When did Shen Yixiang become so imposing?
Shen Yiguang gave Yang PeiMin a look, a look that told her to remain calm and not be hasty.
He said to his sister, "Isn’t there a saying, ’sour for a girl, spicy for a boy’? Maybe your sister-in-law is carrying a girl. Elders always hope for a son first, and they think being cautious and avoiding spicy food could fulfill their wish."
Yang PeiMin watched him with squinting eyes, looking all serious.
Shen Yixiang, not being a child, said with some suspicion, "That doesn’t sound right. Although Mom has those kinds of thoughts you mentioned, she told me that eating crown prince isn’t good for the baby, and adults would feel uncomfortable too. It’s better to eat less of it."
"Yixiang, Mom is just overly concerned. Aren’t we all from lean times? What haven’t we eaten back then? Pregnant women survived just the same. Didn’t we see plenty as kids? Your sister-in-law doesn’t have a good appetite, so this could actually stimulate it."
Seeing her brother so convinced, Shen Yixiang ultimately didn’t say anything more.
Yang PeiMin silently glanced at Shen Yiguang.
Shen Yiguang picked up some chicken leg meat with his chopsticks for her, "Eat up, it’s late, and you have class tomorrow." Then, he also served Shen Yixiang a piece, and her questions dissipated.
Back at the guesthouse, Yang PeiMin gave Shen Yiguang a glare, "You might as well have said it."
Shen Yiguang responded helplessly, "It’s my wife’s craving talking."
Yang PeiMin glared at him, "When do you plan to let Yixiang leave? I can tell she’s serious, she definitely came prepared, even with Mom’s token."
Shen Yiguang patted her head gently, "Don’t worry, I will take her back in a few days. I need to go back and organize some military affairs first."
"Yes, I’m also worried about Mom. Ever since I found out she was sick, I’ve been uneasy."
Yang PeiMin nodded, "Alright then."
Shen Yiguang caressed her head, speaking softly, "Yixiang can be stubborn, often like a child. Just use your usual way of coaxing kids on her, and she’ll be fine. I’m sorry my wife has to put up with this. Just endure the food for a few days. If it gets too much, just bring up my name."
Yang PeiMin nodded against his chest, remembering all the precautions she had read. Foods with cooling properties like hawthorn, papaya, sugarcane, and others were off-limits, and so were certain types of meat, like lamb and rabbit, which could cause overheating. It was best to stew or steam the dishes... just the thought of the coming days felt very long.
"Shen Yiguang, I’ve decided, I’m going to stay at the dorm for these few days. I’ll leave the house to you. Think about it, the new house and all, there’s so much to do - finding it, cleaning, decorating, it’s all work. Have you got your military affairs in order? It’s perfect you’re going back with Yixiang, she’ll be reassured once she sees the house settled, and then can tell Mom about it too, right?"
Shen Yiguang flicked her forehead, "Look at you, being crafty. We’ll get someone to help look for the house, but once it’s settled, you can’t just avoid coming back because of the food Yixiang makes. I’m even more worried about you staying in the dorm. It’s getting colder and the hot water from the canteen must cool down by the time it’s carried up, right? There’s no stove either, how do you sleep at night?"
"You really do understand me, I feel like I wake up cold every morning in the dorm, even with two blankets on me."
"Yeah, don’t catch a cold, let’s hurry and get into bed," Yang Peimin said.
"No rush," replied Shen Yi.
"How can we not rush? Every minute counts."
That morning, Shen Yiguang had dropped Yang Peimin off at school. She went with Shen Yixiang to look at houses, and whether they were renting or buying, they had to check them out before making any decisions. With these matters in their hands, Yang Peimin happily attended her classes.
When she returned to the classroom, she learned from Li Yue that there was a morning meeting to be held, organized autonomously by each class.
The other students felt that if the school was making such a serious deal about it, it must be to remind students about exams and ensure that both teachers and students took them seriously.
Some guessed that it might be some new policy announcement.
Seeing the look of utter composure on Li Yue’s face, Yang Peimin knew she, the well-informed one, had some news. She couldn’t help but nudge her with an elbow, "Do you have some news?"
Li Yue smiled slyly, turned her head slightly, and glanced at her, "Not bad, you’ve got some smarts."
"Just tell me already."
"Heard that some students in the Chinese department were dating in secret and got caught red-handed, right in the small woods, in the middle of a kiss. They’re being criticized and warned, and who knows if they’ll be disciplined or not. Isn’t it silly? Exams are just around the corner, and they’re still in the mood for this sort of thing."
Yang Peimin listened to the gossip with interest, and then the class teacher came to start the meeting. There was the usual talk about exam matters, a repetition of certain disciplinary and conduct issues, and finally, the secret dating incident that Li Yue mentioned was used as a negative example to admonish them all.
Yang Peimin listened but didn’t take it to heart as it didn’t concern her personally. However, what she didn’t expect was that at lunch, Zhu Qing took the initiative to sit next to her.
"PeiMin, sorry to bother you," Zhu Qing said.
Yang Peimin raised an eyebrow in surprise and gestured for her to continue.
"I want to apologize for my friend last night; she didn’t mean it, and I hope she didn’t cause you any harm," Zhu Qing said in a low but formal tone.
Yang Peimin knew she was referring to the incident where Shen Yixiang was insulted by Zhu Qing’s friend, calling her a country bumpkin. Yang Peimin shook her head, "It’s not your fault, we didn’t take it to heart. If you take insults like that seriously, the one who suffers is yourself."
Zhu Qing insisted, "No, my friend was in the wrong, and I’ll have her apologize to you when I get the chance."
Yang Peimin was puzzled, "Really, there’s no need."
Zhu Qing studied her expression, "PeiMin, this is also very sincere on our part. I hope you won’t hold it against her, considering we’re roommates. You heard about this morning’s incident, right? One of them is in our class, the other in Class 2. The affair in the small woods last time—I don’t know if you misunderstood anything, but you know what I mean. This is not something that can be casually spread around. It could cause a lot of harm to someone. Even though they weren’t seriously punished this time, just a warning, I heard that these things will impact job assignments in the future. Any negative personal behavior in school could affect someone’s future prospects."
Yang Peimin understood. Zhu Qing was panicking over this morning’s news because she had been the subject of a confession just the other day, which Yang Peimin had witnessed. Although Pei Min hadn’t said anything, in light of last night when Zhu Qing’s friend looked down on her sister-in-law, she feared that Pei Min might retaliate by spreading the news about the confession. So now Zhu Qing was hastily trying to plead her case to Pei Min.