◎ Fifth update + Six update  ◎ 

The courtyard was quiet, with many people already asleep. The Xu family was also very quiet, and even the most mischievous Xu Shengwei had fallen asleep. 

After finishing his work, Xu Shengjie stood in the room, looking at Liang Baozhen, who had just woken up and had a lazy, awkward look on her face. He suddenly felt a little awkward; he didn’t know where to put his hands and feet. 

However, the next second, her eyes changed again. 

Avoiding his gaze, her eyes drifted to who knows where. 

“Why don’t you go to bed?” Xu Shengjie tried to keep his voice natural. “It’s uncomfortable to sleep like that.” 

“Mm.” Liang Baozhen answered in a voice as soft as a mosquito. She took a look at the bright red bedding, which was very festive. It was bought specially for the wedding. 

She took off her coat and lay down on the bed, but the comfort of the cotton silk did not relieve her tension. 

Everyone has to go through this once, Liang Baozhen comforted herself. 

When Xu Shengjie lay down, the left half of the bed sank a little, and his crisp breath seemed to envelop the entire space. 

The kerosene lamp went out, and the room fell into darkness. The newlyweds were speechless for a while. 

The only sound was the heavy breathing of the two people. 

Liang Baozhen’s mind was in a mess. She was thinking about what should happen on the night of her wedding, and she was also thinking about those dreams. She raised her eyelids and looked quietly to the upper left, just in time to meet Xu Shengjie’s gaze. 

Their eyes met, entangled in the darkness of the night. 

“You…” 

Just as she was about to speak, Liang Baozhen felt someone gently touch the back of her left hand, as if it were accidental yet intentional. 

Soon, the man gently held Liang Baozhen’s left hand, turned his head sideways, and gradually leaned down… 

Her hand was held, and Liang Baozhen was so nervous that she didn’t dare to move her fingers. In her confusion, her fingers brushed against Xu Shengjie’s palm. 

Xu Shengjie tightened his grip and gently stroked the back of the woman’s hand. He leaned in closer, his breathing grew heavier, his mouth went dry, and he felt hot and uncomfortable. 

A subtle fragrance constantly filled his nose, luring him to seek out a fresh spring… 

The moment their lips touched, Liang Baozhen felt the man’s body stiffen for a moment, then she realized that he was as nervous as she was, and she felt inexplicably relieved. 

However, two seconds later, Xu Shengjie seemed to instinctively explore her red lips, and his breathing became uneven as if he was searching for the secret recipe to quench his thirst. 

“Hmm~” 

A soft moan finally reminded Xu Shengjie. The man quietly moved away, allowing Liang Baozhen to breathe smoothly. But before she could take a break, he went down again without any delay. 

… 

The night was long. Liang Baozhen held Xu Shengjie’s arms with both hands, enduring the attack of the storm. When the wind and waves calmed down, she was gasping for breath and could hardly open her eyes. 

Xu Shengjie’s throat moved as he lingered affectionately on Liang Baozhen’s red lips. He only stopped when she gave him a playful slap. 

He then held the person in his arms, closed his eyes, and fell into a deep sleep. 

*** 

When the sky brightened, Liang Baozhen opened her eyes and couldn’t tell where she was. 

Memories came flooding in, especially the soreness in her waist that made her face blush. 

There was no one on the bed next to her, and there were some noises outside the room, as if Grandmother Zhou was talking. 

After getting dressed and opening the door, the sunlight outside shone directly in and was a little glaring. Liang Baozhen stretched out her hand to block it, and Xu Shengjie’s voice rang in her ears. 

“Are you up? Are you tired? Eat something then you can go back to sleep.” 

Liang Baozhen looked at Zhou Yun and the two children nearby, then shot Xu Shengjie a glare. What was he talking about?! 

Are you tired? 

After hurriedly greeting the people in the room, Liang Baozhen slipped outside to brush her teeth and wash her face. However, she felt a little uncomfortable walking, so her pace slowed down a lot. 

Xu Shengjie felt a little confused when he saw the threatening look from his wife. He thought that Liang Baozhen must be very tired since they were busy with the wedding from morning till night yesterday. Was there something he said wrong? 

*** 

Xu Shengjie got up at around six o’clock and went to the entrance of the alley to buy breakfast. He bought eight steamed buns, which were the delicious, steamed buns that he mentioned to Liang Baozhen yesterday. 

He also made some corn porridge this morning, added a handful of millet, and served it with a bowl of pickles. 

“Baozhen, try this steamed bun; it tastes pretty good. The kids all love it,” Zhou Yun enthusiastically introduced it to her granddaughter-in-law. 

The buns made from the dough prepared by the baker are really good. They have a soft texture and a naturally sweet aftertaste. 

“It’s delicious; it tastes better the more you eat,” Liang Baozhen said, savoring the sweet taste of the bun. 

During breakfast, Liang Baozhen and Zhou Yun chatted and laughed, and she asked about the younger kids’ school situation. 

“Xu Shengwei and Xu Shengya were attending a secondary school associated with the State Cotton Factory in the city and were just starting in the first year of junior high school.” 

As they ate, the two siblings kept glancing at the wall clock, worried about being late. 

“Grandma, brother, sister-in-law, we are leaving.” Xu Shengwei finished the last mouthful of porridge, wiped his mouth, put on his military backpack, and prepared to set off with his sister. 

This olive green military bag was brought back by Xu Shengjie. Military uniforms, military water bottles, and military bags are all very popular these days. Anyone who can wear a military bag will look very impressive. 

Xu Shengwei patted his military bag and couldn’t wait to show it to his classmates! 

“Be careful on the way, Xiao Wei. Watch over your sister.” 

“Got it.” 

Liang Baozhen waved goodbye to them and turned to Xu Shengjie. “Is their elementary school far from home?” 

“It’s not far. It’s only a ten-minute walk away. It’s next to the State Cotton Factory.” 

Xu Shengjie saw that there was still a small mouthful of corn porridge left in Liang Baozhen’s bowl, so he reached out to add another bowl, “Would you like some more?” 

“Sure.” 

“Grandma, I’ll give you another bowl.” 

Xu Shengjie leaned forward to take his grandmother’s bowl again but his grandmother refused. 

“I’m full. You two should finish everything in the pot.” 

There was a pot of corn porridge on the stove. It was watery and had not much rice in it.

Each person in the family has a monthly food ration. Xu Shengjie is a heavy laborer and a veteran, so he gets 42 pounds per month, Zhou Yun gets 30 pounds per month, and the two younger children get 30 pounds in total. 

Now Liang Baozhen, who has a rural household registration, has no food ration. With more people to eat, they have to be more frugal with their food. 

He scooped a few spoonful of corn porridge with a large spoon and filtered out the water along the edge of the pot, leaving only the thinner part in the pot. He did this three times, then passed the bowl to Liang Baozhen and turned around to drink the remaining thin porridge himself. 

Seeing that Liang Baozhen’s bowl had significantly more porridge now, Zhou Yun smiled contentedly, pleased that her grandson was considerate. 

After breakfast, Xu Shengjie prepared to go to work. He had taken a day and a half off for the wedding and to accompany his wife back to her family on the third day. 

In the past, he would walk quickly to work after breakfast, but today he took his time and spoke to Liang Baozhen, who was in the room. 

“I’m going to the factory.” 

“Okay.” Liang Baozhen was tidying up her things. Grandmother had just said that she would take her to deliver some pastries to some aunts in the courtyard, so she casually responded to Xu Shengjie who was about to leave. 

“If you need anything, just ask grandma or anyone in the courtyard.” Xu Shengjie thought that Liang Baozhen had just arrived and would feel a little uncomfortable, so he couldn’t help but give her a few more reminders. 

Zhou Yun stood aside, laughing at his grandson, with smile lines creeping up her eyes, “Grandma will definitely take good care of her; just go back to work!” 

“Let’s just bring a few pieces of egg cake.” 

Cakes and pastries are very expensive these days, and even a piece or two of them is considered a valuable gift. 

Zhou Yun took Liang Baozhen to Aunt Zhang’s house in the west wing first. 

Aunt Zhang’s name is Zhang Rong. She is in her forties. She and her husband are both workers at the State Cotton Factory. However, two years ago, she gave her job to her daughter-in-law and now stays at home to take care of the children. 

“Oh, Aunt Yun, you’ve brought your granddaughter-in-law to visit me?” 

Zhou Yun took a few steps forward and spoke to Zhang Rong, “Of course, if it weren’t for your help yesterday, we wouldn’t have managed.” 

“Aunt Zhang, thank you for your hard work yesterday.” Liang Baozhen handed her a piece of egg cake. 

The cakes were good stuff, so Zhang Rong immediately declined, “What’s the big deal? Just take it back.” 

“Just keep it. Don’t be polite to us.” Zhou Yun was calm and pulled her hand away. “Anyway, I’ll need your help in the future. Our Baozhen is new here. As her aunt, can you give her a little help?” 

Zhang Rong smiled, revealing her big white teeth, “You’re always thinking ahead! Alright, I’ll accept it, and I’ll keep an eye on Baozhen.” 

After leaving Zhang Rong’s house, Zhou Yun and Liang Baozhen went to the west wing. On the way, Zhou Yun whispered, “Your Aunt Zhang’s sister works in the neighborhood office. If you ever need to get something done, it’s convenient to ask her. These connections go both ways; everyone helps each other.”

 

Liang Baozhen hadn’t realized how much thought Xu Shengjie’s grandmother had put into everything. The first few times she’d met her, she only saw a kind and gentle old lady, but now she understood that she’d already thought everything through for her. 

“The family living in the west wing, you can call her Sister Liu. She’s seven or eight years older than you. She is quick and skillful and has a good heart. You can talk more when you have nothing to do. She doesn’t have a job, so she stays at home. She has two children, and her husband is a bus driver.” 

Liang Baozhen knew that stethoscopes, steering wheels, ladles, and salesperson were the most popular professions nowadays, and bus drivers were the best among them. Liu Nianhua’s family of four should be living a comfortable life. 

However, when she saw Liu Nianhua, she was a little surprised. 

Liu Nianhua had short, ear-length hair that was slightly dry and was wearing a blue jacket patched many times. When she saw Zhou Yun bringing someone over, she pulled up a smile. 

“Xiao Liu, what are you busy with?” 

On the chopping board was half a cabbage; the other half had been chopped into scraps. Next to her were her two sons, about five or six years old, with chubby faces. Liu Nianhua quickly put down the kitchen knife in her hand and called out, “Oh, Aunt Zhou, Baozhen, come and sit down.” 

“Sister Liu.” Liang Baozhen greeted the two children again and took out the egg cake in her hand. “Xiaolong and Xiaohu, do you want some egg cake?” 

Xiaolong and Xiaohu clung to Liu Nianhua and nodded vigorously. 

“Hurry up and thank your Aunt Baozhen,” Liu Nianhua reminded. 

“Thank you, Aunt Baozhen.” 

Each got half a piece of egg cake, and they happily played on the side. Liang Baozhen continued, “Sister Liu, thank you for your help yesterday with setting the table and cleaning up.” 

“Oh, why are you being so polite? It was nothing.” Liu Nianhua had a round face, looked honest, and spoke in a thoughtful manner. “Baozhen, you just got here. if there’s anything you don’t understand, just come to me. We’re close by, after all.” 

“Okay, thank you, Sister Liu.” 

“I have some freshly made sweet potato pancakes in my room. Take a few with you.” 

Carrying a few sweet potato pancakes, Zhou Yun and Liang Baozhen were about to leave when they saw the old bachelor from the back house hurrying over and yelling non-stop. 

“Sun Zhiqiang, what are you rushing for?” 

“There will be a meeting in the courtyard at 7:30 this evening. Every family must send someone to attend.” Sun Zhiqiang walked briskly and notified every household one by one. 

“What’s the matter?” 

“Why are we having another meeting?” 

Many people gathered around to ask questions, all wanting to be mentally prepared in advance. After all, the last time the courtyard held a meeting was for lengthy ideological education and it troubled everyone for a while. 

Sun Zhiqiang spread his hands and curled his lips, “We’ll know when the time comes.”

 

Without getting any information, everyone could only go back home. 

*** 

In the afternoon, after spending some time familiarizing herself with the courtyard, Zhou Yun briefly introduced Liang Baozhen to the residents of each house, and then they went back to take a nap. 

They got up in the afternoon to cook together, but before they were done, Xu Shengwei and Xu Shengya came back from school. 

“Grandma! Sister-in-law!” Xu Shengwei rushed into the yard, stood in front of the stove, and swallowed his saliva as he smelled the cowpea rice inside. 

“Go wash your hands. Where’s Xiaoya?” Zhou Yun looked back and saw no one. 

“She’s right behind, she’ll be here soon.” 

Xu Shengya walked in slowly and greet everyone obediently. She put down her bag, and went to the yard to turn on the water to wash her hands. 

“Grandma, I’m famous today. They all came to see my military bag!” Xu Shengwei didn’t put down the bag when he got home. He walked around with it on his back, unable to let it go. “Gangzi even said he wanted to borrow my bag for a week.” 

Liang Baozhen was stir frying the cowpea rice and was about to take it off the heat. When she lifted the lid, a burst of fragrance wafted into her nose. She joined in their conversation, “Did you agree?” 

“I told him he had to give me two candies in exchange, and he said he would go back and think about it and get back to me tomorrow.” 

Zhou Yun chuckled and shook her head, “You little rascal, you’re taking two candies from someone?” 

“If he doesn’t agree, forget it! If he doesn’t give me the candies, I won’t lend it. My military bag is the newest and best in our class. No, it’s the newest and best one in our entire school.” Xu Shengwei walked into the house with his head held high. 

“My brother said he wanted to give me the candy he earned.” Xu Shengya stood beside her grandmother, ready to help serve the dishes. 

“Xiaowei is really good, always thinking about Xiaoya.” Liang Baozhen pursed her lips and gestured to her to go in and sit down. “There’s only a few bowls and a pot of rice, just go inside.” 

“It’s okay, sister-in-law, let’s go together.” Xu Shengya glanced at Liang Baozhen secretly and felt that her sister-in-law smelled pleasant, so she stood a little closer to her. 

At half past six, the meal was ready, but Xu Shengjie hadn’t returned yet. Xu Shengwei and Xu Shengya anxiously looked outside, but still didn’t see him. 

Zhou Yun said, “Let’s not wait any longer. Let’s eat first.” She turned to Liang Baozhen and explained, “If he’s not back at half past six, it means there’s something going on at the factory. No need to wait.” 

“Oh, okay.” Liang Baozhen took a spoon and scooped a bowl and placed it separately on the side, then picked up the chopsticks and started eating. 

Today, they had stir-fried cowpea rice. There wasn’t much rice, but mainly cowpeas. The mixture was very fragrant and filling. The four people in the room each ate a full bowl. 

At the dinner table, Xiaowei and Xiaoya were very excited to learn that there would be a meeting in the courtyard that evening. The adults were not interested, but the children found it interesting. 

“Grandma, we want to go too.” 

Zhou Yun didn’t want to listen to Wei Jinrong’s nagging in the courtyard, so she just wanted to hide away. “Let your sister-in-law take you two there. Don’t move around or run around. Be obedient.” 

“Got it!” The two answered positively. 

At 7:30 in the courtyard, the sky was already getting dark. Looking up, she could vaguely see the moon, which had just come out to work, looming and emitting a silvery glow. 

The people on the ground dragged their bench to the open space in the second courtyard and formed a circle. Some people even started to eat peanuts and melon seeds. 

Xu Shengwei was very busy, he took a bench in each hand and put them in the yard. Then he ran back to the house and got three more palm-leaf fans. His preparations were very thorough. 

“Xiaowei, your brother hasn’t come back today, so you are the head of the family?” Wei Haiping, who lived in the main house joked around. 

“Uncle Haiping, I am a man after all!” He looked at his sister-in-law and sister who were holding hands behind him, feeling very proud, “Don’t let a woman do it.” 

“Wow.” Chen Yulian, the widow who lived in the west wing, ate some melon seeds. “Xiaowei, you still know about women? Do you want to get married too?” 

When Xu Shengwei heard this, his face turned red, he hesitated for a while, and shouted, “I don’t want to get married!” 

After saying that, he ran away. 

“Hey, Xiaowei, where are you going?” Liang Baozhen and Xu Shengya walked over, seeing Xiaowei running out of the courtyard, while everyone inside was laughing. 

“It’s nothing, the kid is shy,” Zhang Rong, who came alone, said. Learning that Zhou Yun and Xu Shengjie wouldn’t be coming, she sat next to Liang Baozhen. “Chen Yulian was just teasing him, and he got embarrassed.” 

Liang Baozhen followed Zhang Rong’s line of sight and saw Chen Yulian sitting on a rattan chair. She was wearing a slim-fitting Dacron blouse, with her arms exposed, and was complaining about the many mosquitoes. 

“Chen Yulian’s husband passed away early. At the beginning, it was not easy for her to raise two daughters alone.” Zhang Rong sighed and said nothing more. 

Liang Baozhen was puzzled. She saw that the clothes Chen Yulian was wearing should not be cheap, and her appearance did not look like that of a woman who had lived a hard life… Just when she was about to ask a few questions, she saw an old man walking into the middle of the courtyard. 

“Here he comes, Uncle Wei is here.” Zhang Rong touched her arm. 

Wei Jinrong is the head of the entire courtyard. He is 57 years old and used to be a staff member of the neighborhood office. Six years ago, he gave his job to his son to prevent his son from going to the countryside as an educated youth. He then spent his days entertaining birds and watching crickets and helped the neighborhood office convey its policies. 

“Everyone, today we have a rare meeting. There are three things to discuss.” Wei Jinrong was not very tall, about 1.5 meters tall, and he looked even shorter with a hunchback, but he had a loud voice, and the courtyard fell silent after he spoke. “First, there’s a happy event again in our courtyard. Newcomers have arrived, so let’s give them a warm welcome.” 

Liang Baozhen was caught off guard when her name was called. She could only respond with a smile as she looked at everyone. She now remembered that Uncle Wei was the number one official-speaker in the courtyard. He was long-winded and annoying, and some people secretly called him Old Mosquito because he was always buzzing. 

“Second, yesterday at noon, some comrades were fighting in the courtyard. It would be fine if they just quarreled normally, but they even took out a kitchen knife! What in the world is that behavior? It’s too dangerous.” Uncle Wei glanced at Lu Yuan and Cheng Caili, and the hint was obvious. “I won’t mention the names. I hope the two comrades will reflect on themselves and don’t do such stupid things again.”

 

Lu Yuan touched his nose awkwardly and kept his head down without saying anything. Cheng Caili beside him stood up suddenly, “Uncle Wei, everyone knows it was us whether you point it out or not. Okay, I’ll apologize to everyone again. It was us who made a commotion yesterday, especially me. I shouldn’t have taken the kitchen knife on impulse. I just wanted to scare them a bit…” 

“Cheng Caili, you are not just threatening me, you are clearly trying to kill me! It’s too scary.” 

“Alright, alright, Xiao Cheng realizes her mistake, Xiao Lu too, try to persuade your wife a little more.” 

“Is that Xiao Lu’s fault? Xiao Cheng herself was wrong.” 

“Isn’t it because Xiao Lu provoked her? Otherwise, would she have used a kitchen knife?” 

Liang Baozhen listened to the people in the yard talking one after another, but she couldn’t clearly understand what’s happening. Fortunately, Xiaoya next to her helped to explain. 

“Sister-in-law, the person who just spoke was Uncle Wu, who lives in the east wing; the person who spoke over there was Aunt Luo, who lives in the west wing.” Xu Shengya spoke in a low voice to begin with, and the scene was noisy, so only Liang Baozhen heard what she said. 

“Then why did they start arguing while trying to persuade them?” 

Xiaoya looked around, straightened up, and leaned close to her sister-in-law’s ear to speak, “Last time, Uncle Wu took some watermelon from Aunt Luo’s house to eat, and Aunt Luo put her hands on her hips and scolded him for several days. Later, both families started to scold each other. At that time, there was a lot of noise in the courtyard.” 

It turned out to be an old grudge. Liang Baozhen touched Xiaoya’s head and said, “Luckily you are here, otherwise I really wouldn’t understand anything.” 

After receiving praise from her sister-in-law and being patted on the head, Xiaoya smiled sweetly and became even more motivated to tell her sister-in-law about everyone in the courtyard. She told her everything she knew. 

“What are you talking about?” 

Liang Baozhen and Xu Shengya heard a familiar voice behind them and turned around at the same time. They saw Xu Shengjie, who had just returned from work, looking down at them. 

“Brother.” Xu Shengya called out in surprise and immediately gave up her seat. “Are you here for the meeting? Sit next to sister-in-law.” 

Grandmother said that her brother and sister-in-law should spend more time together, so Xu Shengya quickly jumped off the bench and went to play with Qin Xiaoyue on the other side. 

The person next to Liang Baozhen changed from Xu Shengya to Xu Shengjie, who happened to be wiping his work clothes, a smell of gasoline suddenly drift over. 

“Have you eaten?” Xu Shengjie looked straight ahead but spoke to Liang Baozhen. 

“I have,” Liang Baozhen replied, “Did you eat? I saved a bowl of cowpea rice for you.” 

“Okay, let’s go back and eat after the meeting.” But he didn’t give a direct answer as to whether he had eaten or not. 

Liang Baozhen had a sensitive nose, so she sniffed again and couldn’t help asking, “Why do you smell like gasoline?” 

Xu Shengjie is now a second-level worker at the State Cotton Factory, so he shouldn’t smell like gasoline. 

“A large truck broke down in the factory that night. I helped to repair it for a while, and it took me a while to get back.” 

“You can repair trucks too?” Liang Baozhen finally turned to look at him, with a hint of admiration in her eyes. Nowadays, just being able to drive is impressive; finding a driver is rare, let alone someone who can repair trucks. 

Unexpectedly, saying that he could repair a truck would cause such a big reaction from his wife. Xu Shengjie smiled and said softly, “I could drive when I was in the army. Later, I was often on missions. My car broke down in the mountains. There was no village or shop nearby. I had to fix it myself. After a while, I gradually learned how to fix it. I can fix simple things.” 

“Okay, okay, what’s with all this commotion during the meeting? There’s no discipline at all.” Wei Jinrong interrupted everyone’s conversation and cleared his throat. “The third point is also the main purpose of today’s meeting. Recently, many people are busy with their children returning to the city, right? I hope everyone can adjust their mentality. It’s not easy to find a job in the city now. It would be best if you can find one and let your children go back home. However, if you can’t find one for a while, don’t feel emotional…” 

Recently, the educated youth in the countryside have been feeling restless and have been looking for jobs with their families in the city. The neighborhood office is worried about unnecessary trouble and wanted to prepare everyone mentally. 

“My brother-in-law also wants to go back to the city, but I don’t know how he is finding a job now?” Liang Baozhen heard her sister mention this last time. 

“That probably won’t be easy to find. Our factory and the nearby steel mills and tractor factories aren’t hiring, unless your brother-in-law’s family can make a job available.” Xu Shengjie also knew something about the situation. 

The meeting lasted for another half an hour. Liang Baozhen had felt the impact of Wei Jinrong’s persistent voice. He could break a sentence into twenty, making many people glance around impatiently and wish they could go home. 

When he finally announced the end of the meeting, everyone gathered their bench and dispersed. 

Xu Shengjie carried the two benches and went home with Liang Baozhen and Xu Shengya. When Zhou Yun saw his grandson coming back, she asked a few questions and then went back to sleep. Xu Shengwei and Xu Shengya were also watched over as they washed their faces and feet, then they went to bed obediently. 

It was almost nine o’clock when the newlyweds finished tidying up and returned to their room. After closing the wooden door and being alone in the room, Liang Baozhen suddenly remembered some embarrassing memories and felt that her waist is  a little sore again. 

Especially when Xu Shengjie suddenly bent over and approached her, she was so scared that she immediately moved aside and looked at him vigilantly. “What’s wrong?” 

“Getting something. What’s wrong with you?” Xu Shengjie had never seen her like this before. She suddenly became as timid as a cat. 

“Nothing.” Shaking her head vigorously, Liang Baozhen saw the man rummaging in the cabinet and pulling out a yellow book in front of her. “What is this?” 

“A passbook. You keep it” Xu Shengjie sat down next to Liang Baozhen and watched as she opened it. “This is the money I saved from when I was in the military, and there’s also some… miscellaneous stuff. Apart from the money I send home every month, I saved more than 1,800 yuan. I spent more than 300 yuan on the wedding, so there’s 1,552 yuan left in there.” 

“Your leaving it to me?” It is no exaggeration to say that Liang Baozhen has never seen so much money. It is good enough for her family to get a few dozen yuan at the end of each year. In addition, Liang Zhigao earns some money by doing carpentry work, but it never reached four figures. 

“Isn’t it the wife who’s in charge? Why, should I keep it?” 

Liang Baozhen pressed the passbook against her body and immediately refused, “I’ll keep it then. Men never save money properly; they spend it too freely.” 

From her father to her second brother, it was the same! 

Xu Shengjie couldn’t help laughing and just agreed with her. “That’s quite right, then you have to take care of it.” 

Liang Baozhen opened the passbook again and looked at the number on it. She felt rich! After two years, when the policy is relaxed, she might be able to start a business with this money and buy a house… 

She wrapped it in three layers of newspaper and put the passbook away. Liang Baozhen took off her coat and lay on the bed. When Xu Shengjie saw that she was already lying down, he blew out the kerosene lamp and joined her. 

In the past, his bed was cold, but since last night, when a girl started lying in it, Xu Shengjie could only feel a faint fragrance everywhere. He was young and full of energy, and after experiencing his wedding night, he was even more passionate. However, thinking about how he had been a bit too presumptuous last night and seeing his wife rub her waist throughout the day, he felt guilty. 

“Go to sleep early. We have to visit your parents tomorrow.” 

“Okay.” 

Taking a deep breath, Xu Shengjie turned over and faced Liang Baozhen, trying to close his eyes and sleep… 

However, he, who used to fall asleep as soon as he touched the pillow, couldn’t fall asleep for a long time tonight. 

Liang Baozhen breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the man next to her fall asleep. She couldn’t stand his torment tonight, so she was glad that he still had a conscience. 

However, thinking about her married life in the past two days, everything does not seem as difficult as she imagined. The Xu family are all very nice, and there are all kinds of people in the courtyard. More importantly, her family can seize the opportunity to make money. In the future, food tickets, meat tickets, and sugar tickets will be removed. As long as you have money, you can buy whatever you want. It is always right to make more money! 

Liang Baozhen hadn’t expected Xu Shengjie to have saved up a considerable amount of money. He was indeed a responsible person. He treated her with the same gentleness as in her dreams, but he seemed a bit wild at night, which she found hard to handle… 

Lost in thought, Liang Baozhen suddenly remembered the scar in her dream. She was drowsy and confused last night and didn’t pay any attention to it at all. 

“Xu… Shengjie?” She called softly, and seeing no response, Liang Baozhen gently moved over, reached out her right hand very lightly to Xu Shengjie’s waist. She lifted a corner of his clothing and touched the area with her fingertip—there was definitely a scar! 

Immediately, her right hand was tightly held by someone. Xu Shengjie turned over and looked at the woman who was making trouble. “Don’t you want to sleep?” 

The author has something to say: 

Liang Baozhen: Let me see if the authenticity mark is there  

Xu Shengjie: Is my wife hinting at something?