Yang PeiMin helped put away the things in the dormitory and went out to help look after children.
Shen Yiguang stopped her, however, "Don’t go, it’s all chaotic right now. Take this time to see if you can get the coal burning; later you can make a cup of sugar water and take a nap."
Yang PeiMin nodded, "Then you keep an eye on it."
The crowd at the door finally moved on and quieted down.
Yang PeiMin organized the things she bought and set them aside, then came out to light the coal. If she could get the coal burning, she would use the stove to make some sugar water, as she had bought a few sweet potatoes.
As she was moving things outside, she heard crying and scolding from the neighbor on her left.
She put down her things and just then saw the Red Army wife from her right also coming out to see what was happening. They exchanged looks, and the Red Army wife said, "What’s the trouble now?" Though she said this, usually she would have already gone over to check herself, but today she had just argued with Mrs. Cui, so she didn’t want to meddle in their family affairs.
But her gaze toward Yang PeiMin suggested somewhat that she should go over and take a look.
Yang PeiMin also intended to do so. Even though it was a domestic matter and outsiders shouldn’t interfere, the cries were too disturbing to ignore. No matter the family conflict, it shouldn’t escalate to violence; if it led to loss of life, things would become serious.
She went over and knocked on the door, calling out, "Sister-in-law Cui? Sister-in-law Cui..."
Inside, it was Mrs. Cui who responded strongly, "Who is it? What do you want?"
"I heard crying inside and came to ask if something happened? Do you need any help? Sister-in-law Cui?" She was mostly addressing Gao Hong, as it seemed that Gao Hong was the one who had been crying just now.
Then she vaguely heard Mrs. Cui cursing, unsure if she was scolding herself or her daughter-in-law. After a while, Gao Hong’s hoarse voice finally came, "Thank you, sister-in-law; I’m fine, you might have misheard."
"Are you sure you’re okay?"
Alright then, she must have imagined it.
Yang PeiMin turned back, while the Red Army wife, having heard everything clearly, clicked her tongue twice and whispered to her, "Looks like her mother-in-law hit her. To be beaten like that and not dare to run out, she’s really too naive. We’re just worrying over nothing, and they probably think you’re being nosy too."
Her words were clearly tinged with the annoyance from her earlier argument with Mrs. Cui.
Yang PeiMin just smiled and made no comment, content that she had done her part.
Seeing her starting a fire, the Red Army wife also brought out her own coal to burn and began talking about the Cui family’s affairs, "Gao Hong married into the army just last year. They’ve been married for three years and don’t have any children yet; I think that’s the reason Mrs. Cui doesn’t like her. It’s blindness on the old lady’s part, really. Her son is in the military all year round and the couple hardly sees each other. Where would a child come from? Cui Dajun is already in his early thirties, and in other families, children of his age are in elementary school; it could be a factor. I heard that back in her hometown, Gao Hong was once nearly beaten to death by Old Mrs. Cui, which is why Cui Aijun had her come to join the army."
"You wouldn’t believe how she looked when she first arrived, all skin and bones and wearing clothes full of patches, empty and pale as death. It was frightening. We even wondered if she was sick or something. How could she join the army looking like that? But as time went by, her complexion gradually improved, her face gained some flesh, and she started to smile more than when she first arrived. Living next to neighbors, seeing people more often, she gradually started to talk a bit."
"When asked about her past, she doesn’t like to talk about it. She only vaguely mentioned that her mother-in-law has a bad temper, and her husband has a string of younger siblings and nephews. Each month, half of his salary has to be sent back home to support them."
"Now that her mother-in-law has come over, she heard that after accompanying the army for over a year, her belly still showed no signs of pregnancy. She couldn’t help but come over to keep an eye on things. I even heard that she brought some secret recipe for bearing children. As for the two grandsons, people say that bringing the boys over might draw her younger brother-in-law out or something. Those two naughty kids are the sons of Cui Dajun’s younger brother. Just look, the brother’s kids are already so big, yet he still doesn’t have any children of his own. He must be feeling anxious inside."
Yang Peimin blinked. This Red Army wife was really efficient; she managed to gather such clear information in just an afternoon.
"How can they fit in just one room?"
The Red Army wife laughed, "Why couldn’t his siblings stay together? Here, don’t we all have bunk beds? Old Mrs. Cui and the two grandsons sleep on the top, while Gao Hong and her husband sleep below."
Yang Peimin’s face showed a hint of embarrassment. She wanted to say that this setup would make it even harder to have grandchildren.
The Red Army wife seemed to know what she was thinking and laughed again, "You newlyweds are all so shy, but what’s there to be shy about? In our countryside, we have places, and the houses are relatively spacious, so it’s good. You should see the city workers; their housing is so tight, many people are crammed into a room as small as ours. People sleep above and below each other, beds next to beds. They just hang a curtain for privacy, whether it’s brothers or parents beside them, or even nieces and nephews. At night, when it’s ’that time,’ the bed shakes, and anyone not asleep can obviously hear everything. But come the morning, it’s as if nothing happened."
Yang Peimin knew a little about this but was still stunned by how vividly she described it.
Seeing her expression, the Red Army wife couldn’t stop laughing. After a while, she asked her, "Sister-in-law, are you from the city?"
Yang Peimin shook her head. "No, I’m also from the countryside."
This surprised the Red Army wife, "You don’t look it, and your accent doesn’t seem like it either. You don’t have any of that local twang, which is quite pleasant."
While they were talking, the Red Army wife had already started lighting the coal stove; Yang Peimin’s attempts were still a mess.
The Red Army wife laughed looking her way, "Why I said you didn’t look like it is because, look how poorly you manage even the simplest task like lighting a fire, not at all like someone from the countryside."
Her words weren’t meant to tease, it was just lighthearted banter.
Yang Peimin felt a bit embarrassed, "Sister-in-law, teach me. The fire keeps going out."
"You need to leave an air vent to ensure airflow underneath. Once the flames are stable, then you can add some smaller pieces of kindling. Yes, just like that..."
With her guidance, the coal quickly ignited.
The Red Army wife felt that their conversation had brought them much closer, so she asked her, "What do you usually do at home? Are you planning to continue accompanying the army?"
"I used to substitute teach at a primary school, and I still have some matters to attend to back home. I’ll have to delay joining the army for a while." Although she was confident in herself, she wouldn’t tell anyone about taking the college entrance exam before she had passed, in case something went awry.
"Oh, you’re an educated person; no wonder you seem different from us."
"How different? Aren’t we all just military wives?"