Chapter 008

It was the people from the village on the other side who informed her husband of her grandfather’s death.

She remembered that her husband had been absent-minded for a long time after hearing the news, sitting alone in the courtyard at night feeding mosquitoes.

He must have wanted to go back.

After they got married, she had indeed met Ah Ning’s parents. His parents were not good people, and neither were his younger siblings; they were bloodsuckers, and she had scolded them away.

Want money? Fine, your son eats my food and lives in my house. First, pay me back the money you owe me!

Some people really couldn’t be reasoned with. If they didn’t understand, she had to be tougher. She had told her husband about the visit from his parents, not in a straightforward way, but he understood on his own that she didn’t want to have anything to do with them.

She asked Zhou Chengning if he had saved money without telling his parents. She then belittled her husband for being a “son-in-law,” scolding his family to repay the money, and scolded them away.

After being scolded, they never dared to come back. Their intention was for the eldest son to support the parents and grandfather, and then also provide money for the younger siblings’ education.

Education my foot! Don’t think she didn’t know; they were all lazy, and yet they wanted the eldest son’s money. Dream on!

There was no money! She had already made it clear not to ask for a bride price, and yet they still had the nerve to come. Get lost!

Xu Xiangjuan was called a shrew, but it wasn’t an empty title.

It seemed that this family didn’t want her husband to stay in Huadu because they felt that Huadu was too far for them, too far to control.

Fortunately, her husband had a bit of cleverness and had saved money. She had no interest in the useless, bloodsucking good-for-nothing from his family.

Knowing the importance of Tsinghua University, Xu Xiangjuan would subtly brag about her husband whenever other women praised their children’s success. “No, no, my children’s father is a Tsinghua University graduate. My children can’t compare to their dad.”

She accepted the women’s praise, even though they weren’t flattering her but rather praising her husband and children, it still made her feel proud.

Guagua returned to the inner room, and with Xu Xiangjuan’s help, climbed onto the bed. “Dad asked me where good Mom is going.”

“What did you say?”

“I said good Mom is going to the city and will take Guagua to buy a car in the city.”

Her daughter had been talking a lot since she could speak, and Xu Xiangjuan didn’t find it strange. “Guagua, hurry up and sleep. Niuniu is already asleep.”

She didn’t know that her daughter had a little spy-like nature. Zhou Chengning, having finished washing up, returned to the inner room, absent-minded.

“This paper, take it to Carpenter Chen tomorrow. Ask him if he can make it and how much it would cost per piece.”

Carpenter Chen was quite well-known in town, and he was an honest man who wouldn’t cut corners.

Taking the paper from her husband and putting it away, Zhou Chengning hesitated for a moment but still climbed into bed.

He slept on the innermost side, and since his wife thought he was clumsy for a grown man, she had him sleep inside so he wouldn’t get in the way while she took care of the children.

Xu Xiangjuan bundled the Great Unity securely and sealed it in a clay pot, placing the clay pot in a hole in the ground. Loose change was wrapped in a handkerchief.

For example, every month, when her husband earned his thirty-seven yuan salary, she would set aside seven yuan for spending, while the remaining thirty yuan was sealed in the clay pot and hidden very secretly, with only her knowing about it in the house.

Although there was a saying that a man would turn bad once he had money, being poor and always clinking with no money wasn’t good either.

She took two one-yuan bills from the handkerchief with the loose change and handed them to her husband.

Zhou Chengning didn’t understand what it meant but still took them. “Should I bring soy sauce and salt tomorrow?”

Usually, the only time he came into contact with money was when he received his salary, and other than that, his wife managed all the finances. He hadn’t even bought soy sauce before, as his wife didn’t trust him to handle it, thinking he was too honest and would be taken advantage of.

“This is your pocket money. Two yuan a month. When your salary increases, your pocket money will increase too. You’ll have food and drink at home, and two yuan is enough for daily spending. If you need money for something in the future, just explain the reason. If it’s reasonable, I’ll give it to you.”

Zhou Chengning didn’t hear the rest of what she said, stunned by the pocket money, his face turning pale. “Juan, I think we need to have a serious talk tonight.”

“What about?” Conversations between couples either took place at the dinner table or in the bed. After Xu Xiangjuan had combed her hair with a wooden comb, she crawled into Zhou Chengning’s bed and gently asked.

She had to speak softly. It was fine if the daughter was asleep, but if she heard them while awake, she might repeat their words.

Her husband was tall and long-legged, and she only reached his shoulder in height. Naturally, the larger blanket went to him. In winter, when she replaced it with a large cotton quilt, it would be too small for the whole family, but it was enough for just one person.

Her husband didn’t have a bad odor. He would always tidy himself up, and when he crawled into bed, she smelled the clean scent of a man. She wanted to know what he had to say.

“Juan, is it because you don’t want me anymore that you’re being so nice to me? I don’t want the pocket money, don’t be so nice to me. I’ll eat less, and not waste the family’s food.”

Couples always whispered in bed, and Zhou Chengning hugged his wife tightly, speaking softly, almost in a mumble.

It was only when he got pocket money that Zhou Chengning realized the situation was serious.

Xu Xiangjuan couldn’t help but laugh and cry. Her husband, at this moment, was more childish than a child.

However, she couldn’t blame him for being anxious. Even her mother had quietly asked her in the afternoon if she was buying a bicycle to run away.

Run away? Did they all not believe she could be a good person anymore?

“No, I don’t want to leave you. If you want to eat in the future, just eat freely, don’t starve yourself. I had a dream yesterday afternoon. I dreamed that the God of Wealth told me to be good to you. He said that if I was good to you, I would have good days ahead. So, I’m being nice to you for a better future.”

Saying it was a dream made it sound more believable, and it was easier for others to accept, especially if she added that it was a “selfish” dream.

As expected, Zhou Chengning believed her. “Dreams aren’t real… I’ll make sure you and the kids have a good life in the future… But why do you want to go to the city?”

“To buy a bicycle, but we’ll have to wait a little longer.” She planned to write a letter to her older brother tomorrow; even if she got the tickets, it would be near the end of the month or the beginning of the next month.

“When that time comes, I’ll go with you. I’ll carry Guagua,” Zhou Chengning said, wanting to show that he was still useful by mentioning taking Guagua with him.

“Mm, good. Is there anything else?”

“I don’t need pocket money. There’s food at home for me.”

It was indeed surprising. Her husband was the type of person who wouldn’t take money even if it was offered to him.

“You’re not happy to be given money? If I give Guagua one penny, she’ll happily run off to buy candy. When the kids get older, if Guagua or Niuniu asks for money, I won’t give it to them. You can give it to them, but you must understand, you can’t give them everything, especially Guagua. If she wants candy, you can only give her one penny to buy it every half month.”

When Niuniu grew up, he would be like his dad—quiet and calm—not like their daughter, who was noisy when she was little, becoming a firecracker as she grew up, and who knows how she’ll be when she gets even older… But never mind, never mind.

Xu Xiangjuan’s words opened up a new perspective for Zhou Chengning, and he accepted the two yuan.

“Ah Ning, you’re my husband, and the kids’ father. Don’t think that I’m being nice to you because I have bad intentions. If you’re feeling unwell, you need to tell me. Don’t hide it from me. If you hide it and it turns into a big illness that costs a lot of money, I won’t forgive you.”

“I know… Juan, you’ve always been very good to me.”

“Don’t forget to tell Carpenter Chen about making the bed.”

“I won’t forget.”

Seeing that there was nothing else to discuss, Xu Xiangjuan nudged his arm that was still resting on her back. “I’m going to sleep now.”

Zhou Chengning finally realized and let go of Xu Xiangjuan. “Oh, okay, good night.”

…

The couple had their heart-to-heart the night before. The next morning, Zhou Chengning brought steamed buns and the spicy chicken from last night back to school. He didn’t explain anything to his colleagues, just handed each one a steamed bun at lunch.

“The rabbit-shaped bun was given to me by my daughter, so I won’t share it with you,” Zhou Chengning said, then took a bite of the rabbit’s head.

His wife had packed him a bun in the morning, along with a bundle that also had a cucumber for him to nibble on. The rabbit-shaped bun was something Guagua had insisted on him taking, and the last bunny was given to him.

Today, they had buns but no meat. He had eaten quite a bit last night, and there wasn’t much left today.

The steamed buns were cold. If they weren’t sweetened or only lightly sweetened, they didn’t taste sweet, and when cold, they were just good enough to fill the stomach. But the buns with some sweetness still tasted good even when cold.

The three teachers watched as Teacher Zhou ate the meat from his box, thinking it must be delicious, spicy and oily, making it very appetizing.

Although the cucumber and chili had lost some color overnight, and while the color wasn’t great, the smell and taste were still intact. Seeing Teacher Zhou eating it with his lips bright red, he couldn’t stop using his chopsticks. It must have been delicious.

No matter what was going on with Teacher Zhou’s wife, one couldn’t deny that Teacher Zhou had been living quite well recently.

For two consecutive meals, there was meat, white rice, and sweet buns. Teacher Zhou’s wife seemed to have a bit of conscience, not entirely neglecting him, and it seemed like this could last for several days.