“The iron pot holds what I’ve earned outside these past ten-odd years. From now on, it’s all yours to manage. Don’t worry, we hand in thirty yuan to the family every month, so we’re not short on money.”
Because he didn’t earn work points, he gave fifteen yuan to the family each month, just as a gesture.
But in reality, the things he brought back each month far exceeded those fifteen yuan.
“And this stack here, Mom and Dad said today’s wedding gifts are also ours to keep. From now on, when my friends give gifts, we’ll handle it ourselves.”
Ning Yan opened the iron pot, poured all the money out, leaned against the pile of quilts, and started happily counting the money.
Well, he spent over two thousand on the wedding, and there were still three thousand four hundred and twenty-six yuan in the pot.
Picking up another stack of red paper, besides recording who in the village gave how much in gifts, the total was also written at the bottom. And it was quite a lot.
“I’ll keep the gift list. We can use it as a reference for future gift-giving. As for this money, you should give it to the family. After all, we haven’t Cheng.”
“No need. If I tell you to keep it, you keep it. The second brother and his wife do the same.”
Only then did Ning Yan put the money back into the iron pot.
“I didn’t realize you were so good at making money, accumulating so much at such a young age.”
Fan Dahu leaned close to Ning Yan’s ear and whispered, “There are other things I didn’t dare to keep at home. In a couple of days, I’ll retrieve them and give them to you to keep too.”
Ning Yan: …Just married and not even through the wedding night, and he’s already handing over all his private stash?!
“Mhm, I love managing the household most.” So, you, the money-raker, go out and earn as much as you can. I, the money-box, guarantee to keep it all perfectly managed.
At this moment, Fan Dahu checked his watch. “Ahem, well, wife, I’ll go prepare your bathwater. Wait for me a bit, alright?”
Ning Yan: …In summer, the days are long, but it really wasn’t early now, past nine o’clock.
This also meant the main event was coming.
While Ning Yan bathed, he waited outside. After Ning Yan finished, he poured out the water, then grabbed a bucket, poured two buckets of water over his head, and finished his bath in a minute.
In the Fan family courtyard, the lights in several houses were off.
Fan Dahu tried to walk back to his room as lightly as possible, then closed the door.
At this moment, Ning Yan’s long, curly hair was spread out, and she was wearing a white sleeveless nightgown.
It was just an ordinary nightgown, yet she wore it with an air of both purity and allure.
Fan Dahu’s throat moved quickly, then he scooped Ning Yan up and placed her on the kang.
Ning Yan suddenly had a bad feeling. Would she be unable to get out of bed tomorrow?
Impatient, too impatient!
“Ugh, you old bastard…” She was in so much pain, this stupid bear!
Waaah, so annoying. Had he not seen a woman in eight lifetimes?
Fan Dahu was afraid his wife’s sounds would be too loud and heard by others, so he quickly covered her mouth. Fortunately, he didn’t stab wildly anymore!
After much difficulty, Ning Yan recovered from the pain. She pushed away the man’s crew-cut head. “You, you want to kill me!”
Fan Dahu was panting heavily, sweat dripping down his forehead. My good wife, it’s clearly you, you who wants to kill me…
It was too * to move, really couldn’t move.
“Wife…”
A quarter of an hour later, Fan Dahu let out a long, satisfied breath. Less than two seconds later, he perked up again. “Wife, you teach so well. As expected of a high school student, I’ve learned it. This time, I’m sure I’ll get a hundred points.”
Genius students usually understand with a single hint. The couple studied their 'subject' for most of the night before finally quieting down.
In the morning, as soon as the sky began to lighten, there was movement in the Fan family courtyard. Ning Yan, though incredibly sleepy, was shaken awake.
She turned her head and glared at the man behind her. Fan Dahu said, “Wife, even when you glare, you’re beautiful.”
He knew his wife was angry, but in the early morning, men have urges, and he couldn’t control himself. What could he do?
Ning Yan: …
When they came out of the room, even the little children from the third household were already playing with flowers in their courtyard.
“Grandma, I pulled out so many vegetables from the garden.”
Li Xiuhua looked up and immediately let out a lion’s roar: “Oh, you naughty boy! We’ve already picked enough vegetables for the morning. Don’t you dare mess up my vegetable garden again!”
The two identical little children were startled by the roar, and the cucumbers they were holding fell to the ground.
The children’s mother quickly carried them back to her room, washed their hands and faces, and then took them to the dining hall for a meal.
At the dinner table, Li Xiuhua looked at her eldest son’s beaming face and secretly cursed him for being a good-for-nothing.
“Hurry and eat. We’ll be going to the fields soon. Whose turn is it to cook today?”
The fourth daughter-in-law raised her hand, “Mom, it’s my turn.”
“At noon, make steamed buns with two types of flour, and also some with fillings. I see the small Chinese cabbage needs thinning again. There’s still a bit of leftover meat from yesterday, so let’s eat that at noon too.”
Meat in summer, when salted, could last an extra two days, but it couldn’t be kept indefinitely, so it was better to eat it.
The fourth household’s wife honestly agreed. The Fan family’s life was considered good in the brigade. Why?
They had seven strong laborers. Li Xiuhua didn’t go to the fields much, but she wasn’t idle at home. Her three daughters-in-law took turns cooking and doing housework, while she went to the mountains to gather pig feed and managed the two pigs and twenty-odd chickens at home.
Plus, Fan Dahu earned a lot outside, both money and goods. Among the surrounding brigades, the Fan Cheng family’s life was noteworthy.
Fan Dahu said, “Mom, I have to go out today. I might not be back for lunch.”
“What are you going to do now?”
“This time, it’s something important.”
Li Xiuhua thought to herself: When have you ever gone out without it being something important?
However, she couldn’t control her eldest son’s affairs, so let him do as he pleased.
Ning Yan ate silently. The family had made thick corn porridge that morning, with a tiny bit of baking soda added, which made the porridge a beautiful, vibrant green and exceptionally fragrant.
The bright yellow flatbreads were crispy on the side that had stuck to the pot.
There were also stir-fried greens, a bowl of mixed cucumbers, and a bowl of pickled vegetables.
Now wasn’t the busy harvest season, so the family’s meals weren’t very oily, but even this food would be envied by other families.
Many families only had thin porridge in the morning, with no dry rations.
The cook’s skills were good, and Ning Yan ate with great relish. When someone asked her if it was delicious, she praised the cook profusely!
The fourth household’s wife couldn’t stop smiling throughout the meal.
After the meal, Fan Dahu pulled Ning Yan back to their room.
“Wife, I plan to go to the farm today and check on your parents’ situation. Do you have anything you want to send them?”
Ning Yan really didn’t.
Having just been sent from home, she knew they wouldn’t be lacking anything right now.
“Nothing at all. You don’t need to give them anything when you go; they’re not lacking. I’ll write a letter, and if possible, please help me deliver it.” Since they were married, she definitely had to tell her parents.
Fan Dahu: “No problem.”
Half an hour later, Fan Dahu left with the letter Ning Yan had written.