Chapter 75 : Three Major Items

“Thank you, Captain.”  

Su Xieqiu took the letter and glanced at the handwriting and address.  

It was from the same person as before, her adoptive father in Haishi.  

She didn’t rush to open it but placed it casually on the table and began tidying up the items under the bed.  

Earlier, when Grandpa Du and Uncle Du were leaving, she had taken some fine grains from her private stash and given them to them.  

The two had initially refused, even suggesting she keep the cotton and cloth to make a new quilt.  

Su Xieqiu had to insist, saying that they had plenty at home and that Han Zhenyu had asked them to take the items.  

After much back-and-forth, Grandpa Du and Uncle Du reluctantly accepted.  

Su Xieqiu then began organizing the things under the bed, which were already packed and prepared for Han Zhenyu.  

Before leaving, Grandpa Du had advised her that the newly built house was still damp, and the kang (heated bed) wasn’t dry yet. He suggested airing it out for a few days before moving in.  

However, cooking, using the toilet, and bathing in their current temporary housing were inconvenient. The brigade headquarters also had people coming and going during the day, leaving no privacy.  

Su Xieqiu decided to move their belongings to the new house first and spend the day cooking and cleaning there.  

At night, they would temporarily stay in the adobe house where Grandpa Du and Uncle Du had been living. It had two wooden beds, so she and Han Zhenyu could sleep separately, sparing him from sleeping on the floor.  

It was now mid-afternoon, and most of the villagers were out working in the fields. Only a few elderly people and young children were around, running and playing.  

Su Xieqiu borrowed a cart from the brigade headquarters and made two trips to transport the items she had purchased to the new house.  

Meanwhile, Han Zhenyu had been quite lucky. He not only managed to buy a bicycle but also a sewing machine. Unfortunately, the watch he wanted was out of stock.  

He hired a bullock cart in the city to deliver the sewing machine and followed behind on his bicycle.  

When he reached the village, he went straight to the new house and had the sewing machine unloaded there.  

Su Xieqiu was moving a wooden table from the cart when Han Zhenyu rode into the yard on his bicycle.  

He parked the bike and shouted, “Put it down, quickly! Let me do it.”  

Su Xieqiu wiped the sweat off her forehead and smiled, “You’re back?”  

Seeing her sweaty and tired, Han Zhenyu felt a pang of concern.  

Noticing the pile of items already in the house, he asked in a slightly scolding tone, “Why didn’t you wait for me to come back? These things are heavy, what if you hurt yourself?”  

“It’s okay, they’re not that heavy.”  

Before she could help him lift the table, Han Zhenyu effortlessly carried it into the house.  

She noticed the ox cart parked outside and asked, “Han Zhenyu, what’s that cart for?”  

“I bought a sewing machine and had it delivered,” he said, stepping out of the house to guide the ox cart driver in.  

“A sewing machine?” Su Xieqiu asked in surprise.  

Han Zhenyu smiled and nodded. “I didn’t buy one when we got married, so I’m making up for it now.”  

At first, Su Xieqiu wanted to ask why he had bought one, but then she remembered, this wasn’t the 21st century. Ready-made clothes weren’t common, and most people bought fabric and sewed their own.  

A sewing machine would indeed make life much easier. Since they planned to live here for eight or nine years, it made sense not to skimp on necessary items if they could afford them.  

After sending the ox cart away, Han Zhenyu saw Su Xieqiu arranging things in the kitchen and went over to help.  

“Grandpa and Uncle left already?” he asked.  

“They left this afternoon. They should be home by now,” she replied, then asked, “Did you take care of the factory issue?”  

“Everything’s been sorted out. It shouldn’t cause any more problems,” Han Zhenyu said.  

After a moment’s hesitation, he decided to tell her the whole story.  

After all, this involved the relationship between a man and a woman. Although it wasn’t his fault, Su Xieqiu was his wife, and she had the right to know.  

After recounting the incident, Han Zhenyu looked directly at her and said, “I really have nothing to do with her. I don’t know why that woman claimed I was dating her. I suspect she’s delusional, and her family seems a bit abnormal.”  

Su Xieqiu opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say.  

She believed Han Zhenyu had no reason to lie to her.  

If he wanted to marry a city girl, he could simply ask for a divorce. She wouldn’t hold him back.  

There was no reason for him to spend so much money and effort renovating the countryside house and treating her so well.  

But Su Xieqiu couldn’t just brush it off. They were just about to start living a good life, and now this incident had come up. It was truly bothersome.  

She looked at the man in front of her, whose temperament was exceptional, and sighed inwardly.  

Having a husband who was too handsome wasn’t a good thing, there would always be women shamelessly pursuing him.  

“I’ve encountered self-indulgent people like that before. I know such things are inevitable. As long as you remain steadfast, they won’t affect me,” she said.  

After some thought, she decided to clarify her position  

“If one day you change your mind or find a better option, you can tell me directly. I won’t cling to you or cause a scene, and I certainly won’t stand in the way of your happiness. But I want to make one thing clear, I do not allow my man to get too close to other women or have ambiguous relationships with them. That’s my bottom line.”  

Han Zhenyu stared at her for a while. Instead of making promises or claiming he would never change, he nodded solemnly and said, “Okay, I’ll remember that.”  

He understood that no matter what promises he made, she wouldn’t fully trust them unless they stayed together in the long term. She was too calm and rational for empty words.  

If she ever felt differently, she would leave without hesitation.  

He thought to himself that time would be the true test of his character.  

And he was also curious, how deeply would he fall for this woman?  

They didn’t bring up the matter again. Instead, Su Xieqiu looked at the bicycle he had ridden back. It didn’t seem to be the one he had ridden in the morning.  

“Did you buy a new bicycle too?” she asked.  

“Isn’t marriage supposed to include three major items? A sewing machine, a bicycle, and a watch,” Han Zhenyu said, tucking a stray strand of her hair behind her ear with a gentle look.  

“I want to buy all of these for you. Unfortunately, the supply and marketing cooperative had sold out of watches. But I’ve already asked an acquaintance to reserve one for me when the next batch arrives.”  

When she first came here, Su Xieqiu really wanted a watch.  

She wasn’t used to gauging time by the position of the sun. In her previous life, she could check the time anytime, anywhere. Adjusting to this life had been difficult.  

But now, after building a large tile-roofed house and buying a bicycle and a sewing machine, how much money did they have left?  

Han Zhenyu had only been working for a year, how could he have so much saved?  

“If you’re going to starve just to buy these things, it’s not worth it,” she said.  

“You’ve only been working for a year. Where did you get so much money?” she asked. When he didn’t answer, she pressed, “You didn’t borrow money, did you?”  

“No, I didn’t borrow any money,” Han Zhenyu coughed lightly and explained, “I saved some money before joining the machinery factory. After I started working there, I also did some private jobs, so I had enough.”  

Su Xieqiu noticed his vague response and had her suspicions.  

But since he didn’t elaborate, she chose not to ask further.  

After organizing the kitchen, Su Xieqiu said, “My two jars of pickled peppers are still at the brigade headquarters. Go get them and let the brigade leader know we’re ready to move in.”  

“Got it. I’ll head over now,” Han Zhenyu replied.