Chapter 72 : If I am fired, will you still follow me?

When Su Xieqiu returned from the village with a large basket of vegetables and a freshly slaughtered chicken, Han Zhenyu and Li Shaohua had already gone to the new house to help out. She immediately got to work preparing lunch.

The house was going to be completed that day, and with guests expected, Su Xieqiu decided to prepare a hearty meal. She had bought tofu from the village, planning to stew it with salted fish. She also decided on fried tomato and egg, stir-fried peppers with canned meat, and a stew of pork, sauerkraut, and vermicelli. Additionally, she would prepare shredded kidney beans, cold cucumber salad, and pickled peppers as a side dish. Finally, she planned to make roast chicken with potatoes.

With only one pot, she steamed the rice first before starting on the stir-frying and stewing.  

When she began steaming the rice, Han Zhenyu came over to help, worried she might struggle to handle it all alone.  

She shared her menu with him, “Eight dishes, okay? If not, I can add two more.”  

“That’s plenty,” Han Zhenyu replied, smiling. “Thank you for your hard work.”  

“It’s no trouble at all,” Su Xieqiu said, chopping the vegetables with ease and smiling.  

Han Zhenyu then mentioned, “There’s something happening at the factory this afternoon. I’ll need to go, so I might be back late. Don’t wait up for me for dinner.”  

Without prying, she smiled and nodded, “Got it.”  

The two worked seamlessly together one cooking, the other doing odd jobs and by noon, all eight dishes were ready and served on the table.  

Since Han Zhenyu and Li Shaohua had to leave for the factory, the meal was served earlier than usual.  

Han Zhenyu turned to Han Lei and Sun Dashu, saying, “We had planned to get together tonight, but something came up at the factory. I’ll have to invite you another day.”  

Han Lei waved dismissively, “Brother Zhenyu, do what you need to. We’re brothers, we’ll have plenty of opportunities to gather.”  

“Exactly. Why be so formal with us?” Sun Dashu and the others echoed with smiles.  

“Alright,” Han Zhenyu said, nodding. “Once we’ve moved in and settled, we’ll host everyone properly, and your wives too.”  

“Sounds good,” the group replied cheerfully.  

After lunch, Han Zhenyu and Li Shaohua got ready to head to the factory. Before they left, Su Xieqiu packed a pocket with the vegetables she had brought back, along with a jar of pickled peppers. She handed it to Li Shaohua, saying, “There’s not much here in the countryside, but if you don’t mind, take these back and enjoy them.”  

This was Li Shaohua’s first visit to Han Zhenyu’s home, and he hadn’t brought anything with him in his hurry. Now, after being treated to such a generous meal and given a return gift, he felt embarrassed to accept. But the pickled peppers were so delicious he couldn’t bring himself to refuse.  

He glanced at Han Zhenyu for guidance, silently asking, ‘Should I take this or not?’  

Understanding his hesitation, Han Zhenyu said with a teasing smile, “He likes it very much and won’t mind at all.”  

Su Xieqiu chuckled and nodded. As she sent them off, she asked Han Zhenyu, “Grandpa and Uncle said they’d go home after cleaning out the vegetable cellar. Did you give them some money? And Uncle and my two cousins have been helping us for so long. We should pay them too.”  

Han Zhenyu waved to Li Shaohua, saying, “You go ahead. I need to speak with my wife.”  

Li Shaohua smiled knowingly, said goodbye to Su Xieqiu, and rode off on his bike.  

Once they were alone, Han Zhenyu held her hand and reassured her, “Don’t worry. After the house is cleaned up, I’ll take you to Grandma and Aunt’s house. We’ll settle everything and pay them properly.”  

“Alright,” she replied, though she felt a little awkward about him holding her hand and tried to pull away.  

But he held on tightly. She finally reminded him, “Don’t you have a meeting to attend? You should leave quickly!”

Han Zhenyu released her hand with a smile but stopped again just as he was about to get on his bike.  

After a brief pause, he turned to her and asked seriously, “Su Xieqiu, if I were fired from the factory, would you still stay with me?”  

“Did something happen?” Su Xieqiu was caught off guard by the question, her expression showing a mix of surprise and concern.  

Han Zhenyu didn’t hide anything and admitted, “Actually, I’m not going back for a meeting. There’s an issue at the factory, and I need to return to handle it.”  

Once again, he asked with great seriousness, “If I truly get fired, will you still stay with me?”  

Su Xieqiu thought for a moment before answering, “That depends on the reason. If you didn’t make a mistake involving principles, then I don’t care. At worst, you can come back to farm. We won’t starve.”  

“What do you mean by ‘principled mistakes’?” Han Zhenyu asked, wanting clarity.  

“Affairs or improper relationships,” she replied firmly, meeting his gaze. “That’s my bottom line. If you make such a mistake, I will not tolerate it. I’ll divorce you without hesitation.”  

Han Zhenyu smiled at her response, gently touched her face, and looked deeply into her eyes. “I don’t know if we’ll always stay together, but I can promise you this, if we ever part ways, it won’t be because of something like that.”  

“Then remember what you’re saying today,” Su Xieqiu said seriously. “If you can keep that promise, then even if you’re fired and we have to live on simple food, I’ll stay with you.”  

Her words seemed to touch something deep within him. For a moment, he wanted to embrace her tightly, but realizing they were still on the road and it wasn’t appropriate, he held back.  

He still had matters to attend to at the factory. For her sake, he resolved to do everything possible to resolve the issue. He couldn’t bear the thought of letting her endure hardship.  

With determination in his voice, he said, “Su Xieqiu, I won’t let you suffer. Even if I’m fired, I’ll still find a way to support you.”  

She smiled and replied playfully, “Actually, I can support you too.”  

Her words weren’t mere comfort, they were genuine. If worst came to worst, she knew they could return to farming. With his strength, he could earn several work points a day, and with her resourcefulness, they would manage just fine.  

Thinking about the future, she reminded herself that once the college entrance exams resumed and the reforms began, life would inevitably improve.  

Han Zhenyu shook his head, realizing he couldn’t listen any longer without pulling her into his arms. With effort, he climbed onto his bike and said, “I’m leaving now. Go home, rest, and take a nap.”  

Su Xieqiu nodded and smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry too much. Being fired isn’t the end of the world. We’ll manage by farming if we have to.”  

Without looking back, he gave a soft “hmm” and rode away.  

At the village entrance, Li Shaohua was waiting for him. When he saw Han Zhenyu approach, he smirked and teased, “How sappy.”  

Han Zhenyu grinned proudly. “My wife was comforting me, worried I’d be upset about being fired. She even said she’d support me if it came to that.”  

Li Shaohua shuddered and exaggeratedly rubbed his arms as if shaking off goosebumps. “It’s unsettling to see someone as serious as you suddenly act like this.”  

Han Zhenyu laughed, “Weren’t you the one showing off your affection in front of me every day? Now you know how disgusting it felt for me back then.”  

“Come on, I’m not as over-the-top as you. My wife never said she’d support me,” Li Shaohua retorted.  

“That’s because you’re not as lucky as I am,” Han Zhenyu said, not missing the chance to gloat.  

The two bantered and laughed as they made their way to the city. As they neared the factory, the tone shifted, and Li Shaohua asked with concern, “Do you have a plan for how to handle this?”  

Han Zhenyu narrowed his eyes and replied calmly, “I’ll meet with them first and then decide what to do.”