TFRLTOP Chapter 34 Part 1

Chapter 34 – The Educated Youth’s Long-Suffering Wife (VII)

◎My Wife◎

Ming Ming strolled around the market and ended up buying a whole bag of things—mostly little toys and snacks the village folks had never seen before.

Wang Hu, after pocketing his hush money, treated her to a restaurant meal in town. With a grand wave of his hand, he told her to order whatever she wanted.

Ming Ming didn’t hold back. She ordered only meat dishes—stir-fried pork, twice-cooked pork, squirrel fish—enough to fill the whole table. Wang Hu just sat there grinning at the sight of her eating. Ming Ming asked what he was laughing at, and he said, “Watching you eat is a real treat.”

Then he turned around and bought her a roast duck.

Ming Ming was floored, stammering.

“You, you, you, you—”

Wang Hu raised an eyebrow.

Of course, the roast duck here couldn’t compare to the city’s authentic ones. It was cheaper too, but still at least seven or eight yuan each. Just that one meal had eaten up nearly half the money Ming Ming had bribed him with.

Finally, she managed to blurt out, “How are you even more wasteful than me?!”

Wang Hu grinned. “Guess that means we’re made for each other.”

“Pfft!”

At the next table, a middle-aged couple saw their table piled high with meat dishes and teased, “Newlyweds, huh? The young man’s not afraid to spend on his wife!”

Wang Hu waved his hand. “Nah, we’re not even married yet!”

The couple exchanged a knowing look. Oh, so they were engaged, no wonder they were so lovey-dovey.

As their chatter kept going, Ming Ming kicked Wang Hu under the table, worried he’d get carried away and start spouting something outrageous—like them sneaking around in an affair—then they’d be arrested the moment they stepped out of the restaurant.

Wang Hu shot her a reassuring look.

They lingered over the meal, happy and drinking. Ming Ming bought a few bottles of liquor, and the two started chugging. Soon they were tipsy, bragging, repeating themselves over and over, until finally they staggered out, holding each other up.

“You… you remember the way home?” Ming Ming hiccupped, clutching her bag of purchases.

“Nope. Too late, too dark. Can’t see.”

Wang Hu forced his eyes wide open, only to have them droop shut again.

“So what now? Can’t get back?” Ming Ming patted his shoulder. “Brace yourself. Our scandalous relationship is about to be exposed…”

“Exposed, so what? Your husband’s useless anyway. If he were worth anything, you wouldn’t be running around scamming and hustling to make money, right?”

Tears welled up in Ming Ming’s eyes. “Bro, you really get me!”

“Who’s your bro? I’m Tiger Bro,” Wang Hu mimicked her tone.

Two drunkards climbed onto a horse cart, leaning against each other. Ming Ming mumbled, “Why’s this horse walking by itself? Shouldn’t we be steering it?”

“Don’t worry. The old horse knows the way. Bet on it.”

What she heard was just drunken mumbling—“…bet on it!”

So she cheered him on, “Bet on it!!”

The system: These two are a nightmare!

Whether the horse knew the way or not, it didn’t matter. The system forcefully intervened, and the horse “knew” the way after all, safely bringing them back to Xinli Village.

The cart stopped at the village entrance. Ming Ming’s eyes were glassy as she patted Wang Hu. “Hey, look, there’s a hottie at the gate.”

“No way. How could there be a hottie out here at night? Must be a ghost.”

Wang Hu argued, “Why can’t there be a hottie at night? Look at me.”

Ming Ming giggled. “You’re the little hottie. He’s the big hottie…”

“I’m not little. I’m big!”

“Really? I don’t believe you. Go compare with him.” Ming Ming egged him on drunkenly.

The “big hottie” came closer. Ming Ming waved enthusiastically. “Hey, handsome~ Got a girlfriend? Wanna add me on WeChat?”

“What’s WeChat? Huh… this guy looks like your husband.” Wang Hu squinted, peering hard until he seemed to recognize the man. Nervously, he asked Ming Ming, “Juanzi, your husband isn’t gonna find out about us, is he?”

Something in Ming Ming’s muddled brain clicked. She vaguely remembered that she and Wang Hu shared some shady little secret. Afraid he’d blurt it out, she pressed a finger to his lips, eyeing the man warily. “We agreed—that’s our secret. My husband can’t know!”

Wang Hu solemnly clapped his hand over his mouth, right over hers, palm and lips pressed tight together.

Yan Junsheng’s forehead vein throbbed. In a low, cold voice, he said, “Get down.”

Ming Ming pouted. “This hottie’s so fierce. Not hot anymore.”

“That’s your husband…”

“Just a second ago, I was thinking I’d marry him. But if he’s this mean, forget it. Tiger Bro, when you go find yourself a man one day, let me screen him for you, so you don’t end up regretting it like I did.” Ming Ming poured her heart out.

“I told you, that’s your husband… Wait—why the hell would I be looking for a man?!”

Yan Junsheng’s face was grim, shadowed and terrifying under the moonlight. He grabbed Ming Ming’s arm. “You’re coming home with me.”

Ming Ming tilted her face up at him. He thought she was about to refuse and held his breath. Instead, she said, “Okay!”

“But you can’t be mean to me.”

Yan Junsheng softened his tone. “I won’t.”

Ming Ming hopped down, clutching her big bag of goods, and wobbled off—in the wrong direction.

Yan Junsheng yanked her back. “That’s the wrong way.”

Ming Ming blinked ahead, then back, confused.

Yan Junsheng sighed, took her bag, crouched with his back to her, arms outstretched.

“Get on.”