Chapter 29: The Bride Price for You Cannot Be Lacking
Lin Wan hurriedly waved her hands. “Enough, enough!”
“No, I mean it’s too much. A bride price of one hundred and sixty yuan is plenty.”
Huo Xiao replied, “When my eldest and second brothers got married, they followed this exact standard.”
Lin Wan fell silent, but a sweet feeling blossomed in her heart. The foul mood brought on by that completely unhinged couple, Guo Xuyang and Zhang Qin, was swept away in an instant! She thought to herself that if she really divorced Huo Xiao in the future, she would return all the money and items to him. Still, the fact that he attached such immense importance even to a contract marriage spoke volumes about his deep sense of responsibility.
Lin Wan felt a little reluctant to divorce him.
The two entered the department store and bought items with absolute efficiency.
They bought a wool Lenin suit for Huang Guixiang, a wool Sun Yat-sen suit for Zhang Aimin, a sailor shirt for Zhang Hongqiang, and a pair of leather shoes for each of them, with an extra pair of fur-lined leather shoes for Huang Guixiang.
The things purchased for Lin Wan were even more extensive. There wasn’t much to choose from for spring, summer, and autumn, so they just got a set of basic styles for each. But the winter clothing was extensive: three sweaters in three different colors—red, white, and blue; a wool Sun Yat-sen suit; and a wool Lenin suit.
They also got her a pair of sandals, a pair of leather shoes, a pair of fur-lined leather shoes, and a pair of white canvas sports shoes.
Just buying these clothes cost nearly six hundred yuan, along with a massive pile of industrial coupons and cloth coupons! A single Lenin suit cost 65 yuan plus 18 industrial coupons, and they explicitly had to present a military officer’s credentials to buy it.
They also bought a gauze scarf for each of the two sisters-in-law and a tin toy frog for each of the children.
When they reached the watch counter, Huo Xiao told Lin Wan to make a choice.
Lin Wan selected a ladies’ Shanghai-brand wristwatch, which cost 120 yuan plus 20 industrial coupons and a watch coupon. She was reporting for work tomorrow, so having a watch would make it convenient to check the time. Since she had to return his favors anyway, she asked for it confidently and boldly.
The department store was out of stock for sewing machines, but fortunately, bicycles were available. Lin Wan chose a Forever model-26 ladies’ bicycle, costing 156 yuan plus 12 industrial coupons and a new bicycle coupon. Once she officially became a mail carrier, she would have a bicycle to ride for work, so this newly purchased one could be given to Huang Guixiang to ride.
When they went to check the radios, those were out of stock too.
Lin Wan said, “If they’re out of stock, let’s skip it for now. Time is running out, let’s head back first.”
Huo Xiao nodded.
Once they got in the car, he handed her a thick envelope. “This cash and coupons are the budget for the ‘Three Rounds and One Echo’ and the ‘Seventy-Two Legs’ of furniture. I have to rejoin my unit in a couple of days, so you can purchase whatever is missing yourself. If the money isn’t enough, send me a telegram.”
The car started moving.
Lin Wan opened the envelope to take a look, and good grief! There were so many ten-yuan bills! There was also a lot of loose change left over from the purchases at the department store just now, and the receipts for the items were tucked inside as well.
Lin Wan counted the money right in front of Huo Xiao. There was 783.25 yuan left. There was also a small stack of industrial coupons and plenty of other miscellaneous coupons.
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll embezzle this from you?” Lin Wan asked. “This is a fortune!”
Huo Xiao kept his eyes straight ahead, focusing calmly on driving. “Comrade Lin Wan, I have already reminded you multiple times that we are currently a legal married couple! The income of both husband and wife constitutes joint marital property! Even if we have a prior agreement regarding the time of our divorce, we possess a real marriage certificate right now!”
She understood Huo Xiao’s meaning. A legal couple—what’s mine is yours, and what’s yours is mine.
Lin Wan’s mouth moved faster than her brain: “What about the body?”
Huo Xiao: ?
The car swerved slightly, but he seamlessly stabilized it without showing any outward emotion. He didn’t offer a response to Lin Wan’s words either.
The moment the words left her mouth, Lin Wan regretted it. Stupid mouth, look at what you just blurted out!
Blushing, Lin Wan secretly peeked at Huo Xiao. The man’s handsome face didn’t betray a single stray emotion. Shifting her gaze downward, her hands grew restless looking at his military collar buttoned up with absolute precision. She had an intense urge to unbutton it just to watch his Adam’s apple roll up and down. If she unbuttoned one more below it, would she be able to catch a glimpse of his chest muscles? And further down…
Stop right there! Going any further would be committing a severe mistake!
Damn it. Seeing but not touching caused her heart to twist with pain; not seeing and not touching left her heart feeling scratched by a cat.
They arrived at the family compound.
The moment the car came to a halt, Zhang Hongqiang charged over with a gang of children. His mother had made him wait at the entrance of the compound for an absolute eternity!
“Sis!”
“Brother-in-law!”
“You’re back!”
“Mom cooked a massive basin of fish today!”
“She’s just waiting for you guys to eat!”
It had been cooked since noon, but because her sister and brother-in-law hadn’t returned, they had placed a call to the reception room to ask them to pass on the message. Once the old uncle in the reception room broadcasted it over the loudspeaker, everyone in the compound learned that Huang Guixiang’s daughter and son-in-law couldn’t make it for lunch and would be coming in the evening instead.
The little brats in the courtyard stared with wide eyes as Huo Xiao unloaded bundle after bundle of items from the car. The neighbors also swarmed over to watch the commotion.
“Oh my!”
“A Forever bicycle!”
“A model-26 ladies’ one!”
“Goodness, I went to check at the department store before, and this one costs 156 yuan. A heavy-duty one is only 12 yuan more expensive. It would have been better to buy a heavy-duty one so the brothers in the family could ride it too!”
“It can haul cargo too!”
Old Lady Su from across the hall turned completely green with envy upon seeing this, cursing the little vixen in her heart for being far too good at bewitching a man. “This must be the betrothal gift, right? Out of the ‘Three Rounds and One Echo,’ this is only two rounds. Where are the other round and the echo?”
“And there isn’t even a shadow of the ‘Thirty-Six Legs’ of furniture either!”
Huang Guixiang barged into the crowd to rescue her daughter and son-in-law, barking, “Old Lady Su, roll as far away as you can! Where are the rounds and echoes your son-in-law gave your daughter? The farts you let out are loud echoes, and the tops your grandson spins are rounds? And what about your thirty-six secret lovers—did each of them chip in a leg to give to you?”
Old Lady Su nearly fainted from pure rage!
Lin Wan let out a sigh, thinking this old woman truly never learned her lesson. She had never once managed to gain an advantage over Comrade Huang Guixiang, yet she was thoroughly untalented and loved to court trouble.
“Hahahahaha!” The crowd erupted into roaring laughter, and Old Lady Su ran away in sheer frustration.
Lin Wan deliberately extended her left hand with exaggeration, calling out, “Auntie Su, watch your step!”
Immediately, someone sharp-eyed spotted the new watch on her wrist.
“Wow!”
“It’s a Shanghai-brand watch!”
Lin Wan raised her hand with feigned casualness to smooth the hair by her ear, showcasing the watch on her hand from every angle. “Ah, the department store in our place just can’t compare to the ones in Haicheng and Capital City. The best they carry is only a Shanghai brand. My husband said that when there is an opportunity to visit Haicheng or Capital City in the future, he’ll buy me an even better one!”
She absolutely had to flaunt it! This was a highlight moment Comrade Huang Guixiang had anticipated for an exceptionally long time! She certainly couldn’t ruin Comrade Huang Guixiang’s mood. Furthermore, she could take this chance to firmly establish Comrade Huo Xiao’s persona as someone who lacked neither cash nor coupons, which would provide a perfect cover whenever she brought out excellent items from her space in the future.
True enough, the moment her words fell, Huang Guixiang and Zhang Hongqiang displayed the exact same pride, looking as though their tails were practically pointing to the heavens.
While flaunting, Lin Wan didn’t forget to secretly observe Huo Xiao. Seeing a trace of a smile lingering on his features, the smile on her own face involuntarily grew a fraction more radiant. In the eyes of the neighbors, the two of them were exchanging loving glances, completely wrapped up in their mutual affection!
Huo Xiao picked up Lin Wan’s conversation thread: “Yes, the marriage between Comrade Lin Wan and me was arranged in a rush, so we haven’t had the time to prepare many things. However, I will make up for the ‘Three Rounds and One Echo’ and the ‘Seventy-Two Legs’ of furniture later on. I have already handed the cash and coupons for these items over to Wanwan. Once I return to the unit, she can take her time to acquire them. Uncle Zhang, Eldest Brother, Eldest Sister-in-law, Second Brother, and Second Sister-in-law, I’ll have to trouble you all to help Wanwan arrange things when the time comes.”
The members of the Zhang family who were called upon nodded repeatedly with pure delight.
The way Huang Guixiang straightened her spine was as rigid as a board!
As a widow bringing a child to marry into this family compound, she had endured an immense amount of gossip and rumors. They whispered that she was a wicked stepmother and muttered that her daughter had been raised to be utterly useless, a complete nobody whom no decent family would ever want, destined only to follow her mother’s old path to the countryside and marry an old widower to act as a stepmother.
For the sake of those idle words, she had fought and bickered with countless people! Now, she could finally hold her head high!
Just ask! Whose son-in-law in the entire family compound was as excellent as hers? Whose daughter possessed a fortune as blessed as her daughter’s? Her daughter was simply born to enjoy a life of privilege!
╭(╯^╰)╮
The neighbors in the compound: “…”
Every single one of their psychological defenses was completely shattered!!! Envy truly made a person’s countenance look hideous!!!
