Chapter 8: I Always Listen to my Wife  

A flashlight was a costly purchase, but once bought, it was something one would be reluctant to use.  

However, in situations like the present, a flashlight was undeniably essential.  

There were no streetlights, and the village did not even have electricity. If one needed to go out at night without a flashlight, they would have to navigate in complete darkness. Falling into a ditch by accident was entirely possible.  

The Fu Family owned a flashlight, which was in Fu Chunshan’s possession. As the Brigade Leader, he often had to handle matters for the brigade at night, and having a flashlight made things much more convenient.  

Fu Wenjing called over the store clerk, pointed to the flashlights on the shelf behind the counter, and said: “Give me one, and ten extra batteries.”  

Hearing Fu Wenjing’s words, Su Ruanruan looked at him with admiration in her eyes.  

Others would hesitate for a long time before buying just two batteries, yet he had asked for ten without a second thought.  

As Su Ruanruan stared at him, Fu Wenjing turned to her and spoke in a gentle tone: “This isn’t wasteful. Buying more to keep at home makes things more convenient when needed. After all, these won’t go bad.”  

“I know.” Su Ruanruan nodded quickly. She didn’t think Fu Wenjing was being wasteful at all.  

Before transmigrating, she had already been working and living alone in a rented apartment. Whenever the supermarket had promotions, she would stock up on discounted household essentials. Compared to what she used to hoard, Fu Wenjing’s purchase was nothing.  

After buying the flashlight, Fu Wenjing wanted to take Su Ruanruan to look at bicycles, but she refused.  

Fu Wenjing turned around, his gaze intense. “Ruanruan, you are my wife. It’s only right that I treat you well. I can afford a bicycle, and I even have a ticket for it.”  

Su Ruanruan shook her head again. “It’s not that I’m reluctant to spend money, nor that I don’t want you to be good to me. It’s just that a bicycle wouldn’t be of much use to me.”

Su Ruanruan continued: “I don’t work in Xiancheng, nor do I travel far. A bicycle would be of no real use to me.”  

Fu Wenjing remained silent, but his brows furrowed slightly, clearly pondering her words.  

Seeing this, Su Ruanruan had no choice but to say: “Instead of buying a bicycle that I wouldn’t use much, why not get a wristwatch? At least I can check the time, and I’d use it every day.”  

Su Ruanruan had already noticed that Fu Wenjing had never been in a relationship before. This was his first time being married, and he didn’t know how to express his care for her. For now, he could only do so by buying things for her.  

Since this was Fu Wenjing’s current way of showing affection, and it wasn’t a bad thing, she figured she might as well go along with it.  

As expected, the moment she said that, Fu Wenjing’s face lit up with joy. “Alright! I’ll listen to my wife—we’ll get a watch instead!”  

Fu Wenjing already had a watch himself. Its silver dial and metal strap gleamed under the sunlight—simple yet elegant, perfectly matching his temperament.  

Compared to leather straps, Su Ruanruan preferred metal ones as well. So, following the same style as Fu Wenjing’s watch, she picked out a women’s version.  

The women’s watch had a smaller dial and a thinner strap, making it look more delicate.  

Although the two watches weren’t bought together and weren’t officially a matching set, when Su Ruanruan put hers on and placed her wrist next to Fu Wenjing’s, they looked just like a couple’s watches.

Fu Wenjing was very satisfied with this and didn’t bother looking at any other options.

He confirmed his choice immediately.  “How much is this one?” Fu Wenjing asked the salesperson.  

“This is a Plum Blossom brand watch, 146 yuan. It’s a bit more expensive than the Shanghai brand, but it doesn’t require a ration ticket.”  

Among the tickets Fu Wenjing had just taken out, there was indeed a watch ticket.  

But now, he could buy this watch without using it, which meant he could save the ticket for later.  

Watch tickets were highly sought after. If he took one to the black market, he could easily sell it for a few dozen yuan.

Su Ruanruan naturally understood that with Fu Wenjing’s status, he wouldn’t take the watch ticket to sell on the black market. However, keeping it might still prove useful in the future.  

After buying the watch, Fu Wenjing was still not satisfied. He wanted to take Su Ruanruan to look at sewing machines.  

“Let’s buy a sewing machine.” he suggested. “It’ll make it easier for you to sew clothes, and you’ll be able to finish them faster.”  

Su Ruanruan looked at Fu Wenjing, both amused and helpless. She leaned in closer and whispered: “Just how much money do you have?”  

The things they had just bought had already cost over 170 yuan.  

For an ordinary dual-income household, saving that much after covering daily expenses for an entire year was considered quite good.  

Yet, despite having spent so much already, Fu Wenjing still wanted to buy her a sewing machine.  

Could it be that his money just blew in with the wind, making him spend so freely without a second thought?  

Su Ruanruan was waiting for Fu Wenjing’s response when she suddenly saw him smile.  

It was a doting smile.  

“What are you smiling at?” Su Ruanruan widened her eyes at him.  

She had asked a serious and sincere question, yet he was smiling?  

Did he find her question amusing?  

Fu Wenjing immediately suppressed his smile and put on a solemn, serious expression. “I have a lot of money.”  

Su Ruanruan: “???”  

She hadn’t even had time to respond when Fu Wenjing continued speaking.  

“I’m telling the truth. I served in the military for nine years. Every month, I sent two-thirds of my allowance back home, and I saved the remaining third for myself. While in the military unit, I didn’t have to spend money on food, clothing, or daily necessities. I don’t smoke, drink, or go out for gatherings. That third of my allowance? I never spent a single cent of it.”

“On top of that.” Fu Wenjing continued: “over the years, I have also taken on some special missions. Completing them came with extra rewards, and the payouts were quite large amount. I kept all of that money for myself as well.”  

“After nine years, I’ve saved a total of 1,895 yuan. So, Ruanruan, you don’t have to worry about money. Buy whatever you want without hesitation.”  

“Even if we spend all of it, there’s nothing to fear. I still have my monthly allowance, and I will continue to take on missions. There will be more bonuses in the future—I can definitely afford to support you.”  

“Even if one day I die, there will be compensation payments, and you’ll still be able to live comfortably.”  

Hearing everything up to this point, Su Ruanruan had been deeply moved and amazed by Fu Wenjing’s capabilities.  

After all, not everyone who had served for nine years could save up that much money.  

But when she heard the last two sentences, her expression instantly darkened.  

“Why are you talking about death for no reason!” Su Ruanruan glared at Fu Wenjing.  

She had just gotten married—she had no desire to become a widow.  

Fu Wenjing chuckled softly. He laughed once but quickly restrained himself. “Wife is right—no more talk of death, only living a good life. I just married such a beautiful wife, so of course, I’ll make sure to live well.”  

After spending most of the day together, Su Ruanruan had already grown accustomed to Fu Wenjing’s occasional teasing.  

She didn’t continue the topic and simply said: “Even though you have a lot of money, you still can’t spend recklessly. We’re not buying the sewing machine. I can finish a few summer outfits quickly with just my hands.”  

Fu Wenjing declared enthusiastically. “Alright! If my wife says we’re not buying it, then we’re not buying it. I’ll listen to my wife! When we get home today, I’ll give you all the money and my savings passbook. That way, if you’re holding the money, I won’t be able to spend it recklessly.”