Daily Life in the 70s-Chapter 160

Yang PeiMin had just finished hanging the laundry when Qiao Ying arrived at her door.

However, she was surprised not to see Wen Qing, although she didn’t pay much mind to it and invited Qiao Ying to sit down, offering some homegrown dried fruit and peanuts as snacks.

"Please sit, it’s a bit cramped here." freeωebnovēl.c૦m

Qiao Ying wasn’t bothered by it either, as everyone lived similarly.

But she did take a discreet glance around and indeed, as she thought, it was very clean and tidy.

The curtain hanging over the bed had been drawn back, revealing neatly folded quilts, and beside the wall was a small desk with a few books arranged neatly and a large, shiny, clean space, free for use. Other than that, and the table beside her, there were no other pieces of furniture, making it look simple, yet there wasn’t a speck of dust to be seen, even the floor felt crisp and fresh.

"Wen Qing had something to take care of and will be coming over later, so I came ahead to scout the place," she said, placing the canned goods she brought on the table. "It’s my first visit, and I didn’t bring much, but it’ll have to suffice for now."

Yang PeiMin shook her head, "Bringing things over seems so formal and distant."

Qiao Ying ignored her, "This is peach-flavored, really nice, you should like it. Alright, I don’t want to exchange pleasantries anymore, show me your makeup tools, and I need your advice on the issue that was bothering me before."

Qiao Ying seemed to have satisfied her craving that had built up over the previous days.

"The day after tomorrow is the performance, so I’ll talk to our troupe leader about it. Just to ensure they’re aware and we’re not negligent. With the chiefs watching from the front, we can’t take the backstage preparations lightly, nor can we freely come and go..."

Yang PeiMin knew the best thing was to decide on the makeup now and have a rehearsal, so there was time to rectify any mistakes.

When it came to this, Qiao Ying frowned at the thought of Wen Qing’s sudden change of plans.

"Do you have any plans for the next couple of days?" Qiao Ying asked.

Yang PeiMin had been there for three days now, and except for the day Shen Yiguang had taken leave to accompany her, he had been too busy to be seen. Apart from reading in her dorm and going to the canteen for meals, she seemed to have nothing else to do.

"Wen Qing wanted me to come with her, but her cousin visited her with some matters..."

"It’s okay, she can come over in the afternoon or tomorrow morning. Usually, there’s nothing much happening at that time, and I also want to see how the makeup looks on her, as everyone’s facial features are different."

"Sure, I’ll have her come during those times."

Having settled this matter, Qiao Ying also needed to get back to rehearsals.

Yang PeiMin packed up some dried fruits she had brought from home for her, "They’re not worth much, just something to snack on, don’t turn them down."

Qiao Ying laughed heartily, didn’t stand on ceremony, and took them with her as she left.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Cui was peering over curiously at their exchange.

She even brought her two grandsons forward towards Yang PeiMin, pushing them along, "Oh, Mrs. Shen has visitors at home."

Yang PeiMin smiled and nodded, as if she hadn’t seen the children picking their noses, and turned to go back to her dorm.

Although she did like children, she dared not mess with these two little imps.

At noon, Shen Yiguang came back, having gotten lunch for her in advance.

Yang PeiMin was delighted to see him, poured him a cup of water to cool, found him a shirt, and after he washed his hands and face, she handed it to him, "Why did you come back so early today?"

Yiguang took the uniform, with no intention of heading to the shower to change, and started unbuttoning right in front of her. He replied, "We do have a break for May Day, and mainly it’s about getting things planned out in advance for that day. As for our daily training, it’s not affected and continues as usual. The Political Commissar knows you’re here and wants us to visit him this afternoon. His wife is also looking forward to seeing you."

Before he even finished speaking, he had stripped off all his clothes.

It seemed he had gone for training today, too. Despite his dark skin, one could still make out the trails left by sweat.

Minmin arrived at this conclusion while setting out the meal, glancing over casually.

"Don’t you want to take a bath before eating?"

She glanced over again, and Yiguang, unfazed, opened up for her to see, even going as far as to demonstrate a "dragon raising its head" pose.

She was completely exasperated.

Minmin averted her gaze, feeling a blush rise on her face, "You filthy hooligan."

Yiguang laughed heartily but obediently went to take a shower.

While eating, Yiguang mentioned, "After we come back from the Political Commissar’s house, if we have time, I’ll take you for a walk around the military region’s compound."

Minmin nodded, "Sure, I’m just bored in the dormitory. Didn’t you say they are building a new dormitory block here? Take me to check how it’s coming along."

Yiguang glanced at her, warmth flowing through his eyes, "Of course, pick the one you like, and we’ll try to claim it."

A vision formed in Minmin’s mind immediately. She propped her chin, "I hope it has a balcony where I can grow flowers, sunbathe during my free time, have an extra room or two for a study, and most importantly, a private bathroom..."

Yiguang cleared his throat gently, setting her expectations, "Given my rank, we can get at most a one-bedroom apartment with a living room."

Minmin wasn’t disappointed, "That’s still great, much better than now. I’d be satisfied with just a private bathroom."

Forgive her, for having endured the embarrassment of partially exposed outdoor toilets and privies built with two wooden planks... Now, she had only this simple request remaining...

Yiguang watched her with amusement, "There was a time I finished a mission right on schedule and returned for the New Year. The old commander invited me to his house for a meal. His place was a standalone courtyard with a private bathroom. Even though it was inside the house, it was clean and tidy. I thought to myself, if possible, I’d like to have something similar for us in the future. It’d be especially safe for family members, and for the elderly at night, they wouldn’t have to go outside. I know they like to use chamber pots, but keeping those in the room always has a smell."

Listening, Minmin nodded continuously, her eyes bright as she looked at him.

"We can make one ourselves, when the time comes."

Minmin immediately chimed in, "And tile it."

Yiguang shook his head with a smile, "We can’t make it stand out too much."

Right, it was still military housing, after all; they couldn’t customize it completely without considering other effects.

After talking for a while, they finished their meal. Minmin washed her face anew, tied up her hair, and prepared to go out with him.

But Yiguang was still wearing a casual tank top, sitting on the edge of the bed, fixing a chair that had a broken leg.

"Are you going to finish that before we leave?"

Yiguang looked at her coming out of the bathroom, ready to head out, and was puzzled, "Minmin, it’s really hot outside right now. Let’s wait a bit."

Minmin sat opposite him, puffing her cheeks and looking at him. Why hadn’t he mentioned that earlier?

Yiguang couldn’t help but chuckle, "Minmin, it’s still lunchtime. Let’s just rest a bit more!"