After returning to the Fan family home, Lin Yong and Fan Xiaoe shut the door and began counting the wedding gifts. Most guests had given just a few cents, with Lin Qiao being the most generous at five yuan.

Fan Xiaoe frowned.
“Your family’s relatives are really stingy. My dad’s gift alone is worth more than all of theirs combined.”

Lin Yong pulled out Lin Ning’s red packet.
“Open this one. It’s thick, so there must be a lot of money inside.”

The two opened it eagerly, expecting to find a hefty stack of bills. However, what spilled out were all one-fen coins!

Fan Xiaoe was furious.
“Fifty coins, only fifty cents in total! What’s wrong with your sister? Wrapping such a small amount of money to make it look thick—isn’t she mocking us on purpose?”

Lin Yong was just as enraged, feeling utterly humiliated.
“She must have done it on purpose. I’ll go find her tomorrow and settle this!”

Fan Xiaoe squinted at him suspiciously.
“Lin Yong, are you sure you didn’t know about this?”

“What do you mean by that, Fan Xiaoe? This was all Lin Ning’s doing. How would I know?”

“Well, who can say? Maybe you and your family planned it. You could’ve handed over a big red packet at the banquet to make it look like you gave us a lot of money when, in fact, there’s almost nothing inside.”

Lin Yong felt wronged.
“I left my family to come live here. Why would I care about such a small amount of money? Fan Xiaoe, if you keep talking like this, I might as well move back home!”

“No, no, no, don’t get mad. I was just saying.”

They counted all the money, which totaled 36.2 yuan. Fan Xiaoe stacked the money neatly.
“We’ll give this money to my parents tomorrow.”

Lin Yong protested.
“No way! This is our wedding money. Most of it came from my relatives. I’ll need it to return gifts in the future. Why should your parents keep it?”

Fan Xiaoe argued back.
“Of the 36.2 yuan, my parents contributed 20 yuan. That’s more than half. Who else should the money go to?”

Lin Yong exploded.
“Oh, I see how it is. Your family gave a big gift in public to make it seem like we gained so much, only to take the money back later. You’re getting both the face and the profit. What a scheme!”

“And your family is any better? That giant red packet turned out to hold just fifty cents! Who’s scheming whom?”

The argument escalated, and Fan’s parents rushed in to mediate. When they saw Lin Ning’s red packet, their faces darkened as well.
“The Lin family really knows how to scheme!”

Fan’s father spoke up.
“Lin Yong, young people like you lack experience in managing money. Look at this house. Why do you think we got three rooms while others only got two?”

“Why?”

“Because I know how to save money! When our workplace organized collective housing, many people could only afford one or two rooms. But I saved enough to afford three rooms. It’s all thanks to good financial management!

“Lin Yong, Xiaoe is doing this for your own good. When your workplace distributes housing in the future, we can buy a bigger place for your children to live in.”

Lin Yong wavered. The thought of a bigger house for his future children was tempting.

Fan’s mother chimed in.
“Young people aren’t good at saving. How about this? You and Xiaoe can hand your salaries over to us. We’ll save them for you, and in a few years, you’ll definitely have enough for a new house.”

But Lin Yong wasn’t swayed. His money was sacred. Anyone trying to take it might as well take his life.

He shook his head.
“Dad, Mom, I appreciate your offer, but I’m a man. I have many social obligations, so I need to manage my own salary.”

The Fan family exchanged glances, and Fan Xiaoe said,
“Fine, Lin Yong, you can keep your salary, but now that we’re married, we need to contribute to the household. We have to pay for food.”

“Fine. How much?”

“Ten yuan per person per month.”

Ten yuan? Lin Yong felt a pang of pain. At the Lin family home, he had never had to pay for food. The Fan family really wasn’t the same. They were already reaching into his pockets.

“Lin Yong, it’s ten yuan per person. Including Xiaoe, that’s twenty yuan total.”

Lin Yong’s face fell. He earned only 30 yuan a month. If 20 yuan went to food and the rest was spent on miscellaneous items, he’d be broke by the end of the month.

Regretting his decision to be a live-in son-in-law, Lin Yong realized it wasn’t as easy as he had thought. He’d imagined just bringing his appetite and having meals and chores taken care of. But reality was far from that.

“Fine, I’ll pay for myself. Xiaoe can cover her own share.”

Fan’s mother smiled coldly.
“Oh, Lin Yong, you’re a grown man. If you don’t provide for your wife, people will laugh at you!”

Most men would have been shamed into paying after hearing such words, but Lin Yong was already a live-in son-in-law. Did he care about his pride?

He asked,
“Dad, Mom, before Xiaoe married me, did you charge her for food?”

“No, we didn’t. But, Lin Yong, marriage changes things.”

“Oh, so before the wedding, she ate for free. After the wedding, she has to pay? You’re only charging me and not her. Isn’t that targeting me specifically?”

Fan’s father intervened.
“Lin Yong, you’re misunderstanding us. That’s not what we mean.”

“I think it is.”

Fan Xiaoe tried to reason.
“Lin Yong, we both eat a lot. Paying for food is only fair. You’d have to pay if you ate at a canteen, wouldn’t you?”

“Then I’ll eat at the canteen instead. That way, I won’t have to pay here. Problem solved, right?”

The discussion ended on a sour note. Lin Yong also refused to leave the wedding money behind. Grabbing it, he stuffed it into his pocket, not even letting Fan Xiaoe touch it.

The Fan parents were deeply disappointed. They had planned to reel in a gullible fool, but Lin Yong turned out to be a miserly iron rooster who wouldn’t part with a single feather.

Fan’s father sighed.
“Raising a son-in-law is just like raising a daughter-in-law. It requires patience and teaching. Starting tomorrow, I’ll set an example as the father-in-law and teach him properly.”

Despite the squabble over money, Lin Yong didn’t skip the wedding night. He carried on as though he were still the king of the food chain, expecting everyone to cater to him.

The next morning, before dawn, there was a loud knock on Lin Yong’s door.
“Lin Yong, get up!”

It was Fan’s father, who was still fuming from the previous night. He had deliberately woken up early to drag Lin Yong out of bed to work.

Fan Xiaoe nudged Lin Yong.
“Get up. My dad’s calling you!”

Then she wrapped herself in the blanket and went back to sleep.

Half-asleep and unwilling, Lin Yong lay still. But Fan’s father kept calling like a relentless ghost, showing no signs of stopping.

Reluctantly, Lin Yong got up, suppressing his anger.
“Dad, what is it?”

“Lin Yong, here in our family, men and women each have their roles. Come with me. Let’s go make coal briquettes!”

Lin Yong rolled his eyes. At home, such chores were always left to Lin Ning. He’d never lifted a finger for this kind of work.
“Dad, I don’t know how to make coal briquettes. Besides, it’s still dark outside.”

“Just light a lamp. You’ll learn after the first time. Let’s go!”