Rebirth in the 80s: The Scholar Wife is Cute-Chapter 59 - Xiaocui

Chapter 59: Chapter 59 Xiaocui

Chapter 59 -59 Xiaocui

“It’s just an old TV, and they still want to charge twenty cents for the electricity? Why doesn’t she just go rob a bank?”

Twenty cents could buy enough salt to last a month, and giving it away for someone else’s electricity bill is something only a fool would do. What’s so great about having an old TV anyway?

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“Auntie, when I graduate from university and start earning money, I’ll renovate the house for us and buy a TV to put in your and Uncle’s room. Then you can watch it in bed during winter.”

Zhou Siyu took the opportunity to sweet-talk Zhou Lanfang with promises of the future.

“My Siyu has always been so thoughtful.”

Zhou Lanfang glared into the kitchen, where she saw Shen Mianmian diligently washing the dishes, and then went muttering into the main room.

Zhou Siyu sneered inwardly, thinking that wretched girl was getting sharper and sharper, now savvy enough to avoid trouble.

Shen Mianmian pretended not to hear their conversation but vaguely remembered that in a previous life, something like this had happened. People felt entitled to come to their house to watch TV, from day to night, often until ten o’clock.

Calculated over a month, the electricity charges were quite a sizeable expense.

Although her own family also watched, if not so many neighbors had come over, no one would have stayed so late.

The entire village would watch TV at their house, but only her family would pay the electricity bill. It was painful each month to pay it, so they suggested the idea that each family who came to watch should chip in twenty cents. It made watching more comfortable and the showing more satisfying.

Those who were more modest and embarrassed to keep running to someone else’s house to watch TV quickly agreed, and having paid, they had a perfectly legitimate reason and right to watch.

Then there were people like Zhou Lanfang, with thick skins who liked to watch but wouldn’t pay a penny. As soon as she heard about the fee, she huffed back angrily.

In this matter, Shen Mianmian had to admit she admired Zhou Lanfang. In the past life, when she said she wouldn’t go watch, she didn’t, but she would encourage Zhou Siyu to go, banking on the fact that people would be too embarrassed to ask a child for money.

Later, when it was New Year, Shen Jianhua heard about this and, disregarding Zhou Lanfang’s protests, paid for six months upfront.

Thinking of this, Shen Mianmian couldn’t help but laugh at herself in a self-deprecating way. Shen Jianhua was a man who cared about appearances; sometimes, he liked to show off a little in front of neighbors. When Zhou Siyu was accepted to university, he was proud for a long time, offering cigarettes to the men in the village.

Meanwhile, she was completely overlooked, like dust, to the extent that she didn’t even have a new pair of shoes for her wedding…

Without a TV to watch, Zhou Lanfang kicked off her shoes and sat on the bed sewing shoe soles, Zhou Siyu also lay in bed to read, and Shen Mianmian sat by the bedside, flipping through a book borrowed from He Nan.

The afternoon passed without incident.

The next day, as Shen Mianmian was walking home from school in the evening, she saw smoke rising from Old Lady Liu’s chimney. Carrying her schoolbag, she made a turn and went directly into Old Lady Liu’s yard.

Approaching the kitchen, she saw Xiaocui sitting in front of the stove, tending the fire, her face flushed red from the heat. Xiaocui had the kind of looks that weren’t stunning at first glance but grew on you. Although she wasn’t as beautiful as Erni, she wasn’t ugly either.

When Xiaocui heard the noise, she turned her head and was surprised, “Mianmian?” It was a rarity for Shen Mianmian to visit her house even twice in a year.

Looking into those clear eyes, Shen Mianmian’s heart was deeply stirred. Covering the emotions welling up inside her, she forced a smile, “Is Old Lady Liu not home?”

“Mom and my sister went to visit neighbors; they should be back shortly. Are you looking for her for something?”

“Then I’ll just sit here and wait a while!” Shen Mianmian pulled up a stool nearby and sat down next to Xiaocui.

Xiaocui shifted her stool aside, “Move over here, you can get some heat from the fire. It’s warmer this side.”