Chapter 15 Control Group

The next morning, Yu Junsheng was awakened by a clattering noise in the yard. He groggily opened his eyes and heard Aunt Chang's loud voice outside: "Haicheng, move this table quickly and put it in the corner inside!"

"Haiyan, has the floor in the main room been swept yet?!"

Aunt Chang thought smugly, "I'll treat them to a meal today, and then we'll get our marriage certificate tomorrow. I'll make sure to beat that brat across the street to it and annoy him to death!"

"We have important guests coming to our house today, so we must make sure the house is spotless so they can see our attitude!"

Yu Junsheng had no idea they had such intentions. He curled his lip upon hearing this. What distinguished guest? Isn't it just Jiang Qiubai coming over? Is it really necessary to make such a fuss, as if some high-ranking leader is coming to inspect?

But could it be that Aunt Chang, that mean old lady, has changed her ways?

In her past life, she treated Cheng Jiajia like a beast of burden. How could she possibly be kind and gentle to Jiang Qiubai in this life?

It seems they have big ambitions.

Yu Junsheng remembered the note from yesterday. He peeked through the window and saw Zheng Haiyang dressed smartly, diligently wiping his front door, his face expressionless.

Yu Junsheng couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

Could it be that I misjudged Zheng Haiyang? Or did he simply not see the note?

Well, it was just something I did on the spur of the moment anyway. If the kid didn't fall for it, so be it. Yu Junsheng didn't dwell on it any longer.

He's made an appointment with Cheng Jiajia to get their marriage certificate today; this is the real big deal!

Yu Junsheng was full of energy. He quickly got up, washed up, made a simple breakfast, and then set off to the neighborhood office to get his marriage certificate.

Three minutes later, amidst the wedding wishes of the neighborhood committee lady, Yu Junsheng smiled and left with his stamped marriage certificate.

In comparison, Cheng Jiajia's situation is more complicated because her registered residence is in a rural area of ​​a neighboring province, so her marriage certificate naturally needs to be issued by the local village committee.

Fortunately, the original owner had planned to stay in the city, whether for work or marriage. She was determined not to return to the countryside, so before leaving, she went to the village committee to get a marriage certificate and a household registration transfer certificate, which she brought with her when she came to Beicheng.

Cheng Jiajia quickly found the marriage certificate, the household registration transfer certificate, and her household registration booklet wrapped in a handkerchief in the house.

Cheng Jiajia breathed a sigh of relief; this saved her a lot of trouble, otherwise it would have been quite a hassle.

After grabbing her things and changing into the new cotton-padded jacket Liang Shuangyue had bought for her, Cheng Jiajia ignored the disapproving looks from the people in the main room and happily went out.

As soon as Cheng Jiajia came downstairs, she saw Yu Junsheng waiting there. The two looked at each other and smiled shyly.

Nothing else, they all tacitly put on their best clothes.

"Let's go get our marriage certificate!"

"Eh!!"

The next sound was clearly filled with excitement.

Cheng Jiajia only recently learned that at this time, certain items can be purchased free of charge with a marriage certificate, such as washbasins, pillowcases, and candy, which are all hard-to-buy items.

Based on the principle of "why not take advantage of a bargain", the two happily decided to get their marriage certificate in advance, then go shopping, and finally hold a wedding banquet.

Zheng Haiyang had no idea about this. He thought Yu Junsheng would hold the wedding banquet before getting the marriage certificate, and he was hoping to beat Yu Junsheng in terms of time. He was completely unaware that he had already missed the opportunity to get ahead.

...

Zheng family,

When Jiang Qiubai arrived, Chang Dafeng and her entire family stood at the door to greet her, showing great welcome to her arrival, with everyone beaming with joy.

"Sister-in-law!!" the younger ones greeted her sweetly in unison.

Chang Dafeng held Jiang Qiubai's hand, her smile beaming. "Oh, Xiao Jiang, you've finally arrived! Ever since I heard about you and Haiyang, I've been looking forward to your visit. Look at you, what a wonderful girl you are! You're much better than that girl across the street! I love honest girls like you!" She patted Jiang Qiubai's hand in comfort.

Jiang Qiubai, who was initially a little nervous, was flattered but secretly pleased. She had always been resentful that Yu Junsheng had chosen Cheng Jiajia without even looking at her during their blind date. Now that her aunt said this, it proved that it wasn't that she was bad, but that Yu Junsheng, that bastard, had no taste. Jiang Qiubai was naturally happy.

She also said considerately, "Auntie, Second Brother, Little Brother, Little Sister, you are too kind. Why are you standing outside? It's very cold here. It's easy to catch a cold if the wind blows. Your younger brother and sister are still young. How can they stand it? Look, their faces are all red from the cold. Let's go inside quickly!"

Chang Dafeng nodded in satisfaction. She was a perceptive person; it wasn't for nothing that she had brought her family out in the cold wind.

But she didn't show it on her face. "What's a little cold? Haicheng and the others are young and strong. They can stand in the wind for an hour or two without any problem. The main thing is that we wanted to see you as soon as possible. Now that we've seen you, what does it matter if we're a little cold?" Actually, she had only gone out with her family after hearing a child in the front yard shouting that her Haiyang's boyfriend had arrived. She and Jiang Qiubai were only a short walk apart. However, she would not explain this beautiful misunderstanding.

As for the blush on Haicheng and the others' faces, well, they were probably excited.

"Good girl, let's go inside and talk quickly."

Chang Dafeng pulled the person inside, poured hot water into the pot, and even added a spoonful of white sugar with a heavy heart. "You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub," she thought, "just one spoonful, no more."

Just as Jiang Qiubai put down the pastries he had bought at the supply and marketing cooperative that morning, Zheng Haicheng brought him a stool. Zheng Haiyan chattered about the latest happenings, while Zheng Haihua occasionally cracked jokes to make Jiang Qiubai happy. Zheng Haiyang would also glance at Jiang Qiubai tenderly from time to time. For a moment, the atmosphere in the main room was harmonious and joyful.

Chang Dafeng: Someone will be doing the housework for this old woman right away!

Zheng Haicheng: Mom said that once my sister-in-law marries into the family, she'll make her give up her job at the food factory to me. I'll be a worker soon! Bai Xiaohui will definitely look at me with new respect then!

Zheng Haiyan: My sister-in-law's dress is nice. I'll borrow it after she and my brother get married. From now on, all of my sister-in-law's clothes will be hers!

Zheng Haihua: My sister-in-law had good food as soon as she came in, and there will be even more good food in the future!

With various motives in mind, the Zheng family members used every trick in the book to flatter Jiang Qiubai.

I must say, the results were pretty good.

Holding the steaming hot sweet soup, Jiang Qiubai felt at that moment that her future mother-in-law was extremely kind, the best mother-in-law in the world, and that her younger siblings were also well-behaved and sensible, creating a very warm family atmosphere.

She wasn't at all as mean and vicious as the rumors suggested. At this point, she even felt a little resentful towards the aunt who had helped her gather information, and even suspected that the aunt might have been after the Zheng family's conditions, which was why she was trying to scare her into giving up the marriage so that her daughter could take her place. Fortunately, she hadn't given up.

Well, I have to say, this person has thought about it quite a lot.

Jiang Qiubai sipped the sweet soup, her eyes slightly moist. She had never received such treatment at home. Her aunt was so good to her. She and Haiyang had to make a good life for each other, be filial to their aunt, and raise their younger siblings to repay her kindness.

Seeing this, Zheng Haiyang, who had been silent all along, nodded slightly. He was very satisfied with his family's performance today, and the marriage was settled.

Jiang Qiubai had no idea what the family's smiles concealed; they were still lost in their fantasies of a bright future.

...

On the other side, Cheng Jiajia and Yu Junsheng were a little stunned as they held the newly issued bright red certificates of merit. Just like that, they were about to become a family?

After a moment of stunned silence, the two of them burst into laughter again, their eyes sparkling as they looked at each other.

Yu Junsheng patted Cheng Jiajia's hair, who was still grinning foolishly, and said, "Let's hurry to the department store to buy things after we finish taking photos, otherwise they might be out of stock if we go too late."

Cheng Jiajia realized that things were hard to buy at this time and urged, "Let's hurry up!"

The couple quickly went to a photo studio to take a wedding photo, and then rushed to the department store.

With her nimble movements, she led Yu Junsheng to the very front.

They were quite lucky; the items specifically for their wedding were still in stock. Yu Junsheng bought everything, including a washbasin, towels, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, and pillowcases.

He originally wanted to buy Cheng Jiajia some ready-made clothes, but Cheng Jiajia calculated the price of the clothes and the fabric coupons and felt that it was not worth it, and the styles were not very nice, so she directly asked someone to buy fabric instead.

Despite the salesperson's eye-roll, Cheng Jiajia remained unfazed and said, "We can have it made by a tailor ourselves; it'll be much more comfortable than buying ready-made clothes." A custom-made garment from a state-run tailor shop would definitely be more flattering and look better.

Yu Junsheng had no idea what she was thinking. He only felt that his wife was trying to save him money and was reluctant to buy ready-made clothes from the department store because she felt sorry for him. He was touched.

But soon, Yu Junsheng realized that he had been overthinking things.

When Yu Junsheng left the department store, he was covered in large and small bags, which jingled and rattled.

Seeing how hard the person was struggling to walk, Cheng Jiajia, unusually, had a change of heart and said, "How about I help you carry some?"

Yu Junsheng was more than happy to agree. The two wandered around for a whole morning, carrying twenty or thirty feet of cloth on their backs, a washbasin hanging in front of their chests, and several bags of various sizes in their hands. Every step they took made a clanging sound, and Yu Junsheng really couldn't take it anymore.

As a result, Cheng Jiajia picked and chose, and finally took a bar of soap and an enamel mug from her own hands.

Yu Junsheng: "..."

Where is his virtuous young wife?!

Ugh, that damned Zheng Haiyang! Give me back his virtuous little wife!

Well, Cheng Jiajia still had some conscience. Seeing that Yu Junsheng was really tired, she suggested that he eat before going back, so that he could rest at the state-run restaurant.

Yu Junsheng naturally did not disagree.

As for what he had on him?

Yu Junsheng and Cheng Jiajia were both thick-skinned. Despite the strange looks from the crowd, they went directly to the state-run restaurant with bags and bags of food. One of them used the bags to reserve a seat, while the other went to the window to order food. They worked together very well.

Yu Junsheng didn't want to move, so he simply took out his money and handed it to Cheng Jiajia, telling her to order. Now that his wife was family, he was naturally going to pay.

Cheng Jiajia raised an eyebrow, thinking to herself that she had to find a way to get this man to hand over his salary to her for safekeeping. Men with money tend to go bad; that's an unchanging truth.

As for the money she has?

What's yours and mine? Once we're married, what's yours is mine, and what's mine is still mine.

Although Yu Junsheng felt once again that his wife was different from the one in his previous life, he still held a sliver of hope in his heart. What if she became virtuous after they lived together? Little did he know that his newlywed wife was already eyeing his salary.

"Comrade, I'd like a braised fish, twice-cooked pork with cauliflower, and a stir-fried cabbage."

...

At the same time, the Zheng family in the compound.

On the dinner table, there was a bowl of scrambled eggs, a bowl of braised pork with potatoes, and a bowl of stir-fried bean sprouts.

Although there was no meat, in these days, being able to have a little meat when visiting someone's home is considered a privilege for a distinguished guest. Jiang Qiubai was very satisfied and thought to himself that the Zheng family truly cared about him.

My mother-in-law's cooking skills aren't very good; several of the dishes looked dark and unappetizing.

Jiang Qiubai was warmly invited by the Zheng family to sit next to the main seat, where he sat intimately next to Chang Dafeng and Zheng Haiyang.

Chang Dafeng's usually stern face now wore a loving smile. "Qiu Bai, eat your vegetables. I know you love eggs, so Mom specially went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy them."

As she spoke, she picked up a large piece of food with her chopsticks and handed it to Jiang Qiubai, saying, "Try this and see how it tastes. We don't usually get to eat such expensive things at home. This was specially made for you, so eat more!"

"Auntie, you should eat too." Jiang Qiubai smiled shyly and quickly put a piece of food on Chang Dafeng's plate.

Look at this huge plate of eggs, there must be at least six or seven, right? This future mother-in-law is really good to me, she's even willing to use so many precious eggs to entertain me, so naturally I have to return the favor and be filial to her in return.

Jiang Qiubai picked up his chopsticks and took a bite, then his expression turned strange. After taking two more bites, he couldn't help but ask tactfully, "Auntie, why does this egg taste weird?"

Zheng Haihua was young and had a good appetite. Seeing eggs on the table, he grabbed a large piece with his chopsticks without thinking twice.

He had just put it in his mouth and chewed it a couple of times when he spat it out, "Ptooey, ptooey!"

He even yelled, "Mom, there's poop in the food!"

Chang Dafeng: "!!!"

Jiang Qiubai: "!!!"

Chang Dafeng couldn't keep up the act any longer and snapped, "You brat!"

Zheng Haiyang glared at him, "Everyone is eating, what nonsense are you spouting as a child?"

Zheng Haihua shrank back; he was most afraid of this older brother, but he still couldn't help muttering, "It's true, it stinks!"

"Look at you being so fussy, you're not even going to eat the egg." Zheng Haiyan rolled her eyes at her younger brother, but still didn't believe it and took a bite herself.

"Ugh...yue!"

She looked at Chang Dafeng in shock, "Mom, what did you put in the eggs?"

Zheng Haicheng looked left and right, but didn't dare to touch the plate of dark scrambled eggs and dark potato stew with fatty meat. He only picked up the stir-fried bean sprouts next to it. Knowing his mother, he thought this dish was safer.

"Ah, maybe I put in too much salt, it's too salty." Chang Dafeng looked a little guilty. These were discounted eggs she bought on the black market. Normal eggs cost six or seven cents a pound, but these only cost two cents a pound. She could smell a faint stench when she cracked them into the bowl, but she couldn't bear to throw them away. She thought that adding more salt and soy sauce would make them taste fine, but she didn't expect that they would still be able to detect it.

Zheng Haiyang didn't believe it. This was clearly not salty. Judging from his mother's expression, there was probably something wrong with where these eggs came from.

But he couldn't say it outright in front of Jiang Qiubai, so Zheng Haiyang just frowned and said sternly, "Mom, be more careful when you cook in the future." Don't do this anymore. It's not like Jiang Qiubai is eating alone. What if they get sick from eating it?

Chang Dafeng responded awkwardly.

Jiang Qiubai thought Zheng Haiyang was blaming Chang Dafeng for not cooking well. Was it really necessary? It was just that the dishes were a little salty. Look how badly he scolded his future mother-in-law.

She disagreed, saying, "Brother Haiyang, don't talk about Auntie like that. She didn't do it on purpose." She comforted her considerately, "Auntie, it's alright. You can still eat it after rinsing it with water." Eggs are such a precious food; she can't eat them at home. It's just a little salty, it's not like she can't eat them.

To prove it, Jiang Qiubai took another bite, and his stomach churned instantly...

"Ugh, yue!!"

Jiang Qiubai quickly drank two sips of water to finally suppress the strange taste. He wondered if the salt from the Zheng family had gone bad from being stored for too long.

Zheng Haiyang moved his lips, but ultimately said nothing. However, he would not touch the eggs. Not only him, but his younger siblings also dared not eat them. Well, after all, family members know best, and they had all guessed that there was something wrong with the eggs.

Seeing this, Chang Dafeng rolled her eyes and looked sad and self-reproachful. "Oh, it's all my fault. I'm getting old and my eyesight isn't good anymore. I didn't see the amount clearly before putting it in."

Seeing her future mother-in-law's appearance, Jiang Qiubai, determined to be a good daughter-in-law, immediately forgot everything else and hurriedly said, "After Haiyang and I get married, Auntie, you can just enjoy your retirement. I'll take care of the cooking." She was truly afraid of her future mother-in-law's cooking skills.

"Oh, good, good, Qiubai, you are such a good girl. My Haiyang is so lucky to have met you." Chang Dafeng said with a happy smile, pulling Jiang Qiubai along. She seemed to like Jiang Qiubai, her daughter-in-law, very much.

"Come on, have some stewed potatoes and fatty pork!" This piece of pork was also bought on the black market, but Chang Dafeng didn't smell any stench, so it must be fine.

However, just to be on the safe side, Chang Dafeng still picked up a piece of food for Jiang Qiubai to test first.

The younger children also watched her eat.

Jiang Qiubai thought this showed that they valued him, and he was overjoyed. His future mother-in-law and several younger siblings really cared about him and even knew to treat him with courtesy at the dinner table.

Jiang Qiubai rarely ate meat at home, but now, smelling the aroma of meat, his mouth watered. He didn't care about anything else, said "thank you" and stuffed it into his mouth without further ado. His eyes lit up, "Auntie, this isn't salty!"

She suddenly frowned, "...Huh~"

The Zheng siblings stared at her anxiously, "W-what's wrong?"

"N-nothing." Jiang Qiubai shook her head, looking a little embarrassed. She thought she had just eaten two meatballs, mistaking them for pieces of pork from the pig's underbelly. She was too embarrassed to say this in front of so many people.

The Zheng siblings kept a close eye on her, and only when they saw that she didn't react abnormally and even picked up another piece of meat did they feel relieved and start eating.

In these times of scarcity, meat is a rare treat, and everyone is craving it. Besides, it's not poisonous like eggs. The Zheng family members forgot all about politeness and courtesy at this moment. Each person had a pair of chopsticks, and they were waving them so fast that there were afterimages. Swish, swish, swish, the few bits of fat that were left were gone in an instant.

When Jiang Qiubai looked up, he saw that only dark potatoes remained in the bowl.

She comforted herself, saying that it was normal for her younger siblings to crave meat since it was a rare treat for them, and that she herself also craved meat.

When I looked up again, even the potatoes in the bowl were gone...

Jiang Qiubai "..."

Jiang Qiubai forced a smile. It's normal, it's normal. There are too many people, so it's normal that they can't take care of themselves.

But deep down, I still felt a little wronged.

Seeing this, Zheng Haiyang deliberately changed direction and put the last piece of potato on his chopsticks into Jiang Qiubai's bowl, and said with a gentle smile, "Qiubai, you can have the last piece. Today's dishes were made to treat you to meat, so I'll be happy if you eat more."

The grievance she had just felt vanished instantly, and Jiang Qiubai was deeply moved. She said earnestly, "Brother Haiyang, you are so kind!"

She knew it; her Ocean Brother truly remembered her no matter what, and was the best man in the world!

At this moment, Jiang Qiubai had no idea that Zheng Haiyang, the best man in the world in her heart, was planning to go on a date with another woman that afternoon.

Yes, a date, the kind where people meet after the bathroom.

Actually, Yu Junsheng was overthinking it. Yesterday afternoon, Zheng Haiyang saw the little note the moment he opened the door.

After reading the words clearly, he almost instinctively felt that the note was for him. After all, he was the only adult man in his family, so who else would he admire? In his mind, Haicheng was just a chick that hadn't even grown its feathers yet, no way.

Moreover, this woman is most likely from one of their own courtyards.

Zheng Haiyang mentally scanned all the beautiful young women and wives in the front and back yards, and finally, without hesitation, he focused on Bai Xiaohui in the back yard.

There's nothing else to it, Bai Xiaohui is the prettiest girl in their courtyard, and she always looks at you with misty eyes, as if she wants to say something but doesn't.

Unexpectedly, Haicheng was always following her around, yet this girl liked him. Her thoughts were quite complicated. No wonder she always saw him that way before.

Bai Xiaohui: ...My reputation has been ruined!

Zheng Haiyang felt a secret sense of pride, thinking that he truly deserved to be the number one person in the compound.

Although Jiang Qiubai and I are going to get our marriage certificate tomorrow, how can someone as kind and righteous as me let a beautiful young girl who admires me be heartbroken?

That was definitely not possible. The next day, Zheng Haiyang got up and changed into his best outfit, waiting for his afternoon date.

Zheng Haiyang "thoughtfully" arranged for Jiang Qiubai to rest at his home for the afternoon, and then went to keep his appointment with the pretty young girl with great excitement.

However, perhaps he arrived a little too early, because there was no one behind the public restroom.

Zheng Haiyang stood there smelling the stench for a long time before he heard footsteps behind him.

Before he could even show what he considered his most charming smile, a soft body hugged him from behind. Zheng Haiyang was startled. Was Bai Xiaohui really that bold?

She hugged herself tightly and said urgently, "I knew it, I knew you would come. I've liked you for so many years, how could you not feel anything? What's so good about that woman? She doesn't know us as well as we have. Look at me, look at me! My mother says I look like I'm good at bearing children. Even though I had a girl as my first child, I'm sure I'll give birth to a son next time to carry on your family line..."

What the heck?!

When did Bai Xiaohui get pregnant?

Zheng Haiyang sensed something was wrong and was about to pry the woman's arms off.

Suddenly, a furious voice rang out, "What are you doing?!"