My wife and I are both time travelers.

Chapter 95 Self-Reliance
"Is Xiaoying back?"

As soon as I entered, I heard Fang Manxia's voice asking me something from upstairs.

"It's me, I'm back!"

Lin Ying called out to the upstairs door, waved to her two younger sisters standing at the door to let them come in first, and then closed the door.

"Why are you back so late today?" Fang Manxia came out of the house and asked casually, but she was stunned when she saw Pandi and Niandi standing at the door.

"Grandma, this is Pandi, and this is Niandi. They are my sisters. They ran away from home because of some trouble back home. I happened to run into them on the street today. They have nowhere to go for the time being, so I..."

Lin Ying quickly explained. Fang Manxia's gaze lingered on Pandi and Niandi for a moment. Pandi stood there obediently with her head slightly lowered, while Niandi looked up at Fang Manxia with a curious expression. The two girls were not very old, dressed in tattered clothes, and their faces were dirty, but their appearances looked somewhat similar to Lin Ying's.

"you come up."

Fang Manxia said this casually, then turned and went back to her room.

Lin Ying felt a little uneasy. She whispered to Pan Di and Nian Di, telling them to stand still and wait for her. After saying that, Lin Ying went straight upstairs.

Upon arriving at Fang Manxia's room, Fang Manxia was already sitting in her usual chair, her face calm and expressionless.

When Lin Ying came in, she pointed to the chair next to her and said, "Sit down!"

Lin Ying closed the door and sat down. Just as she was about to explain, Fang Manxia asked first.

"Are these two your sisters?"

"Yes, Pandi is the third sister, and Niandi is the fourth sister."

"Dear?"

"Dear!"

"How many brothers and sisters do you have?"

"There are seven of us, including myself. There's an older sister named Lai Di, I'm the second oldest, then there's Pan Di and Nian Di, then Dai Di and Zai Di, and the youngest is my brother." Fang Manxia had never asked about these things before, and this was the first time Lin Ying had mentioned them.

"Six sisters, six golden flowers!" Fang Manxia couldn't help but smile, but she asked curiously, "All of you sisters have the character 'di' in your names, why don't you?"

"Me too," Lin Ying said shyly. "My original name was Lin Zhaodi, but I disliked the name and changed it myself. That's how I got my current name."

"No wonder! I was wondering why there wasn't a Zhaodi among you sisters. Turns out you're Zhaodi!" Hearing this explanation, Fang Manxia couldn't help but laugh, which relieved Lin Ying's anxiety considerably.

"How did they get here?" Fang Manxia asked casually, but Lin Ying dared not be careless in answering this question. She had to explain to Fang Manxia how Pandi and Niandi got here, otherwise it would be bad if the old lady misunderstood.

Immediately, Lin Ying told Fang Manxia in detail how her living father planned to marry Pandi to Niu Lao Er, who had lost his wife, for a dowry of fifty yuan. She also explained that Pandi and Niandi had run away from their arranged marriages because of this.

Lin Ying also recounted their experiences on the way here, including how they lost their address in Shanghai and ended up homeless, almost becoming beggars. If it weren't for the chance encounter on the street today, Lin Ying didn't know what else these two girls would have faced, or how they would have survived in Shanghai.

Pandi and Niandi are both girls. Don't think that society is now free of bad people and no one will pick up lost items. No matter what era, the dark side always exists. Besides, they were taught a harsh lesson by reality on the train.

The two girls were desperate in a foreign land, and it was fortunate that Lin Ying happened to meet them today. If they had been out of luck for a while, and had encountered some bad people with ulterior motives, it was unimaginable what would have happened to Pandi and Niandi.

“I’m their only family in Shanghai. I can’t just stand by and do nothing, can I?”

Lin Ying assured Fang Manxia, ​​"Grandma, don't worry. It's too late today, and things happened so suddenly that I really couldn't settle them down. I could only bring them back first. Tomorrow I'll go out and look for a place. Once I find a place, I'll arrange for them to move out. They definitely won't stay here any longer."

Fang Manxia gave Lin Ying a deep look and asked in return, "What are your plans for them next?"

"What else can I do...?" Lin Ying said with a bitter smile, "It's definitely unrealistic to send them back. Going back would be like entering a fire pit. My father wanted to marry me off to an old cripple because of a dowry of twenty yuan. If it weren't for Jiye, my life would have been ruined by him."

“In my family, women were either tools for bearing children or for working, or bargaining chips to help him get a dowry. In his eyes, only his son was his treasure, and everyone else was just merchandise.”

“This kind of family is not worth staying in, and I will never let Pandi and Niandi go back. I also do not plan to tell my family about our situation in Shanghai. To be honest, since I married Jiye, I have not had any contact with my family. Jiye’s elders know about these things, but I have never told them about our situation in Shanghai.”

Taking a deep breath, Lin Ying said earnestly, "Now that they're here, as their older sister, I certainly won't just stand by and do nothing. Shanghai is such a big city, there are opportunities everywhere. As long as they work hard, it won't be difficult for them to settle down and make a living here. I think we should settle them in first, and then in a few days I'll find them some work so they can support themselves. Wasn't it the same when we came here? With me taking care of them, and with their own hands and feet, they certainly won't be worse off than they were back home."

Hearing Lin Ying say this, Fang Manxia turned to ask Lin Ying about the past when she was going to marry Zheng the Cripple. Lin Ying did not hide anything from her and told her about what happened back then.

After listening, Fang Manxia's eyes showed admiration. She did not expect that Lin Ying had experienced such a thing. It was really amazing that a weak woman could save herself in such a situation and even succeed!

No wonder Lin Ying and Zhou Jiye, two young people from rural Northwest China, dared to travel thousands of miles to Shanghai to make their way in the world in this day and age. No one else would have had the courage to do that. Now, Fang Manxia understands why Lin Ying and Zhou Jiye made such a decision.

However, Fang Manxia was unaware that Lin Ying and Zhou Jiye's souls came from the future, and she was even less aware of what Shanghai meant to Lin Ying. But even without knowing these things, it didn't prevent her, as a woman, from admiring Lin Ying's decisiveness and choices.

"You don't need to look for a house. Isn't there an empty room downstairs? Just tidy it up, add a bed, and let your two younger sisters stay here."

"Grandma..." Lin Ying was stunned. Was she hallucinating? Did Fang Manxia just say those words?

"What? Can't this old woman explain it clearly?" Fang Manxia asked Lin Ying with a smile.

"I...but..." Lin Ying was at a loss for words. Wasn't Fang Manxia always someone who disliked being disturbed by outsiders? Why did she suddenly make this decision today? It was truly a surprise to her.

"You," Fang Manxia sighed, "You don't think I'm some heartless old-fashioned woman, do you? Since they are your own sisters, blood is thicker than water, how can you just sit idly by? Since you're already here, just stay here for now, and it'll save you the trouble of moving around."

Lin Ying felt warm inside from Fang Manxia's words and excitedly stood up to thank her. Seeing her like this, Fang Manxia waved her hand and asked, "By the way, have your two younger sisters been to school?"

“In small places, conditions are limited, and their families don’t allow it. They only attended primary school for two years and learned a few characters. After that, they never went to school again, but I taught them some more at home.”

Fang Manxia thought for a moment and said, "Xiao Zhou has been away these days, and you're busy with work every day. Pandi and Niandi just arrived, and you don't have much time to take care of them. It just so happens that this old woman of mine doesn't have much to do usually, so how about letting them stay home and keep me company for a while?"

"Is this appropriate?" Lin Ying was surprised by such a good thing and hesitated at the same time.

“It’s suitable, what’s not suitable?” Fang Manxia pointed to a few books she usually reads and said, “I’m usually bored when you’re not home, and it’s hard to find someone to chat with. It’s perfect. These two little girls don’t seem stupid. They can keep me company and I can teach them some things. Do you, as their older sister, agree to this arrangement?”

"Yes! Of course I do!"

Lin Ying agreed without hesitation. She understood what Fang Manxia meant; she clearly wanted to teach Pandi and Niandi personally. She couldn't be happier to accept such a good thing, so how could Lin Ying refuse?
Moreover, Lin Ying already knew that Fang Manxia not only came from an extraordinary background, but was also a graduate of St. John's University and had even worked as a university teacher for a period of time.

Over these days of interaction, Lin Ying became even more impressed by Fang Manxia's elegant temperament, charm, and knowledge. Having such a rare teacher to instruct her two younger sisters was a blessing they could only dream of.

As for how to thank Fang Manxia for her kindness, Lin Ying neither asked nor said, but she would remember it deeply in her heart. Moreover, knowing Fang Manxia's temperament, Lin Ying also knew that Fang Manxia didn't really care about these things, but Lin Ying wouldn't forget and would find a way to repay her in the future.

Now that the matter was settled, Fang Manxia decided not to keep Lin Ying any longer and told her to go downstairs and settle her two younger sisters as soon as possible.

We can talk about other things tomorrow. Pandi and Niandi are probably feeling uneasy since they've just arrived in a strange place. Let them fill their stomachs, take a shower, and get a good night's sleep first.

Lin Ying thanked Fang Manxia again and left her room with great gratitude.

After Lin Ying left, Fang Manxia watched her disappearing figure through the door, and could faintly hear Lin Ying's light footsteps going downstairs. Her smile deepened.

"Women should be independent..."

(End of this chapter)