Chapter 25: Only Knows How to Care Deeply

“This is my personal savings,” Han Shiguo said, looking at her.

He had been sending a portion of his salary back home. Otherwise, where would the brick house for the Han family have come from?

The reason the Han family was doing so well was because of the money their soldier son, Han Shiguo, sent back home.

But Han Shiguo wasn’t foolish. Quite the opposite—he was shrewd and had long been saving up for his future wife.

The money he sent home was only part of his salary. He had told them that the rest was for his own expenses, which was partly true. There were some social obligations and interactions, but aside from that, he had very little personal spending. About eighty percent of it, in fact, was quietly saved up by him.

In addition to mission bonuses and various allowances, the sum he had saved was quite substantial. He rarely spent any of it, so it had all accumulated here.

Over the years, he had managed to save up a total of two thousand yuan.

Two thousand yuan in 1968 was nothing like two thousand yuan sixty years later. At this time, it was a truly enormous sum!

“Marry me, and this money will be yours to spend however you like. My monthly salary from now on—feel free to spend it too!” Han Shiguo said, looking at her intently.

Jiang Qian’s face flushed with heat. This man might not be good at sweet talk, but his straightforward and sincere words were incredibly tempting!

Han Shiguo’s expression was serious. “Qianqian, this savings account is a sign of my sincerity to marry you. As long as you’re willing, after we marry, I just ask you to give me a bit of face in public. But at home, I’ll listen to you, and you’ll have the final say in everything.”

The man’s expression was both solemn and genuine.

Jiang Qian’s face turned even redder. She couldn’t meet his burning gaze and averted her eyes. “You’re really handing this over to me? Aren’t you afraid I’ll squander your money carelessly?”

“I’m not afraid. A man earns money, and a woman spends it. That’s how it’s meant to be,” Han Shiguo replied firmly.

Jiang Qian, who had been single for two lifetimes, had never encountered such an overwhelming approach before. She was truly moved by the “big promises” he’d laid out so earnestly.

Han Shiguo looked at her, waiting for her response.

Jiang Qian, though deeply moved, hadn’t forgotten her principles. She said, “I can’t tolerate dishonesty. If you want to back out now and not get married, it’s still not too late. But if you choose me, from now on, you must be loyal and committed to me. If you dare to do anything behind my back, unless you can hide it for the rest of your life, then so be it. But if I ever find out, there will be no turning back for us.”

“I won’t…” Han Shiguo quickly tried to refute.

Jiang Qian interrupted him. “Let me finish first.”

“Go ahead,” Han Shiguo said, listening intently.

“If it ever reaches that point, it would mean you’re already tired of me and our relationship has lost its meaning. But don’t worry, I won’t cling to you. As long as you tell me you want a divorce, I’ll pack up and leave. But I have one condition: the child must stay with me,” Jiang Qian added, deciding to lay everything out clearly.

If things ever came to that, she was prepared to let the marriage end, but when it came to her own child, she wasn’t willing to compromise.

Han Shiguo’s head throbbed as he listened to her. This girl was really on a roll—talking about divorce and child custody before they were even married!

If they did get married, he figured he’d have to drag her into the nearby woods to teach her a lesson about thinking so far ahead. Let her understand why flowers bloom so vividly, and see if she dared to talk about leaving with their child ever again.

But for now, he had to push down his thoughts. Looking into her wide, doe-like eyes, he spoke earnestly, “I understand your concerns, but I want to tell you seriously—I’m not the kind of man who’s fickle or easily tempted. I take marriage very seriously. If I’m going to marry, then I will be responsible—to my family, to my wife, and to my future children!”

“If we get married,” Han Shiguo said, his tone firm, “then for the rest of my life, I will only ever have you, Jiang Qian, as my wife. You will be the only woman in my life—there will never be another.”

“I swear in the name of the Party, if I ever dare to do anything behind your back that would betray you, Jiang Qian, then I…”

Jiang Qian quickly interrupted, “No need to say the rest.”

Han Shiguo wasn’t ready to stop, though. “I’ll…”

Jiang Qian hurriedly covered his mouth, giving him a glare. “I said, don’t say it!”

His eyes sparkled with amusement. Once she lowered her hand, he looked at her seriously and asked, “So, do you trust me?”

“I trust you,” Jiang Qian said, her face flushing as she looked at him. “But you better remember what I just said.”

Han Shiguo gazed at her, her delicate appearance melting his heart. “Don’t worry!” he reassured her.

He was determined to cherish his wife, Jiang Qian, with all his heart. The thought of ever wronging her was simply impossible.

With that topic behind them, the atmosphere between the two deepened even further as they continued their walk.

On the way back, Jiang Qian even mustered the courage to take advantage of a small bump in the road. With a playful “Oh!” she pretended to stumble and wrapped her arms around his waist.

Jiang Qian had been thinking about it for a while—those eight-pack abs! The feel of them was just irresistible. But now that their relationship was official, hugging him should be okay, right?

Han Shiguo glanced down at her hands wrapped around his waist, his eyes soft and full of affection. Knowing how shy she could get, he kept quiet. But when she was about to let go out of embarrassment, he purposely steered the bike toward a small bump in the road.

Of course, this gave her the perfect excuse to keep holding onto him.

When they were alone, Jiang Qian didn’t mind stealing a little touch here and there, but as soon as people were around, she quickly let go.

Despite taking their time riding back, it felt like they arrived home much quicker than when they had left for the city. Han Shiguo was riding leisurely, but somehow the trip back seemed shorter, especially with the warmth between them growing.

They hadn’t wanted to reach home so quickly, but soon enough, they arrived at the commune. As they passed by, they ran into two familiar figures.

Han Shiguo didn’t know Jiang Yue (Jiang Qian’s cousin) and Wang Hesong, but Jiang Qian took one glance at them and immediately turned her face away, muttering to herself how unlucky it was to run into them. She pretended not to see them at all.

Watching Jiang Qian ride away with Han Shiguo, Wang Hesong stood rooted to the spot, feeling like something inside him had suddenly gone missing. There was an empty ache in his chest.

Jiang Yue, on the other hand, was equally stunned. Though she had read in the original book that Han Shiguo had exceptional looks, she hadn’t expected him to be this handsome!

Compared to Han Shiguo, the man beside her, Wang Hesong, seemed utterly insignificant, almost laughably so. Jiang Yue couldn’t help but feel both puzzled and indignant. However, when she recalled Han Shiguo’s ultimate fate, the jealousy and bitterness in her heart eased.

What good were his looks or outstanding qualities?

Wasn’t he destined to become a casualty soon enough?

Thinking about this, her mood brightened.

Jiang Yue scoffed when she saw Wang Hesong’s dazed expression. “Did you see that? That’s Han Shiguo. Look how happy Jiang Qian is! She’s completely smitten with him. You’d better stop thinking about her!”

Wang Hesong snapped out of his daze and frowned. “What are you talking about?”

For some reason, Jiang Yue felt a surge of irritation. “Are you regretting choosing me instead of Jiang Qian?”

Wang Hesong frowned deeper. “Stop being unreasonable!”