Daily Life in the 70s-Chapter 104: Daily Life

Then she quickly wiped away her tears, fearing people might think her mother-in-law had scolded her.

"Mom, thank you, I’m fine."

"Good."

As expected, dinner was ready when she got home. Shen Yiyue and her sister had also gone back to school, but they would return for their mid-day and evening meals.

"Mom, why so early today?" Shen Yixiang asked. The Shen family usually ate dinner around seven.

Shen Yidong took a bite of preserved meat and chewed before she said, "All because of you grand dames, strutting around like lords, expect food right when you get back."

Shen Yixiang grinned and said, "Mom loves me best!"

Shen Yidong rolled her eyes and glanced at Yang PeiMin, speaking with her mouth full, "Don’t flatter yourself, you should thank me too, I helped cook."

Yang PeiMin smiled and said, "Thank you, Fourth Sister. We owe it to you all. Just be careful not to overwork yourself, you’re with child."

Shen Yidong nodded, pushed out her belly a bit, and said lightly, "As long as you know."

Shen Yiyue asked Yang PeiMin about her day at school, and everyone perked up to listen.

Yang PeiMin shared about her day’s work, "It was very nice; the children are adorable."

Hearing her speak so fondly, the elders in the family were much relieved.

Now that she had started her job, the local production team was also organizing work as spring planting season had arrived. Shen Erniu took up the role of a storekeeper for the team, mainly overseeing the storage and distribution of grain, not a physically demanding job, and he was quite happy with it. Chen Guizhi also went out to work, but only for half the usual time, at the request of Shen Yiguang, as after all, she was not young anymore and her health wasn’t great. They wanted her to rest and not work, as the family didn’t rely heavily on her work points, but she insisted on working because she couldn’t stand being inactive.

During the busy spring plowing and planting season, Shen Erniu was often out all day, sometimes even having meals sent to him in the fields. Chen Guizhi was very eager too, coming back home full of chatter and sharing the village gossip about which daughter-in-law had been scolded, which child was hard to manage, and the like. She seemed brighter and to have moved past the sorrow of her son leaving.

Seeing this, Yang PeiMin was able to put her worries at ease by half, but she was still concerned about their health. During the day, she and the twins were at school, leaving pregnant Shen Yidong at home with two young children. Yang PeiMin was worried she might not manage to look after Chen Guizhi if she had to work the whole day.

It was a possible concern; maybe because she hadn’t worked a full day, people were gossiping. They’d say her son has become successful and now she was enjoying the good life too, but who was she performing for by working just a half day?

At this time, working wasn’t a strict requirement; it was all tied to food production anyway. Those with higher work points obviously got more from the grain distribution, so if your household had plenty of grain and could afford not to work, there was no compulsion.

Even though Chen Guizhi didn’t complain of backaches anymore, Yang PeiMin still followed the traditional remedies she remembered, making a few cloth-wrapped herbal packs that relieved rheumatism and invigorated blood circulation. She sewed them into straps to be tied and worn like knee protectors.

Chen Guizhi, on the other hand, received massages from Yang PeiMin every night on her acupressure points.

"When I was young, my health wasn’t good, perhaps becoming a doctor from being ill for so long," explained Yang PeiMin. "I went to learn these techniques specially. You should try them, mother. We don’t have to ingest anything; so there’s no need to worry about harming our health with this. Let’s wait and see if there’s any improvement after some time."

Chen Guizhi was a bit embarrassed, her daughter-in-law asking her to lie on the Kang bed, massaging her back. She had only heard of such things and had never seen them before, not even having served Shen Yiguang’s grandmother in such a way.

She was very grateful. She had many daughters, who told her before that if her future daughters-in-law were difficult to get along with, it wouldn’t matter—she had her dear cotton-padded jackets, who would take turns visiting, always ensuring she lived a life envied and blessed by others, compensating for any lack of a connection with a daughter-in-law.

Now she could say that she didn’t need that, for her daughter-in-law was her little cotton-padded jacket too.

As the Kang bed was heated, it was cozily warm, and there was no need to worry about catching a cold.

Yang PeiMin asked her mother-in-law to take off her outer clothes, leaving just an inner layer, because the massage involved medicinal liquor, which didn’t smell pleasant. If it rubbed off on her clothes, they would be difficult to clean and stink.

Chen Guizhi’s chronic condition needed to be addressed gradually; it couldn’t be cured overnight. Massage and medicine application required persistence.

After a few days of treatment, Chen Guizhi excitedly said, "I feel much better. I couldn’t lift heavy objects or bend over to work for long periods before, but now I feel much better, and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to flare up. Daughter-in-law, your method really works!"

But Yang PeiMin picked up on two critical details, "Mother, have you been lifting things and bending over to work again?" fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

Chen Guizhi, somewhat sheepishly, waved her hand, "Not at all. Erniu’s wife is pregnant and couldn’t lift the fertilizer, so I just helped her out. It was very light, nothing heavy, and only for a moment."

Yang PeiMin could only remind her once more, "Mother, you must take care of your health. Only if you and father are well can Yiguang be at ease serving the country."

Chen Guizhi hurriedly agreed and then asked about her husband’s condition, "I wonder if it’s possible to massage my husband’s feet like that? Teach me, so I can do it for him. With the rainy season and frequent showers, I’m worried his foot condition will flare up again."

Yang PeiMin nodded. It wasn’t like the future times; daughters-in-law and fathers-in-law had to maintain propriety, typically avoiding being alone together in a room, and in some cases, not even eating at the same table, let alone giving massages that involve physical contact. That would be awkward and embarrassing even in future times.

Therefore, even though Yang PeiMin knew the techniques, she didn’t dare to speak up casually for fear of creating an awkward situation.

Since Chen Guizhi inquired, Yang PeiMin drew an acupoint chart for her, explained it, and used her own foot for demonstration. Such techniques might not substantially improve conditions like rheumatism, but they were better than nothing—at least they helped with circulation.

Shen Yidong walked in, saw the actions of the two, and couldn’t help but ask, "What’s this? Sister-in-law, what new trick are you up to?" She was skeptical about Yang PeiMin handling such things; after all, could a young girl really heal ailments?

Yang PeiMin just smiled.

Chen Guizhi could not wait to tell her, "Yidong, this technique is really good. I feel so warm and comfortable after each session, and my back feels much more limber. I also feel more energetic. Look at my complexion, doesn’t it look healthier? It’s just that I feel sorry for my daughter-in-law, who massages me every day without fail. She gets all sweaty even in this cold weather. Tonight, let Yixiang and the others boil a couple of extra eggs to nourish her."

Shen Yidong didn’t believe it and leaned in to observe the foot massage technique Yang PeiMin was teaching Chen Guizhi. No matter how she looked at it, it seemed like play-acting. She’s not a doctor, so how could she know this so clearly? "Mother, don’t tell me you’re just protecting your daughter-in-law’s face, unwilling to reveal the truth?"