How I Tamed My Wolfish Husband Back in 80s-Chapter 35 - Generosity_1

35: Chapter 35: Generosity_1

35 -35: Generosity_1

In the night sky, faint grey clouds partially obscured the moonlight.

A young man carried a girl on a moonlit ride along a country lane.

The girl looked up at the star-filled sky.

“The Lantern Festival must be soon,” she suddenly broke the silence and said.

Qin Jin, “Yes, there will be sweet dumplings during the festival.

Do you prefer the ones with black sesame filling, or brown sugar filling?”

Li Qiao sighed inwardly—nowadays, they even had to wait for a festival to eat simple dumplings.

“I’m not fussy, having some to eat is already great.”

Qin Jin’s eyes sharpened.

Not fussy?

He still remembered when they had just arranged the marriage; she came to him and said with a haughty tone, “Mr.

Qin, with your bad reputation and your poor family, do you think you can support me?

With your character, marrying you would probably mean I’ll never eat white-flour buns for the rest of my life.

I will definitely not marry you, you illiterate!

You should call off the engagement if you know what’s good for you, or else you won’t have a moment of peace.”

It made him so angry that if it weren’t for his brothers holding him back, he would have punched her right then.

What’s there to be proud of when nobody else wants her, acting like she’s a discarded shoe?

As if he was so eager to marry her.

If they were capable, they shouldn’t have come to Old Mrs.

Qin to make a fuss.

She didn’t dare to contradict her parents, but came to him to show off her power.

He pulled his thoughts back, his tone becoming stern, “That’s not what you were saying before.”

“Before?

What did I say?” Li Qiao thought carefully; during the half month he wasn’t around earlier in the year, her family had nearly nothing left to eat, and she hadn’t complained to Old Mrs.

Qin once.

She pondered for a moment, “Are you talking about before we got married?

If I hurt your pride back then, don’t take it to heart.

Those were rash words not truly meant.”

Qin Jin raised an eyebrow, meaning she was denying her previous self?

He pondered briefly, “Let bygones be bygones.”

His words had barely fallen when he was embraced around the waist.

The girl’s voice was soft and gentle, making one feel like they were basking in the warmth of spring.

“You’re very magnanimous.”

Qin Jin’s lips curved into a smile, replying modestly, “What’s the big deal?

I’m not one to hold grudges.”

Li Qiao, “….” Really?

Even my casual flattery gets you excited.

….

Not long after, the vehicle stopped at the entrance to their home.

“You go inside first; I’ll return the vehicle to Feng Fugui,” said Qin Jin.

Li Qiao complied and walked a few steps into the courtyard, then turned around to make a trip to the outhouse behind the house.

On her way back, she stumbled over a clump of earth at the corner of the alley.

Instinctively, she shone her flashlight on it, revealing a small, black object in the ground.

She moved closer and saw that it was pointed and seemed to be made of iron.

She kicked it with her foot, but it didn’t budge.

So, she thought about digging it up, to prevent Old Mrs.

Qin from tripping over it next time.

She went home to get a shovel, cleared the soil around it, and tapped the clumps away.

A small bronze knife was revealed before her eyes.

Moving closer and with the help of the not-so-bright moonlight, she could make out coarse and complex patterns engraved on it.

An antique, perhaps?

“Qiaoqiao, what are you doing?”

A young man’s clear and spirited voice rang by her ear.

Li Qiao pointed at the object on the ground, “I just dug this up, it’s a decorative little knife.”

Qin Jin stepped forward, taking a close look with surprise.

He was then filled with excitement; as a child, he had bought a small bronze knife from the village’s Feng Dafa, which dated back to the Western Zhou dynasty, for two dimes.

He’d lost it shortly after bringing it home, thinking it had been stolen, and had never expected it to be buried here.

We’re going to be rich!

He cautioned, “Don’t tell anyone about this.”

Then, he carefully picked it up with a handkerchief, went inside to light the oil lamp, and sat at the table to start cleaning the mud off the knife with a soft brush.

Li Qiao cleared her throat, “Jin, aren’t you going to sleep?”

“You go to sleep first,” said Qin Jin without looking up.

Li Qiao in a mosquito-like voice, “Didn’t you say we’d share a room?”

Qin Jin remained still as if he hadn’t heard a thing.

Li Qiao was puzzled.

Could it be that the knife had more charm than she did?

Was it really an antique?

Did he recognize it?

Was it very valuable?

Li Qiao was full of question marks, and she wasn’t sure if it was the water Li Jinhua had given her that was off, or if it was because spring had sprung and she was feeling amorous, as she kept thinking about men all day.

She really wanted to pounce on him but feared getting hit.

After waiting for a while, she eventually succumbed to sleepiness and closed her eyes, falling asleep.

When she woke up, it was already daylight, and she was alone in the room.

There was no work assigned in the brigade today, yet he still got up so early.

Li Qiao yawned, got ready, and went out.

Qin Jin was still nowhere to be seen at breakfast time.

She was about to call out for him when she cleared her throat.

Old Mrs.

Qin said, “You don’t know that Jin went on a long trip?”

“What?

He didn’t tell me.” Li Qiao was furious.

He had run away from home without a word.

Did he even care about her?!

She had considered him her boyfriend, no, her husband!

Their marriage license had already been obtained.

“That damn kid, going on a long trip without even telling you, I’ll definitely teach him a lesson for you,” Old Mrs.

Qin said indignantly, then paused and deliberately changed the subject, “School is starting in a couple of days, right?

Jin probably thought of earning living expenses for you.

Are you lacking anything?

Let’s go shopping tomorrow.”

Li Qiao’s anger instantly evaporated.

He had gone on the trip for her.

Her heart felt sweet yet sour.

He could simply have refused to let her continue her education, but he didn’t.

Why should she nitpick with him?

She smiled and said, “Why scold him, eh?

He probably chose not to tell me because he was worried about disturbing my sleep.

My ballpoint pen is almost out of ink.” She stepped forward to massage Old Mrs.

Qin’s shoulders as a gesture of goodwill.

Old Mrs.

Qin smiled, took her hands, and immediately went into the house to get some change.

“Is this enough?”

Li Qiao took the money, counting it out.

In total, there were thirty cents, just small coins.

The store sold pen refills, five cents each.

With all this change, she could buy pen refills enough to last three or four months, even if she did practice papers every day.

She nodded, “It’s enough.”

Li Qiao used the money to buy the pen refills and returned to organize her books, ready to join the youth study group and the “educated youth” for a review session.

Old Mrs.

Qin said, “Qiaoqiao, I don’t like visiting others.

It’s boring to stay at home alone, so I’ll join you.”

“Let’s go!”

Old Mrs.

Qin, with her nearly completed sweater, came to the youth study spot.

While Li Qiao and the “educated youth” sat around a table studying, she knitted beside them.

She sat there for most of the day.

When it was time for lunch, Old Mrs.

Qin went home to cook, and next-door neighbors Peng Chunhua and Yu Feng came over to visit.

“Your door was locked today; where did you go?”

“It’s all because of the village gossip,” said Old Mrs.

Qin.

“They were saying something about my granddaughter-in-law and Principal Han, and once I heard that, I just couldn’t sit still, so I went to keep an eye on things.” She glanced at Peng Chunhua as she said this.

Yu Feng spoke up, “I did hear some rumors.

If you’re worried, you might as well stop Qiaoqiao from going.

She can study at home just fine, no need to mix with those ‘educated youth’ from the city.

Especially that Principal Han, I’ve heard his family is in big trouble.

Your family’s social status is problematic as it is; be careful not to get dragged into trouble.”

Old Mrs.

Qin replied, “Really?

I haven’t heard anything about it.

I only agreed to let her study there because she said there’s a better learning atmosphere with more people.”

“Ah!” Yu Feng exclaimed.

“When did you buy eggs?

Are they for Qiaoqiao to eat?”

“Bought some before the new year, couldn’t bear to eat them.

My granddaughter-in-law needs to nourish her brain for studying,” Old Mrs.

Qin replied.

“You’re really generous,” said Yu Feng.

Peng Chunhua scoffed to herself, thinking everyone must be as stingy as she was.

She complained about her daughter-in-law eating a couple of extra old pumpkins while in confinement.

Once Old Mrs.

Qin had the meals prepared, she greeted Yu Feng and her daughter-in-law, locked the door, and carried the food container away.

Yu Feng muttered, “This old lady, always looking for trouble when there’s none.

If it were up to me, I wouldn’t agree to my granddaughter-in-law repeating her studies.

In the future, who’s going to work the fields and earn work points during the wheat harvest and rice planting seasons?

Relying solely on Loser Qin?

He’d work himself to death and still not earn enough for three people’s rations.

And what if she really gets into university later?

Wouldn’t she just run away?

All the efforts now would be wasted, wouldn’t they?”

Peng Chunhua thought to herself, does she think everyone is as short-sighted as she is?

Didn’t Old Mrs.

Qin mention it early this morning?

Li Qiao and Qin Jin got their marriage certificate yesterday, and even her household registration had been moved here.

They were now truly a family.

Moreover, with Li Qiao’s seductive skills, if she truly had no food to eat, she would just go to the city and cozy up to Dr.

Xun.

What couldn’t she get?

…