Chapter 22 The Confession

On the other side,

The newlyweds strolled home leisurely, and Cheng Jiajia looked relieved. "Luckily we don't live in the front yard. Look, both households in the front yard have been ruined, and even the open space outside has been destroyed. The stench is hard to dissipate." Unless a heavy rain washes it away, the smell might linger even when eating at home, which is quite unpleasant.

Calculate the psychological trauma experienced by Grandpa Zou, Grandma Hao, Hu Mei, and Ma Gaosheng.

"It's alright, only Aunt Chang in our courtyard made a mess. Her house isn't close to ours, so the smell won't affect us."

Cheng Jiajia suddenly remembered something, her eyes darted around, and she grinned mischievously. She leaned closer to Yu Junsheng and whispered, "Guess who washes Aunt Chang's clothes?"

Yu Junsheng chuckled. Recalling Aunt Chang's dirty clothes, he thought they were truly filthy. If it were him, he would have simply thrown them away. But who was Aunt Chang? She was someone who would leave a sparrow with its feathers if it flew over her house. Would she really be willing to throw away perfectly good clothes? And considering her mean-spirited nature, he knew who would end up doing this hard work.

The two exchanged a glance, both able to see the schadenfreude in each other's eyes, haha!

A gentleman takes revenge even after ten years; a petty person takes revenge from morning till night!

They're happy as long as those two are unhappy!

No wonder they both feel they are so compatible. Look, they can tell what the other is thinking with just a glance. They are both equally wicked!

Taking advantage of the few people around, Yu Junsheng casually held his wife's hand, but his flushed ears betrayed his nervousness.

Cheng Jiajia found it cute and deliberately tickled his palm lightly, but unexpectedly, he suddenly shook off her hand.

Cheng Jiajia: "..."

Yu Junsheng stared at Cheng Jiajia in shock, his cheeks flushed, and he stammered, "Wife, what are you doing?" Although he had been married in his dream, in reality he was still a virgin who had never even touched a woman's hand. How could he possibly handle this?

Cheng Jiajia's face darkened. "It's nothing. You had a bug in your palm, so I just killed it for you."

The mere mention of insects made Yu Junsheng feel extremely uncomfortable; he loathed those things. But looking at his pale palms, he couldn't find any dead insects. Suspiciously, he asked, "Where are they? The insects?"

Cheng Jiajia, with a deadpan expression, said, "I threw it away."

Cheng Jiajia walked quickly ahead on her own. Yu Junsheng finally realized what was happening and chuckled to himself for a long time.

Seeing that Cheng Jiajia was about to enter the house, he quickly quickened his pace to catch up. His wife was angry, and he had to coax her well, as they were still having their wedding night!

So, back home, Yu Junsheng, beaming with joy, picked up the tin box from before and handed it to Cheng Jiajia with a sincere expression.

"This is all the money I've saved over the years. Here, honey, I'm entrusting it to you for safekeeping. Don't be angry!" In his dream, the money he had saved was less valuable than what he could give to his wife.

Cheng Jiajia wasn't angry, just a little annoyed and embarrassed by this person's lack of romantic understanding. Later, after calming down on the way, she deliberately asked, "If you really gave it to me, would you be willing to part with it?"

Yu Junsheng said righteously, "Wife, we're family after we get married. What's mine is yours. It's only natural for a woman to keep the money. How can you say you're reluctant to part with it?" That's not true. In his previous life, he didn't give Jiang Qiubai any of this property. He only gave her half of his salary each month for household expenses. However, after his death, Jiang Qiubai gave all this money, along with all the property, to that bastard Zheng Haiyang. He hated him so much that his teeth itched to grind.

Cheng Jiajia raised an eyebrow, neither believing nor disbelieving. She opened the tin box, glanced at the banknotes inside, and exclaimed in surprise, "How did you save so much money?!" A quick glance revealed two or three hundred yuan. Add to that the considerable expenses for her wedding, and she had only been working for a few years. How could she have saved so much money?

Then, she looked at Yu Junsheng suspiciously, "Are you doing something bad?" Could this guy be secretly running a black market? That won't do. A big storm is coming soon. It's not worth taking such a risk for a little money.

Yu Junsheng smiled mysteriously and whispered something in Cheng Jiajia's ear.

A moment later, Cheng Jiajia stared in shock, looking Yu Junsheng up and down. "I never knew you had this skill," she said, giving him a thumbs up. "Amazing, amazing!"

"Hehe, that's right. If I took the college entrance exam, I'd definitely be a college student!" Yu Junsheng puffed out his chest, looking smug.

This isn't just him bragging; he was one of the top students in his class in high school, and if he had continued his studies, he would have had a very high chance of getting into university.

Cheng Jiajia had no doubt about this. Over the years they'd spent together, she'd discovered that this person was quick-witted and intelligent. "Then why didn't you continue your studies?" She'd wanted to ask this for a long time. Why didn't you continue your education after graduating high school? These days, college graduates are highly valued; they're practically guaranteed a position as an official upon graduation, and every organization craved them.

“My mother was seriously ill at the time and needed someone to take care of her. Moreover, the family’s savings were almost all gone. I had no choice but to take my graduation certificate early and come back to take over the job.” Later, some things happened that led him to switch jobs with someone at the scrap metal recycling station.

Seeing that Yu Junsheng looked a little disappointed, Cheng Jiajia patted his shoulder and comforted him considerately, "Even if you pass the exam, there's a high chance you won't graduate."

Yu Junsheng's lips twitched. "...Wife, promise me you won't comfort people next time, okay?"

Cheng Jiajia rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Do you think I care about comforting you? Besides, isn't what I said the truth?"

Yu Junsheng opened his mouth and said tactfully, "It's true..." But you can't be so hurtful, or I'm afraid you'll get beaten up.

Cheng Jiajia's eyes flashed with threat, and Yu Junsheng immediately shut up.

The world is vast, but the wife is the most important!

He'd do anything for tonight's wedding night!

However, after being interrupted like that, Cheng Jiajia lost her previous interest.

Thinking of the impending storm, she felt that the two of them couldn't remain silent as before and needed to have a proper talk. After all, she had only read a few chapters of the book and knew only the general direction; she certainly didn't know the specifics as well as Yu Junsheng, who had experienced it firsthand. To avoid being affected, they needed to prepare in advance.

Ten minutes later, in the Yu family's room in the east wing of the Second Courtyard.

The young couple, who had just been all lovey-dovey, now sat facing each other on the kang (a heated brick bed) with serious expressions.

"You go first!"

"You go first!"

The two stared at each other for a moment.

Yu Junsheng was the first to back down, clasping his hands in a pleading gesture, "Okay, okay, I'll go first, I'll go first!"

He organized his thoughts, "Since last month, I've been having frequent dreams. In my dreams, I'm married to Jiang Qiubai, and you're married to Zheng Haiyang. Those two scoundrels fell in love, and since we died one after the other, they naturally ended up together..."

Yu Junsheng recounted the general details of his dream, then glanced at Cheng Jiajia and noticed a hint of surprise on her face, which startled him.

As expected!

Yu Junsheng had long suspected something was wrong. Not only was his wife's personality completely different from Cheng Jiajia in his dream, but she also didn't know any of the neighbors in the courtyard. If she were really in the same situation as him, having lived in this courtyard for more than ten years, it shouldn't be like this. However, he couldn't help but hold onto a sliver of hope.

But she was still surprised by what she said about her past life. Thinking back to the strange tales she had read before, the only explanation was that "she" was not Cheng Jiajia!

Then who is "she"?

Cheng Jiajia naturally noticed the gaze from the other side, and looked back at her with a half-smile, "Why are you looking at me?"

Yu Junsheng chuckled dryly, "Wife, you're so beautiful."

Cheng Jiajia raised an eyebrow, sorted out her thoughts, and said to herself, "The world you live in is a book, a book with Zheng Haiyang and Jiang Qiubai as the main characters. You and Cheng Jiajia are just tools serving the main characters, that is, their stepping stones..."

As Cheng Jiajia recounted her story, Yu Junsheng's expression gradually turned extremely ugly. He had previously felt that he was just a stepping stone for Zheng Haiyang to give him money and houses, and now it seemed that this was indeed the case!

The whole world revolves around the male and female protagonists. The purpose of his and Cheng Jiajia's existence is to serve that despicable couple. Once they no longer need them, they will "naturally" die.

The more Yu Junsheng thought about it, the angrier he became, cursing, "What kind of blind author would make Zheng Haiyang and Jiang Qiubai the main characters?"

"They even tried to use us as stepping stones for them! Bah! Do they deserve it? They're all no good!"

"This author's son will definitely be born without an anus!"

Cheng Jiajia: "..."

She comforted the agitated Yu Junsheng, saying, "Now we all know the plot, and our fate is in our own hands. We certainly can't let others take advantage of us anymore."

After his anger subsided, Yu Junsheng gradually calmed down and suddenly realized a problem.

My wife's words seemed to imply that she wasn't Cheng Jiajia, so who was she? And where did she come from?

Yu Junsheng glanced at Cheng Jiajia again and again, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

Cheng Jiajia understood, her eyes flashing with threat, and asked gently, "What's wrong?"

"No, no, hehe..." Yu Junsheng chuckled awkwardly. He was just a little curious about where you came from and whether you knew any magic.

Yu Junsheng couldn't suppress his curiosity any longer. He swallowed hard and asked in a low voice, "Wife, where did you come from? You can't be from some otherworldly place like in novels, can you?" He then looked at Cheng Jiajia with surprise, wondering if she was an immortal or a fairy.

Cheng Jiajia rolled her eyes at him, utterly speechless. "What other place? I come from the future. The era I lived in was very prosperous. Everyone could afford to eat meat every day, and every family could afford a car."

Thinking back to her previous life, Cheng Jiajia sighed deeply, "Before I transmigrated, I never thought that one day I would feel happy even if I could only eat a bite of meat."

Thank goodness, thank goodness, Yu Junsheng breathed a sigh of relief.

He wasn't too scared, after all, such a bizarre thing had happened to him. It was just a little awkward. Now that he knew his wife was an ordinary human, he felt much more at ease.

As for the era his wife described—a time when everyone could afford meat at every meal and every family could afford a car—it was something to yearn for. In his dream, he died young, and he regretted and lamented it.

He and his wife are determined to live well until that time.

Suddenly remembering something, Yu Junsheng slapped his forehead, "That's it!"

“Honey, I remember Zheng Haiyang said he dug up a box of treasures and later passed it down to his grandson as a family heirloom.”

He was indignant. "Pah! What kind of luck does he have to run into this!"

Cheng Jiajia understood; this was what they called the protagonist's halo.

"Wife..." Yu Junsheng rubbed his hands together, his eyes darting around, clearly not holding back a good joke!

Sure enough, the next second he said, "Honey, what do you think, should we... hehe!"

"Honey, what do you think?"

What does Cheng Jiajia think? Cheng Jiajia naturally thinks this idea is perfect for her!

She gave Yu Junsheng an appreciative look; he truly was her man!

Since they're destined to clash, what's there for her to fear about the protagonist's halo?

She raised an eyebrow and asked him, "Do you know where he dug it up?"

Yu Junsheng chuckled, "I know, I know, that bastard bragged about it to his grandson many times later!"

Finally, that bastard did something good!

The two exchanged a glance and simultaneously revealed a sly smile.

In the end, the two decided to live together peacefully, tricking the male and female leads, and thus reached four principles for cooperation.

1. It's best to keep a low profile and not flaunt your wealth during these ten years.

2. Take advantage of the opportunity to grab some bargains at the scrap yard to prepare for the reform and opening up.

3. Cheng Jiajia should try her best to find a job. The salary doesn't have to be high, but it must be stable.

4. The Zheng family is our mortal enemy; we should swindle them if necessary and not hesitate to steal their treasures!

After chatting about various things, it was getting late. The two of them heated up some leftovers from lunch to fill their stomachs and looked at each other in bewilderment as they looked at the spacious kang (heated brick bed).

Yu Junsheng kissed Cheng Jiajia, quickly lay down, covered himself with the blanket, and closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep.

He had been really looking forward to what he could do on his wedding night, but after that conversation, his mood was like a rollercoaster. Now, he had no time for anything else but thinking about how to snatch that bastard Zheng Haiyang's treasure.

Cheng Jiajia: "!!!"

What the heck?!

The woman I've been craving for so long is right next to me, yet I'm letting her chat under the covers?!

What about her wedding night?!

Is this what the evening she'd been looking forward to all afternoon turned out to be?!

Cheng Jiajia glanced at the man who was lying down pretending to be asleep with great dissatisfaction. She gritted her teeth and pounced on him like a hungry tiger, pinning him down.

Yu Junsheng was startled and sat up abruptly, only to be pushed back down. He scrambled to his feet, stammering, "Hey, wait, wife, what are you doing?!"

Noticing his wife's hands groping him, his breathing became unsteady, and he said with difficulty, "Wife, Jiajia, don't do this, hey, where are your hands? Ouch~" Yu Junsheng gasped, and his voice gradually weakened.

Why was he the one being forced on his wedding night?

Doesn't he have any pride?! Waaaaah!

Soon, he no longer had the energy to think about these things, because his young wife was too demanding.

And so, Yu Junsheng spent a very exciting night.

...

In the west wing opposite, in the room of Zheng Haiyang and his wife.

Zheng Haiyang didn't care how to wash Chang Dafeng's dirty clothes. He went into the room immediately to coax Jiang Qiubai. After finally coaxing her, he didn't waste the wedding night. The two of them were very affectionate before falling asleep from exhaustion.

In her dream, Jiang Qiubai vaguely saw someone burying a wooden box underground. She wanted to see exactly where it was buried, but everything was shrouded in mist, and she couldn't see anything clearly.

Jiang Qiubai woke up with a start, but couldn't remember what she had dreamed about. She only remembered that something very important had been buried underground. What was it again...? As she thought about it, she drifted off to sleep again.

...

The second courtyard quieted down, while the front courtyard was still bustling.

First, there was the Zhu family. Old Mrs. Zhu and Fu Jiaojiao had two arguments over whether to wash outside or inside the house, and who should wash first and who should wash last.

When Bao Chunming from the Bao family next door came home from get off work, the sound of sobbing could be heard.

When Bao Chunming returned, he was disgusted with Liu Xiaohong. He beat her up and then made her sleep on the ground.

This useless thing, covered in poop, actually wants to sleep on the bed, isn't it afraid of getting the bed dirty!

If there wasn't too much space at home, he would have definitely kicked them out.

Bao Chunming didn't care whether the ground was cold or whether Liu Xiaohong would catch a cold; he only cared about sleeping comfortably.

That night, Bao Chunming snored in bed.

Liu Xiaohong clung to the tattered quilt and cried all night.

When will she be able to give birth to a son if no man gets close to her?

Waaaaah... Her life is so miserable!

The young man from the next courtyard, who was getting up in the middle of the night, shuddered, took off running, yelling, "Oh my god! A ghost!"