Chapter 96

Wen Zhihua stopped at the entrance of the military compound. “I have work, so I won’t linger.”

The cool detachment on her face created a sense of distance. “I’ll visit Qingshui again next time.”

Ye Qingshui hadn’t quite figured out how to interact with her mother-in-law, so she nodded. “Then, please call home first next time you visit.”

Xie Tingyu showed no reaction, simply stood nearby with his arms crossed, watching his mother drive away from a distance.

Xie Tingjue couldn’t help but shake his head. He also hadn’t figured out how to interact with Wen Zhihua.

In his past life, they had only met a few times; in this life, they had quite a few opportunities to interact. The warmth Wen Zhihua showed him was as if she wanted to pour double the amount of guilt onto him.

In truth, she didn’t owe him anything. Xie Tingjue had a decent life in the countryside, and his adoptive parents treated him very well. He experienced both paternal and maternal love.

In contrast, his younger brother seemed to have a good life but was actually quite miserable.

Grandma Xie held her granddaughter-in-law’s hand and led her back to the Xie home.

“Shui Ya will live here from now on. If there’s anything inconvenient, just call Sister Zhou. If Sister Wu isn’t around, calling Aunt Fang is the same,” Grandma Xie said.

Sister Wu was the housekeeper hired by the Xie family, but she didn’t live there. She came once in the morning and once in the evening, and returned home after finishing her work.

Grandma Xie rubbed Ye Qingshui’s stomach. “Just got off the train, you must be hungry, right? Come quickly and eat something to line your stomach.”

She glanced at the food prepared for the young couple on the table and checked the ceramic basin containing potato noodles.

The train was delayed, and the food was already cold.

“Oh dear, it’s cold. You can’t eat that. Shui Ya, Grandma will heat it up for you.”

When Xu Maofang heard her mother-in-law say this, she couldn’t force a smile. With the daughter-in-law present, how could it be her turn, the mother-in-law, to do the work?

Xu Maofang stood up. “Mom, please don’t move… I’ll go heat it up right away.”

Xu Maofang re-lit the coal stove and reheated the food.

Her face darkened. Fortunately, she hadn’t fired Sister Zhou this time.

Otherwise, given the family status now, wouldn’t she, the “mother-in-law,” have to wait on that country girl?

Thinking that his wife didn’t particularly like stewed potatoes and noodles, Xie Tingyu stood up. He said gently, “No need to trouble Aunt Fang, I’ll do it myself.”

Grandma Xie peeked from the living room. Her grandson’s movements in chopping and cooking were smooth and practiced, as if he had done these things countless times. When his wife was hungry, he automatically went to cook.

Grandma Xie was somewhat relieved.

Her grandson’s trip to the countryside was not in vain after all. Other than that, her grandson was excellent, except for the fact that the family was too comfortable when he was young.

He didn’t have to do any chores apart from studying. Grandma Xie had been worried that her granddaughter-in-law wouldn’t be used to the housekeeper’s cooking, but she never expected her grandson could cook himself.

Xie Tingyu made his wife’s favorite sour and spicy shredded radish, and then cooked a bowl of light vegetable noodles. The lean meat was finely diced, paired with carrots, spinach, and lettuce, making it very nutritious.

Grandma Xie ate a bowl. The taste was good, but it was a bit too plain.

Xu Maofang took a bite and nearly spat it out.

It was so bland, as if no salt had been added. Eating it once or twice was fine, but if the whole family had to eat like the pregnant woman all the time, she wouldn’t be able to stand it.

If she didn’t understand her mother-in-law’s temperament, Xu Maofang would have suspected that the grandmother and grandson were deliberately elevating Ye Qingshui’s status to put her in her place.

This country daughter-in-law seemed more delicate than city folk. Sister Zhou’s daughter-in-law was eight months pregnant but still worked in the fields, didn’t she?

But Ye Qingshui finished the large bowl contentedly and even ate some fruit afterward.

Since the New Year had just passed, the military unit had many tasks accumulated, and Grandpa Xie was too busy to come home.

In the evening, Grandpa Xie did come to see his grandson and granddaughter-in-law. He rarely praised his grandson, saying, “Very good.”

“Don’t get complacent. You must work even harder after getting into Jing University.”

Xie Tingyu accepted the advice.

…

The next day, Xie Tingyu woke up as the sky was just faintly lighting up.

Since getting pregnant, it had been difficult for Ye Qingshui to wake up early as before; she was always terribly fatigued.

Xie Tingyu glanced at the clock. “Shui’er, we can’t be late.”

But he looked at his wife, who was sleeping soundly, and couldn’t bear to wake the pregnant woman up so early. After he finished washing up and made breakfast downstairs, he went upstairs to coax his wife out of bed.

As usual, Ye Qingshui hurriedly went to the toilet after waking up and suffered morning sickness for a while.

Xie Tingyu found clothes for her to wear, and Ye Qingshui started washing up only after the morning sickness passed.

Just as the refreshed Ye Qingshui was about to go downstairs, Xie Tingyu called out to her with a headache. “Wait, you can’t go like that.”

The cold winter wind in the north was like knives, easily chapping the skin.

He squeezed a dollop of cold cream into his palm, wrapped her hand in his large one, and gently rubbed it in.

Ye Qingshui took the cold cream from him and dabbed some on her face.

Xie Tingyu wrapped a scarf around his wife’s neck and kissed her. “Shui’er looks really beautiful today. After breakfast, we’ll take the bus to the university.”

When Xu Maofang woke up, Xie Dongmei had already come to visit the Xie home.

Xie Dongmei had now changed back to her original surname, Zhou Dongmei.

Zhou Dongmei held her mother’s hand. “Where is that country sister-in-law of mine?”

Xu Maofang went upstairs to look for her and then belatedly realized, “She might have gone to the university with your brother.”

Zhou Dongmei’s visit was in vain, and she was not in a good mood. Xu Maofang washed a plate of fruit for her daughter.

“Why is she, a pregnant country woman, going to the university to join in the excitement with my brother?”

Zhou Dongmei and Xu Maofang still believed that Ye Qingshui had followed her husband to the capital to rest during her pregnancy and had not been admitted to the university.

It was Grandma Xie’s oversight. She thought her grandson had sent a telegram home reporting the situation. Grandma Xie was also not a high-profile person who would necessarily show off in the compound that both her grandson and granddaughter-in-law were admitted to the capital’s university.

Xie Tingyu had indeed reported the situation, but the telegram he sent was addressed to his older brother, and Xie Tingjue hadn’t mentioned a word of it at home.

Xie Tingjue had concerns buried in his heart.

He wouldn’t mention Xie Tingyu’s affairs much at home.

How could Zhou Dongmei, who had already moved out of the Xie family, know that the country sister-in-law she looked down on in every way had actually been admitted to a university in the capital?

Zhou Dongmei came to the Xie family this time with the intention of making peace with her sister-in-law.

Zhou Dongmei was kicked out of the Xie family because of Ye Qingshui. The saying goes, “The one who tied the bell must untie it.” Zhou Dongmei needed Ye Qingshui’s help to return to the Xie family.

Every time Xu Maofang saw her pitiful daughter who had been sent back to live with the Zhou family, her heart ached.

Zhou Dongmei complained, “The Zhou family are really short-sighted. Those female cousins in the Zhou family are all acting like they’ve gone mad from poverty, even stealing clothes.”

Living back with the Zhou family was nowhere near as comfortable as living with the Xie family.

The Xie family had a proper household. Not only would the grandparents pay out of their own pockets to encourage their grandchildren’s hobbies, but even the taciturn stepfather would give Zhou Dongmei pocket money every month.

Zhou Dongmei used to have the surname Xie; she was part of the Xie family, and naturally, the elders would give her red envelopes during holidays. Now she was back with the Zhou family and had reverted to the surname Zhou.

Asking Grandpa and Grandma Xie to give her pocket money, essentially raising someone else’s daughter?

That was impossible.

Zhou Dongmei had lived a rich and comfortable life for more than ten years, and her pocket money suddenly vanished completely, drastically changing her daily life compared to before.

Zhou Dongmei took a bite of an apple. It was fragrant, crisp, and the juice splattered out. The Zhou family wouldn’t even splurge on fruit. Zhou Dongmei hadn’t eaten this kind of specially supplied five-star apple in a long time.

“Mom, you’re not going to stop helping me, are you?”

Xu Maofang gritted her teeth. “What are you talking about, child? I’m your mother; I will always be on your side.”

Zhou Dongmei thought for a moment and then said, “Hurry up and give my dad a big, fat son.”

“We’ll only have leverage if we have a child. If Ye Qingshui hadn’t gotten pregnant, would she have been able to come to the capital?”

…

Peking University.

Xie Tingyu took his wife to the department head’s office to complete the suspension of studies procedure.

After finishing the procedure, the math department teacher asked him to go to the office to collect his textbooks and complete the enrollment process.

Considering that running around in the cold weather could easily tire his wife, Xie Tingyu said, “Shui’er, wait for me here. I’ll be back to pick you up quickly once I’m done.”

Ye Qingshui nodded.

Ye Qingshui stood by the railing in the corridor, watching the man’s receding figure gradually disappear.

In the first year after the restoration of the college entrance examination, the ages of the enrolled students varied greatly. Because there were no age restrictions for the exam, the oldest students in this class could probably have children in junior high, but there were also young adults who had just turned of age.

For example, young students like Ye Qingshui were youthful and fresh-faced, full of vitality. Simply standing there, she was a beautiful sight on campus.

Students passing by couldn’t help but be brightened by the sight of the young girl.

She wore a dark red scarf and a black woolen coat. For convenience, Ye Qingshui had thinned her hair and no longer wore braids; her hair now flowed smoothly over her shoulders.

After arriving in the city, Ye Mama repeatedly instructed her daughter not to dress too “country” to avoid being mocked by the city students. Ye Qingshui had also started wearing new clothes.

Standing in the corridor for too long, Ye Qingshui’s feet felt a bit stiff. The wind was strong and blew the hairpin off her head and onto the ground.

Two male students walking toward her kindly picked up the hairpin for Ye Qingshui.

Ye Qingshui said, “Thank you.”

The male students smiled kindly and didn’t say anything else before turning to leave.

“She has the color of a lilac / She has the fragrance of a lilac…”

The male student swayed his head as he recited. When he finished, he asked the male student walking with him, “Pinghuai, she looks very much like your ‘Lilac Maiden,’ doesn’t she?”

Zhou Pinghuai didn’t answer.

The so-called “Lilac Maiden” was the object of Zhou Pinghuai’s inner admiration.

Zhou Pinghuai was the top scorer in the capital this year, gave the freshman speech as the representative at the opening ceremony, and was very popular with the girls because of his good looks.

A female comrade frequently expressed her affection for him. Zhou Pinghuai was so annoyed that he recited a poem in return, discussing how he only liked girls who were like lilacs.

His friend Zheng Xiaoguo nudged him again. “Stop pretending. I’ve never seen you so enthusiastic before, even picking up things for a female classmate.”

“You were the one who picked it up,” Zhou Pinghuai said.

Zheng Xiaoguo didn’t believe him. He regretted not racing Zhou Pinghuai for it.

Zhou Pinghuai had been about to bend down as well, but his friend was just quicker.

She had a head of black, smooth long hair, and her chin showed a gentle curve. Seen from the side, she possessed a sudden, soft beauty.

Zhou Pinghuai recalled the moment. A faint shadow of the woman finally took shape in his mind.

Zheng Xiaoguo said regretfully, “I think I forgot to ask that comrade her name.”

Zhou Pinghuai rarely smiled. “She should be from the Physics Department. She was standing outside the Physics Department office.”

“If fate allows, we will meet again.”

…

The incident of picking up the hairpin was a small interlude, and Ye Qingshui didn’t dwell on it.

Xie Tingyu returned quickly.

He rushed back, covered in sweat, grabbed his wife’s hand, and smiled brightly. “Shui’er, I’ll take you for a tour of the school.”

Ye Qingshui had toured Peking University in her past life, always passing through in a hurry, but this time the feeling was different.

This was her first time touring the campus as a Peking University student.

She breathed the cold air. “It’s wonderful to be able to study here without any worries.”

When Xie Tingyu heard this, he felt a pang of guilt. He said, “Shui’er will also be able to, in the future.”

Ye Qingshui tightened the scarf around the man’s neck and suddenly smiled. “Although I can’t enroll right away, you have to be ambitious and study hard for both of us.”

Xie Tingyu touched his wife’s belly and promised.

When the couple returned to the Xie house, Ye Qingshui was surprised to see someone waiting on the sofa.

She hadn’t expected Wen Zhihua to visit the Xie home the very next day.

When Wen Zhihua saw her daughter-in-law, the expression on her face was a little unnatural.

She pointed to the gifts she brought and said, “These are the wool yarn and fabric I bought for the baby. You can use them to make clothes.”

Ye Qingshui accepted the gifts and thanked her. She opened them to find the fabric and yarn were rare, good-quality materials, very soft and skin-friendly. Ye Qingshui had wanted such materials for a long time.

The baby would be born in five more months. The morning sickness in the first three months had been so grueling that Ye Qingshui hadn’t had time to make clothes.

For a family like Wen Zhihua’s, they certainly didn’t lack one or two pieces of clothing. But since it was for the baby, she would feel more at ease making them herself.

When Xie Tingyu saw the visitor, the smile disappeared from his lips. His expression was a little cold, but seeing that his wife really liked the gifts, he didn’t say anything.

Ye Qingshui enthusiastically gave her mother-in-law the local specialties she had deliberately brought from her hometown.

She said, “The persimmons in my hometown are especially sweet. I made a lot of persimmon jam with the winter ones. It’s delicious when mixed with hot water. Persimmons clear heat, moisten the lungs, and promote fluid production. I saw you coughing last year, so drinking more persimmon water will be beneficial.”

Wen Zhihua’s heart warmed.

Ye Qingshui then took out preserved pork and sausages.

Just as she was about to speak, Wen Zhihua interrupted her:

“I know. These preserved pork and sausages are very delicious.”

Not only did Grandma Xie miss the sausages and preserved pork Ye Qingshui made, but Wen Zhihua also liked them very much after trying them once last year.

Ye Qingshui was still worried that her mother-in-law would, like Xu Maofang, look down on these rural specialties.

She smiled and said, “Not only that, these were handmade by Tingyu.”

Wen Zhihua was genuinely surprised. “Tingyu can make these too?”

The expression on Xie Tingyu’s usually aloof face was a little awkward.

“Yes, he makes them very delicious…” Ye Qingshui recounted how Xie Tingyu made the sausages.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law chatted for the first time. Relying on the persimmon jam, preserved pork, sausages, shortbread, and steamed cake… they managed to avoid any awkward silence.

Wen Zhihua left satisfied, carrying the pile of local specialties.

Ye Qingshui sighed in relief. She had been worried that her mother-in-law would, like Xu Maofang, look down on these local goods.

She heard that her mother-in-law was the deputy director of a famous distillery in the capital. For Wen Zhihua to hold the position of deputy director at her age showed that she was quite capable.

The factory was originally a family inheritance, but it was preserved after being converted to a public-private partnership in the 1950s.

The man’s wealth was due to the ancestral property he inherited from his mother’s side of the family. Items like tobacco, alcohol, and sugar seemed inconspicuous but had surprisingly high profits.

Especially since the Chinese people loved to drink; even the poorest families would have a couple of drinks during holidays and celebrations.

Ye Qingshui shook her head and chuckled. “I was worried Mom would look down on these things just now. I didn’t expect her to take all of them back as soon as she heard you made them.”

Xie Tingyu said calmly, “Shui’er, you don’t need to feel inferior. Your recipe is good; even I like it. How could she not like it?”

Hearing this, Ye Qingshui didn’t say anything more.

This was an issue between mother and son; she shouldn’t try to make excuses for Xie Tingyu.

Ye Qingshui would forever remember the sight of Xie Tingyu burying his face in her neck and rarely shedding tears that one time.

A few days later, neighbors and relatives in the compound heard the news that the Xie family’s son and daughter-in-law had returned and began to visit.

The local specialties Ye Qingshui brought from the countryside were particularly popular.

Especially the relatives and friends who had been to the Xie family for the New Year’s Eve dinner last year. After eating one meal at the Xie house, they still wanted to take some home.

Xie Tingyu’s friend, Xu Wei, pleaded sincerely, “Sister-in-law, I’m not eating this myself. Your sister-in-law really wants some and keeps mentioning it. She’s due in two months. Please let me have some, for her sake.”

He successfully coaxed a pound of sausages from her, leaving two yuan and five jin of meat coupons.

Holding the money and coupons, Ye Qingshui saw a glimmer of hope for earning money.

She immediately went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy pork. The twenty jin of pork felt heavy to carry now, but Ye Qingshui was in a cheerful mood and didn’t feel tired from the work.

That very day, she stuffed twenty jin of sausages and hung them up in the courtyard to dry.

The next day, Grandma Xie saw the courtyard full of hanging sausages and just slapped her forehead, blaming her grandson for letting his wife do heavy work.

Xie Tingyu looked at his wife’s motivated figure and smiled. “Shui Ya is very happy, let her do it. The doctor said she needs to exercise appropriately, and I’m worried she’ll get bored sitting all day. I’m watching her, so don’t worry, Grandma…”

“She doesn’t even throw up when she smells meat now, does she?”

After the sausages were made, everyone in the compound knew the Xie family’s daughter-in-law had made a lot more.

Because the flavor was exceptionally good, rich, and unique, it made people miss it. Many neighbors secretly came to ask her for sausages.

After asking for someone’s sausages, it wouldn’t be right to take them empty-handed, would it?

In this way, within a week, all twenty jin of Ye Qingshui’s sausages were taken by relatives and neighbors, earning her twenty-five yuan and three mao.

She counted the warm banknotes, thinking: it’s so much easier to make money from the people in the capital.

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