Chapter 75: Little Temper

Ningcheng, six o’clock in the morning.

Shen Sangyu let out a long sigh of relief after leaving the train station. After such a long journey, she felt the air was much fresher outside.

However, the thought of taking a six-hour bus ride followed by three hours of walking along mountain roads made Shen Sangyu’s lips turn pale.

“Let’s go buy some gifts to take home first,” she suggested, not mentioning the difficulties ahead and instead actively leading Wen Qingchuan to shop for gifts.

After all, she hadn’t been home in many years, and even if it was just for appearances, she needed to act decently.

She had brought a lot of tickets and a thousand yuan this time.

After purchasing some nice gifts at the supply and marketing cooperative, she planned to head to the bus station.

“Wait.”

Just as Shen Sangyu was about to leave, Wen Qingchuan suddenly spoke to the clerk of the supply and marketing cooperative,

“Give me another can of malted milk, and weigh some of your best chocolate and biscuits.”

After that, Wen Qingchuan turned to Shen Sangyu and explained, “You may not be used to the food at home, so I’m buying some snacks to take back.

There are many people in the village, and some children might not understand these treats.

When they see food, they’ll ask you for it, so you can share some and save the rest for yourself.”

Shen Sangyu had heard before that Wen Qingchuan’s hometown was Honglian Village, now called Honglian Brigade.

It was a large village with about 70 or 80 households, lively on most days.

However, it was located in a mountainous area with inconvenient transportation and limited news.

Although this trip was for Wen Qingchuan’s younger brother Wen Chao’s wedding, she felt she needed to present herself well as Wen Qingchuan’s new daughter-in-law.

Sometimes, Shen Sangyu thought, it was important to save face. If she lost her temper, it could put both her and Wen Qingchuan in a difficult situation.

After all, she would only go back once. Shen Sangyu nodded and said, “Don’t worry, I will try my best to endure it when the time comes.”

Wen Qingchuan lowered his head, looking at Shen Sangyu’s slightly plump cheeks, and laughed softly,

“I’m just one step away from breaking the window paper with my family. If someone at home bullies you, feel free to retaliate.

Don’t worry about my feelings.”

His young wife was so considerate, always thinking of him.

As they spoke, a bus arrived in front of them.

The bus was almost full, but Wen Qingchuan still managed to find a seat for Shen Sangyu.

Shen Sangyu didn’t hesitate to take the seat. The smell in the bus was not much better than on the train, and the environment was even worse.

A faint smell of gasoline filled the air, and there was an old lady carrying chickens and ducks. All kinds of strange odors made Shen Sangyu’s eyes water.

Since Shen Sangyu got on the bus, many passengers had been looking at her and Wen Qingchuan.

Wen Qingchuan was wearing the clothes Shen Sangyu had bought for him a few days ago, all in black.

Standing on the bus, he was tall enough that his head nearly touched the roof.

Even though Shen Sangyu was dressed simply, her beauty stood out in her white top among the sea of gray short-sleeved shirts.

Noticing the stares, Wen Qingchuan slightly turned sideways to block their view.

The bus moved slowly, and the driver frequently stopped along the way.

Shen Sangyu leaned against the window and opened it, letting in the wind, which helped clear her head.

As soon as she got off the bus, Shen Sangyu hugged a big tree and vomited, her face pale.

Wen Qingchuan hurriedly put down their luggage and filled a cup with warm water from a nearby station. After rinsing her mouth, Shen Sangyu felt a bit better.

Wen Qingchuan expected his wife to complain, but after recovering, Shen Sangyu surprisingly said, “Were you also this tired when you first left the city, Mom?”

Twenty hours on the train and six hours on the bus were undeniably torturous.

Wen Qingchuan, at seventeen or eighteen years old at the time, had endured much more than this. How did he manage to support himself?

Shen Sangyu felt a wave of distress for him.

Wen Qingchuan was momentarily dazed, recalling the events from ten years ago.

“I worked in Ningcheng for three months, but then the project failed, and the boss ran away.

So, I went to Sijiucheng. Most of my money was sent back to my family, and I had no funds left for a train ticket, so I had to evade the fare,” he explained.

Shen Sangyu, despite her discomfort, slowly raised her head to listen.

Wen Qingchuan smiled, noticing the concern in Shen Sangyu’s eyes, and hesitated before reaching out to wipe the water stains from the corners of her mouth.

“I didn’t think much of it back then; I didn’t feel bitter. I just wanted to make more money,” he continued, reflecting on his mindset a decade ago.

Though he seemed calm now, he had realized that some parents simply didn’t love their children like his own.

At that time, he wanted to go home, but his mother, Li Shuhua, had written to him, telling him he couldn’t return because the family was poor and needed him to be their mainstay.

Back then, he earned only twelve yuan a month, yet had to send ten yuan home.

It wasn’t until he moved to the old city and became a soldier, climbing step by step, that he discovered a broader world.

Gradually, he stopped going home and sending all his money to his family.

While it may have been hard, he could reflect on it all with a peaceful mind today.

Wen Qingchuan’s voice was soft, and the things he shared felt trivial. When he finished speaking, he glanced at Shen Sangyu and saw her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Wen Qingchuan had never been one to comfort anyone and felt somewhat lost looking at her.

Shen Sangyu didn’t cry, but her heart ached. Glancing at the gifts on the ground, she said angrily, “I won’t give them the malted milk!”

Wen Qingchuan stifled a laugh and replied, “Then you can keep it for yourself.”

Shen Sangyu contemplated and nodded, “Let’s drink it together!”

The couple decided happily.

In order to reach home before dark, they didn’t rest long at the station and continued their journey.

Along the way, Wen Qingchuan carried most of the luggage and gifts while Shen Sangyu only held her snacks. Despite her fatigue, she remained silent.

The three-hour trek was challenging due to the rough terrain. It was the rice harvest season, and even though it had only rained lightly the day before, the ground was muddy, making it easy to get stuck.

Fortunately, they finally reached Honglian Village before dark.

Shen Sangyu sat on a stone pile at the village gate, exclaiming, “I can’t walk anymore; I need to rest.”

Wen Qingchuan readily agreed and set down their belongings.

It was dinner time, and many villagers were out for a stroll.

When they saw the two newcomers at the village gate, they instinctively approached to investigate, quickly recognizing Wen Qingchuan.

“Qingchuan, why are you back!” one elder exclaimed.

“Hey! And this little girl…”

Wen Qingchuan called out to Uncle Liu and introduced, “This is my wife, Shen Sangyu.”