Chapter 146 : Who is this?

After breakfast, Chenchen and An an played on the swings in the yard.

Han Zhenyu pulled out a handful of money from his pocket.

“I brought some food back from the farm this time. I kept 50 kilograms of fine grain and sold the rest. I earned over 100 yuan. I left 30 yuan and some tickets for Chenchen’s parents. The rest is here for you to keep.”

Su Xieqiu was surprised and said, “That’s a lot. It’s equivalent to three or four months’ salary for you.”

She knew that drivers were in high demand these days but didn’t expect this kind of earning potential.

Earning over 100 yuan in just a few days and bringing back dozens of kilograms of fine grain felt almost unreal.

No wonder people say that today’s drivers wouldn’t even trade places with a government official.

She used to think such claims were exaggerated, but now she realized she had underestimated the situation.

But then she thought about the more than 3,000 yuan Han Zhenyu had given her some time ago, and it seemed less surprising.

“This time, it involved some goodwill,” Han Zhenyu explained quietly. “The farm only provided 300 to 400 kilograms of low-priced grain, and Director Chen helped me secure the rest. Judging by his attitude, he seems interested in building a connection with me.”

“So that’s how it is,” Su Xieqiu said, understanding that securing more than 300 kilograms of low-priced grain could easily yield a profit of 30 or 40 yuan, which was no small amount.

If the amount were even higher, it might provoke jealousy and resentment from others.

As she held the handful of money, Su Xieqiu suddenly recalled something.

In a book she had read in her previous life, there was mention of a strict crackdown on long-distance drivers reselling goods during the 1970s.

At the time, she had skimmed through it casually.

Many people were caught up in the crackdown, some lost their jobs, some went to prison, and the most serious cases even faced execution.

Thinking of this, Su Xieqiu broke out in a cold sweat.

Han Zhenyu noticed her sudden change in expression and asked anxiously, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Su Xieqiu quickly grabbed his hand and said, “Han Zhenyu, you must stop doing this. Your salary is enough for us. There’s no need to take such risks.”

Han Zhenyu breathed a sigh of relief. He thought something serious had happened, but it turned out his wife was worried about him.

He smiled and said, “It’s okay, don’t worry. I’m very careful and always follow the proper procedures when transporting anything.”

“No, you can’t do it anymore,” Su Xieqiu insisted firmly, determined to stop him from doing private work.

Fearing he might continue behind her back, she added, “Even with documents, you’re on a business trip. Carrying so many unrelated items could still raise suspicion if someone checks.”

Han Zhenyu looked puzzled. She had been fine earlier, why the sudden change?

After thinking for a moment, he said, “For long-distance trips, two people share one vehicle. Everyone else does it. If I refuse, it will create tension, and my partner might have issues with me.”

Su Xieqiu frowned, recalling the child she had saved.

The family lived in the county committee’s staff housing compound. Judging by their spacious home, they were likely officials.

She decided to use them as leverage.

She told Han Zhenyu about the rescue and then added mysteriously, “A few days ago, the Chang family came to thank me. They know you’re a driver at the machinery factory. Before leaving, Sister Chang casually mentioned that the higher-ups are planning to strictly investigate drivers. She didn’t specify what, but I think it has to do with reselling goods.”

Han Zhenyu was startled. “Did she say when it would start?”

Su Xieqiu shook her head. “She only mentioned it vaguely, probably because she couldn’t disclose more.”

Seeing his thoughtful expression, she earnestly advised, “Our life is good now, and we’ve saved some money. You have a stable salary and various tickets every month, and with my work points, it’s enough for us to live on. If something happens to you, the two children and I will be bullied to death in the village.”

She feared that Han Zhenyu might not be able to resist the lure of money, so she deliberately exaggerated the consequences.

Han Zhenyu listened seriously and said solemnly, “Wife, I understand. I won’t let anything happen to me.”

He gazed at Su Xieqiu tenderly. “You don’t need to work. Even if I don’t bring goods back, I can still take care of you.”

Su Xieqiu smiled and nodded, relieved that he had listened.

She thought to herself, ‘I have so much food in my space, it’s more than enough to feed all of us. Why would I need to rely on anything else?’

She asked, “How many days will you be resting this time?”

“Two days,” he replied.

Han Zhenyu paused for a moment before adding, “Wife, I want to go to the factory. This afternoon, a close colleague of mine is heading to the provincial capital to deliver machinery. I want to let him know about the investigation. Do you think that’s okay?”

Su Xieqiu shrugged. “That’s fine, but what if the higher-ups decide not to investigate after all? Wouldn’t that delay people from making money, and they’d end up blaming you?”

“I understand. I’ll be tactful about it. Whether they take my advice or not is up to them,” Han Zhenyu said with a smile.

“Alright, but bring back some salt. I’m going to learn how to make soybean paste from Sister Fengqin, and I’ll need a lot of salt,” Su Xieqiu said. She handed him twenty yuan. “Take this as pocket money. If it’s not enough, let me know.”

Han Zhenyu accepted the money with a grin. “Thank you, wife.”

Su Xieqiu shot him a glare, embarrassed. ‘I have a name. Why does he keep calling me ‘wife’? It’s so annoying!’

Han Zhenyu, amused by her blushing face, hid his delight, fearing she might get upset.

He stood up and asked seriously, “Wife, while I’m out, do you need me to buy anything else? Maybe some snacks?”

Worried he might overdo it, Su Xieqiu waved her hand quickly. “No, no, we have everything at home. Just get the salt.”

She knew he’d be back soon, so two days ago, she had made an excuse to go to the city and brought out plenty of supplies from her space, including food and daily necessities.

When Han Zhenyu heard her claim that the house had everything, he narrowed his eyes and headed to the storage room in their bedroom.

Seeing the shelves packed with rare food and daily necessities, he was stunned. Everything there was hard to come by.

Anger surged as he gritted his teeth and said, “Su Xieqiu, did you go to the black market again?”

“No! I didn’t go! I’ve never been to the black market!” Su Xieqiu denied quickly, shaking her head.

Pointing to the shelves, Han Zhenyu demanded, “Then where did all these things come from?”

Feeling a bit guilty, Su Xieqiu tried to maintain her composure and lied, “Didn’t I tell you last time? I have a friend who got all of this for me.”

To avoid future questioning, she added, “My friend said I’d always get first pick of any good items. So, you don’t need to worry about buying food or daily necessities anymore. I’ll handle it.”

Han Zhenyu sneered. “Who is this friend of yours? Someone so capable of getting these rare items? Why don’t you introduce me to him? I’d like to meet him.”

He was furious, almost beside himself. ‘This woman is getting bolder and more defiant with each passing day!’

Looking at the abundance of supplies, he wondered how many black markets she had visited to get them.

‘She’s truly impossible to keep in check.’