Yang PeiMin asked, "Does Yixiang know that Huang Tao was once engaged to your brother?"
Shen Yixiang was stumped by the question and couldn’t find the words to respond.
Chen Guizhi panicked, "Well, my daughter-in-law, although that happened, now everyone is married, and it’s all in the past. Don’t get the wrong idea; there’s nothing going on. It’s just that I see her around the neighborhood, and we greet each other when we see each other... She has many children and not much experience, so sometimes she asks me for advice on childcare. I don’t have any grudges against her, so there’s no reason not to talk, and I ended up chatting with her a bit. Later on, she started visiting our home... I didn’t expect her to say those things..."
Shen Yiyue hastily added, "Sister-in-law, I know about what Mom is talking about. Huang Tao indeed likes to bring her children over to hang out. She must have seen that Mom enjoys being around kids, and sometimes when she’s busy, she brings them over for Mom to help watch them a bit. By doing this favor, she’s gotten more attached over time. After so many visits, she might’ve started to think too highly of herself. Sister-in-law, please forgive Mom. She didn’t do it on purpose."
Seeing her sister-in-law’s attitude, Shen Yiyue felt unsure, fearing that such a misunderstanding between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law would cause discomfort for her brother.
Yang PeiMin nodded, "Mom, I haven’t taken to heart the matter of Shen Yiguang’s former matchmaking. As you’ve said, it’s all in the past and there’s no need to worry. But by inviting her over to our home, it’s inevitable that it will lead others to speculate. I hope you can consider my feelings as well. Also, if there’s any area where I’m not doing the right thing, please point it out. I’m not someone who can’t take advice. But if you don’t say anything, I’ll assume that I haven’t made any mistakes."
"To be honest, I was quite hurt over the incident with my new bicycle being lent to Huang Tao. She damaged it badly, but I can overlook it and not fuss about it. However, I do wonder why you would lend out my bike and particularly to her? Moreover, why when I was away visiting relatives? You didn’t ask me, and I wonder if you hesitated because you knew it wasn’t appropriate, yet you still lent my bicycle to Huang Tao. What reason moved you to do so?"
"In the end, I don’t know if people in the village have been gossiping, because such things can easily lead to wild conjectures and exaggerated stories. Whether it concerns the woman or the man involved, gossip can have a significant impact. If someone really asks, what should we say? Tell the truth? Would they believe it? Did you consider these issues, Mom?"
"Dad, I want to speak openly in front of the whole family today, and I hope you won’t mind. Communication within the family should be open. Like Mom told me, even teeth and tongue can clash sometimes. Besides being tolerant and patient, we should also learn to be transparent with each other. Without speaking up or asking, no one knows what the others are thinking. A small issue could turn into a big one."
Shen Erniu nodded solemnly.
Chen Guizhi’s eyes were red, "Pei Min, your mother was wrong..."
Shen Erniu looked at her and sighed, then turned to Yang PeiMin with a kind expression, "My daughter-in-law is clear-headed. You’re right; we should be as a family. Your mother was wrong in this matter. If you’re thinking there were ulterior motives, there absolutely weren’t any, neither from her nor from me. Don’t overthink it, daughter-in-law. We’ll pay attention to the affairs of the second daughter-in-law of the Li Family in the future, and we should remind each other of this."
He paused, then smiled again, "However, daughter-in-law, although your mother did wrong, by pointing it out in front of the younger ones, it diminishes her authority as an elder. Look here, next time, just talk to us, the old folks."
Yang PeiMin courteously responded with a smile, went over to Chen Guizhi to wipe her tears, and also apologized to her, "Mom, don’t be angry. I’m young, can’t hide things, and don’t think things through entirely. I’ll still need mother beside me to continue guiding me."
Chen Guizhi broke into a smile through her tears and shook her head, grabbing Yang PeiMin’s hand, "You didn’t say anything wrong. The older I get, the more muddled I become. If anything happens in the future, you all should speak up , so everyone can hear, especially Yiyue and Yixiang. Pay more attention, learn a bit, so if such things happen again, you won’t panic and make mistakes."
It had to be said, although Chen Guizhi could be muddle-headed, she had a great virtue – she was broad-minded, held no grudges, and was open to persuasion and reason.
In fact, confronting Chen Guizhi with these point in front of everyone, Yang PeiMin certainly knew it would embarrass her, and it could potentially backfire, intensifying any conflict and possibly making the mother-in-law dislike her. But she did it deliberately, to assert her stance and boundaries, and also as a mild warning, in hopes that in the future, Chen Guizhi would think things over more carefully, perhaps remembering this impactful ’face-losing’ event, which might lead to a better judgment.
Another reason was to let Shen Yiyue and her sisters know, so if there were any future disagreements with Chen Guizhi, they would understand the background and not add fuel to the fire.
After speaking her piece about this issue, Yang PeiMin brought up another matter – the internship class.
Everyone was surprised and apprehensive upon knowing that she needed to attend classes in the county, and Yiyue was the first to speak, "Sister-in-law, the county is so far away from our home, you already spend enough time commuting and studying."
Yang PeiMin nodded, "Indeed, so I was thinking, and I wanted to discuss it with everyone, what if I rent a room in the county? Just for about two months, until the exams."
Chen Guizhi became anxious, "Pei Min, how can this be, you’re a young woman staying in a rented room, alone... that’s not safe."
"I’ve thought about this issue as well, so I was hoping to ask Third Sister for help. She’s familiar with the county, and maybe she could find a safe place to stay." Third Sister, Shen Yiqiu’s family, lived in the county with stable jobs and a house; she could possibly help.
Chen Guizhi slapped her thigh, "Right, I almost forgot about the third one. Okay, we’ll ask her to help find a place near her home. That way, she can look after you, and you won’t even need to cook..."
Shen Erniu looked at his excited wife with a speechless expression, thinking that compensating his daughter-in-law didn’t mean being overly indulgent.
However, seeing his wife in good spirits at last, he didn’t say anything, and instead nodded along, reminding Yang PeiMin, "It’s different living outside than at home. Be extra cautious for yourself, and see if the third one can free up a room. Ideally, you should stay in the third one’s house, where you can be well taken care of."