CHAPTER 388: CHAPTER 388 HAPPINESS (FIVE MORE UPDATES)

Ge Sanni stepped inside and surveyed the house.

The house was big, just as Guo Caixia had said, with three rooms and a living area on the first floor connected to the kitchen. The yard wasn’t big, around seventy to eighty square meters, with a small flower bed built from stone along the left wall. It had climbing beans and cucumbers growing on it, and close by, various plants like green onions and garlic thrived, full of vitality. There was also a small pool for washing clothes and a set of stone tables and chairs. On the right side, the wall was covered with flowers—sunflowers, roses, Chinese roses, and several pots of small red and yellow flowers that bloomed brightly, whose names were unrecognizable. These vibrant flowers, much like those on the left side, were hung in pots along the wall, a truly beautiful sight.

Just from the tidy and pretty courtyard, it was clear the owner was a particularly thoughtful person.

Ge Sanni’s eyes dimmed, suddenly realizing her visit was overambitious.

She slowed down one or two steps before reaching the back, thinking it was better to appear inconspicuous.

Cheng Aihua, who didn’t have particular ideas, was the first to exclaim, "This yard is beautifully maintained."

Guo Caixia nodded, "The vegetables on this side were planted by Younger Sister Yingzi, and the flowers on that side were managed by Pei Min."

Zhu Qing glanced over and commented, "It’s not harmonious."

Knowing her personality, the others shook their heads and swiftly changed the topic.

Zhang Minghua and Yang Peiying came out to greet them, "Come in, come in."

The visitors wanted to go straight in to see Pei Min and the children without stopping for tea.

"Minmin is in the room, feeding the baby milk."

She instructed Yang Peiying to pour tea for everyone first.

The visitors took the chance to take a good look around the living room. There wasn’t much decoration in the living room: white walls, old-style furniture, likely left by the previous landlord. The most eye-catching item was the 20-inch color TV, which was broadcasting a show.

"This house even bought a television," Feng Erxi exclaimed.

Zhang Minghua laughed, "It’s all because of my extravagant daughter who complained about being bored and bought it."

After a little while, Yang Peimin called everyone into the room.

"You all came to see me; I’ve missed you so much. Come and see if I’ve gotten any fatter."

Yang Peimin’s warm call prompted laughter from everyone.

"We haven’t gotten fatter, but you, not having seen you for over a month, look entirely different."

"Let me see the baby, quickly."

"Hey, let me go in too. Pei Min, I’m telling you, if your baby doesn’t look like you, it would be such a waste."

Yang Peimin rolled her eyes, "Looking like his dad is also very handsome, okay?"

"You’ve got ’beauty’ written all over your eyes!"

Okay, Yang Peimin gave Jiang Miao a weak glance, this guy.

She just saw her son surrounded and stared at by a group of aunties, and she quickly said, "Don’t pinch his cheeks, I’m serious!"

"Alright, alright, got it."

"Peimin might not look like you, but he’s still quite cute. His eyes are all black and shiny, and he laughs when you tease him. He’s pretty fun."

"Hey, have you named him yet? What is it?"

Yang Peimin told them.

"That sounds quite nice."

"But Peimin, you’re a college student. You should pick a name with cultural depth and meaning; something like those in the ’Book of Songs’..."

"Stop, don’t forget, I’m a science student."

After doting on the kid for a while, the group then started to take care of Yang Peimin.

Yang Peimin, under Zhang Minghua’s strict orders, still couldn’t get out of bed. She was just wearing a loose long-sleeve nightgown, and fortunately, she had washed her hair with ginger water a few days ago when the baby turned one month old. Now she didn’t feel too uncomfortable, but at Zhang Minghua’s request, she wrapped a scarf around her head to avoid catching a draft from the fully opened windows...

She was sitting against the wall, her face rosy, her smile gentle, and her eyes radiating the happiness of a new mother. She looked so lovely that it was hard to take your eyes off her, and one could tell she had been well taken care of this past month.

Several people felt somewhat envious.

Guo Caixia sat by her bed, "I didn’t expect your mom to come too. She really cares about you."

The others agreed; when they entered earlier, they thought Zhang Minghua was Yang Peimin’s mother-in-law until they realized it was her own mother. They took a closer look and found that Yang Peimin did resemble her mother quite a bit. Usually, it’s the mother-in-law who takes care of the daughter-in-law during confinement, and it’s rare for the biological mother to come because some mothers-in-law might feel it’s losing face, which can lead to discontent.

Guo Caixia thought of her own mother, who was a very stubborn old lady. She believed that the mother coming to take care of the daughter-in-law showed a lack of trust in the in-laws. No matter how far or near her daughter married, she would never come to take care of her during confinement.

"Auntie came from the countryside, right? Why didn’t your mother-in-law come?"

"Yes, she came from our hometown. I had called previously and told her not to come, and she agreed readily, but to my surprise, she showed up looking all flustered right after I gave birth. My mother-in-law wanted to come, but she is not in good health, so we all advised her not to." Chen Guizhi had indeed wanted to come. When she found out that Yang Peimin had a son, she was overjoyed to the point of folly and started packing without even putting on her shoes. However, Shen Erniu stopped her, and it took some serious persuasion from her daughters to make her give up.

Ge Sanni’s interest was piqued upon hearing this and she stepped forward with a smile, "It’s better that your mother came. Mothers-in-law are not as caring as your own mom. They only care about their grandsons. How could they think of you too? But Peimin, your mother-in-law didn’t make any fuss about it, did she? She mustn’t be too happy, right? It seems that you aren’t as favored by your in-laws as it appears on the surface. Saying she’s in poor health is just an excuse, and your sister-in-law isn’t here either; the men are probably back in the military or busy with something; none in sight." Her grin broadened the more she thought.

Yang Peimin glanced at her, surprised that she came over at all, remembering how gloomy and hostile she had appeared when Yang Peimin had repaid her money.

However, when Ge Sanni had her child, Yang Peimin did join the crowd visiting her. She didn’t see any serious conflict between them that would turn into a feud, so she managed all the formalities, including giving a small red envelope for her child. Ge Sanni was indifferent, and Yang Peimin thought she wanted to keep their relationship strictly formal.

Yang Peimin then wondered if Ge Sanni might have another agenda. But it’s hard to strike someone who is smiling at you, and now that she had her son, she didn’t let anything disturb her mood. She looked at Ge Sanni with more tolerance and responded, "My mother-in-law was actually very happy to see my mom come. She’s just worried about me not going through confinement properly, affecting the next baby, and not taking good care of her grandson. She, unable to come herself, was really anxious. When she learned my mother was coming, she was as grateful as if she had seen a savior." Her playful tone easily infected those around with mirth.