Zhu Qing slightly lifted her eyelids and tugged a faint smile at the corner of her mouth, her voice a bit cold, "How can literature be measured by money?"
Having said that, she seemed to have lost interest in talking. She took back the newspaper from Cheng Aihua’s hands, tucked it into her own book, and then leaned against the bed frame, picking up a book to read, showing no interest in talking to anyone.
Everyone then dispersed.
Tan Yan was somewhat embarrassed by her sarcastic tone and then felt a bit annoyed.
In this dorm, half of the students came from families that were barely making ends meet. Only those like Zhu Qing, who came from a bit wealthier families, always carried themselves as if they were above worldly concerns.
As Tan Yan turned toward her own bed, she saw Yang PeiMin wearing a new outfit, a light beige trench coat that looked airy and elegant on her, extremely beautiful. Tan Yan’s eyes were severely stricken with jealousy. It was outrageous, being dressed so flamboyantly even after getting married—she wondered what her husband thought of it.
Yang PeiMin was unaware that her new clothes were grating on some people’s nerves. Seeing that everyone had dispersed, she quickly escaped from Cheng Aihua’s grasp to take a nap.
This weekend, Yang PeiMin had to return to the military region because Qiao Ying had pulled in an order for her—five sets of cosmetics; she had to go back and get it done.
When she returned to the military region and was walking up to the second floor, Luo Dahua, who was sitting in the corridor warming herself by the brazier, immediately came over, "I knew you’d come back today."
Yang PeiMin smiled, "Is everything well at home?"
Luo Dahua shook her head and then changed the topic, "Come and have lunch at my place tomorrow with Shen Ying. Thanks to your help, not only have the kids recovered, but they’ve also gained some weight. I really—I’m really sorry. It’s just a small token from our family, but you must come."
Yang PeiMin gladly accepted.
Shen Yiguang hadn’t come back with her; he had returned to the military region building as there was a meeting to attend. Yang PeiMin returned to her quarters; she first tidied up the home, then sat down to eat the food she had brought from the urban area—roast chicken and dumplings. Shen Yiguang’s portion was set aside; she was too hungry to wait for him.
While eating, she noticed an opened letter on the table next to her. She picked up the envelope and saw it was addressed to Shen Yiguang, written by Shen Yixiang. That little sister-in-law often liked to tag along behind her brother. It was fine for siblings to be close, she thought, and returned the letter to its place; even as spouses, they should each have their own private space, and she was not in the habit of reading other people’s letters.
After she had finished eating, Shen Yiguang had not yet returned, but Luo Dahua came over, bringing a basket of goods with her.
Yang PeiMin quickly intervened, "What are you doing, bringing all this?"
Luo Dahua smiled, "It’s only proper." Behind her, Da Niu and Xiao Niu shot towards Yang PeiMin like swallows to their nest, flinging themselves into her arms, "Auntie, auntie..."
"Look, these two girls are not even this excited when they see me coming back."
Yang Peimin smiled as she patted their heads and asked if they had eaten well these past few days before letting them go play.
Then she turned to Luo Dahua and said, "Your daughters are really adorable. They slept with me for half a month, and we’ve grown quite close."
Luo Dahua gave her a playful look and said, "If you fancy having your own so much, look at what I’ve brought." She placed a bamboo basket on the table, lifted the gauze cover, revealing half a dozen salted eggs, a jar that smelled like alcohol, and a ginseng root. She continued, "This wild ginseng was dug up by our grandfather when he used to herd sheep in the mountains. It’s not very old, but it can be kept for emergencies. My grandfather didn’t just rely on this ginseng to hold out until we came back. Outsiders all think he lingered because he couldn’t bear to leave his eldest son and grandson."
Yang Peimin was somewhat taken aback and hurriedly pushed it back, "I can’t accept this, sister-in-law, you’re too kind. Please take it back. Looking after the kids for a few days is nothing much; I can’t accept such a valuable gift."
Luo Dahua scolded her lightly, "Saying that makes me embarrassed. Look at this ginseng; you can see it’s small and not fully formed yet. I don’t think it’s even twenty years old. It wouldn’t fetch much if sold. My grandfather isn’t very good at assessing these things; he saw it and just dug it up, fearing someone else might take it. It could still be used to make a nourishing soup at home. And let me tell you, we have several more plants at home, and the oldest one was used by my grandfather. Also, I heard from Da Niu that you even sent them to daycare and they eat meat every day. That must cost a fortune, not to mention how diligently you looked after Xiao Niu’s illness. How can I ever feel at ease? Honestly, I’m quite thick-skinned; this little thing is worth nothing compared to all you’ve done for us. After my grandfather passed, all the expenses... I’m already thick-skinned as it is. If you don’t accept this, I might not have the face to visit you again."
In the end, Yang Peimin had no choice but to accept her thank-you gift.
Owing someone favor felt even more pressing than owing money, and she was just that kind of person.
After Luo Dahua offered the wild ginseng, she brought up the bottle of liquor from her basket and said, "This is wine brewed from black glutinous rice. My aunt made it herself; you can’t buy it outside. It’s very nutritious. Just boil some water, add an egg and some brown sugar, take it out, then pour in a spoonful of this wine. Eat a bowl every day; it’s good for your body and can even help you conceive faster."
Yang Peimin was a bit stunned by her enthusiastic manner, especially by the last part about making it easier to conceive!
Nevertheless, Luo Dahua meant well, so she thanked her earnestly.
Luo Dahua, still somewhat worried, admonished her, "You really need to eat it every day."
"By the way, do you have a stove at school to cook it yourself?"
Yang Peimin shook her head, "No, I don’t."
"How will you manage then?"
"No worries, I can sort it out when I get back. I usually eat and sleep well, and I don’t have any major health issues."
Luo Dahua pulled her close, speaking in a whisper, "Sister-in-law, let me speak frankly. It’s been a year since you got married, and there hasn’t been any news about pregnancy. Have you ever wondered why? Don’t blame me for being nosy, but I heard about it from the people living below the Cui family. Gao Hong secretly went to the urban hospital for a checkup; I don’t know how it got out, but she’s fine, the problem might be with her husband. This talk somehow reached Mrs. Cui’s ears, and she flew into a rage, pinning the gossip down on the ground and nearly beating the person to death; it frightened everyone. They had to pull her away; it was a whole spectacle. Mrs. Cui refuses to believe it’s her son’s issue; she’s convinced it’s Gao Hong trying to shift the blame, and when she got home, she beat Gao Hong severely. Gao Hong ended up in the hospital."