I just went back to the school and have taken care of everything. I’m going to organize my things in my room now."

Chen Guizhi smiled and nodded.

Huang Tao, the second daughter-in-law of the Li Family, asked Chen Guizhi with curiosity, "Auntie, what’s going on? Sister-in-law seems very busy. Has she found a job again?"

"No, she just went back to see the principal and her former colleagues," Chen Guizhi explained.

The fact that Yang PeiMin was preparing for university was, according to what she had said, not made known to everyone, which was why Chen Guizhi spoke in such a manner.

However, Chen Guizhi’s obviously evasive words did not escape Huang Tao’s notice. Her expression dimmed somewhat, "Sister-in-law really values relationships. She has only been away for a few days, yet she has to visit her old colleagues on her return. Oh, right, she also went back to her parental home this morning. It’s really rare. I live so close, yet I hardly visit once a year. Not only because there are adversaries at home that prevent me, but my mother also doesn’t approve of me visiting too frequently."

Chen Guizhi had been nodding along until she heard the latter part and became somewhat puzzled, "Why not? Is it idle for a daughter to return to her parental home?"

"Auntie, you don’t know. My mother is very particular about the rules. She says it’s not proper for a married daughter to visit her parental home too often. Even if the in-laws don’t mind, she believes it shouldn’t be done like this. Once married into the in-laws’ family, she belongs to them. Visiting too often might make people think the in-laws’ house isn’t good. So, unless it’s necessary, my mother doesn’t really want me to go back, to prevent gossip about her failing to teach her daughter well."

Chen Guizhi laughed lightly, "Everyone has their own thoughts. Your mother is also doing this for your good, worried that your in-laws might have opinions. But at the end of the day, visiting one’s own flesh and blood is a good thing."

Huang Tao, the daughter-in-law of Li Xiaoer next door, was usually hard-working and capable. She was also markedly straightforward and generous in her manners, handsome in appearance, and had a loud voice. She seemed sturdy—a good type for having children. Previously, an intermediary had introduced her to Shen Yiguang, and she had been satisfied with Huang Tao when she brought her home for a match-making visit. Unfortunately, it was disappointing that her son did not take a liking to her, and she could only sigh over it.

Later, Huang Tao married into the Li Family next door, and Chen Guizhi sighed about the irony of fate. The two families interacted normally, even though there was some embarrassment regarding Huang Tao. After Huang Tao came into the Li Family, she was as diligent and capable of bearing children as rumored, giving birth to three sons in one go, causing envy among many. Later, Chen Guizhi had whispered to Shen Erniu that if her son had married Huang Tao, perhaps they would already have grandchildren by now.

Of course, these whispers were before Yang PeiMin married into the family. After her arrival, even though she wasn’t as capable and good at bearing children as Huang Tao, she was respectful and intelligent. Most importantly, her son was fond of her, and thus, when Chen Guizhi saw Huang Tao again, she no longer had any regrets about her.

Yet Huang Tao would take the initiative to visit, often bringing her children to chat. She said that although they hadn’t become one family, they had still brought her luck, allowing her to marry into the Li Family next door, and now her life was good. Chen Guizhi loved to hear this, and as a result, Huang Tao visited even more frequently, always bringing children along. Saying that since Shen family’s elders had no grandchildren, the large courtyard seemed cold, she would bring her children over to liven the place up and to let the Shen family elders experience the joy of having grandchildren around.

During the time Yang PeiMin married into the family, Huang Tao did not visit. Firstly, because she was about to give birth to her third child, and secondly, she was afraid that Yang PeiMin would have some thoughts about their families’ past interactions. That’s what she told Chen Guizhi, who found her to be very understanding and considerate, which led to the bicycle borrowing when she readily agreed.

Yang PeiMin returned to her room to organize her study materials, preparing to report to the review class tomorrow. But the county was after all not the same as the town, being twenty or thirty kilometers away from Daji Village. If she had to ride her bike for class, it would take at least two hours each way, which would be both exhausting and unsafe—a girl riding such a long distance, especially through areas without any villages, was not ideal.