Chapter 38: Washed Clean of All Makeup

The fourth day.

Xu Qingji's clothes were finished.

Yang Qing took Chen Hong to the bathhouse for a wash, then changed into new clothes and shoes.

After her bath, Chen Hong's complexion became much rosier, and after these days of recuperation, she had also filled out a bit.

He found his wife very pretty, with a melon-seed face, a slightly pointed chin, plus her slender build and straight, long legs—she practically belonged to future aesthetics.

Nowadays, people prefer round and jade-like features; Chen Hong's appearance counts as sharp-mouthed and monkey-cheeked, considered an unfavorable physiognomy, and she's too tall, which overwhelms men and is inauspicious.

But this completely captured Yang Qing's heart.

She's a goddess, yet here she is despised.

Chen Hong was also sizing up Yang Qing.

Although Yang Qing was frail, his eyes were bright and spirited, with double eyelids and large eyes, his face square (like Tang Seng's); standing straight, he was over 1.7 meters tall, which in this era was above average.

Not bad, not bad; this young gentleman, I'm satisfied.

The two looked at each other, and a blush slowly crept up their faces.

"Annoying, what are you looking at? Haven't you seen anything before?"

Yang Qing nodded seriously.

"Yeah, I've never seen someone this beautiful."

The blush climbed up Chen Hong's neck and continued downward, who knows how far.

"Just tease me; no one has ever praised my beauty."

Yang Qing took her hand.

"You are beautiful, beautiful beyond words; if you don't believe me, listen to my heart."

"Thump-thump, it keeps jumping."

Chen Hong happily gripped his hand.

"This might be what they call 'beauty in the lover's eye'; I also think you're great."

Yang Qing said happily.

"That's wonderful; we have mutual affection."

"I still thought I wouldn't find love in this lifetime; having searched high and low, when I turned around, there you were right before my eyes."

Chen Hong cooed.

"That means you didn't take a liking to me from the start."

Yang Qing laughed.

"That's not right; not only when we first met, but throughout this time."

"What I look like every day, what you look like every day."

"With disheveled hair and dirty face, how could one see their true appearance?"

"Now we have washed away all makeup, revealing our true selves, so we understand that you are you and I am I."

Chen Hong also swept away the gloom in her heart at this moment.

"What you say is quite literary."

"That's right; I've been self-studying."

The two, joking and playing, returned to the Siheyuan; just as they reached the gate, someone from the post office came looking for them.

"Excuse me, is this South Gong and Drum Lane No. 95?"

Yang Qing nodded.

"Yes, comrade, what do you need?"

The visitor smiled and said.

"Good, there's a telegram that Comrade Chen Hong needs to receive."

Upon hearing this, Chen Hong hurriedly said.

"Is the telegram from Henan?"

"Yes, how do you know?"

Yang Qing explained to him.

"This is Chen Hong; the telegram was sent from her home."

The visitor nodded.

"Ah, no wonder; since it's you, please come receive it quickly."

Yang Qing and the two followed the staff member to the post office.

Signed, paid, and received the telegram.

Upon opening it, there were only five characters.

"All are well, do not worry, joy."

Chen Hong's tears immediately spilled out.

"Mom and younger brother are both here, both here, Yang Qing is also here."

Yang Qing patted her.

"That's good, that's good; hurry up and send money to our mom."

"Don't you still have two catties of national grain coupons? Send those too."

"It's there, but things are probably not easy either, exactly the time when old harvest is exhausted and new not yet in."

"Right, right, right; hurry and send the money; with this 50, they should manage a bit better."

Yang Qing felt a little guilty; having married such a fine young lady, giving only 50 might be too stingy.

It's not a small amount anymore; now is not later, now we don't haggle over the bride price—even a few coins will do to get married.

Putting up fifty myself already counts as being a big household.

Thinking about it this way, he felt relieved.

Chen Hong hurriedly filled out the registered letter.

Yang Qing glanced at the stamp; it was a goldfish stamp, which in the future would be worth ten thousand per piece.

Now it's worth eight fen, and that's still the price of the registered letter.

Yang Qing also had no idea of collecting stamps; by the time it became valuable, he would already be in his forties or fifties.

It would be better to buy more before the stamp craze hits.

He's still living off his savings, doing nothing.

In the letter, Chen Hong left the Jiedao office's phone number; once the recipient gets the letter, they can call back.

You say you have no money? Just giving fifty is enough to make a phone call.

Returning to the Siheyuan again, Chen Hong's mood improved even more.

And the elders sunbathing in the Siheyuan also widened their eyes.

They asked in disbelief.

"Are you Yang Qing and Chen Hong?"

Yang Qing smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, we went to take a bath and got our hair done."

(The bathhouse offers haircuts; that's just how it is in the north.)

"Didn't Yi Da Ma say we should get a whole new set of clothes? We made one."

Yi Da Ma had a black line across her forehead: "I was just trying to trip you up; who knew you could still get cloth coupons."

San Da Ma was the most sensitive and blurted out.

"Where did you get those cloth coupons from?"

Yang Qing said matter-of-factly.

"I've been saving these years."

Everyone was speechless; they never expected Yang Qing to live like that and still have saved the cloth coupons.

After saying goodbye to the elders, the couple returned to the courtyard and began to take apart the clothes.

Perhaps because of the new clothes, Chen Hong suddenly couldn't bear the old clothes and quilt.

With a series of ripping sounds, she tore the clothes and quilt apart cleanly.

Under the midday sun, the two didn't even have time to eat.

Upon reaching the pond, they just washed up.

For a moment, Chen Hong stood in for Qin Huairu, becoming a diligent daughter-in-law.

Qin Huairu watched from the side and started chatting.

"Chen Hong, we have a sewing machine at our place; when you sew clothes, you can come to our house."

Faced with Qin Huairu's proactive kindness, Chen Hong accepted it.

"Then thank you, sister-in-law."

"Sister-in-law, have you been feeling unwell these days? Why haven't I seen you around?"

Qin Huairu could say, "Don't the people in the compound want to avoid her these days?"

This is still being angry at the Jia family.

Can she still come out and cause trouble?

"It's not that she's feeling a bit unwell and therefore hasn't come out."

Chen Hong expressed concern.

"Your health is important; if you have something to say, just speak up."

"Even though we've had a falling out with your mother-in-law, you are you, and your mother-in-law is your mother-in-law."

Qin Huairu flashed a charming smile.

"Then thank you."

"I don't have much else going on; I'm just worried about Bang Geng."

"He doesn't study well, he's mischievous and causes trouble."

"I can barely keep him under control."

Yang Qing asked curiously.

"What's wrong? Did he cause trouble again?"

Qin Huairu sighed.

"As soon as he goes to school, he fights with the other kids."

"He's done it several times already, and the school has called the parents."

Yang Qing said in surprise.

"It couldn't be because of the fish-stealing incident, could it?"

Qin Huairu nodded.

"It's exactly because of the fish-stealing; I've beaten him several times, but I just can't rein him in."

Yang Qing could actually understand that.

"I think the problem isn't with Bang Geng himself; maybe the other kids called him a thief, isolated him, so he lashed out."

"For this problem, you should go find the teacher to resolve it."

Children have short memories; with a little guidance from the teacher, they will gradually forget.

Bang Geng is in second grade now; he can still change. If his education is poor, once he enters society there will be no teacher to help him.

Qin Huairu revealed a hopeful look.

Do you have a way?

Yang Qing said solemnly.

The key is still your mother-in-law; Bang Geng is being raised by her—he learns the bad, not the good. Don't let Bang Geng fail to learn Jia Zhangshi's cleverness, only to pick up her laziness and theft, her plundering.

You think, if a man is as lazy as Jia Zhangshi, can he still have a future?

Men and women are fundamentally different; at worst, a woman can just find someone to marry.

If a man learns these things, broadly speaking he'll commit crimes and go to jail; narrowly speaking he'll be lazy, incapable, unable to find a wife, become a good-for-nothing, and sponge off his parents.

If you two think you can support a good-for-nothing and tolerate him going down a crooked, evil path, committing crimes and going to jail, then go ahead.

The neighboring aunties were all stunned.

Damn, this is giving Jia Zhangshi eye drops— and it's done openly and aboveboard.

The key is that every word they say makes sense; it even directly hits the vital point.

Second Aunt added a sentence.

The offspring of rats know how to dig holes.

At this, Qin Huairu could no longer sit still.

No, that won't do; Bang Geng is the top beam pillar of our Jia family.

If he goes astray, what are we to do?