Daily Life in the 70s-Chapter 49 - Shen Yiguang (Extra for the reward from Haiyan123)

Knowing their mother’s anxiety, the daughters didn’t say much, instead taking over all the household chores, feeding the livestock, chopping pig feed, sweeping the yard, butchering chickens, and cooking.

The men, including Mr.

Shen and Shen Erniu, were chatting in the main room and were not involved in the women’s decision-making.

It wasn’t until after four o’clock in the afternoon that Shen Yiguang finally returned.

He was carrying three big fat fish in his hands.

“My comrade-in-arms insisted on me staying, had to say that the sisters came over today and I absolutely had to hurry back before he let me go,” Shen Yiguang said as he placed the fish in a water basin; they were still alive, and once in the water, they thrashed about.

“Their production brigade drained a fish pond a few days ago, they got about ten fish, and insisted I take one without question.”

“Wow, it’s rare to see live fish; there must be at least five or six pounds each, right?

Is your comrade from Shangling Village?

That village is better off than ours,” the second sister Shen Yixia said, coming from the kitchen and marveling, “He let you take one fish, how did it become three?”

Standing up, Shen Yiguang laughed, “I couldn’t just take it for nothing.

Although their family got a lot of fish, they also have many mouths to feed.

I left them money and took three fish.

They’re planning to give some to relatives and friends, so it wouldn’t be right to take more.”

Their nephews crowded around too, chattering about how to make the fish taste delicious.

“My mom can make braised fish; it tastes so good.

Have you ever had it?”

“I like it stewed with peanuts.”

“No, I want to drink fish soup.”

“Well, there you go; three fish, one braised, one stewed with peanuts, and one made into soup,” the second sister’s eldest son Liu Dajun said, clapping his hands.

Shen Yiguang patted him on the back of the head, “We can make different dishes with just two fish, don’t worry.”

The ten-year-old Liu Dajun didn’t understand, “What about the leftover fish?”

“We’re going to give it away,” Shen Yiguang explained to his nephews, “besides eating fish, we’re also having chicken, pork, meatballs, and dumplings later, everyone needs to save room to eat, I’ll make sure everyone’s full.”

The children cheered and didn’t fuss anymore.

Even the best-off third sister’s family only got to enjoy meat once or twice a month; when else would they have such a feast?

As the fourth sister was peeling potatoes alongside her sisters, she turned and asked with a smile, “Who’s the last fish for?”

“We’ll send it over to the Yang family later,” Shen Yiguang laughed, picking up the second son of his third sister, who giggled with delight.

The sisters exchanged glances, their faces flickering with resignation.

Shen Yixiang was the most impetuous.

Without looking at her sister’s expression, she stepped forward and said loudly, “Brother, you can’t marry the Yang Family girl!”

Shen Yiguang put the child down, turned around, and glanced at her.

The smile on his face that had been there while fooling around with the children faded a bit.

“Grown-ups’ business is not for children to meddle in.”

Shen Yixiang and her twin sister Shen Yiyue were already eighteen this year, both attending high school in town.

She was very dissatisfied with being treated as a child, stomped her foot, and said, “Brother, it’s not just me who thinks this, Mom and the others disagree too.”

Mrs.

Shen in the kitchen was jolted by her younger daughter’s outburst, almost dropping the dishes she was passing to her eldest daughter.

She cursed, “That girl, what’s she making a fuss about, as if outsiders can’t hear.”

Eldest sister Shen Yichun was the most honest and simple-hearted.

She said hesitantly, “Mom, we should go out and take a look.

I’m afraid the little sister will say something out of line again later.”

By the time they came out, the second sister had already grabbed Shen Yixiang, who was about to speak.

Shen Yiguang swept his gaze over his sisters’ faces and raised his eyebrows.

Even the mother who had hurried over had a look of panic on her face and dared not look at him.

He was well aware of what was going on, “Whatever it is, let’s go inside and talk.”

Although in the Shen Family, the women’s influence eclipsed the men’s, the most decisive and assertive was nonetheless Shen Yiguang.

Shen Father, Shen Erniu, was also a retired soldier, having participated in the Anti-Japanese War as a revolutionary soldier.

He returned home after injuring his leg saving a comrade, as he could no longer serve on the battlefield.

Before that, he had secretly joined the army in his youth, fueled by passionate patriotism, keeping the truth from his parents.

The ensuing constant warfare had caused his parents tremendous worry.

Filled with guilt towards his elderly parents, Shen Erniu used the resettlement and pension money from the government, giving half to them.

As for the other half, because his injury left him with a limp even after it healed, he was afraid of burdening a girl, so he used it as a betrothal gift to marry a wife.

After the marriage, he lived with his siblings and parents without splitting up the household.

Thereafter, his wife Chen Guizhi (Mrs.

Shen) consecutively gave birth to daughters, which greatly displeased the parents.

Chen Guizhi felt that her womb was disappointing and dared not show any resentment for her mother-in-law’s scolding.

She also took on all the dirty and tiring jobs pushed her way by the sister-in-laws in the household and silently endured their alienation.

Perhaps her submissive nature further enabled certain malicious tendencies within the old Shen Family, and such seeking of beating and scolding even extended to her daughters.

They did the most work but never had enough to eat.

The gifts from her own family were taken by her mother-in-law and given to her sons, while her own daughters never saw a bit of it.

She was also incessantly pressured by the mention of the generous betrothal gift, which was a constant concern for Old Mrs.

Shen, who felt that her family had made a losing deal in the marriage, as this daughter-in-law hadn’t produced any reliable male heirs.

Even after the birth of Shen Yiguang, the situation didn’t improve much.

Criticisms shifted to her having too few sons, as other daughter-in-law had two or more.

At that time the mortality rate for children was high, so they felt having just one son was not secure.

Shen Yiguang gradually grew up and became unruly, somber, and vicious.

One time, because Chen Guizhi failed to collect her elder sister-in-law’s clothes promptly and they got wet from the rain, the woman pushed Chen Guizhi onto a pile of bamboo poles used for drying clothes, causing her to miscarry the two-month-old fetus.

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Seeing this upon returning from school, Shen Yiguang’s eyes filled with rage.

After ensuring his mother was taken care of, he grabbed a knife from the kitchen and headed for the elder sister-in-law’s room, only to be stopped by his eldest cousin who pulled his stunned mother away.

Otherwise, she could have been killed.

Subsequently, his ferocity shocked everyone.

Eight-year-old Shen Yiguang stood in the courtyard with a knife in hand, his eyes glinting with bloodlust, like a demonic figure straight out of hell, his words threatening to burn down the whole house and kill everyone if they dared to bully his mother again.

Afterward, under the pretext of this incident, Shen Yiguang compelled his father to split from the main household, not empty-handed though.