Daily Life in the 70s-Chapter 132 The Truth

Chapter 132: The Revelation

The next day, He Dal, the fourth son-in-law of the Shen family, arrived upon receiving the letter.

It was Shen Erniu who had asked him to come and take Shen Yidong and her two daughters back.

"Seeing how your wife’s belly is getting bigger and bigger, she’s about to give birth. You know there’s no precedence for a married daughter to deliver at her mother’s home. I called you over today to take her back, so at least she can have some peace of mind," Shen Erniu had said to his son-in-law.

He Dal wasn’t tall, with slightly dark skin, but he had a square face (the standard of male beauty in those days), and his eyes and eyebrows hinted at shrewdness.

He softly agreed.

However, as Shen Yidong walked into the main house, she seemed somewhat reluctant.

On the other hand, her two children, upon seeing their father, showed delight, albeit timidly. They still took a couple of steps closer and called out "Daddy," gazing up at him without blinking.

A child’s growth cannot lack the love and companion of either parent. Even if a grandfather is good to them, he cannot replace the father’s place in their hearts.

Yang PeiMin couldn’t help but feel sorry for the two little sisters, He Fen and He Fang, to have such parents.

"Why have you come?" Shen Yidong raised her eyelids, not very enthusiastic and lacking the joy of a long-awaited reunion.

He Dal grinned, showing a set of white teeth, and glanced over at Chen Guizhi and her husband. "Dad and Mom sent me to pick you up; they also missed Xiao Fen and Xiao Fang," he said while beckoning his daughters, "Come over to Daddy, have you missed Daddy?"

The two girls walked over and nodded vigorously as they looked at him.

He Dal touched the tops of their heads and said, "Come back with Daddy to Grandma’s home, alright?"

This time, the girls didn’t dare to nod, looking somewhat stunned.

Shen Yixiang let out a cold laugh, "They wouldn’t dare to go back. Although they don’t get to eat fancy meals here all the time, they do have three square meals a day and their bellies are full. They can’t go back only to be scolded at your house for eating too much."

He Dal looked at the two elders on the kang and helplessly glanced at her, "What are you saying? Mom always talks about the three of you every day and night. Your father-in-law and mother-in-law are here, and by saying these things, you’ll only worry the old folks. Sometimes when my mom talks, she indeed can be easily misunderstood. That’s just her temperament, but her heart is really soft. Just say a few gentle words to her, and she’ll immediately start praising you with a smile."

Yang PeiMin was listening on the side, and it seemed like another drama was unfolding. She sat down, almost as if she was grabbing for sunflower seeds to watch the show. It looked like the fake image of happiness that Shen Yidong had boasted about in front of her was now revealing its true colors.

Hearing him downplay the situation like that, Shen Yidong felt her anger flare. She’d always been the type to let her temper explode rather than hold it in. Even if she ended up at a disadvantage because of it, she’d never learned to be more cautious.

"Bullshit! If she had even a shred of concern for her granddaughter in her heart, in her eyes and her heart, there are only her brother’s sons. Whatever tasty thing your sister brings over, she hides it and gives it to the grandson, and my daughter is left crying out of envy. Far from consoling her, she went ahead and slapped her. How cruel that is! Xiao Fen’s front tooth was almost knocked out."

"It was me who came out to fetch water and saw it all. How could I bear that? No matter how tough, that flesh came from my body. I couldn’t help but speak up, and your mom turned around and started cursing me, throwing all sorts of nasty words my way. Think about it? Words like ’useless hen that doesn’t lay eggs,’ ’evil-hearted,’ ’bad omen’ and so on, are these words children should hear? How am I supposed to face the kids after that?"

"I couldn’t take it anymore and snapped back a few words, and your mom charged at me, trying to hit me! How much does she wish I were dead? I’m pregnant, but she showed no concern for the safety of her grandson. Alright, she doesn’t care about this grandchild, but I, as a mother, can’t fail to protect him. I protected my stomach with one hand and tried to block her slaps with the other. Even so, the slaps on my arm burned like fire with pain, but I gritted my teeth and endured. But what about your mom?"

"She was relentless, trying to hit me again. In the scuffle, I accidentally pushed her, and she hit the corner of the table, injuring her waist. I didn’t want that to happen. But if it wasn’t for me blocking her, your son would have been reduced to a pool of blood by now. And now you all are blaming me for that accident, and your mom is even bringing up divorce. How can I not be angry?"

Shen Yidong said all this in one breath, with a hint of a ’screw it’ attitude. She was always someone who valued her pride and reputation, and she had deliberately chosen He Dal as her partner, despite her family’s objections, marrying him with firm resolve. Now to be scorned by her in-laws simply because she hadn’t given birth to a son, subjected to constant insinuations, and treated with favoritism.

These were things she dared not share with her family, especially in front of Shen Yiqiu, since Shen Yiqiu’s man had been the one her family had arranged for her to have a blind date with. Back then, she had looked down on him for being from the countryside with a ton of younger siblings to burden him, and for being as uninteresting as a block of wood with no skills and, to top it all off, a face like a butcher’s.

She had flat-out refused him, and when the marriage arrangements fell through, it was Shen Yiqiu who stepped up, accepting her parents’ arrangement to meet the An Family’s son as the two families had long agreed. The families were close, like friends, and they had waited an extra two years for Shen Yidong to finish her school. If she suddenly refused even the blind date, it would surely strain the relationship. Shen Yiqiu didn’t want to break her parents’ word, so she came forward.

During the time Shen Yiqiu went from her blind date to her marriage, Shen Yidong avoided it all, hiding at her aunt’s place as if afraid she’d be forced to marry the An family son.

He Dal was someone she had chosen herself, possessing a highly sought-after skill of haircutting in various villages and being a smooth talker. He looked handsome and gained compliments wherever he went. He didn’t need to work; the team even credited him with work points and the haircuts brought in extra income, making their life more comfortable than most. This was something she took pride in, feeling her judgment was superior, but that didn’t last, especially after she gave birth to two daughters.

She believed she was the brightest and deserved the best amongst the six Shen sisters. But the second year after Shen Yiqiu married into the He family, she was selected to move her household registration to the county, becoming a formal worker in the textile factory, earning a salary and living off commodity grain. That wasn’t all; she gave birth to three boys in a row, and her in-laws couldn’t be happier.

Shen Yiqiu was seen as lucky, able to work and bear children, efficient at both work and social situations, suddenly becoming the sister who lived the best life after marriage.

How could Shen Yidong accept this? She rigidly kept her dissatisfaction to herself, not wanting to become a laughing stock.

But now, she couldn’t care about that anymore, especially after feeling so comfortable at her family’s home. Her own brother had become an official, and she didn’t have to put up with that nonsense any longer.

The Shen family listened in stunned silence.