Mrs. Cui was bound to be disappointed. The directive came down swiftly, and since Gao Hong had committed intentional injury with serious consequences, she was sentenced to five years of imprisonment. Her husband, Cui Qiang, also faced repercussions for failing to manage his household, and was demobilized to a local position.
Du Juanjuan, on the other hand, vehemently denied everything, insisting she did nothing wrong, and had cleaned out all the peanut oil at home, leaving no evidence to be found. While the investigation continued, Shao Hui rushed back, had a talk with the authorities, and managed to save Du Juanjuan, though she was removed from her teaching position at the school. Shao Hui also applied for a transfer to the military region in the Northwest, volunteering for a demotion. Before he left, he visited Yang Peiying and spoke with Yang PeiMin.
Mostly, he came to apologize. Yang PeiMin’s expression was indifferent; she knew Du Juanjuan hadn’t suffered at all, so she had no interest in Shao Hui’s meaningless apologies.
"You can go back. I won’t see you out, being pregnant and all."
Shao Hui’s face was full of guilt, "I know my sister-in-law doesn’t want to see me, but I really am sorry. Regarding Juanjuan, I am planning to divorce her. She has already lost her job, and I apologize for not being there for my brother Ah Guang. Our families go way back, and during difficult times, her family greatly helped mine. I can’t just abandon her, so I beg for Ah Guang’s forgiveness again... This is the compensation for Comrade Yang Peiying, please make sure to accept it."
Yang PeiMin refused to take his money, coldly saying, "There’s no need." Then she turned and went back into the ward.
Shao Hui stood there for a while before finally moving his stiff legs and walking away.
Back in the ward, Yang PeiMin peeled an apple for Yang Peiying. Shen Yixiang asked her, "What did Du Juanjuan’s man have to say? Did he come to plead for her?"
Yang Peiying looked over upon hearing this. Yang PeiMin paused her hand and, not daring to meet Yang Peiying’s gaze, gently shook her head, "He came to offer compensation, but I refused it."
In truth, Du Juanjuan had not received real punishment; while Gao Hong had been sentenced to prison, the mastermind, Du Juanjuan, had only lost her job. Hearing Shao Hui’s words, Yang PeiMin nearly couldn’t resist the urge to give him the sole of her shoe. She would rather have remained ignorant than be told such news.
"What was the verdict for that Du Juanjuan?"
"I’m sorry, Yingzi. Your sister is powerless. Du Juanjuan has not received the punishment she deserves." It was her own lack of strength. She had asked Political Commissar Zhou, but it was Shao Hui’s family who had suppressed the matter, shifting all the blame onto Gao Hong. There was nothing more to do, they just shook their heads.
Moreover, Du Juanjuan was swiftly arranged to return to her hometown, and now, even if one went looking for her, she couldn’t be found.
Shen Yixiang was stunned, incredulous, "How can this be allowed! It’s so unfair!"
Yang Peiying looked at Yang PeiMin and shook her head, "Sister, let it go. I’ll be fine in a few days. Don’t worry too much. Grandma always said that those who do evil will eventually face their karma. It’s not that they won’t be punished; it’s just not the right time yet. Sister, I believe she will face her punishment someday."
Yang PeiMin smiled and reached out to smooth the hair on her forehead, "Yingzi, you make a lot of sense. I believe it, too."
Yang Peiying’s face flushed, and she nodded lightly.
Shen Yixiang watched the two of them and put aside her sense of injustice, starting to speak optimistically as well.
This incident had finally passed.
Yang Peiying had to spend nearly a month in the hospital before she was discharged. She had wanted to leave earlier, but Yang PeiMin insisted on stopping her. He wouldn’t allow her to be discharged until she was fully recovered because as soon as she got home, she would undoubtedly start working non-stop, which would be detrimental to her recovery.
Shen Yixiang had taken leave from the factory right from the start, spending the whole day in the hospital to care for Yang Peiying. Later, when the situation improved, she started to take half-days to go back to the factory and bring things to work on at the hospital.
And Yang PeiMin, because he couldn’t get away from his school curriculum, took a week off but then had to go back to teaching.
July arrived quickly, and Yang PeiMin’s belly had been growing for more than nine months; it looked as though she could give birth at any moment.
Because her belly had grown so large that she couldn’t see her toes anymore, she didn’t dare to sleep alone and had Yang Peiying’s company.
The school was already on holiday, and there wasn’t much for her to do, just preparing things for the baby. She asked Luo Dahua to come over to help check for any omissions.
Luo Dahua inspected the house inside and out. She even brought Lu Daqi for a visit to fix up the doors, windows, and furniture. Her ultimate goal was to have him make a baby crib. After finishing her checks, she said to Yang PeiMin, "Actually, the room is spacious and faces the sun, so there’s not much that needs to be done. There’s no need to move to another room; the one you’re sleeping in now is fine. As for the baby’s things, it’s mostly about clothes and diapers. I looked them over for you, and I think you might have bought too much. Three babies could use all of these; you’ve got two bathtubs, three small quilts, and three bottles for drinking water. But you can also use a small spoon to feed the baby water. I can’t even count how many clothes and diapers you have. Sis, you’ve never had a child before; kids really shoot up quickly. By the time you’ve barely dressed them in something, they’ve already outgrown it."
Shen Yixiang laughed beside her, "It’s fine. If it can’t be worn, save it for the next one."
Luo Dahua laughed too, "That’s true, that will work."
Yang Peiying asked, "Sis, do you think my sister needs to prepare anything else?"
Luo Dahua slapped her thigh and laughed, "Yingzi, you’re so thoughtful. All she thinks about is her sister. Speaking of which, Pei Min needs to prepare some loose and comfortable clothes, which will be convenient for breastfeeding. She’ll also need some sanitary paper for after giving birth. At home, you should prepare things like ginger, brown sugar, eggs, and beef tendons (herbal medicine) for her post-pregnancy care. Yingzi, take me to see what’s been prepared. If anything is missing, we can write a note and go out to buy it."
Luo Dahua was a woman of action, and while still talking, she had already pulled Yang Peiying out to check.
The room quieted down. Yang PeiMin lifted her head and glanced at the calendar on the wall. She was about to give birth, yet Shen Yiguang still hadn’t returned.
Shen Yixiang, noticing her expression, guessed her feelings and hurriedly comforted her, "Sis, you don’t need to worry. He will definitely be back in time. He loves children so much, he will surely complete his mission quickly and return to see the baby being born."
Yang PeiMin smiled and nodded, hoping for the same thing.
When Yang Peiying returned, she brought back a letter for her. Yang PeiMin eagerly took it, filled with a certain hope, but upon seeing the handwriting, she felt a wave of disappointment. It wasn’t from Shen Yiguang. It was from their hometown.
In recent times, both the in-laws and her parents back home were sending letters almost every day, reminding her about childbirth precautions and newborn care. Many things were repeated over and over again. It was clear how worried they were, especially since only the two unmarried girls, Yang Peiying and Shen Yixiang, were here. They just couldn’t help feeling anxious.