Chapter 16: Thoughts were very conservative in this era.

“Meimei…”

Seeing this, Ji Xuening reprimanded him.

Wang Yuqing didn't particularly like children, finding them mischievous and troublesome, and some even quite naughty. However, the little one in her arms melted her heart, and she said gently, "It's alright."

Grandma Ji quickly nudged Ji Xiaoming, who was holding a basin of water for washing his face, signaling him to call out as well.

Ji Xiaoming's voice was even louder: "Mom..."

Wang Yuqing replied with a sigh.

Ji Xiaoming pushed Ji Xuening aside. His arm, which was holding the water for washing his face, was aching. He said, "Mom, you wash your face and hands. We'll have stir-fried radish and cured meat later. My dad is a great cook."

Wang Yuqing put Ji Meimei down, bent down to wash her face and hands. The water was especially cool, and in this weather, it felt incredibly comfortable to wash her face.

Ji Xuening took out all the things Wang Yuqing had bought: "Grandma, these are the pens Yuqing bought for the children, as well as this soy sauce, vinegar, salt, and MSG. She bought all of these."

Just as Wang Yuqing expected, Grandma Ji was very satisfied with what she bought, overjoyed, and kept repeating, "Good, good, good, the child really knows how to manage money."

Ji Xiaoming happily jumped onto a rock with his pen in hand, then hugged the bamboo by the door and shouted, "I have a mom now! My mom even bought me a pen!"

He couldn't wait to grab his pen and go find his older brother, Ji Daming, who was still at work, and Ji Meimei followed him.

Wang Yuqing wrung out the handkerchief and was about to pour out the water when a pair of large hands took it from her, and Ji Xuening's voice rang in her ears: "Let me do it."

She was about to carry her things inside when Grandma Ji said, "Put them here and let Lao Si come. I can't see clearly. I haven't had time to tidy up your room or your bedding."

The Ji family home has four rooms: two on the left, two on the right, and the main room in the middle. The kitchen is built separately next to it, and a few dozen steps away is a simple thatched shed, which used to be where Ji Xuening lived.

Since the eldest son passed away, his sister-in-law returned to the city, the second son separated from his sister-in-law, and the third son got married, several rooms in the house have become available.

Previously, Grandma Ji and Grandpa Ji shared a room with Ji Xiaoming, and they also made a makeshift bed on the floor for Ji Daming to sleep on. The eldest son and his wife shared a room, the second son and his wife and their son shared a room, the third son shared a room, and Ji Xuening voluntarily lived in the thatched shed outside.

Now, Grandma Ji sleeps with Ji Meimei, Ji Daming and Ji Xiaoming share a room, Ji Xuening has a room, and there is one empty room.

After tidying up Wang Yuqing's room, Ji Xuening went to the kitchen with Grandma Ji to cook lunch.

Wang Yuqing looked around the room. The room was very small, with a plank bed covered with a lot of straw, then a thin cotton quilt, and then a mattress sheet and a quilt.

Grandma Ji said that these were things Ji Xuening brought back from the army when he retired. She had washed them all clean and usually kept them in the cabinet, reluctant to take them out to use.

Wang Yuqing could tell that this was the best and last set of bedding the Ji family had.

There was a small table by the bed, a low cabinet in front of the window, and all the other clutter was cleared out by Ji Xuening. Then a new stool was brought in.

The furniture is so little, it looks very simple, but it's clean. You should be able to get used to it. But, just like the Wang family, the rats are out and about in broad daylight.

Wang Yuqing took out her belongings and tidied them up. She sighed deeply. From now on, this would be her home, her room, and she would be living here with a family of strangers.

She was curious about the kitchen and couldn't help but run out. As soon as she reached the kitchen window, she heard Ji Xuening talking to Grandma Ji inside.

Ji Xuening was tending the fire, while Grandma Ji sat beside him peeling onions and garlic.

Ji Xuening had already told Grandma Ji the whole story. Grandma Ji said, "It is indeed a bit improper to bring him back like this. Logically speaking, we definitely shouldn't bring him back. There are still many etiquette procedures involved. But, since things have already gotten so complicated, I feel a little more at ease bringing him back. You don't need to listen to me nagging you every day. I was afraid that the Wang family would absolutely disagree. I didn't expect that this child would come back with you on his own."

"The four essentials, milk money, we have to give them what we promised."

"Don't worry, my old woman isn't that old-fashioned. I'm overjoyed that someone has come into our house."

"Besides, as long as you're doing well, that's all that matters. I'm not afraid of the villagers gossiping about me. Our family is poor, and your sister-in-law ran away. They've been gossiping about me for a long time, so I'm not afraid of them gossiping a little more."

“I’m afraid they’ll gossip about Yuqing, which will have a bad impact on her. In the future, she’ll definitely be pointed at and talked about when she goes out. This child is a sin. She’s not liked by her parents at home, and she has to live a poor life in our Ji family and be talked about. Remember, you must treat her well in the future. Nowadays, who has the courage to follow their husband’s family directly to their in-laws before marriage? And they don’t mind that our family is poor and that you have three children.”

“I think she’s a good girl and she likes children. She made the children call her ‘Mom’ as soon as she came in.”

Grandma Ji beamed with joy as she spoke of this.

Ji Xuening lit the fire and stood up: "Yes, I will."

Grandma Ji added, "You're always out working, and people laugh at you. Don't pay any attention to them. As long as you don't sleep in the same bed with Yuqing, it's not considered hooliganism. We're not afraid if someone reports you to the neighborhood committee. Besides, you two were already betrothed as children, so this matter is actually considered to be agreed upon by both sets of parents. You've even proposed marriage, so at most they'll gossip."

“It’s their business if they don’t accept it. We’ll live our own lives. You can’t let this bother you or make you look down on Yuqing.”

Ji Xuening started cutting the radish and replied, "Grandma, how could that be?"

Although he was clumsy with words, he was as clear-headed as a mirror and could distinguish right from wrong. In fact, even if he was scolded for this, it was his own fault and had nothing to do with Wang Yuqing.

Grandma Ji sighed and said, "If she gets scolded and feels uncomfortable, you have to put in more effort to be good to her. Her parents don't even want to come to our house. If you don't treat her well, she'll feel terrible... Although, her family members aren't good people either, they're really cruel to her."

"Um."

Ji Xuening nodded.

Wang Yuqing, standing outside the door, was deeply moved. She remembered that Grandma Ji was very kind, and now she truly felt that she was not only kind, but also very insightful, and her thinking was not as feudal and rigid as one would expect at her age.

She was in a hurry to leave the Wang family and overlooked the fact that people in this era were conservative in their thinking, had strong traditional customs, and the country emphasized the education of men and women on their sense of responsibility during marriage and love. Not to mention cohabitation, they didn't even dare to kiss or hold hands in public.

Fortunately, their problem wasn't serious. They weren't sleeping behind their parents' backs, nor were they pregnant out of wedlock. Plus, Grandma Ji was right; they had a childhood betrothal, their parents agreed, and the marriage proposal was made. Otherwise, they would have been drowned in gossip and probably paraded through the streets in punishment.

Grandma Ji thought and thought, then said worriedly, "I'm afraid she won't be able to handle it. There aren't many kind people in our brigade. If she regrets it, you should still send her back safely."

“I can handle it, and I’m not afraid of what people will say.”

Wang Yuqing walked into the kitchen with a smile on her face.

She wasn't afraid at all; it wouldn't hurt her. Her main strength was her strong mental fortitude and lack of concern. Besides, who could out-insult someone with such a vast modern vocabulary?