Chapter 25: There Must Be Someone at Home Who Understands Warmth and Cold

Recalling how his wife had repeatedly and secretly slipped money to her younger brother, Jiang Wanshui felt a flare of anger rising in his gut, fueled by the alcohol he had consumed.

This woman, she must have skimmed money off the pork sales again. No wonder she was so eager to rush him out of the house this afternoon before he had even fully sobered up—it was so she could hand over the cash to her brother.

That spendthrift! I’ll show her—no, I’ll yell her to death!

He stormed into the house, his expression fierce, but the moment he caught sight of Su Xiaoyan busy in the kitchen, his aggressive look vanished instantly.

"Wife, cooking?"

"What are we having for dinner?"

Su Xiaoyan cast a sidelong glance at him. "How much have you had to drink?" She stood up and brought him a bowl of hangover soup from the pot. "Drinking every single day, you’ll drink yourself to death."

"Heh heh, you’re the only one who treats me well. Look around Liangshan—which other wife is as thoughtful as you? Always saving me some hangover soup."

Jiang Wanshui held the bowl, blew on it, and took a sip, squinting his eyes in satisfaction. Then, he paused, his eyes darting around. "Um, wife, I think I saw your brother earlier."

If she confessed now, he’d forgive her. After all, he wouldn't find anyone with a better temper in all of Liangshan. He muttered this to himself, then heard Su Xiaoyan reply, "Yeah, he came to deliver some money."

Money! So he really did come to borrow... wait.

Jiang Wanshui turned to look at Su Xiaoyan, stunned. "What did you say? Deliver... deliver money?"

"Yes, five hundred." Su Xiaoyan walked over, took the money that had been pressed under a plate on the table, and handed it to Jiang Wanshui. "He said if it’s not enough, he’ll make it up later. He also bought a pair of shoes for Xiaoyu and Xiaoxuan each. Here, they are right there."

Jiang Wanshui counted the money in disbelief. It was indeed five hundred. Fearing it might be counterfeit, he specifically turned on the electric light to inspect it closely before abruptly jumping up and rushing out the door.

Su Xiaoyan stared at him, bewildered. "Old Wan, what are you doing?"

Jiang Wanshui came back in, pinching his own thigh. "I’m not dreaming? The sun didn’t rise in the west, did it? No, wait, did A-Chen really deliver money?"

Su Xiaoyan rolled her eyes, annoyed. "Is it really that strange?"

"Didn't I tell you when I got back earlier? My younger brother has turned over a new leaf."

Jiang Wanshui chuckled. "Well, I hadn't seen it for myself, had I?"

He rubbed the stack of cash, still feeling amazed. Honestly, in all the years he had been married to Su Xiaoyan, as far as he knew, the money she had secretly funneled to her brother added up to at least five hundred, if not a thousand. He had never expected to see a cent of it back. He never imagined that not only would he get some back, but five hundred all at once. Although this money was intended for the birthday banquet, it was... something to look forward to, right?

He didn't ask for the brother to repay what he had borrowed previously; as long as he stopped coming to borrow more, everything would be just fine. Thinking of this, Jiang Wanshui couldn't help but chuckle again.

"Wife, our life is getting better and better."

Su Xiaoyan glared at him. "Better? We don't have much in savings. I was thinking of going to the city to buy a house later. I heard the schools there have good teachers. Xiaoyu and Xiaoxuan have decent grades; if they can go to school in the city, maybe they can even get into college."

Jiang Wanshui’s eyes lit up. "If they get into college, they’ll have a government-backed career."

"Exactly. So, let’s work a bit harder these next two years and move to the city."

"I’ll listen to you, wife."

Su Xiaoyan gave him a look. "Drink your hangover soup, and go take a bath later."

Just as Su Chen reached the entrance of Niuzwei Village, he saw Honghong kicking small stones under a tree, looking up at the mountain road every now and then. When she saw him, her eyes lit up and she ran over. "Dad!"

"Hey, have you eaten yet?"

Honghong shook her head. "No, Grandma and Grandpa said to wait for you to eat together."

"Perfect, Dad bought some sugar cakes. We'll have Grandma heat them up and we can all eat."

Su Chen was once again carrying bags large and small. Of course, a portion of them was for little A-Yun: diapers, powdered milk, and some small clothes. He had also bought jackets for A-Cai and Yueyue. All told, the children’s new clothes for the New Year were taken care of, except for an extra set for changing.

When they got home, Liu Chunhua saw the haul and couldn't help but nag a little. "Why buy clothes for A-Yun? Children grow in the blink of an eye. These clothes are too small; you won't be able to put them on her in a few months."

Su Chen smiled. "I’ll just buy more then."

"Fine, fine, you’ve got money to burn."

He really did have money to spare. Su Chen directly stuffed 200 yuan into Liu Chunhua’s hand, which startled her.

"This much?" She then asked, "Why are you suddenly giving me money?"

"Mom, money is needed everywhere in this house. This is for household expenses."

"Household expenses don't need this much," Liu Chunhua said, busy trying to push the money back. "Mom has money, I don't need it."

"If your son gives it to you, just spend it. Don't save it for me. If you don't take it, I’m going out to gamble."

At that, Liu Chunhua immediately snatched back the 200 yuan she had stuffed into his trouser pocket and clutched it protectively.

Su Chen couldn't help but laugh. Turning to meet Old Man Su’s gaze, Su Chen handed over another bag. "Dad, this is for you."

"What is it?"

"A jacket, leather shoes, a sweater, and trousers."

Su Chen had originally considered buying a high-end coat costing one or two thousand for his father’s sixtieth birthday, but his pockets were tight, so he had to settle for something cheaper. Still, this jacket had cost him 120 yuan and looked much more impressive than the one he had worn before.

Seeing Old Man Su trying on the clothes, Liu Chunhua’s eyes reddened. "A-Chen, your dad has a wrinkled, dark face—why buy him clothes? If you have money, you should give it to Mom. Mom will save it for you."

"Mom, I was in a rush coming back today, so I didn't buy you anything. Tomorrow, I’ll get your sweater and trousers sorted out."

"Mom has clothes to wear, I don't need any. But you..." Liu Chunhua finally noticed the leather jacket was dry and hurried into the house to bring it out and drape it over Su Chen. "You foolish child, it’s dark out, don't you know to stay warm?"

"I’m not cold. Mom, feel my hand, it’s still warm."

Liu Chunhua didn't believe him. "That’s just from walking so fast."

"Enough talk, let’s eat. Mom cooked meat today."

There were many people at the table, so even though they had cooked a plate of meat, it was scraped clean after everyone took a piece. Liu Chunhua was quick-handed and placed the last piece into Su Chen’s bowl. "A-Chen, you eat more. You’re running back and forth every day, it’s too tiring. Honestly, if it really doesn't work out, maybe you should just rent a place in the city."

"Third Sister mentioned that before, too. We’ll see, let’s wait until after the New Year."

Liu Chunhua sighed. "Your Third Sister also told me she wanted to buy a house in the city. Your brother-in-law has been saving up; I reckon they’re almost there. If they buy a house, you can stay with your Third Sister later. She cooks well, and you won't have to cook for yourself."

"If you ask me, A-Chen, you still need someone to look after you. Mom knows A-Hua..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Old Man Su began to cough violently.

"You old fool, are you eating too fast again? Serves you right. I tell you every time to eat slowly, but you never listen. Choked, didn't you?"

Liu Chunhua busied herself patting Old Man Su’s back, successfully cutting off the topic. Su Chen gave a bitter smile. Although this world was quite beautiful, the pressure to get married was truly difficult to deal with. Especially since the original owner’s wife hadn't even been gone for a month.

To prevent Liu Chunhua from bringing it up again, he finished his meal quickly and returned to his room.