TFRLTOP Chapter 31 Part 1

Chapter 31 The Educated Youth’s Humble Wife

◎So lame, so cute◎

The rain stopped in the afternoon. Ming Ming carried the laundry into the yard to hang it up, then slipped out for a walk.

Yan Junsheng hadn’t heard any movement for a while. When he stepped outside to check, sure enough—she was already long gone.

He sighed to himself. He really shouldn’t expect anything from her.

Ming Ming had actually gone to her father’s house to ask for money. She called it “pocket money,” but in truth, she wanted it as startup capital.

She hadn’t even opened her mouth before Chen Weiguo drove her out.

“How much? A hundred yuan?!”

“Get out of here, go ask your husband for money. I’m counting on you to bring his money back to honor me!”

So why, exactly, does your tug-of-war with him have to go through me?

Ming Ming clicked her tongue, and her mind turned to the three wedding essentials collecting dust at home.

In the seventies, the three “must-haves” for marriage were: a bicycle, a wristwatch, and a sewing machine.

The bicycle was still quite practical, letting her get to neighboring villages and towns.

The sewing machine was a household necessity. “New for three years, old for three years, patched and mended for another three years”—very useful. But Ming Ming had only used one as a child, and after so long, she no longer remembered how.

And the watch—now that was a treasure. Worth over a hundred yuan, she could sell it for her seed money. But if she was going to sell it, she’d have to do it in town. In the village, the price would be too low, and people would laugh at her.

So she wheeled out the bicycle and, by late afternoon, set off toward a nearby village.

That became her routine for several days in a row—leaving early, returning late, always on the bike. Yan Junsheng had no idea what she was up to. They barely crossed paths at home, hardly exchanging a word. Ming Ming didn’t eat at home either. His life was almost the same as when he was single.

He only cooked for himself.

One day, while working in the fields, Brother Huang sat waiting for his wife to bring lunch, and in the meantime, chatted with Yan Junsheng.

“Xiao Yan, I see your wife running around every day. What’s she up to?”

As soon as he asked, everyone nearby perked up their ears.

It was no secret in the village that Chen Chanjun was always pedaling that bicycle, and of course, people were curious—some even waiting for a chance to laugh at them.

Yan Junsheng, facing such an obviously prying question, had no interest in giving them gossip. He lowered his eyes and said calmly:

“She has her own business.”

Brother Huang’s wife happened to arrive with the food. She snorted, “What business can a woman have? Just look at that girl, Chanjun. When she was unmarried, she was lazy and spoiled, and now, as a wife, she runs around like a wild thing all day. What kind of behavior is that? She’s lucky she married into you—such an educated, high-quality man. If not for… well—” She gave a meaningful hum, and everyone knew what she was hinting at. “Otherwise, would a man like you ever have ended up with her?”

The words were so blunt that they were basically slaps in the face.

Yan Junsheng frowned, genuinely angered.

Though he had studied abroad, at heart, he was still traditional and valued family deeply. He hadn’t wanted to marry Chen Chanjun, but the fact was—they were now husband and wife. In outsiders’ eyes, they were one. To insult her in front of him was no different than insulting him directly.

He looked straight at Sister-in-law Huang. His tone was even, but carried a firm edge, pitched so all the bystanders could hear:

“Men and women share the same roots. Each is an independent individual. Chanjun is not my accessory—naturally, she has her own matters. At the last collective study session, Comrade Guifang, our women’s director, stressed over and over the importance of the slogan ‘women hold up half the sky.’ Seems, Sister-in-law, that you still need more study.”

Sister-in-law Huang was left red-faced. She forced a dry laugh. “Oh my, what a cultured man you are…”

Junsheng ignored her and, after finishing his meal, went right back to work.

That afternoon was the village’s collective study meeting. After the farm work, everyone gathered at the schoolhouse.

Junsheng looked around. No sign of Chanjun. Who knew where she had gone this time?

After the session, he went home and sat down to write a letter to his first love, Bai Yuehua. He greeted her warmly, described a bit of his daily life, and briefly mentioned his marriage. But most of the letter was taken up with concern for his parents’ well-being, begging Bai Yuehua to tell him everything.

His parents lived in hardship now. It wasn’t convenient for them to write to him directly, so he had to rely on her to pass the news.

That evening, just as he was about to cook, he heard a bicycle stop in the courtyard. When he opened the door, there was Ming Ming, just getting off the bike.

“Yo.” She nodded at him, then pulled two heavy bags from the handlebars. The plastic handles dug into her hands, leaving angry red marks. Junsheng wordlessly stepped forward and took them from her.

“Hey, it’s just a few steps—thanks anyway!”

He looked inside—one bag of pork, one bag of sunflower seeds, and milk candies.

“Eaten yet? I doubt you’ve had dinner this early.”

Ming Ming ushered him inside, putting a finger to her lips. “Shh. I just sent a piece to my dad. The rest is for us.”

Once the door was shut, her eyes sparkled with excitement as she asked him expectantly, “So—what can you cook?”

Junsheng placed the pork on the counter. On closer look, it wasn’t scraps or organs—it was high-quality pork belly. He turned to her with a serious expression.

“Where did this come from?”

“What do you mean by where? I traded meat coupons, of course!” Ming Ming played dumb.

“Each household only gets a limited ration for the year. Yours was already used up during New Year’s. So where did these coupons come from?”

Ming Ming thought: Damn. They used a whole year’s ration just for the holiday feast? Living large, huh. If only I’d come a few months earlier!

Not wanting to be pressed further, she snatched the meat back with mock fury. “Eat if you want—don’t ask questions! If not, then get out of the way!”