Daily Life in the 70s

Shen Yidong had thought of getting Shen Yiguang to speak up, to find a legitimate reason to assertively separate her own family from her in-laws’. Her brother had risen through the ranks in the military over the years, and her parents-in-law now held him in higher regard. She had even overheard her father-in-law telling her mother-in-law to be less critical of her, advising her to respect her not just for the sake of their eldest son but also for Yidong’s brother. He was not only thinking of his grandson, asserting the need for support in the future in a household so burdened with adults, even though the He family didn’t have anyone serving in the military. Although her mother-in-law hadn’t fully heeded her husband’s advice, she had indeed cursed at Yidong a bit less. Yidong hadn’t noticed this initially because her mother-in-law’s demeanor was still hostile. However, upon reflection, she realized there was some restraint, which is why she now believed that if her brother went to speak with the family, he would surely succeed.

Yiguang disagreed, "I’ve just had a talk with your brother-in-law. He has younger siblings who aren’t yet married; that burden shouldn’t be passed onto elderly parents. As the eldest, he has to take on this responsibility; he can’t just look out for himself. I think he’s right."

Yidong’s eyes widened in desperation, "Ah Guang, why can’t you see it from your sister’s point of view? If I keep living like this, what kind of life would that be? Your three nieces wouldn’t even have enough to eat. You can’t just stand by and watch them go hungry! Don’t you know that old woman hoards all the good stuff for her grandson and youngest son? She holds the keys to the food storage, treating us daughters-in-law like potential thieves. I can only watch, unable to get my hands on anything. What am I supposed to do?"

"This matter, you need to discuss with your brother-in-law. Even if I go now and pressure them to separate, if your brother-in-law isn’t committed to you, it’s all in vain. The money he earns goes to his mother. Is this the separation you want to see?" Yiguang analyzed calmly.

Yidong considered this and frowned tightly, "Ah Guang, do you have any ideas? Your brother-in-law isn’t good at much else, except for being exceptionally skilled at mistreating his wife and children. He earns over twenty yuan a month, most of it goes to his mother, leaving us, mother and daughters, with only five yuan; that’s even less than what Yixiang gets for pocket money."

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. After laboring so hard to bear and raise his children, he turned around to support his nephew instead. The money given to the mother-in-law was essentially supplementing his younger brother’s family, and her daughters didn’t have a chance to taste anything good.

"Fourth Sister, how long have you stayed at your parental home?"

"What? Nearly half a year now, why?"

"And how many times have you been back? How long has it been since you last showed concern for your brother-in-law? How is he doing at work now? Is it hard? Has he encountered any problems?"

Upon hearing this, Yidong immediately exclaimed in complaint, "When have I not gone back? That old woman complained about a headache last time, didn’t I go back and take care of her for a few days? I even went back during the busy farming season to cook for the He family. You think I don’t want to care for your brother-in-law? But all he cares about are his parents. Since I haven’t borne him a son, he resents me greatly. I truly regret it; how could I have been so blind at the time, to have chosen someone like him..."