Chapter 367: Chapter 367: Dreams

Yang Peimin then asked, “Do you know this neighbor? How come I’ve never heard you mention him before?”

“Not really familiar, just see each other around. Sometimes when I go out to buy groceries, I bump into him like that.”

Shen Yixiang also asked from the side, “Have I seen this person before?”

“Yeah, it was the guy who helped us clear the drain by our door a couple of days ago. My sister didn’t see him; it was raining at noon that day, and she was at school. We were at home, and the rainwater had flooded into our yard. Brother Qu happened to pass by, noticed the clogged drain, and kindly alerted us. Later, he even helped clear it,” Yang Peiying explained to Shen Yixiang.

Shen Yixiang nodded in realization, “I remember now. There was such a person. He works at that leather factory and is quite the talker. He said that neighbors should help each other out, and it’s just right because everyone has their inconvenient times. He even said that if we have any troubles, we should go find him.”

“That’s it? No other interaction? I’m just wondering, with so many people in our complex, why would he come to us to borrow soy sauce? After all, we’ve only moved in a few days ago, and he should be closer with the people from the other complex,” Yang Peimin said slowly.

Shen Yixiang also nodded in agreement, “Right, I’ve only seen him once and only exchanged a few casual words, like thanks and the like. Nothing more. Yingzi, have you had any other encounters? My brother often tells me that it never hurts to be cautious when you’re out and about. While there are many good people in the world, it doesn’t mean there are no bad ones. Besides, the bad ones won’t have ‘bad person’ written on their foreheads.”

Yang Peiying also nodded in agreement, “I understand. I won’t talk to him much, but after all, he did help us.”

“Well, we did lend him some soy sauce this time, so let’s not ask for it back.”

Yang Peimin couldn’t help but laugh, “Even if he were a bad person, he wouldn’t be so brazen. Let’s ask Lin Shuangmei about his family situation and how he usually conducts himself. If there’s no problem, the usual greetings are fine, as long as we don’t get too close. After all, we’re both unmarried; other people might gossip. If there’s a problem, we’ll talk to your brother-in-law when he gets back.”

After finishing that topic, Yang Peimin then started discussing with Shen Yixiang the matter of helping Guo Caixia sew buttons on clothes. Shen Yixiang agreed immediately, “Who wouldn’t do it? As long as we can trust them, why let outsiders benefit.”

Listening to the conversation, Yang Peiying also seemed interested, “Can I do it too? I can find some time to spare and help out the factory without charging a fee.” In her subconscious, she considered the factory partly hers, so helping out was like helping her own family, which didn’t require payment.

Shen Yixiang immediately called her silly, “Why wouldn’t you take payment for your labor? You’re really straightforward. Sister Liu would be overjoyed.”

However, Yang Peimin said, “Yingzi, when do you have the time? If you’re not doing housework, you’re making clothes, knitting, keeping accounts, and learning to read. I remember you said you were doing this for our nephew. Have you finished it yet?”

During the New Year, they had just returned to T city when their eldest brother’s wife, Jiang Erni, gave birth to a son. They had received a telegram from their hometown about the birth right after they came back.

First, Yang Peiying had made a set of clothes and sent them back. Now, considering the time, her nephew must be almost three months old. Thinking the weather was getting warmer, she planned to make some lighter clothes for him. She mentioned that her sister-in-law had been very kind to her at home, helping her with work, so now that she had some free time and pocket money, she wanted to buy some fabric to make a couple of outfits for her little nephew.

In the end, Yang Peimin didn’t let her help with the sewing, “When you’re free, it’s better for you to focus on making pastries and snacks. You have a talent for it, and you enjoy it. Who knows, maybe you could even open your own shop and be the boss.”

Shen Yixiang clapped her hands in support, “That’s a great idea. If you can’t open a shop, you could still work as a chef in a restaurant. They pay like thirty or forty yuan, which is quite good.”

Yang Peiying’s eyes lit up, but she also looked a bit nervous, “Can I really do it?”

“Of course you can.”

Shen Yixiang patted her shoulder, “Don’t be scared, Yingzi. You’re not alone. I’ll work hard with you. I want to open my own clothing store and be my own boss.”

Yang PeiMin smiled and nodded. “That’s right, it’s good to have ambition. If you have a dream, you should start working toward it.”

“Sister-in-law, what’s your dream then?”

“Just like you all, to open a cosmetics store and be our own bosses.”

“Ha-ha-ha, that’s a great dream.”

Yang PeiYing watched their confident expressions and nodded silently to herself.

After dinner, a bunch of neighborhood children poured in, clamoring to come watch television.

Yang PeiMin and Shen Yixiang were taken aback.

Coming out to open the door, Yang PeiYing said with some confusion, “At noon, Shuang Mei came over, and we watched for a while. Then some kids came over too…”

Yang Peimin rubbed her forehead. In this era with so few entertainment options, television really had a big draw for people, especially kids who couldn’t resist the temptation. But with only a few young women at home, it wasn’t very convenient to have the children and their parents inside. They were noisy and unruly, and she really didn’t want her home to become a movie theater.

Lin Shuangmei came in, carrying her little brother. “I thought you all would have finished eating by now and the TV drama should be starting.”

Shen Yixiang said, “Sorry, there’s some problem with the TV today. You should try watching at another house.”

Lin Shuangmei was surprised and looked at Yang PeiYing; she remembered watching TV just that afternoon.

Yang PeiYing guiltily lowered her head, and Lin Shuangmei couldn’t immediately tell whether Shen Yixiang was being truthful.

But the children were more direct than she was. One shouted, “Turn it on, let me see if it’s really broken. If it is, I’ll get my dad to come fix it for you. My dad is awesome, he can fix anything!”

Shen Yixiang glared at the little boy who spoke, waving her off. “Go on, go back home. No TV today.”

Lin Shuangmei, seeing her reaction, understood what she meant.

Yang PeiMin pulled back Shen Yixiang, who was rudely shooing away the children, and said to Lin Shuangmei, “Sorry about that. I’ve got a bit of a headache today, and my sister didn’t want to bother me.” Then she turned to Yingzi and said, “Go grab some candy, give each kid a handful, and tell them to go home early to sleep. It’s late, and their parents are sure to be worried. If you kids want to watch TV, you can come over if we’re free during the day.”

Although the children were reluctant, they had no choice—it was someone else’s home, after all. But when they saw the colorful candies, they were instantly soothed. Not watching TV didn’t seem so bad since they were getting candy. So, they all happily went home.

Lin Shuangmei also took the opportunity to say goodbye.

Yang PeiYing walked her to the gate.

In a low voice, Lin Shuangmei said to her, “I’m sorry, Yingzi. I didn’t know your sisters didn’t like it.”

Yang PeiYing waved her hands quickly. “No, no, it’s not that. I just didn’t consider everything. My sister is pregnant and can’t stand the noise.”