Chapter 12 Another Day as a Rice Weevil!

Then he explained again: “I originally had over a thousand yuan in savings, but after adding to your bride price and buying things for the wedding, only seven hundred are left. I’ll give you two hundred first, and keep the remaining five hundred for when we need it. As for the fifty yuan my father sends me every month, I’ll give you thirty each month. How about that?”

“I knew you were the best, thank you, hubby!” She happily kissed him on the cheek.

Although Zeng Cheng didn’t hand over all of his savings, Zhao Qianqian knew when to stop and not empty him out at once.

Originally she had 353.8 yuan of private savings. Now that Zeng Cheng gave her another 200, she had 553.8 yuan in hand.

That afternoon she planned to go to the town’s supply and marketing cooperative. She’d keep 53.8 yuan for daily expenses, and deposit the 500 into the bank.

Today, she was overjoyed.

Another day of living as a rice weevil!

After eating, Zeng Cheng wanted to go back to work.

Now he had sworn to earn ten work points every day.

But Zhao Qianqian wouldn’t let him go: “Why go so early? Aren’t you tired enough already?”

“I’m doing this for you, to give you a good life.”

“If it’s for me, then you should listen to me.”

“What do you want?”

“I want you to stay home and nap with me.”

The man pinched her nose: “You’re getting more spoiled. Not only do you stop me from making money, now you won’t even let me go to work.”

Her red lips brushed his: “So, will you or won’t you?”

Zeng Cheng smiled helplessly. He really couldn’t resist her coquettishness, so he agreed.

After all—

They were newlyweds.

Who wouldn’t want to hold their wife and nap together all day?

That afternoon,

with the sunlight just right, the two of them lay on the bed.

She curled up in his arms like a kitten, quietly enjoying the peace.

“I’m telling you, I might be earning as many work points now as those farming households,” Zeng Cheng said proudly.

“Mm, I believe you,” Zhao Qianqian replied. “But don’t tire yourself out too much, health is the most important.”

“It’s not tiring. Supporting you isn’t tiring.” Zeng Cheng hugged her tighter, his heart full of happiness.

As they lay there, she coaxed him into another round of marital exercise.

Zeng Cheng was her golden thigh to cling to.

She had to coax him well and give him the greatest joy!

That way he wouldn’t be tempted by wildflowers outside, and the money in his hand wouldn’t fall to others.

The two of them played around in bed.

By the time Zeng Cheng went to work, it was already three in the afternoon.

And Zhao Qianqian also had to go to town.

After all, now that she was running her own household, she had to stock up on oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea.

And she wanted to buy some meat to nourish her husband.

Not because she loved him so much.

But because he was her long-term meal ticket for living as a rice weevil. He had to be well maintained.

After Zeng Cheng went off to work,

Zhao Qianqian set out shopping.

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At the supply and marketing cooperative.

It took her an hour by bicycle to reach town.

She originally planned to buy some meat.

But in the town’s cooperative, meat could only be bought with ration tickets.

Even if she offered a high price, without tickets they wouldn’t sell.

But ribs and big bones didn’t require tickets.

So, thriftily, she spent one yuan and fifty cents on two big bones, and three yuan and fifty cents on eggs.

Thinking of how hard Zeng Cheng worked, she also bought six big meat buns from the state-run restaurant to take home.

On the way, she saw bananas and pears for sale.

She spent five yuan on some.

Indeed, fruit in this era was more expensive than meat.

But since she wanted to eat, she bought them.

Hehe.

If the money ran out, she could just ask Zeng Cheng for more.

Clinging to his thigh felt so good!

When she returned from town, it was almost six in the evening, but Zeng Cheng still hadn’t come back.

She hadn’t expected the man to be so diligent.

It was early winter, and by six it was already dark.

Would he really work so hard every day just to earn ten work points for her sake?

Since she had bought the meat buns, Zhao Qianqian didn’t cook dinner. She just stewed some pear soup from the pears she’d bought.

Fortunately, Zeng’s father had mailed them many supplies.

So they never lacked things like red sugar, dates, and rock sugar.

She simply cooked pear soup with pears, rock sugar, and red dates.

In early winter, many people caught colds, had fevers, and coughed from the seasonal change.

Zeng Cheng also had a bit of a cough.

Pear soup was sweet, cleared the lungs and eased coughs, stimulated appetite, protected the liver, and aided digestion.

So she could use it to earn his favor.

During the cooking, Zhao Qianqian ate all the bananas she had bought.

At first she had planned to save two for Zeng Cheng.

But, you know—

In this era, fruit was too scarce.

Once she started, she couldn’t stop.

Luckily, Zeng Cheng wasn’t back yet.

She threw the banana peels far outside the door.

She decided not to tell him she had secretly eaten them.

At six-thirty,

Zeng Cheng came back. She quickly served him a bowl of pear soup and coaxed: “You must be exhausted. I specially made this pear soup for you. It was really expensive—five yuan for just six.”

Yes.

She firmly avoided mentioning that the five yuan covered both bananas and pears.

“If it’s that expensive, you should save it for yourself. I’ll just have some tea.”

She never thought the day would come when he’d think five yuan was expensive.

Probably because in the past he had immense family wealth, with his maternal family ranked among the richest in the capital.

But now he knew how hard it was to make money.

Even earning ten full work points didn’t amount to one yuan.

“How can that be!” Zhao Qianqian brought the bowl to his lips. “Drink it, I only bought it because I heard you coughing.”

Though she said that, in her heart she fretted: “If he leaves it all for me, then my secretly eating the bananas will be embarrassing.”

Since she had already brought the bowl to his lips, Zeng Cheng didn’t insist and drank it all in one go.

In that moment, he truly felt how good it was to be cared for.

Then Zhao Qianqian added: “Go wash your hands and eat. I went to the state-run restaurant to buy buns. I couldn’t bear to eat them, so I saved them all for you.”

“Don’t exaggerate. Missing a bite won’t kill me.”

In the end, of the six buns, Zeng Cheng ate three, Zhao Qianqian ate two, and one was saved for his breakfast the next morning.

This kind of life—

Zeng Cheng felt more and more hopeful.

Even the bitterness of being sent down to the countryside seemed to disappear!

He was grateful he had met Zhao Qianqian here.

At night, before bed,

Zhao Qianqian finally remembered about work: “Hubby, my mother gave me a job as part of my dowry. I need to go tomorrow for the handover.”