Chapter 66

After a week of military training, the school gave Han Shuo a week off.

Han Shuo stood at the front door, pondering how to spend the next week.

Meng Yuxiu has to go to military training. He has no friends in this world, and he is alone when he returns to his rented room. Even if he had friends, he wouldn't have the energy to hang out with them, since he is short on time to make money this semester.

But he still had no idea what he could do to make money.

Students were in class or undergoing military training. There were few pedestrians on the road outside the school gate. Han Shuo was in a daze for a while, but decided to go to Jinhua University to say hello to Meng Yuxiu first, and then go back to his rented room.

There's no point in him standing here if he doesn't go back.

Hecheng has several universities, and there are significant differences between them. For example, the Hecheng University he attended had a shabby gate and a small campus. But Jinhua University not only had an impressive facade, but even the tree-lined paths on campus exuded an aura of intellectual depth.

After registering his visitor information at the gate, Han Shuo followed the directions given by the gatekeeper to the playground.

Hundreds of freshmen were training on the playground, and all you could see were heads. Han Shuo couldn't find Meng Yuxiu's location, so he stood on the tree-lined path, waiting for the freshmen to take a break.

However, Han Shuo's appearance was still quite conspicuous at this time, because the playground was full of freshmen who were seriously training in the military, and only one or two teachers occasionally walked by.

Han Shuo has a very good appearance. Last year, when he was in high school, he couldn't adapt to life here, and the food didn't suit his taste either. For a while, he became as thin as a bamboo pole.

Now that he has gotten used to life in this world, his living conditions and food have improved a lot since he married Meng Yuxiu. Plus, he is a year older and has grown up. He has shed his boyish thinness and now has handsome features. He is quite eye-catching when he lazily puts his hands in his pockets.

Standing there at 1.8 meters tall, he attracted the attention of the young male and female students in the midst of military training, who couldn't help but steal glances at him, wondering whether this handsome male student on the tree-lined path was the dominant or submissive one.

Meng Yuxiu was always focused on his work. Unless the instructors called for a left or right turn, he would keep his eyes straight ahead, so he naturally didn't notice the people on the tree-lined path.

Even when the instructor said to take a ten-minute break, he just sat on the ground.

The male classmate next to him, Dong Xin, was the first person Meng Yuxiu met in college. Meng Yuxiu did not deliberately make friends, but Dong Xin admired Meng Yuxiu very much. In fact, it wasn't just Dong Xin who admired him; others also admired this male classmate who had excellent looks and temperament.

Although Meng Yuxiu looked rather aloof standing there in his white shirt, he would nod and respond when others greeted him.

Dong Xin was a warm person, and even though Meng Yuxiu was not a talkative person, he would talk non-stop whenever he had a spare moment.

"Hey? Is that male student from our school?" Dong Xin asked Meng Yuxiu.

Meng Yuxiu neither turned his head nor replied.

Dong Xin found this new friend to be truly amazing. The others rarely had a ten-minute break, so some went to the toilet, some chatted, and others just wanted to stretch their muscles and bones.

But this new friend sat quietly on the ground.

However, when the students who had just finished using the restroom ran back, they discussed, "Hey, the handsome guy sitting on that bench over there isn't from our school."

"Which school is that from?"

"It seems like they're looking for someone from Hecheng University."

"Shouldn't students from Hecheng University also be doing military training? Why are they at our school?" Dong Xin had just uttered a question when Meng Yuxiu suddenly stood up next to her.

"how……"

"My wife came to see me."

Dong Xin paused for a second upon hearing this, and then his aloof new friend strode past the other students and headed straight for the tree-lined path.

One second Han Shuo was craning his neck, looking around, and asking the people from Jinhua about Meng Yuxiu. The next second he saw Meng Yuxiu running quickly from the crowd on the playground.

Upon seeing Han Shuo, Meng Yuxiu's face, which appeared to be covered in ice and snow for a thousand years in front of outsiders, was instantly melted by the warm sun.

"Han Shuo".

"Oh wow, I was just asking around about you."

Meng Yuxiu stopped in front of Han Shuo and asked, "Did you report it?"

Mentioning this made Han Shuo's balls ache. He said irritably, "Don't mention this. It makes me so angry. That idiot instructor told everyone I was pregnant and didn't have to do military training. Damn it!"

"Oh well, never mind, I'm too lazy to talk about this. If you know, you know. Anyway, in two months my belly will be big enough for people to see."

Meng Yuxiu asked, "How did you get here?"

“They walked over.”

Looking at Han Shuo's cheeks, which were slightly red from the sun, Meng Yuxiu nervously said that he would go get the water bottle.

Han Shuo stopped him, "Don't bother, I just came to tell you that the school gave me a week off, and I'm going back now."

"Going back to the rented room?" Meng Yuxiu asked.

"Otherwise, where else can I go?"

Meng Yuxiu frowned slightly. "Won't you be bored going back alone?"

Han Shuo laughed and said, "Don't you think it's boring to just stand here and watch you do 'one, two, one'? I'd rather go back and think about how to make money."

Meng Yuxiu: "Okay, so how are you going to get back?"

Han Shuo casually said, "Let's go back."

Meng Yuxiu disagreed, saying, "No, it's too hot, and it would probably take thirty minutes to walk back."

Han Shuo thought for a moment, "Then you can let me ride your bicycle, and you can walk back home by yourself after school."

Meng Yuxiu still disagreed, "No, riding a bike is too tiring, you can't ride a bike now."

Han Shuo was impressed by this young man; he was so cautious despite his young age.

"Then how do I get back?"

Without a second thought, Meng Yuxiu said, "Take the bus back. I checked and bus number three goes directly to the alleyway where we live."

Han Shuo immediately exclaimed, "What the hell! Isn't this a waste of money?"

Meng Yuxiu insisted it wasn't expensive; the school was only five stops away from the rented room, and a dime would be enough. As he spoke, he took out some money from his pocket and gave it to Han Shuo.

"I'll give you a ride."

"I have some." Han Shuo took out the two yuan he had left over from exchanging food tickets yesterday.

But Meng Yuxiu insisted on stuffing the money in his hand into his hand.

"Here you go, you can buy something to eat if you get hungry."

"Oh dear, I already told you I have money."

"Take it..."

As the young couple pushed each other, the instructor's clear whistle rang out on the playground, signaling the start of military training.

Meng Yuxiu was reluctant to leave, but he was a well-behaved student, and he became extremely anxious when he heard the instructors on the playground asking if everyone had arrived.

"Hurry back, or you'll be punished!" Han Shuo urged him. "Listen to me and go quickly."

Meng Yuxiu had no choice but to hurriedly shove the money into Han Shuo's hand, saying, "Take it!"

To avoid troubling the kid, Han Shuo quickly replied, "Oh, okay, okay, I'll keep it, you go ahead!"

Meng Yuxiu nodded, then quickly instructed Han Shuo, still worried, "Don't cook dinner or go grocery shopping. I'll cook when I get back."

"Okay, I understand."

"Wait for me to get back so we can take a shower together."

"knew."

"Okay, don't wash the clothes."

Han Shuo was getting impatient with this kid's nagging. He waved his hand and said, "I know! Why are you so long-winded? Just go!"

"Okay..." Meng Yuxiu then ran towards the playground, turning back every few steps.

Although Han Shuo complained that Meng Yuxiu was too talkative, as he watched Meng Yuxiu's departing figure and savored the care he had just received, his heart was filled with warmth.

The bad mood that had been caused by the instructors from Hecheng University was now restored.

Han Shuo put the banknotes, still warm from Meng Yuxiu's body, into his pocket, then hummed a song as he went to catch the bus.

Since getting married, he and Meng Yuxiu had been inseparable. Now, back in the rented apartment, with Meng Yuxiu suddenly nowhere to be seen, Han Shuo felt a little out of place looking at the simple, empty room.

He lay on the bed with his legs crossed, pondering ways to make money, but after an hour he still couldn't figure it out. He didn't know how to make snacks; not only did he have to learn, but after learning, he would also need to buy pots, pans, utensils, and most likely, a tricycle.

He was also thinking about whether he should buy some clothes or toys wholesale.

Actually, it's not that he can't make snacks, clothes, and toys. A couple of days ago, he and Meng Yuxiu went out for a stroll in Hecheng at night. They went to the bustling center of Hecheng and saw that there were indeed many stalls selling snacks and sundries on the roadside.

It's just that business is pretty good now because it's summer and there are a lot of people out shopping. But it's hard to say what will happen when the weather cools down in another month. Especially since I heard from Meng's father that winter comes early in Hecheng, and it's possible to snow in November.

After thinking it over, Han Shuo rejected them all.

He lay in bed until noon, then got up and cooked some rice and fried an egg to make do with that.

However, he couldn't stay in his rented room any longer in the afternoon, so he decided to go downstairs for a stroll.

When Aunt Zhang, the landlady of the small workshop next door, saw Han Shuo standing at the door, she exclaimed in surprise, "Hey, Han, you didn't go to school today?"

Han Shuo walked into the small workshop and greeted Sister Zhang and the other workers.

“My school was having military training, but I wasn’t feeling well so I didn’t go.”

"Come, come, bring a stool over and sit down."

Han Shuo, who was bored out of his mind, moved a stool over and sat down to chat with everyone. Han Shuo was very outgoing and soon he was calling everyone "big sister," "big aunt," "big brother," and "big uncle." In addition, he was eloquent and quick-witted, and the small workshop was soon filled with laughter and cheerful conversation.

Today, the workshop was making beaded bracelets. After watching for a while, Han Shuo became eager to try it out. He asked Sister Zhang, "Hey, Sister Zhang, are you hiring anyone here?"

Sister Zhang laughed and said, "What do you mean by hiring? If the neighbors come, they can do the work. Anyway, you earn as much as you do."

Han Shuo's eyes immediately lit up, "Then can you make one for me too?"

Sister Zhang looked Han Shuo up and down, then exclaimed in surprise, "Oh my, I didn't expect you to be willing to do this kind of work that tests your patience at such a young age?"

Han Shuo: "Oh, what's the big deal? I'll do any job as long as I can make money."

Sister Zhang liked this young tenant very much, and without saying a word, she brought out a box of beads from the corner. Han Shuo immediately moved his stool to the table and sat down.

“Stringing beads isn’t difficult, it’s just hard on the hands.” Sister Zhang sat on the side, pulling a thin and tough rubber band from a shuttle. She grabbed a handful of beads and deftly threaded the rubber band into the bead holes.

"Ten beads per string." After finishing stringing the beads, Sister Zhang carefully tied a knot, while reminding everyone, "Don't tie the knot too hard, or you'll break the rubber band."

"Okay." After reading the tutorial, Han Shuo began to try it himself.

After watching for a while, Sister Zhang praised Han Shuo repeatedly: "Oh, Han, you did a great job! That's exactly how it is!"

The others laughed and teased, "Xiao Han, don't complain about your arms getting sore after not even finishing in an hour, hahaha!"

"Don't worry, I feel like I can string a hundred bracelets today at this speed," Han Shuo boasted to everyone with a grin.

However, as Sister Zhang said, stringing these simple things is indeed tiring not only to the hands but also to the eyes.

After working for a long time, my thumb and index finger were slightly hot, and it was also uncomfortable to focus my eyes on one thing.

Han Shuo wasn't used to it and had to look up at his surroundings every half hour to relieve his discomfort.

In front of him were two cardboard boxes, one full of loose beads, and the other containing a bracelet he had already strung together. He didn't bother counting how many he had strung; he just wanted to finish stringing all the loose beads first.

After another hour of walking, Han Shuo couldn't take it anymore. He stood up and rubbed his lower back.

"Damn, I can't take it anymore, my back is about to break."

Sister Zhang and everyone else in the workshop laughed when they heard this.

Sister Zhang said, "Xiao Han, where did you get a waist like that, hahaha, and you even said your waist is broken?"

However, as soon as Sister Zhang finished speaking, she noticed Han Shuo's slightly protruding belly as he stretched, and she was taken aback. "Oh my, I didn't expect you to actually have a waist, Han..."

Han Shuo chuckled awkwardly twice, rubbed his lower back, and went back to his seat to continue working.

An old man surnamed He stood at the entrance of the workshop. His favorite thing to do every day was to chat with the older women in the workshop. When he heard what Sister Zhang said, he also jokingly teased Han Shuo.

"Xiao Han, you're so young and you already have a beer belly, that won't do," Grandpa He asked Han Shuo. "Was that your husband giving you a ride on his bicycle this morning?"

"Yeah, that's right."

Grandpa He shook his head and said, "Your husband is fair-skinned and doesn't look like a strong person. You must pay attention to your figure, or he might not be able to carry you on his bicycle."

"Hahahaha." Everyone else burst out laughing.

When Han Shuo heard outsiders describe Meng Yuxiu like that, he laughed along with everyone. Grandpa He was wearing reading glasses, so his eyesight was probably not good.

If he could see clearly the slightly bulging pectoral muscles that Meng Yuxiu had developed under his white shirt, he would probably be so shocked that he would lose his dentures.

He said to Grandpa He, "Grandpa He, you're quite fashionable! You even know the term 'body management'?"

Grandpa He chuckled, “There are a lot of young people around here. I’ve dealt with them a lot, so I know a bit about them.”

Everyone chatted and laughed, and time passed quickly. Han Shuo thought that although these handicrafts wouldn't make him a lot of money, they were good for him to use as a temporary measure until he found a better path. At least he wouldn't be idle in his rented room during his week-long vacation.

At Han Shuo's current pace, it would probably take him another two days to string the beads in the cardboard box. Han Shuo planned to string about ten more beads and then stop and rest. His belly was getting bigger and putting pressure on his bladder, and he had been holding his urine for a while.

Just as he was working hard, preparing to finish in one last sprint, Sister Zhang patted Han Shuo's arm.

"Xiao Han, isn't that your husband outside?"

"Huh? Where is he?" Han Shuo stopped what he was doing, looked up at the door, and then raised an eyebrow. "Oh wow, it really is my husband!"

Before I knew it, it was already 5:30.

Meng Yuxiu didn't notice Han Shuo inside the small workshop. He was riding his bicycle up and down the stairs and was about to take the bicycle upstairs.

However, just as he lifted the bicycle, he heard Han Shuo's voice.

"Meng Yuxiu!"

Meng Yuxiu looked around but didn't see Han Shuo. Only when Han Shuo called his name again did he see Han Shuo sitting in the small workshop with a group of older women.

He put down his bicycle and went into the workshop.

The older women love to follow new things and new people, and they all stopped what they were doing to look at the tall, fair-skinned young man with smiles.

The gazes falling upon him made Meng Yuxiu somewhat uncomfortable. He nodded slightly to the others, offering an awkward greeting.

Compared to the reserved Meng Yuxiu, Han Shuo had already become familiar with the older women and men in just one afternoon. He even treated the small workshop as his own territory, repeatedly urging Meng Yuxiu to find a stool to sit on.

Meng Yuxiu moved a stool and sat down next to Han Shuo. He was surprised to see Han Shuo skillfully and deftly stringing beads. To be honest, he was already quite surprised when he heard Han Shuo calling out from outside and saw Han Shuo sitting in the small workshop with a group of middle-aged women.

There were other people around, and Meng Yuxiu awkwardly lowered his voice to ask Han Shuo, "What are you doing here?"

"Making money," Han Shuo looked up and smiled. "Let me tell you, this bracelet is worth one cent."

After saying that, he buried his head and continued working as if he was in a hurry.

Meng Yuxiu opened his mouth slightly, but did not utter a sound.

He sat quietly beside him, watching Han Shuo work intently with his eyes lowered, his eyelashes occasionally trembling slightly.

He lowered his eyes and saw Han Shuo's shirt rising and falling slightly with his breathing. Suddenly, he felt a strange mix of emotions.

"Let me help you."

"No need. If you help me skewer them now, I'll have to teach you, which is too much of a waste of time." Han Shuo looked up and grinned at him. "It'll be over soon. I'll skewer a couple more. Wait for me a little longer."

Meng Yuxiu nodded silently.

"Ah, I'm exhausted! Finally, I'm done!" Han Shuo exclaimed as he stood up to stretch his arms and legs after finishing the last string of strings.

Sister Zhang asked him with a smile, "Xiao Han, are you coming down after dinner?"

While stretching out his arms, Han Shuo joked with the others in the workshop, saying, "No, no, my husband is back, I have to go home to be with him."

After saying that, he gestured with his chin towards Meng Yuxiu and chuckled, "Don't you think so?"