Chunhong briefly recounted to Lu Qingyuan what had happened while they were out.

“I just asked him directly if he had a girlfriend. Even though you already helped me find out, I still wanted to hear it from him myself.”

“His face turned bright red, and he stammered so much. He said ‘no’ so softly that I had to ask him twice to make sure I heard him right.”

“So, I said, ‘Since you don’t have a girlfriend, what do you think of me? If you think I’m suitable, we can get to know each other.’”

Chunhong’s face also turned red. “He was really shocked, then loudly agreed right away.”

Even though Lu Qingyuan already knew what had happened from the barrage of comments, she still found it amusing to hear Chunhong tell it in person.

“Chunhong, this is just like you. You always make sure to figure things out first. Once you confirm he doesn’t have any messy relationships, then you boldly express your feelings.”

That meant, in her past life, that man must have lied to Chunhong and hidden the fact that he had dated someone before and still hadn’t moved on.

“Of course. That’s just who I am,” Chunhong said, covering her mouth with a smile. “He said he wants Fifth Aunt to come to my house and propose. It’s a little rushed, but I’m actually looking forward to it.”

He seemed like a really good person. If she didn’t act fast, what if someone else snatched him away?

By then, the people who had escorted the bride were about to leave, so Chunhong didn’t chat much longer with Lu Qingyuan and went with them.

Lu Qingyuan and Shu Beiqiu walked with them for a while to see them off.

Once they were far away, the couple returned to the courtyard and helped return the borrowed tables and chairs. They also needed to clean up the courtyard and main hall.

When Lu Qingyuan reached for a broom, Mother Shu took it from her hands. “Go back and take a rest. You got up early this morning, didn’t you? Go to sleep and we will take care of it here.”

“I’ll get you some hot water to wash your face,” Shu Beiqiu said with a smile, gently pushing her toward the room before going to fetch water.

Xiao Tingting peeked her head out from the doorway and reassured Lu Qingyuan, “When Beidong and I got married, I didn’t do anything either. Just go take a rest and sleep for a while.”

“Alright.”

Lu Qingyuan was indeed a little sleepy.

The weather was great today. After lunch, she had already been feeling drowsy.

After washing her face, Lu Qingyuan got into bed, planning to sleep for a while. Shu Beiqiu leaned in and kissed her forehead. “Rest well. I’ll close the door when I go out so no one disturbs you.”

“Mm.”

Lu Qingyuan looked at Shu Beiqiu and suddenly cupped his face, giving him a quick peck on the corner of his lips.

Then, she immediately pulled the blanket over her head.

Shu Beiqiu was momentarily stunned, then chuckled. He pulled the blanket down slightly, revealing her flushed face. “So obedient.”

With that, he left the room.

Lu Qingyuan covered her face, rolled around in bed twice, and soon fell asleep.

Even the sound of the livestream ending didn’t wake her.

By the time she woke up, it was already past nine in the evening.

Shu Beiqiu was tidying up things in the room. Seeing her wake up, he quickly walked over. “You must be hungry. I kept your food warm in the pot. I’ll bring it over.”

“Did you all eat already?”

Noticing how late it was, Lu Qingyuan felt a little embarrassed.

“We ate. My parents have already gone to bed. They wanted to wake you up for dinner, but I told them not to.”

“I’ll eat in the kitchen then. Eating in the room will make it smell,” Lu Qingyuan said as she got up to put on her clothes. “Will you eat some more with me?”

“Sure.”

Shu Beiqiu turned his back to her, not watching her get dressed.

Lu Qingyuan didn’t notice. Once she was ready, she left the room with him.

After eating in the kitchen, Shu Beiqiu fetched the warm bathwater and carried it to the side room. Lu Qingyuan bathed first and returned to their room.

Shu Beiqiu stayed behind to wash the dishes and bathed afterward before finally entering the room.

The two of them sat on the bed, and the atmosphere suddenly felt heated.

In the end, Shu Beiqiu blew out the oil lamp and pulled Lu Qingyuan into his arms in the darkness.

He was gentle. Lu Qingyuan soon found herself lost in the moment.

There was a brief moment of pain. When Shu Beiqiu heard her muffled whimper, he stopped moving until she adjusted and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in for another kiss. Only then did he lose his composure slightly.

Experiencing it for the first time, neither of them could hold back.

They tangled together until late into the night, both drenched in sweat.

Lu Qingyuan lay in his arms, panting softly. Shu Beiqiu gently brushed aside her damp hair and kissed her slightly parted lips. “I’ll get some water.”

“Mm.”

Lu Qingyuan felt that after this, their relationship had become even more intimate.

Shu Beiqiu poured warm water into a basin and mixed in some cool water for Lu Qingyuan, while he simply rinsed off with cold water in the courtyard.

When he returned, Lu Qingyuan was still cleaning herself.

Seeing him enter, her face turned red, and she instinctively turned away.

Shu Beiqiu didn’t dare to look again, afraid he might lose control. He quickly changed the bedsheet, and after Lu Qingyuan finished tidying up, he emptied the basin and returned to lie down beside her.

At first, they lay side by side, but before long, they were tightly embracing each other.

“You have to treat me well,” Lu Qingyuan’s voice was slightly hoarse.

“I’ll definitely treat you well,” Shu Beiqiu said, listening to her soft voice. He wished he could give her his entire life. “I’ll be good to you forever.”

Lu Qingyuan curled her lips into a faint smile, rubbed her face against his chest, and soon fell asleep.

The next morning, Lu Qingyuan woke up feeling sore all over.

Shu Beiqiu sat in the room, smiling as he continued organizing the things piled up from yesterday.

“Feeling uncomfortable?”

Seeing her frown slightly, Shu Beiqiu put down what he was holding and walked over.

“A bit sore,” Lu Qingyuan admitted. “And a little swollen.”

Shu Beiqiu cleared his throat and opened the cabinet, taking out a jar of ointment. “I applied some for you this morning while you were sleeping. Do you want me to put on some more?”

“When? I don’t remember at all,” Lu Qingyuan asked, feeling a little shy.

“You were sleeping too soundly.” Shu Beiqiu leaned down and kissed her. “Want me to help you?”

“I can do it myself,” Lu Qingyuan said, her tone carrying a hint of embarrassment. Then, she asked, “Where are Mom and Dad?”

“They went to work,” Shu Beiqiu replied as he gently combed her hair. “My sister-in-law and Beidong went to the clinic together. It’s just the two of us at home.”

“I woke up late. Is that bad?”

“It’s fine. We just got married. They’ll understand. Besides—” Shu Beiqiu wrapped his arms around her. “Now that you’re my wife, you don’t have to worry about what others think. Just care about me.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Then when are we going to the county?” Lu Qingyuan asked before tilting her head up to kiss his chin.

“How about the afternoon after we return home to visit your parents?”

That would be in three days.

“Sounds good,” Lu Qingyuan agreed before glancing at the dowry filling the room. “Does the rental house come with furniture?”

“Yes, it does. We can leave these at home for now. Once we get our assigned housing, we’ll hire someone to transport them to the county. What do you think?”

“That works.” Lu Qingyuan turned and nestled into his embrace.

They lingered in bed a little longer before finally getting up for breakfast.

Since she still felt a little unwell, Lu Qingyuan remained in bed while Shu Beiqiu continued tidying up. In front of her was a stack of cash and ration tickets that he had given her.

That’s all of his savings.

Lu Qingyuan carefully counted everything and was a little surprised. In just one year since becoming a full-time worker at the factory, Shu Beiqiu had managed to save 480 yuan along with more than 50 ration tickets of all kinds.

“My monthly salary is 45 yuan,” Shu Beiqiu explained. “I barely spent anything and saved as much as possible.”

He had done the same with the ration tickets.

“My parents never asked me for money. From now on, we’ll give them five yuan a month. The rest is ours.”

“That’s only right,” Lu Qingyuan nodded. Shu Beidong and his wife still lived at home and contributed ten yuan a month for food.

She mentally calculated their total savings.

Her dowry, comprising gifts from her grandmother, parents, second and third uncles, and maternal grandparents, totaled 236 yuan and 20 ration tickets.

She also had 87 yuan of her own private savings but no ration tickets.

Altogether, they had 803 yuan and over 70 ration tickets.

Lu Qingyuan was startled and looked at Shu Beiqiu. “We have over 800 yuan and more than 70 ration tickets altogether.”

Shu Beiqiu immediately understood that she had included her dowry in the total.

“We’ll use my earnings for expenses. Your dowry should be saved separately.”

“If we don’t need to use it right now, of course, I’ll keep it safe,” Lu Qingyuan said, her eyes shining with excitement. “Once we’re in the county, I can take on some side work making bamboo crafts to earn extra money. We’ll use a portion of your salary for daily expenses, and the rest we’ll save.”

“I heard that when they assign housing, you can trade for a bigger place if you have enough money. I’m used to living in a courtyard and don’t like cramped spaces, so I want a bigger house.”

“Alright, we’ll do as you say,” Shu Beiqiu agreed without hesitation.

Lu Qingyuan happily put the money and ration tickets away, carefully keeping her dowry separate so she could keep track.

At noon, Shu Beiqiu made lunch. They just reheated the leftovers from the day before.

Since Xiao Tingting and the others hadn’t returned, only Lu Qingyuan, Shu Beiqiu, and Mother Shu ate together.

Seeing Lu Qingyuan’s rosy complexion, Mother Shu felt reassured. After the meal, she handed a key to Lu Qingyuan. “This is the key to the grain cabinet. Take whatever you need. Let Beiqiu do the cooking. We rarely get to eat his food, so while he’s home, let him stay busy in the kitchen.”

“Alright,” Lu Qingyuan accepted the key without hesitation.

In the evening, Xiao Tingting and Shu Beidong returned home, carrying a carp weighing over three jin.

“Hehe, I specifically went home today for this fish,” Xiao Tingting said cheerfully as she showed it to Lu Qingyuan. “My family’s production team drained the fish pond today.”

“How was the harvest?”

“Not bad. We threw the smaller fish back and added new fry. By next year, they’ll be grown,” Xiao Tingting said before turning to Shu Beiqiu. “Third Brother, can you make braised fish? Sister-in-law, Third Brother’s fish is amazing! Beidong makes the best braised pork. We should buy some meat tomorrow so he can cook for you.”

The well-built Shu Beidong grinned and nodded. “I have the day off tomorrow, so I can show off my cooking skills.”

Every time Lu Qingyuan saw Shu Beidong, she found it amusing. The two brothers had such different builds.

One grew tall, while the other grew wide.

“That sounds great,” Lu Qingyuan said, looking forward to it.

At night, the two of them tried to resist, but in the end, they couldn’t hold back and indulged in a moment of intimacy.

Lu Qingyuan felt it was a bit lacking and told Shu Beiqiu directly that once she recovered, they should make up for it with more rounds.

This made Shu Beiqiu get up in the middle of the night and take two cold showers in the courtyard.

Early the next morning, Shu Beidong went to town and bought some meat. For lunch, he made braised pork with soybeans, which almost made Lu Qingyuan swallow her tongue.

“This is so delicious!”

Xiao Tingting was eating with her head down. “Right? I decided to marry him because he made this dish at my family’s house!”

“My braised pork isn’t bad either,” Shu Beiqiu said to Lu Qingyuan, “but compared to my fourth brother’s, it’s still a bit lacking. I’ll make sure to learn properly.”

Lu Qingyuan smiled. “I’ll be looking forward to it.”

Father and Mother Shu watched them with warm smiles. A harmonious family brings prosperity, and with their family being so happy together, life would never be too hard.