Chapter 58 : Accounting for Income

Only then did Su Xieqiu notice that Han Zhenyu’s tone seemed off.  

Thinking back to what she had said earlier, she realized it could easily be misunderstood.  

She couldn’t help but laugh but decided not to explain right away.  

After lighting the kerosene lamp, she picked up a long wooden stick and walked to the door, smiling. “I set up a lot of mousetraps nearby. I was worried you’d step on them, so I told you to stay put.”  

Han Zhenyu watched her skillfully collect the mousetraps from the ground, clearly indicating it wasn’t her first time setting them.  

His expression darkened as he asked sternly, “What’s going on? Has someone been harassing you at night?”  

Su Xieqiu strung the mousetraps onto the stick, counting them one by one. Once she was done, she stepped aside and said, “Come inside first. I’ll explain everything.”  

Han Zhenyu pushed his bicycle into the house.  

The small cabin, which had been nearly empty when he left, now had noticeably more items.  

The two large black jars in the corner were especially eye-catching.  

Despite its simplicity, the house was neat and well-organized. The dim glow of the kerosene lamp made the modest adobe home feel warm and cozy.  

A faint floral fragrance lingered in the air, the same scent that always clung to Su Xieqiu.  

Since entering, Han Zhenyu had felt uncomfortably hot, and the mosquito bites from earlier itched unbearably.  

His tall frame made the small room feel even more cramped.  

Su Xieqiu poured water from a wooden barrel into a basin and handed him a new towel. “Wash your face.”  

The towel, adorned with a white orchid pattern, had been purchased on her last trip to the supply and marketing cooperative using a ration ticket Han Zhenyu left behind.  

His old, tattered towel had been repurposed as a cleaning rag.  

Although Su Xieqiu had several brand-new towels in her personal stash, some disposable and others high-quality, she didn’t dare use them, fearing others might question where they came from.  

Han Zhenyu looked at the new towel, then at his hands stained with mosquito blood. He hesitated before saying, “I’ll just rinse my face. No need for a towel.”  

Su Xieqiu, familiar with men’s rough habits, didn’t press him. She placed the towel on a stool and said, “Tell me, what’s going on?”  

After rinsing his face and dumping the dirty water, Han Zhenyu immediately asked about the mousetraps.  

Su Xieqiu didn’t hold back. She recounted everything that had happened in his absence, including her confrontations with Sun Dabishi and Zhang Quezi.  

“Damn it! They’re asking for trouble!” Han Zhenyu’s face turned livid with anger. Normally calm and composed, he couldn’t contain his frustration and even swore.  

“Close the door. I’m heading out,” he said, heading toward the exit.  

Su Xieqiu quickly stopped him. “Let’s deal with it tomorrow. It’s too late now, and causing a scene wouldn’t be good.”  

“I’ll handle it. Don’t worry,” Han Zhenyu replied, gently pulling her hand away as he continued toward the door.  

“Wait, hear me out,” Su Xieqiu said softly. “Today is Sun Dabishi and Cao Min’s wedding day. If you confront him now, it could lead to misunderstandings.”  

She coughed lightly and added, “Besides, it’s not right to ruin someone else’s big day. We can’t stoop to such unethical behavior.”  

In truth, Su Xieqiu had her own motives. If Han Zhenyu interrupted Sun Dabishi tonight, it would prevent him from entering the bridal chamber, exactly what Cao Min wanted.  

She had worked hard to orchestrate their marriage and couldn’t let Cao Min take advantage of the situation now.  

Han Zhenyu took a deep breath and calmed himself, though his expression remained grim. “Where are Zhang Quezi and the educated youth named Sun?” he asked.  

Thinking of those two, Su Xieqiu’s mood brightened. With a smile, she said, “The incident caused such a stir that the villagers started gossiping. Sun Yuexian ended up marrying Zhang Quezi just three days after falling into the water.”  

Han Zhenyu fell silent for a moment, then nodded. “I see.”  

He picked up two wooden barrels from the side and said, “You go to bed. I’ll fetch some water.”

Su Xieqiu looked at him in exasperation, thinking, ‘Why are you fetching water in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?’  

But then she remembered there was only a small bed in the room, and the two of them couldn’t possibly share it.  

Still, letting him wander around the school at this hour wasn’t a good idea either, he might end up scaring Teacher Wei and his wife.  

Last time, when she imitated the eerie laugh of a ghost in the middle of the night, it had scared Teacher Wei’s wife so badly that she couldn’t sleep for days.  

Glancing at the four stools by the table, she pushed them together and smiled. “You’ve just returned, so don’t wear yourself out. Lie down here for a while and rest. You can fetch water when it’s daylight.”  

Han Zhenyu had originally intended to fetch water to take a bath, as the sticky discomfort from the night’s events was unbearable. But with no suitable place nearby, he decided he could endure until dawn and wash at the river.  

Seeing this, Su Xieqiu thoughtfully laid a quilt over the stools to make them a bit more comfortable.  

However, considering that Han Zhenyu was over 1.8 meters tall, while the makeshift bed of stools was just over a meter long, it was clear he wouldn’t fit.  

She hesitated, then offered, “Why don’t you take the bed? I’m smaller and can manage here.”  

“No, you go to bed,” Han Zhenyu replied firmly, closing the door behind him. He sat on the quilt-covered stools, leaning forward to nap on the table.  

Seeing his insistence, Su Xieqiu reluctantly climbed into bed.  

Han Zhenyu waited until she seemed to be asleep before turning off the kerosene lamp.  

The room was so small that the makeshift stool bed was right next to the actual bed. They could hear each other’s breathing and both knew the other wasn’t asleep.  

Su Xieqiu wanted to bring up the progress on the house but hadn’t decided how to start. Before she could speak, Han Zhenyu broke the silence in the dark.  

“When I returned from my business trip this afternoon, the director mentioned my regularization. I should be able to transfer my household registration to the factory in the next few days.”  

“That’s great. Being a regular worker is much better than being a temp. With the benefits and subsidies of urban residency, your income should double,” Su Xieqiu replied.  

She had meant to praise his ability, but his response made her pause. It sounded as though he thought she cared only about his salary and benefits.  

Before she could clarify, Han Zhenyu continued, explaining his earnings in detail.  

“I currently make 22 yuan a month and get 28 kilograms of food coupons. Once I’m regularized, my salary will go up to 40 yuan a month with 38 kilograms of food coupons. There are also other coupons and benefits. It should be enough for both of us.”  

He deliberately omitted mentioning his extra earnings from trading goods, as it didn’t seem necessary to bring up yet.  

Su Xieqiu felt embarrassed. She had never thought about relying on someone else to support her. Quickly, she smiled and explained, “Once the house is built, I’ll earn work points. I can plant some vegetables on my private plot, that should cover what I need.”  

Though she had plenty of food stored away in her space, she understood that if she didn’t work for a few days, the villagers might start gossiping about her still receiving her share of rations.  

“You don’t have to earn work points. I can support you,” Han Zhenyu said calmly. “We don’t need the extra rations. If you want to plant crops, go ahead. If not, you can buy vegetables from people you’re friendly with. If anyone starts gossiping, just say you have a headache and can’t work.”  

His voice was steady, but his words deeply moved Su Xieqiu.  

She stared at the dark roof above her and smiled silently.  

‘This man is truly wonderful,’ she thought. ‘If he keeps treating me like this, I might really fall for him.’  

They continued talking about what had happened in their time apart, but Su Xieqiu’s responses grew slower and softer.  

Eventually, Han Zhenyu heard her even breathing and realized she had fallen asleep.  

He stood up, stretching his stiff body, and gazed at her sleeping form on the bed.  

His heart skipped a beat.  

Finally, he understood why he had been so eager to come back.  

Because here, in this little room, was someone he truly cared about.