"Aunt Wang, I have my salary now, I can afford to buy a bicycle. Please take this money back, but I’ll keep the ticket."
"How much could you possibly have saved? You just graduated and are raising Yaoyao, and your job assignment only started a few months ago. Just take it. My only wish is for you two to live well. As for what to buy and how to spend it, you can discuss that between yourselves."
Aunt Wang firmly pushed the money back, then turned to Yaoyao with a warm smile. "Yaoyao, stay and chat with Grandma for a while. Let’s roast some sweet potatoes."
"Hurry up, or you’ll miss the office hours."
Aunt Wang’s tone shifted abruptly as she snapped at her son, who was standing there dumbfounded.
Wang Shuo didn’t even know how he made it out the door.
The cold wind snapped him out of his daze.
"Fang Fen, my mother agreed! She said we can register our marriage. Come on, let’s go—I’ve been carrying my household register with me all this time."
His feet felt like they were treading on cotton. Only when he held the marriage certificate in his hands did it finally feel real.
Meanwhile, Yaoyao had charmed all three grandmothers, making them beam with delight. She recited math problems, passages from books, and even performed a song.
Yang Yufen kept pulling candies from her pockets, and Aunt Liu stuffed Yaoyao’s pockets full of roasted peanuts.
"Grandma Yang’s sweet potatoes are the best! And Grandma Liu’s peanuts are even tastier than the ones sold on the street. You’re all so nice—I love visiting you! Without you, I’d never get to eat so many delicious things!"
"Such a sweet talker! With that clever mouth, she’s bound to go to university someday," Yang Yufen praised.
"Absolutely! My own grandkids are just a bunch of mud-covered monkeys, always running around and giving me headaches over their studies," Aunt Liu chimed in.
"If you love Grandma so much, why not stay the night with me?"
"I’d love to—you have so many tasty treats here! But I have school tomorrow."
"Let your Uncle Wang transfer you to a school nearby. Then Grandma can take you to and from school, and your mother won’t have to work so hard."
"Yes, yes!" Yaoyao nodded eagerly. The grandmothers here were so much nicer than the people in her mother’s dorm, who always said mean things.
"Yaoyao is such a good girl."
By the time Wang Shuo returned, carrying a chicken in one hand and a fish in the other, Yang Yufen had already gone back to cook for Qin Nian. Only Aunt Wang and Yaoyao remained in the house.
At some point, Yaoyao had taken off her shoes and snuggled up next to Aunt Wang in bed.
"I told you Mom would adore Yaoyao—she’s such a well-behaved child."
Fang Fen nodded, blinking back tears.
"Tomorrow’s Monday. How about we hold the wedding banquet on Sunday? On Saturday, I’ll help you move your things over. I’ll tidy up the house these next few days, and we’ll transfer Yaoyao to a school here."
Wang Shuo, seizing the moment, was already planning to buy wedding candies to hand out tomorrow.
"Isn’t this too rushed?" Fang Fen still hesitated.
"I feel like I’ve waited forever. If Mom’s health weren’t still recovering, I’d want to hold the banquet tomorrow."
Fang Fen met his gaze, then lowered her head slightly and nodded twice.
Yang Yufen was in high spirits. Qin Nian had mentioned working late these past few days, so after preparing a meal and delivering it to the research institute, Yang Yufen hopped on her tricycle and headed to the carpenter’s shop.
She picked out the wood panels she wanted—since she was making cabinets, bigger was always better than smaller.
"What are you working on this time, Sister Zhao?"
"Two cabinets. I’m here to see what kind of wood you have—preferably ready-cut panels."
"Over here. You know your materials. I just got a batch of walnut wood, already cut and sanded. It’s a bit pricier, but would you like to take a look?"
Yang Yufen nodded. They’d done business before and were familiar with each other.
She inspected the panels carefully. The wood was indeed high quality—lighter in color but with beautiful grain. Perfect for cabinets, sturdy and warp-resistant.
"Also, give me a bucket of clear varnish and a bucket of red paint. Cut the panels to these measurements and deliver them to the residential compound as soon as possible. And include the hinges."
Yang Yufen picked out each panel she liked, jotting down dimensions for the carpenter.
She wasn’t much of a reader, but for carpentry, knowing measurements was enough.
"Got it. I’ll deliver them first thing tomorrow."
Yang Yufen rode her tricycle home and took out her set of heirloom tools, carefully wrapped in coarse cloth for protection.
"Mom, this is a radio. Let me show you how to use it. You can listen to it at home."
As soon as Qin Nian got home, she pulled something out from her coat.
"You bought this for me? Back in the village, only the brigade office had a radio, and they’d play it over the loudspeaker for an hour every night from seven to eight. What a rare treasure! Daughters really are the best."
Yang Yufen accepted it happily, not refusing her daughter’s kindness.
"I’m glad you like it. I should’ve bought it sooner, but it slipped my mind. Let me teach you how to use it."
"Alright, alright."
The sound of opera soon filled the room. Under Qin Nian’s patient guidance, Yang Yufen quickly learned how to operate the radio.
As they settled into bed for the night, Yang Yufen remembered something she hadn’t yet mentioned.
"Aunt Wang’s son has asked me to be his godmother."
"Professor Wang? After all the help you’ve given their family?"
Qin Nian immediately thought of Shen Xianjun and unconsciously bit her lower lip.
"Yes. We’ll probably be attending his wedding banquet in a few days."
Yang Yufen abruptly changed the subject, leaving Qin Nian momentarily stunned. But then she thought it was good that her mother-in-law wasn’t dwelling on the past.
"That’s wonderful news."
"It is. I’m planning to make something as a wedding gift for him. It’s getting late—let’s sleep."
Yang Yufen closed her eyes, and Qin Nian quickly lay down as well.
Early the next morning, after seeing her daughter-in-law off to work, the carpenter arrived with the wood panels.
Yang Yufen signed for the delivery and took them straight to Aunt Wang’s house.
"You’re up already?"
"If I stayed in bed any longer, my whole body would ache. You work fast—where did you get all these panels?"
Aunt Wang was stunned at the sight of the cartload of wood.
"I’m making two wardrobes first. The room is spacious enough—I’ll build them against the wall, nice and big."
"How big are we talking?"
Aunt Wang knew Yang Yufen didn’t exaggerate, but this was beyond practical.
"Two-meter-wide, four-door wardrobes. The panels are ready—assembly won’t take long. It’s the varnishing that’ll need time."
The carpenter had brought his son along, and with Yang Yufen’s help, they quickly unloaded everything.
"Four-door wardrobes!" Aunt Wang gasped.
"You’ve practically given me half your son—of course I’d prepare something nice in return."
She’d already paid the carpenter the day before.
"Won’t they make the room feel cramped? What if we put them in the main hall instead? Young Fang’s wedding banquet is on Sunday—I meant to tell you."
"Plenty of space! We’ll have them ready by Sunday, just in time. With iron nails these days, building cabinets is much easier than before."
