Chapter 4, Chapter 199...

Chapter 199

After eating and drinking her fill, she continued to lie in bed playing on her phone.

Weekends are for relaxing and resting.

I must say, Wen Shi is quite good at renting apartments, even though it's just a small secondary bedroom converted into a one-bedroom apartment. It has everything you need.

Without much thought, Chen Yuxuan bought a lot of groceries online, along with some frozen food, and connected the refrigerator to the power outlet so she could cook when she had nothing to do in the future.

They are both very virtuous.

If you do the math, the two of them together now earn over 20,000 yuan a month. Wen Shi doesn't have many demands for life. He was like that before, and he still seems to be like that now. As long as he can eat and drink his fill, he's happy.

If you don't overeat or drink extravagantly for a month, you'll have a good chance of saving enough money to buy a house back in your hometown later.

As for houses in the capital, she didn't dare to even think about it; the down payment was often several million, which was not something she could consider at the moment.

Having previously lived and worked in business in ancient times, she had systematic assistance, which made things easier. In the early stages, she was given seasonings upon signing in, and later, she received recipes for brewing wine, all of which were crucial.

Wen Shi came home from get off work and went to make instant noodles.

Yingxiang remembered the box of instant noodles in the kitchen and walked over to Wenshi.

"Isn't instant noodles delicious?"

Wen Shi nodded noncommittally, and watching the small pot gradually boil, he added more meat rolls into it.

He seems to have quite a good appetite right now. Yingxiang stood to the side, smiling and talking to him.

He eats all three meals at the company. Breakfast and lunch are fine, but dinner is usually around 6 p.m. He comes home at 9 p.m. or 11 p.m. every day.

Most of the time, he eats instant noodles for late-night snacks. Sometimes he'll have a treat like meat skewers, but nine times out of ten he eats various flavors of instant noodles.

Currently, he is 1.82 meters tall and weighs less than 140 pounds, so he is not fat.

"Why don't you eat something?"

Chen Yuxuan immediately shook her head and refused.

"You can eat here slowly, I'm going to make a phone call to my friend."

"good."

Back in bed, Chen Yuxuan didn't think much of it. She typed a message and sent it to her friend. Less than five minutes later, the phone rang.

"What's going on? What's going on?"

"Today is not April Fool's Day."

"Really, we're together now. I should thank you for that. We'll treat you to dinner later."

"Didn't you politely decline before?"

"After getting to know him, I found he was a nice person, so we started dating."

"I'll come to your house to find you after I get off work in a bit."

"No, I've terminated my lease on that apartment."

Chen Yuxuan spoke up subconsciously.

There was silence on the other end of the phone for less than three seconds.

"You just got together? How come it's so fast?"

"If we're meant to be, I think you're right. You still need a partner. There are some things you can't do alone, and I need someone to take care of you."

"Huh?"

"Congratulations, sister, on finding a boyfriend! I'll treat you to a big meal when I'm on vacation. Also, take care of yourself, don't be impulsive, and keep your money safe."

Don't worry, it won't happen.

Chen Yuxuan chatted with Sisi for a long time before hanging up the phone.

Sisi doesn't know Wen Shi very well, but Chen Yuxuan is different. She can't say too much, otherwise she can't explain it clearly. Time will tell.

If he were to say whether he would be able to be misled by the dazzling world before him in this lifetime, then he would be.

Dating, breaking up, getting married, and getting divorced are all normal occurrences these days. As long as she controls the finances, nothing else matters.

After eating and drinking his fill, Wen cleaned up the kitchen and took a shower.

After he came out of the bathroom and got into bed, just as he was about to reach out, Chen Yuxuan gently kicked him.

"Honey, I have something to tell you."

"Speak."

“You said you wanted to get married before. I did some calculations today, and we definitely need a house and a car to get married. Right now, we are just ordinary families, and we can't afford too much. We can't have children until we have a house and a car that we can afford in full, otherwise the pressure will be too great. For the next few years, let's not think about marriage for now, let's date and make money together here.”

Upon hearing this, he immediately sat up straight.

He can now somewhat understand his wife's thoughts and supports them.

It doesn't matter if they have children a few years later; it's not like they can't have them.

The pressure of life in later generations is not small either. In the past, marriage depended on your family's houses, fields, and skills. It is still the same now. You need to have a house, a car, and a job.

"This is the plan for our life. As for money, we'll work together to earn 21,500 a month. That's a sure thing. Let's not talk about overtime pay for now, as that's hard to say. The house will cost 3,000 a month. The rest will be for living expenses. You'll get 1,000 a month for living expenses, and I'll get 2,000. So, our normal monthly expenses will be at least 6,000."

“After deducting the monthly living expenses of 6,000, we can still save 15,500. If we save this, we can have 186,000 in a year. This is our savings.”

"Both of us get year-end bonuses, and with that, we'll definitely have around twenty."

"A two-bedroom house in my hometown would cost 400,000 to 500,000 yuan if bought secondhand, and the location definitely can't be too bad. A house costing 200,000 to 300,000 yuan would be too remote, since the children will definitely need to go to school in a good school district. As for a car, I'll buy a decent one for around 100,000 yuan, just enough for getting around."

"If we calculate it this way, we'll have to make money here for the next few years. If we go back to get married, we can buy a car and a house outright. We can find jobs back in our hometown, so the pressure won't be too great."

"After we go back, we'll earn less than 10,000 yuan in total, but our lives won't be too different. We won't have to worry about rent and other expenses then."

Chen Yuxuan was calculating very seriously. She even opened her phone's calculator and listened attentively.

"Can your family afford the bride price?"

"I can earn this."

Without much thought, Wen Shi told Chen Yuxuan about his family situation in this life.

"We're quite alike, but we didn't have much of a bond with our parents."

Hearing his wife's words, he tightened his grip on her.

"If we calculate it this way, to be on the safe side, the house will cost 50,000, the car 15, the bride price 10, and then there are all sorts of other wedding expenses, which will be at least 50,000. All of these together will cost 800,000, almost 100,000."

"I will work hard to earn money, don't worry."

"We will definitely get married soon."

Wen Shi didn't feel that the road ahead was difficult; he was capable.

Should I take the civil service exam?

This way, he'll have good benefits and no risk of unemployment in the future. In his previous life, this was what he did, so it's fine for him to take this exam now.

Unexpectedly, Wen Shi shook his head repeatedly upon hearing this.

“I’ve thought about it before, but even if I get into this program, it won’t make much difference. It just sounds good, but it can’t directly solve the down payment and housing problem.”

“Back in my hometown, the salary isn’t high, and buying a house would cost hundreds of thousands.”

“I’m still young. I’ll focus on working hard and making money these next few years. There’s a big salary gap in our industry. I’m just starting out right now, and my salary will increase. You like big cities, so I think it would be better if you could stay here.”

Both of them currently have housing provident funds, and their take-home pay is after tax. Over the next few years, it will amount to a considerable amount of savings.

“It’s definitely better here, but the pressure will be huge. If you don’t have a local household registration, your child will have to go to a private or international school, which will cost a lot of money.”

The bright white light was very striking. The two leaned against the headboard, picked up their fingers, and began to calculate their future needs.

"I do prefer big cities, but my hometown isn't bad either. Transportation is convenient here, and tourism is easy. Things are pretty much the same everywhere. As for the other side, you know, there's hardly anything interesting or fun to see in the villages and towns. Only the capital city is alright."

Wen Shi glanced at his wife and then said, "It's getting late. I have a general idea of ​​what's going on. We'll talk about it when the time comes. Right now, the most important thing is to cherish the time we have together. We'll definitely be staying here for a few years. We'll see then."

Chen Yuxuan nodded. Saving money first is definitely not a bad idea. The premise of being able to advance or retreat is to have money in hand.

"Go to sleep."

Wen Shi turned off the bedside lamp, plunging the room into darkness. He held her tightly, and Chen Yuxuan felt warm all over.

After thinking it over, she realized she had already started planning her future life.

He said that with her by his side, he would not marry another woman.

She was pretty much the same way.

As the night deepened and all was quiet, accompanied by the chirping of cicadas outside the window, the two of them gradually fell asleep.

Two weeks later

Inside a hot pot restaurant, Wen Shi and Chen Yuxuan sat opposite each other. Yu Sisi looked at the two of them and suddenly smiled.

"You two are quite a good match. Eat up, it's almost overcooked."

Chen Yuxuan chuckled to herself, "Isn't that right? It's a connection from past lives to this one."

"Looks like I won't be able to meet you for National Day. Oh well, I'm going home."

Yu Sisi's family background is quite happy, Chen Yuxuan nodded.

They need to start saving money. At most, they can just stroll around the nearby area. When she first started working, she had already explored most of the city. In the first three months of her job, she basically didn't save any money.

She looked out the window and suddenly noticed a little girl carrying a blue suitcase and a bag standing under a tree.

The girl's face was full of longing. She looked very young and innocent. She held a phone in one hand and a suitcase in the other, looking around as if she was searching for something.

She looks like a young woman who just graduated; she must have come here with high hopes to work and earn money.

She was immediately reminded of her past self, and felt mostly filled with emotion.

The world is never fair; some people are born with everything.

Some people are busy their whole lives from birth to death, but they can only barely make ends meet.

People's expectations for the future may be gradually worn down by reality. But if we can always stay true to ourselves, stay true to our original aspirations, and find happiness in our limited lives, then this life is still worthwhile.

The capital city, a bustling and prosperous city, is always filled with people coming and going, in a never-ending cycle.

Chen Yuxuan turned her head and took a sip of iced lemonade.

On a hot summer day, the air conditioning in the hot pot restaurant was excellent, and the three of them ate their fill.

After that, we strolled around the mall for a while and then parted ways.

Autumn has passed and the east has come; in the blink of an eye, another five years have gone by.

In recent years, both of them have received a raise. Chen Yuxuan's salary has increased from 6,500 to 9,000, and she has gone from a young editor who just entered the industry to a senior editor.

Wen Shi, needless to say, changed jobs a couple of years ago, and his salary increased from 15,000 to 23,000 after tax.

Expenses haven't increased much. The couple has continued their normal lives over the past few years, without buying anything expensive, and has thus accumulated a considerable amount of savings.

Both families knew the two had partners and were being pressured to get married.

However, they continued walking at their own pace, neither too fast nor too slow.

Big cities are very tolerant. Being unmarried and childless in your late twenties is not a big deal, and the sky won't fall.

Author's note: That's all for today's update. I should be able to start writing the second side story tomorrow.