These clams make both porridge and soup extremely delicious. Yang Peimin just likes these salty flavors.
"What’s this?" Shen Yixiang brought it to her nose and sniffed, "It’s quite fragrant, this smells a bit like charcuterie."
Yang Peimin smiled and nodded slightly, "Pretty much."
Shen Yixiang pouted, then looked at Chen Guizhi and asked, "Mom, can you see what Big Brother wrote?"
Chen Guizhi handed her the letter, "You read it."
Yang Peimin also stood still, she wanted to hear what was said too.
Shen Yixiang immediately took it, opened it, and read, "Dear Dad and Mom, hope this letter finds you well. Don’t worry, I have engaged in regular training, having a routine of going to the training ground, eating, and going to bed on time. I’ve finished the dry food from home, shared some with comrades who don’t get leave to visit home, and we all had a meal together. Everyone praised Mom’s cooking... How are you and Dad? Still working hard as before?... Are Yiyue and Yixiang at school?..."
He asked about everyone in the family, and he carefully chose what to say about his situation. Chen Guizhi kept nodding, "Good, good! Tell your brother we are all fine, tell him not to worry about home, and for him to also take care of himself, not to skimp..."
"Mom, wait a moment, I need to get paper and a pen..."
Yang Peimin’s lips curved slightly as she took her own letter and quietly went back to her room.
She opened Shen Yiguang’s letter to her, then changed the sentence from his parents’ letter ’Comrades say mom is skillful’ to ’Comrades say my wife is skillful,’ something he had mentioned before.
Yang Peimin couldn’t help but laugh. He really was a cunning man.
He then asked in detail about her situation, including her daily interactions with her family and work colleagues, whether she went back to her mother’s home and if she continued making those skincare trinkets, and finally asked if her menstrual cycle was regular...
Even though he wasn’t by her side, he still acted in a domineering manner, which made her laugh.
Next, he subtly expressed his longing for her.
That line, "Looking forward to being with you."
It already contained all his longing for her.
Then he asked her, "Are you also looking forward to it as I am?"
Yang Peimin couldn’t help laughing, his literary-like words sounded so cheesy, but she knew Shen Yiguang had joined the army as a teenager, it seemed he hadn’t finished middle school back then. It was only later that he got appreciated and went to military school for a few years to make up for his lack of education, and now he could write some sentimental words.
She then took out paper and a pen she had prepared earlier from the drawer, sat down and began to reply.
First, she wrote that everything at home was well, also talked about the incident when her aunt visited and didn’t manage to take any advantage. As she wrote this, she couldn’t help feeling a bit proud, almost as though she was seeking praise.
Then, she wrote about things at school, the recent perfect attendance rewards for students, and accompanying Shen Yiyue to a performance, detailing everything to him.
She wasn’t intimidated by Shen Yiguang’s assertiveness; she just felt that a husband and wife should be true to each other to avoid misunderstandings and barriers.
It was already March and April was approaching quickly, which meant the second round of college entrance exams would soon be announced.
She needed to start preparing as well, including getting recommendation letters.
Thinking about this, she added two lines to her letter.
She ended up writing a total of five pages. After putting them in an envelope, it looked bulgingly thick. She couldn’t help but laugh a bit, as it was obvious from its appearance that it was a letter from a newlywed couple, surely filled with endless words.
Although she had put it in an envelope, she hadn’t planned to seal it yet because she wasn’t sure if there was anything she might have omitted. If something came to mind, she could always add more.
Feeling like there was nothing more to write for now, she stepped out of the room only then remembering it was time to prepare dinner.
In the kitchen, Shen Yiyue was already cooking. Seeing her enter, her sister-in-law, busy chopping vegetables, gave her a smile and a wink. "Sister-in-law, I’ll take care of dinner tonight. Mom told me not to call you and to let you write back to my brother properly."
Yang PeiMin couldn’t help but laugh silently, feeling a warm affection, "Mom’s so good to me. If I had known, I would have come out later, then I could have enjoyed the meal ready-made."
Her words were playful, yet she still got busy, adding some firewood to the stove and cleaning the pot.
Yiyue, watching her actions, laughed, "Sister-in-law, I should be blamed for not telling you earlier."
Yang PeiMin shook her head with a smile.
She asked Yiyue about her studies, "With the first round of exams already done, there surely will be a second round. Yiyue, are you all prepared? Have you thought about what major to apply for?"
Knowing the Shen family, Yang PeiMin realized they didn’t hold the typical belief that girls shouldn’t pursue extensive education. During her time teaching, she deeply understood the rural perspective on schooling for boys and girls. Few girls attended classes, and those who did rarely stayed long. After three to five years, families would typically pull them out to help earn work points at home or to care for younger siblings. A few years later, the conversation would shift to marriage.
Yiyue and Shen Yixiang had the highest education among the sisters, mainly because Shen Yiguang had slowly earned a promising future and strongly supported his sisters’ education, which kept the busy old household from voicing objections.
Yiguang’s support for his sisters to continue their education differed from the implicit expectation he had for her to stay at home and take care of the family. It clearly was a double standard, which was quite frustrating.
However, she didn’t plan to simply comply with his wishes.
Yiyue also aspired to attend university, sharing with Yang PeiMin, "Sister-in-law, if possible, I’d really like to be a teacher like you. I’m planning to apply to a teacher’s college. Yixiang is different; she wants to go to a military academy."
That Yixiang had such an ambition was unexpected.
Yang PeiMin thought to herself and asked with a smile, "Why does Yixiang want to go to a military academy?"
Yiyue lowered her voice, "Well, she has always admired our brother. Influenced by him, she really wants to serve in the same military region."
Yang PeiMin nodded, understandingly. It was clear that Yixiang greatly admired Yiguang, and it seemed she even had a bit of a hero-worship complex towards him.
"That’s a nice thought. Dad and brother would definitely support her. Though I’ve heard it’s very tough to get into a military academy, I hope she makes it. She’s also heard that they place a great emphasis on physical fitness, so she’s been running and stretching every day, really working hard on her physical training—it’s quite admirable."