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Chapter 416: Chapter 406: Even Dogs Live Better Than Them
"Exactly, Auntie has never seen it, so just take a look. When I first moved upstairs, I wasn’t even as lucky as my aunt." Shen Yunfang washed a few apples and placed them on the table, then grabbed some sunflower seeds, peanuts, candies, and such, arranging them on a plate.
"Oh dear, you shouldn’t bother with these; leave them for the kids to eat." Auntie Shen quickly demurred as Shen Yunfang busied herself, insisting that such precious treats shouldn’t be eaten casually when it wasn’t a special occasion. "Hey, where are the kids? Let them eat." At home, these treats were reserved for the kids to indulge their cravings. Adults hardly ever got to savor them so freely.
"Auntie, don’t worry about them; they’re in their room reading books. You enjoy yours," Shen Yunfang hurriedly persuaded her, having already sent the children off to look at picture books as soon as they got home. Besides, her children didn’t really like sweets much.
"Ah, that won’t do, these are the kids’ favorites, they should have them," Auntie Shen insisted, selecting two pieces of candy from the plate and heading into the room, "Pangpang, come here, grandma has candy for you." She saw both children sitting on the bed reading and handed both candies to Pangpang. In her mind, the old preference for boys over girls still prevailed, although her daughter was an exception.
Pangpang looked at the stranger in front of him, somewhat bewildered. His mother had said he should call this person grandma. He really wanted to refuse the candy because his mother had told him that eating too much candy could make all your teeth fall out, so he seldom ate candy. But his mother also said it was rude to refuse gifts from someone to their face, so he was unsure what to do.
"Mommy..." His only option was to seek help from his mother.
"Oh, there’s no need to look at your mom; this is from your grandma, she definitely wants you to eat it," Auntie Shen thought Shen Yunfang was being too strict, assuming that’s why the child was hesitant to take it.
Shen Yunfang, understanding her darling well, knew what Pangpang meant and said with a smile, "Since it’s from grandma, then just hold on to it and play nicely with your sister. Mommy will be outside talking with grandma and grandpa." She went over and slipped the candy into his pocket, then patted his little bottom and whispered in his ear, "Keep an eye on your sister and don’t let her eat the candy, okay?" Manman at home was the one who liked candy, and Shen Yunfang was wary of her ruining her teeth, so she kept it under control.
"Auntie, please help yourself, don’t mind them, come on, let’s go outside and chat," said Shen Yunfang, guiding Auntie Shen to the living room.
"Yunfang, kids nowadays are treasured, don’t be too strict with them," Auntie Shen counseled her in return. "By the way, is it just you ladies living in such a big house, is Hongjun okay with that?"
Auntie Shen had noticed when she entered the room that the conditions here were better than in the courtyard house. Although there was more space there, the rooms were empty and cold, requiring a fire to heat. In contrast, here it was warm as soon as you entered, thanks to the central heating, something Yunfang had mentioned, although Auntie Shen didn’t quite understand it. She was aware that here there was no need for lighting a fire to stay warm, and that the kitchen and toilet were available within the house, sparing the long walk just to relieve oneself. Staying here would certainly be more convenient than in the courtyard house.
She had an inkling of an idea, so she inquired indirectly.
"What’s there for him not to be at ease about? Back at our hometown, I also lived alone with the children, and besides, he’s in the Capital now and can come home every weekend," explained Shen Yunfang.
"That’s not the same, our hometown isn’t as crowded as the Capital. If a bad person were to show up, with Hongjun only coming home on weekends, the day lilies would be cold by then. Our hometown is better; everyone knows each other, and with neighbors close by, there’s always someone to help out in case something happens." Auntie Shen’s words were loaded with implication.
"Let’s not talk about us for now. You’ve come all this way to your own home, no need to stay in the guesthouse. Later, I’ll accompany you to the guesthouse to pack up, and you can come stay at our place for a few days," Shen Yunfang didn’t like to hear Auntie Shen talk like that—what did she mean ’day lilies would be cold’? Wasn’t that cursing her and her children?
"No need, your Auntie and I just wanted to see you, and now that we have, we will go back in a couple days." Uncle Shen didn’t want to trouble his niece, and besides, sitting there for just a while made him feel restrained. He dared not touch anything or move around; he found it more comfortable staying at the guesthouse.
But Auntie Shen didn’t see it that way. She was happy to save the money spent on hotel bills. You must know that this trip almost cleaned out her daughter’s savings—she had to save wherever possible.
"Oh dear, you old man, Yunfang is just trying to show her respect for you, and here you are getting all finicky. Besides, it’s been such a long time since I’ve seen Yunfang. We need to have a good chat, don’t we?" Auntie Shen said, pulling Yunfang’s hand as she spoke.
Uncle Shen, hearing his wife speak like this, understood her intent and didn’t make any more objections, which was as good as agreeing.
And so, the matter was settled. With children at home and not being familiar with the surroundings, after finishing their water, Auntie Shen decided to stay home to watch the kids, while Uncle Shen and Yunfang went to the guesthouse to collect their luggage.
After going around to move the luggage back, Yunfang made sleeping arrangements for the elders in the study, moving the dog bed to her own room.
Taxue usually had a room to itself, but now that there were visitors, it had to make space.
"Your home is really something— even the dog lives indoors," Auntie Shen commented jokingly as she saw Yunfang moving out the dog bed.
"Taxue can’t sleep outside either. It’s not like back home with a yard and all. Out here, once you step out the door, it’s public space. If Taxue was to sleep out in the hallway, we’d definitely have someone knocking on our door the next day. So Taxue has to make do inside with us."
"Isn’t that just how it is in the city—everything’s better, even the dogs live better than we do back home," Auntie Shen exclaimed. 𝚗ov𝚙𝚞𝚋.c𝚘m
Yunfang just smiled and said nothing. It all depended on how one saw things. To Yunfang, Taxue was a member of the family, and having it live in the house was a given. She also didn’t think living in the city was necessarily better than back home. While it was more convenient, the city had its own disadvantages. It was crowded with people and houses everywhere, unlike the beautiful countryside, where living amongst nature could add years to one’s life. So, depending on the phase of life one is in, needs and perspectives differ, and one can’t generalize.
"Auntie, the bed is made. Does it look okay to you?" Yunfang stood up straight.
"It’s fine, it’s fine. Your uncle and I just need a place to make do," Auntie Shen cheerfully said, eyeing the 1.35-meter wide bed in front of her, quite satisfied. It looked soft and comfortable— a far cry from the hard brick bed back home.
After settling the elders in, Yunfang got to work in the kitchen. With guests at home, she had to prepare a good meal to welcome them.
Auntie Shen also followed into the kitchen to help, but she had never used a gas cylinder before, so she could only lend a hand with the simpler tasks. Still, their intermittent conversations allowed her to inquire into nearly everything she wanted to know.
