The 70s Novel: The Supporting Character Just Wants to Lie Down-Chapter 128: Why Isn’t a Room Reserved After Marriage?
On the last Saturday of September, Yang Zhigang went straight to the factory, driving all the way to the employee dormitory.
Wang Miaomiao noticed that the factory dormitory was separated from the factory itself by a tall wall with an electric fence on top.
The dormitory was a separate area with rows of red brick houses, neat and orderly, with a total of ten buildings.
Yang Zhigang stopped the car, pointing to the one in front and the one next to it, "These two buildings have large rooms. Let’s go... it’s on the second floor."
Wang Miaomiao looked at the box Wang Jia Bao was holding and asked in confusion, "Is it that good? Taking it back and forth to and from school, don’t you find it troublesome?" Inside the box was that tank he cherished so much. But no matter how much he liked it, wasn’t this too much...
"What do you know? This time I’ll leave it at home and collect it." He had shown it off enough and would keep it for himself to admire.
Wang Miaomiao thought for a while, jokingly suggesting, "If you like it so much, why not make one yourself?"
Wang Jia Bao was taken aback, but Liu Jianmin next to him raised a doubt first, "How would we make it? We don’t have any shells..." Liu Jianmin also liked the tank; he had been envious these days.
Right? What to do without shells?
They had reached the door, and Wang Miaomiao stopped talking, taking the lead and entering the room.
"You’re back, come in and sit down." Wang Pandi invited everyone to sit and served sweet soup, "Jian Min, Jiandang, have a bowl of sweet soup." After this year’s New Year visit to Second Uncle’s house, the relationship between the two families became closer.
Before, Wang Jia Bao used to come back every week, but now he often goes to Second Uncle’s house to hang out with Jian Min and Jiandang.
This time, Liu Yulan moved to a new house and specially brought Jianbang back to get familiar with it. Liu Jianbang started first grade this year, and his grades were average, not as good as his brother Jian Min, which worried Wen Jing.
Having Jian Min teach him wasn’t effective; he played too much, and perhaps they were too familiar, so it was all noise and chaos, to no avail.
Wen Jing thought of asking Wang Miaomiao to tutor, but feared she couldn’t handle it, so she didn’t say anything in the end.
After all, Wang Miaomiao was already tutoring Jian Min and Jia Bao, and her time was limited. After accounting for travel, meals, sleeping, and play, only Sunday morning was left for serious study.
After finishing a bowl of sweet rice dumpling soup, Wang Miaomiao stretched comfortably, "Sis, which room is ours?"
"The one on the far left." Wang Pandi pointed it out to her.
Wang Miaomiao eagerly walked over, opened the door, and in the approximately twelve-square-meter small room, there was a single bed, a wardrobe, and a desk. Simple and straightforward, it was actually quite nice for one person.
Moreover, what surprised her most was that there was an electric light in the room. Excitedly, she found the switch line and tried pulling it.
"Click..." The bulb lit up, though it seemed dim, perhaps because she was used to various bright lights in her past life.
"Click..." She turned it off, then tried the switch a few times, cautiously, fearing she might break the line. She was a bit thrilled; anyway, having electric light in the new room was already great, no need for candles at night.
But...
"Sis, why is there only one bed in the room? How are the two of us supposed to sleep?" It was fine for one person, but for two, a 1.2-meter bed would be cramped.
"It’s your room; I won’t sleep here." A touch of blush appeared on Wang Pandi’s cheeks as she glanced shyly at Yang Zhigang.
Yang Zhigang grinned, showing all his white teeth, and explained, "Your sister’s getting married to me soon; why leave her a bed? It’s unnecessary."
Wang Miaomiao felt uncomfortable inside, wondering why getting married meant no need for a bed at her parents’ house. Says who? She couldn’t agree.
If there were a fight in the future and she wanted to stay at her parents’, only to find no bed, how disappointing...
Once married, is her parents’ home no longer her home?
No wonder 21st-century women who can afford it buy their own places. Many girls think it’s vital to have a room of their own for security. Even a small place is an independent refuge.
When both the husband’s and parents’ homes are unreliable, what should a woman do? Owning your own space is your greatest support and reliance.
Of course, back then, people didn’t have this concept. Different eras focus on different things.
"Then what about tonight?" Wang Miaomiao walked to the next room and peeked inside. The door was open, and like her room, the three boys were already inside, roughhousing.
"My house is right next door, and it’s all set up, so your sister and Jia Bao Jian Min can stay there." Yang Zhigang had it all arranged.
Wang Miaomiao sighed, unwilling and pressing further, "What about you?"
"Me?" Yang Zhigang looked at Wang Pandi, smiling a bit suggestively, "I’ll just have to go back home by myself. I’d love to stay, but unfortunately..." His unfinished sentence left much to the imagination.
Wang Pandi, feeling his gaze, blushed deeply. The thought of sleeping over next door sent her heart racing like a deer.
She had already visited; the large room had a big bed, a sturdy cotton-padded mattress. In all her life, she never slept on a big bed, only creaky little wooden planks joined together.
Watching the lovey-dovey pair, Wang Miaomiao felt stifled with resentment. Her sister was utterly captivated by him, lost and bewildered; this wouldn’t do. Suddenly, she wanted to be the stick that broke the lovebirds apart.
"It’s easy enough to stay," Wang Miaomiao asserted, arms crossed, leaning on the doorframe, eyeing them with a semi-smile and a wicked glint.
"Huh?" Yang Zhigang’s mind was buzzing, heart pounding. Before he even completed the scenario in his head, her next words chilled him to the core.
"Easy, send the three of them to your house, take them with you." Wang Miaomiao spread her hands out, pointing to either room, smirking, "Sis, we each get a room; take your pick."
"Cough... well... that wouldn’t be right..." Yang Zhigang protested weakly...
"I think it’s great, and I’m sure mom and dad would agree." Wang Miaomiao stated firmly, "My sister isn’t married to you yet; even if it’s just next door, staying over without you isn’t okay. Being seen isn’t good; encountering someone unaware, who knows how they’d talk."
"Sis, it’s not worth the risk." Wang Miaomiao asserted, "If worse comes to worst, we can squeeze together; it’s not like we haven’t before, right?"
After saying this, she paused, glanced meaningfully at Yang Zhigang, and then winked at Wang Pandi, smiling, "Besides, I want to have a good heart-to-heart with you tonight..."
