TFRLTOP Chapter 38 Part 2

Ming Ming tottered back to the bedroom, leaning on the wall. One glance at the bed and she froze: two pillows, two quilts, neatly laid side by side.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Ming Ming narrowed her eyes coldly at him.

Trying to steal my single-occupancy deluxe bed, are you?

“What do you mean, what’s the meaning?” Yan Junsheng walked over with a perfectly straight face, as if it were obvious. “One quilt’s too small—won’t cover two people.”

“Was that what I was asking you?”

“What are you really asking then?” His hand squeezed Ming Ming’s waist, his lips brushing her ear as he murmured, “Be good. You can’t stay up all night again like you did yesterday—your body can’t take it.”

The reason one quilt was enough last night was… indescribable.

Ming Ming stared at him in disbelief, too angry to speak. Why did it suddenly sound like she was the insatiable one here?

She lifted her leg and kicked at Yan Junsheng’s knee. “What the hell is wrong with you?!”

He just kept smiling, leaned over, and kissed her cheek. “You don’t look sleepy right now, so before bed, let me show you something.”

Ming Ming thought, Damn it! That sounds way too dirty. If I nod, the next second you’re definitely going to whip out your ‘treasure’ and give me a ‘lesson.’ You think I don’t know?

She shook her head decisively, stiffened her neck, and clutched her collar like a martyr. I’ll show you what a virtuous woman looks like… damn it, you stole another kiss!

Fuming, Ming Ming scrubbed at her mouth.

Yan Junsheng went to the outer room and came back with two bundles. One was large and heavy; the other was flat, wrapped in cloth, shaped like the pouches used to keep money and ration tickets.

Ming Ming’s curiosity piqued. Yan Junsheng pulled her over to the table, sat her down, and opened them one by one.

First came the flat pouch. Inside was a thick stack of cash and ration tickets.

Ming Ming suddenly realized—he was laying all his cards on the table.

“When we married, I came empty-handed. Thinking back, I owe you far too much. But it’s not too late. I’ll make up for everything I should’ve done before.” He slid the pouch toward her. “This is all the money I have. It’s not a fortune, but after setting aside the bride price and the three essential items, there’s still plenty left. From now on, it’s all yours.”

“Don’t worry—I’ll take responsibility for you. From now on, what’s mine is yours.”

Ming Ming stared at the money and tickets. Not a fortune? This was a fortune.

That stack had to be at least five thousand yuan.

And in the 1970s? A worker earned barely over ten yuan a month. Farmers even less, often just work points. Back then, a bottle of Maotai cost only a few yuan. Five thousand was the equivalent of around a hundred grand today.

Sure, you couldn’t buy everything freely in this era without tickets, but money was still money. Almost everything cost something.

She’d guessed he had savings, but not this much.

It was like a hundred grand had fallen from the sky and knocked her senseless.

“N-no, I can’t take this…” Ming Ming quickly pushed the pouch back.

Take responsibility? For what? We’re not even long-term. Save it for your precious childhood sweetheart.

Yan Junsheng frowned. “Why not?”

Ming Ming’s gaze darted nervously. “It’s… too much. Aren’t you afraid I’ll blow through it all?”

At that, his frown eased. “Husbands and wives talk things over. Don’t worry—so long as you’re willing to discuss with me, I’ll help keep an eye on it.”

“We’re family.”

For now, she thought.

Ming Ming nodded halfheartedly.

Young, easygoing, responsible… not bad. These educated elites really do take family duty seriously—it almost makes me feel guilty.

Fine, I’ll hold onto it for now… and if I sneak a little here and there, well, that’s on you.

She placed her hand on the pouch, then suddenly grew solemn.

Yan Junsheng stiffened. “What’s wrong?”

Ming Ming shot him a look. “Since you insisted on hopping on the bus before buying the ticket, fine. But let’s get one thing straight: the watch stays with me. Even if you gave me money, you can’t take it back.”

For a moment he thought it was something serious. Seeing her so earnest made him chuckle instead. With a long sigh, he said helplessly, “Aside from the pots, pans, and sewing machine, what have I ever claimed as mine?”

Ming Ming considered. “Mm… feeding rights for the chickens, ducks, geese, cows, and sheep—that’s yours too.”

“Deal. Whatever you say.” He propped his head on one hand, eyes glinting with amusement. “But there’s one thing that has to belong to me.”

She carefully folded the pouch closed again. If it’s the bicycle you want, I could probably agree… She asked casually, “What?”

“You.”

Her hands froze. She blinked slowly at him, her expression… indescribable.

Silence.

Stillness.

Yan Junsheng clenched his molars, dropped his hand, sat up straighter, and deliberately fixed his gaze on the enamel tea mug on the table, as though the jasmine design on it was utterly fascinating.

The strange tension thickened between them, crying out for someone to break it. And so—

“This big bundle—let’s see what’s inside…”

“So the cheesy lines from smutty novels are this embarrassing in real life?”

They spoke almost in unison.

Yan Junsheng: “…”

His brow furrowed. “What smutty novels?”

Ming Ming’s eyes darted away as she quickly changed the subject. “This bundle—let’s look at this one.”

She dragged the heavier package in front of them.

Wow, heavy. Don’t tell me it’s gold or silver bars…

Layer by layer, she unwrapped it. Inside was a stack of books. The bold titles on the covers read—

Self-Study Series in Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry.

Ming Ming: “…”

???