Chapter 21.2

The military wives, in a grand procession, finished grabbing the beef. With the end of the month approaching, accountants in various units became busy preparing to distribute employee salaries.

Su Ting didn’t have a job at the moment, so the salary distribution had nothing to do with her, but it did concern He Dongchuan.

He Dongchuan held the rank of regiment-level officer, with a monthly salary of 130 yuan. Living on the island, he received additional allowances. This month, due to a task, his salary, allowance, and additional subsidies totaled over 160 yuan.

Along with his salary came various tickets, the most important of which was the industrial ticket. There were also some miscellaneous tickets that weren’t for everyday use.

When He Dongchuan received his salary and tickets and returned to his office, he habitually organized them. He submitted what needed to be submitted, kept what should be kept, and also sorted out less important tickets, like cigarette tickets. Although he didn’t smoke, he could save them to give to others later, as a kind of favor.

Once he finished organizing the money and tickets, Deputy Colonel Wu Chunping, drawn by the smell, came over to ask for cigarette tickets.

He Dongchuan was curious. “Didn’t the cigarette tickets just get issued? You used them up already?”

“You don’t understand.” Wu Chunping said as he fumbled out a cigarette pack from his pocket, lit one, and with a weary expression, added: “A couple of days ago, I went to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative to buy cigarettes and happened to run into your sister-in-law. When I got home, I was scolded. She said all I do is smoke, smoke, smoke, and I never think about the family.”

At this point, Wu Chunping raised his voice: “Am I not thinking about the family? She doesn’t even ask around. In this family compound with so many households, how many men hand over their entire salary every month and only get five yuan in pocket money? Only me! Five yuan, and I don’t even dare buy expensive cigarettes. Look, this pack costs only 24 cents. If I smoke ten packs a month, it’s only 2.40 yuan. And even then, she’s not happy when she sees me buy cigarettes.”

Wu Chunping’s words were full of bitterness, but He Dongchuan didn’t offer any comforting words. After all, this was a matter between him and his wife, and it wasn’t his place to intervene too much. He simply steered the conversation back and asked: “Does this have anything to do with your current lack of cigarette tickets?”

“How could it not be related?” Wu Chunping said matter-of-factly. “Think about it, if I hadn’t gone to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative to buy cigarettes, would I have run into your sister-in-law? If she hadn’t seen me buying cigarettes, would she have argued with me? I’ve thought about it. In the next couple of days, I’ll find some time to go to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative and buy a few more packs of cigarettes, enough for the whole month. After that, I won’t go to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative anymore. That way, I won’t run into your sister-in-law, and we won’t have an argument. Don’t you think that’s a good plan?”

He Dongchuan: “…Yes.”

He had figured it out. Old Wu’s family governance was never going to be effective. He took two cigarette tickets from his stack and handed them over, asking casually: “Do you always hand over your full salary?”

“Of course.” Wu Chunping replied, taking the cigarette tickets and complaining: “You don’t know. The day after we held the banquet, she started questioning me about how much savings I had. I was young at the time, and in a moment of carelessness, I told her everything. That night, all the money and tickets were handed over. In the past, when she was back in our hometown and didn’t know how much I earned, I could still keep a little money for myself, but since she came with the military, my life… has become unbearable!”

He Dongchuan: “I can tell.”

Although the soldiers’ food and drink were managed by the Military Unit, and five yuan for pocket money wasn’t a small amount, what thirty-year-old man had no personal expenses?

A trip to the city during the holidays, a meal with a close comrade, smokers had to buy cigarettes, and even if he didn’t smoke, he still had to make calls home every month. Aside from the cost of living, it wasn’t uncommon for him to spend ten or twenty yuan.

If that five yuan was solely for Wu Chunping’s personal expenses, eating with comrades, and reimbursing temporary purchases for the house, it could be barely manageable. But if it didn’t cover those costs, then his life was really quite miserable.

“Brother, you understand me.” Wu Chunping patted He Dongchuan’s shoulder with emotion. “Let me tell you, when you’re living with your wife, the financial power has to be in your hands. What’s the saying? The one with the money is the boss. When you’re holding the money, she’s sweet-talking you, but once you give it to her, it’s you who’s sweet-talking her. You didn’t hand over all your savings, did you?”

Before He Dongchuan could respond, the battalion instructor, Shi Cheng, who had come to speak to him, said: “Stop listening to him! When you’re married, you can’t be guarding each other, can you? How is your relationship supposed to be good? How is the marriage supposed to last?”

Wu Chunping didn’t like hearing that. “What do you mean ‘guarding each other’?”

Shi Cheng retorted: “You’re holding the money, and your wife is flattering you, and you give her a little sweet talk. If she doesn’t flatter you, you won’t care about her. Is that taking care of your wife, or is that treating her like a pet?”

Wu Chunping felt offended: “That’s going too far. I never said I wouldn’t care about her if she doesn’t flatter me.” Then he thought for a moment. “Wait a minute. I’ve handed over my salary. Now, I have to sweet-talk my wife. You said I’m guarding her? Well, then tell me, have you handed over your salary?”

Before Shi Cheng could answer, He Dongchuan jumped in with a grin: “Old He, did you see that? This guy is being sly. He hands over his salary and still has to ask for permission to spend money. Then he comes to you saying not to hand over the salary and control the finances. What’s he trying to do?” 

He pointed at Wu Chunping. “Old Wu, you have an evil heart!”

Wu Chunping slapped He Dongchuan’s hand away. “Get lost! I didn’t mean that at all!”

Shi Cheng knew that Wu Chunping didn’t really mean it and was just joking, so he didn’t continue on that line. He turned to He Dongchuan and said: “If you want to live well with Comrade Su, you should be honest with her about everything, including your finances. As for how much she keeps and how much you save, that’s something you can discuss together. Otherwise, if you don’t share anything, people might start thinking you’re hiding things from her.”

Shi Cheng thought of something and asked: “Have you ever told your sister-in-law about your finances?”

He Dongchuan shook his head. “No.”

Before going on the mission, he hadn’t shared much with Su Ting. He only mentioned that the living expenses were initially set at fifty yuan, and if she spent more than that, she could ask him for more. They would settle up at the end of the month, and the next month, he would give her the agreed-upon amount based on the total.

Their relationship had certainly become closer over time, but Su Ting hadn’t asked him for more living expenses, and it wasn’t yet payday, so they were still following the original agreement.

Before Wu Chunping came, he had been considering whether he should hand over his salary and savings, but hadn’t made up his mind yet.

Upon learning that He Dongchuan and Su Ting had agreed to the monthly living expenses arrangement, Shi Cheng clicked his tongue and asked: “Did you never feel like there was a problem between you two?”

“What problem?”

“Your arrangements are too clear-cut. The way you’re doing things doesn’t feel like a marriage, it feels more like a relationship between a master and a servant.” Shi Cheng shook his head. “No wonder you’ve been married all this time and still sleep in separate rooms.”

Wu Chunping, with a curious expression, asked: “You really sleep in separate rooms?”

He Dongchuan’s face darkened. “No.”

Shi Cheng chuckled but didn’t say anything more. It wasn’t until after Wu Chunping had left and they had finished discussing business that he asked: “We’ve known each other for a long time, so be honest with me—do you and Comrade Su sleep in separate rooms at night?”

He Dongchuan leaned back in his office chair and looked up at Shi Cheng. “You seem pretty free lately?”

“I’m just concerned about you!” Shi Cheng emphasized. “You’ve been married to Comrade Su for a month now, and you still haven’t slept together. As your brother, how can I not be worried? Tell me honestly, is it you who can’t do it?”

He Dongchuan gave him a sideways glance, his eyes cold.

“Ah, so it’s Comrade Su who doesn’t want to sleep with you.” Shi Cheng ignored the coldness in He Dongchuan’s gaze and speculated: “See? I was right, wasn’t I?”

Shi Cheng, being thick-skinned, didn’t mind He Dongchuan’s stare. He Dongchuan, however, was helpless and rubbed his forehead, feeling a bit exasperated. “We did have some issues before, but we should be able to resolve them soon.”

He Dongchuan spoke vaguely, but after years of friendship, Shi Cheng had a pretty good sense of the situation. “When you get home, just follow what I told you. Be honest about your finances. Whatever issues you have, talk it through. Let me tell you, women are soft-hearted. You’re not bad looking, and if you show her you want to live well together, she won’t be able to resist.”

He Dongchuan nodded thoughtfully. “Okay.”

Seeing that He Dongchuan was listening to his advice, Shi Cheng continued: “If that doesn’t work, just be thick-skinned. A strong woman’s afraid of a persistent man. Just stay in her bedroom and refuse to leave…”

“Wait.” He Dongchuan interrupted him. “Are you sure that’ll work? Won’t I get kicked out?”

“Don’t you know how to read her expressions? If she’s unwilling, then leave immediately. But if her face is red and she’s more shy than angry, you’ll know what to do.”

With that, Shi Cheng patted He Dongchuan on the shoulder and left, leaving He Dongchuan frowning and deep in thought.

He knows?

What is it that he knows?