Today is a good day. In early December, it's payday for both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Zhou Mingli's workplace.
Unlike Zhou Mingli, Jiang Ci's position was an administrative post, the lowest level 23, but his monthly salary was still 52 yuan.
Jiang Ci did not start her job on November 1st last month. Subtracting the time she was unemployed before starting, Jiang Ci has 36 yuan this month.
In addition to the various subsidies for administrative positions, industrial coupons, grain coupons, oil coupons, and so on, there were quite a few.
In comparison, Zhou Mingli's salary was much lower. Even though his boss had given him a raise once before, Zhou Mingli only earned twenty-three yuan a month.
When the two of them put their wages together after get off work, they found that they had a total of fifty-nine.
Zhou Mingli said, "We just moved here, and there are many other necessary expenses. In total, we spend about 20 yuan on food, not including the meat we buy."
When they came, they brought with them the cured meat, sausages, and salted fish that they had smoked in Shanding Brigade. These things kept them going for more than a month, but the cured meat and other things were almost gone.
At the end of the year, we need to buy New Year's goods and prepare gifts for visiting relatives and friends. Roughly calculated, it will cost about fifty yuan.
Jiang Ci grunted and said, "Then we'll use this month's salary for the New Year, and we'll use our own savings for food and other expenses this month."
Zhou Mingli hummed in agreement.
With a few hundred yuan in savings, Jiang Ci and Zhou Mingli's lives weren't too stressful, even without owning a house or paying rent.
After all, prices weren't really that high back then.
While reading, Huang Zheyue listened to Zhou Mingli and Jiang Ci whispering at the dining table. After thinking for a moment, she went in, opened the trunk where clothes were kept, and took out a handkerchief that was bulging inside, as if it contained something.
Zhou Mingli took out the money he had saved for this month's expenses and New Year's goods, and added six yuan to their newly earned wages, making it sixty-five yuan.
"Here you go," Huang Zheyue said, pushing the handkerchief towards Jiang Ci and Zhou Mingli.
The two turned to look at him.
The twelve or thirteen-year-old boy grew the fastest. At Jiang Ci's house, he could eat meat every day and be full at every meal, so he grew taller and looked like he was about to be as tall as Jiang Ci.
However, he's only growing taller, not much flesh, and looks extremely thin.
Watched by the two adults, Huang Zheyue blushed and said stiffly and quickly, "This is all the rent they paid. I'm eating and drinking here for free, so this money is useless to me! You can take it!"
After saying that, he turned around and went to the desk in Jiang Ci and Zhou Mingli's bedroom to read.
Jiang Ci and Zhou Mingli exchanged a glance and opened their handkerchiefs.
Huang Zheyue rented out her house and charged thirteen yuan a month for rent. The tenant paid six months' rent upfront. Huang Zheyue had seventy-eight yuan in her savings, which she had wrapped in a handkerchief.
"This kid is really honest; he took out all his money right away." Jiang Ci shook her head speechlessly.
Zhou Mingli said, "Zheyue will continue his studies in the future, so let's keep this money for his tuition, books, paper, and pens."
Jiang Ci thought so too, and she nodded.
That night, Zhou Mingli put the money under Huang Zheyue's pillow.
Huang Zheyue said, "This is for you!"
"Don't you want to continue your studies?" Zhou Mingli asked him, looking down at him.
Huang Zheyue choked up for a moment, not knowing what to say.
Zhou Mingli continued, "Your Aunt Jiang and I know a school principal. We'll try to get you some fifth-grade textbooks. Even though you can't go to school right now, you can study at home. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask your Aunt Jiang when she gets back."
"Can...can I go back to school?" Huang Zheyue asked, confused.
Zhou Mingli smiled. "Why not?"
Huang Zheyue felt something was about to flow from his eyes. He lowered his head in a panic, and his eyes reddened once again.
"Brother, what's wrong with you?"
Zhou Yang, who was playing with Zhou Miao on the upper bunk, poked his head out and asked curiously.
Zhou Mingli glanced at his troublesome son and pushed his head back.
Zhou Miao's little head peeked out from over there, "Brother Zheyue, so shy, crying face."
Huang Zheyue wiped her eyes and said in a rough voice, "I didn't cry!"
"Hehe~"
Zhou Miao smiled and then made a soft "hmm".
Zhou Mingli pushed her head back in the same way he had done to everyone else.
Thank goodness there's a horizontal bar above it, otherwise these two little devils really wouldn't be able to be stopped.
"In short, there are other uses for this money; you should use it in the right places."
After Zhou Mingli finished speaking, he picked Zhou Yang up from Zhou Miao's bed and said, "Go to sleep now."
“Ah~”
After turning off the lights and closing the door, Zhou Mingli returned to the master bedroom.
Jiang Ci lay on the bed, but couldn't fall asleep. She turned her head to look at Zhou Mingli and said, "Has the money been delivered?"
"Hmm." Zhou Mingli nodded, chuckled again, and said, "Zhe Yue was crying just now."
“That kid is a bit stubborn but soft-hearted. After his father passed away, not many people were genuinely kind to him.” Jiang Ci turned over and lay on her side, sighing.
Zhou Mingli lifted the covers and got into bed, facing Jiang Ci. He saw that her eyebrows were furrowed, as if she was worried about something.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, it just feels too peaceful." Jiang Ci said, but her hand reached into Zhou Mingli's clothes and her foot stepped on his leg.
It warms both hands and feet.
"While Guo Zhen and Xia Lei are locked in a power struggle, my work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also going smoothly. By March next year, we'll be able to sell black tea to Country Y, and other countries have even expressed interest in cooperation..."
Without Guo Zhen's interference, her work went smoothly.
But this did not reassure Jiang Ci.
“There are still many hidden dangers, which remain dormant and unseen, and I always feel uneasy about them,” Jiang Ci said, frowning.
“There’s no such thing as being able to guard against thieves for a thousand days if you’re a thief for a thousand days. Cheng Wenyun secretly passed on Shan Guo’s matter to Xia Lei, and Xia Lei will definitely not let it go. You don’t really need to worry about that side.” Zhou Mingli said slowly. “If you really have to worry, be more cautious and don’t give Guo Zhen and the others any chance.”
Jiang Ci nodded, still feeling uneasy.
Guo Zhen and Xia Lei indeed did not have time to take action against Jiang Ci and Zhou Mingli.
To Jiang Ci's surprise, the person who made the move was not the one she expected, but someone completely unexpected...
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