Ding Qiunan glanced at Li Chu, but instead of opening the box, she took out a handkerchief from the inside pocket of her clothes. Inside the handkerchief was a roll of money.
"This is the money I saved up from working for a year."
Ms. Ding has only been working for a year, and her monthly salary is only 20 yuan. She also has to give 10 yuan to her family.
Li Chu picked up the girl's savings and counted them. It totaled seventy-six yuan and thirty-seven cents, which meant she spent less than five yuan a month.
Li Chu neatly stacked the bills one by one, looking at Ding Qiunan: "My wife is really amazing, a good woman for managing a household! I'm so lucky to have married you!"
The girl wrinkled her nose at him.
Ding Qiunan lowered her head and opened the wooden box. She glanced at it, immediately covered her mouth, and then quickly closed the box again. She rushed over and grabbed Li Chu's arm, saying, "Li...Li Chu, how...how...how can there be so much money? What did you do? Don't scare me, okay?"
Li Chu picked up the girl with some pity and let her sit on his lap.
The money in the box was something he had taken out and prepared yesterday. He definitely couldn't tell the truth, because if he did, Ding Qiunan wouldn't just be afraid, she would think he was a monster.
“I earn all the money. You know I often make house calls, and many people also come to me privately to treat men’s diseases. These people never skimp on the fees.”
"Really, Li Chu? I only want to live a good life with you after I married you. Please don't do anything bad, okay?" Ding Qiunan looked up at Li Chu.
Li Chu looked down into Ding Qiunan's eyes and said, "Don't worry, Qiunan, I won't do anything bad."
Little Ding reached out and hooked her arm around Li Chu's neck, saying, "Love me!" and then kissed him passionately.
How could this be tolerated? Of course not, Li Chu responded enthusiastically.
"Lights, turn off the lights!" Little Ding said while taking a breath.
Li Chu hurriedly ran over to turn off the light. Little Ding put all the things on the bed in the corner and took out a white towel from her pocket and spread it on the bed.
The light went out with a click!
...
With a "click," Li Chu stretched out his arm and turned the light back on.
The two were covered with a blanket. Li Chu held the girl, who was sprawled out in his arms, and lit a cigarette afterward.
The girl nestled tightly in his arms, her face flushed, too embarrassed to open her eyes.
After finishing his cigarette, Li Chu patted the girl on the back and said, "I'll go get a basin of water to wipe you down."
The girl didn't say anything, and pulled the blanket over her head.
Li Chu smiled and got out of bed.
I went downstairs and used cold water to wipe myself down first.
Then I filled a basin with water, mixed it with hot water, and went upstairs.
Ding Qiunan tried to wipe herself, but the pain was unbearable, so she had no choice but to give up and continue to cover her head with the blanket, burying her head in the sand like an ostrich.
After wiping the girl's body, he picked up the basin and went downstairs to empty it.
When he came up again, the girl was wearing a top and leaning against the inside of the bed. After tidying up the bed and remaking the quilt, Li Chu crawled into the quilt and looked at Ding Qiunan: "Why are you getting dressed? Come here, let me hug you."
The girl blushed, smiled at him, and didn't say anything.
I reached out and picked up the small box I had pushed to the corner of the bed, placed it beside me, and opened the lid. Inside were seven stacks of 10-yuan notes, tied together with rope.
Ding Qiunan took it out and looked at it, then asked, "How much is this?"
"Each stack contains 1000, totaling 7000."
The loose change was all in 10-yuan notes. Ding Qiunan counted them; there were 65 notes, totaling 7650 yuan. There were also 10 large yellow croakers at the bottom of the box; no wonder it was so heavy when she picked it up.
Ding Qiunan stared blankly at the money and the large yellow croaker in the box, asking, "Are all of these really ours?"
"Of course, I'm handing this over to you now. From now on, you'll be the head of our household."
"But where am I supposed to put all this money?" the girl wondered, her head throbbing.
Li Chu pointed to the cabinet and said, "There's a panel inside that can be opened. I didn't know that when I bought the cabinet. Once it's opened, this box fits perfectly inside. This box was originally placed there."
After a pause, Li Chu continued, "There's a small drawer in that cabinet where my household registration book, grain ration book, coal ration book, and all our family's coupons are kept."
Ding Qiunan was about to get out of bed to check, but then realized she wasn't wearing pants, so she shrank back under the covers. She covered the box, put it back in the corner of the bed, and then crawled under the covers again.
She took off her clothes in bed and snuggled into Li Chu's arms like a kitten.
The two of them held each other tightly, talking intimately about the past and their hopes for the future.
And so they both slowly fell asleep, a faint smile still lingering on the girl's lips.
When Li Chu woke up in the morning, Xiao Ding was clinging to him like an octopus, using both her arms and legs.
Li Chu suppressed the urge to make a scene and slowly got off the bed.
I went downstairs to light the stove and put water on the stove, then went out for a run.
On the way back, I bought four mutton buns at the entrance of the alley.
After arriving home, I washed up first, then poured the boiled water into the kettle and started cooking rice porridge.
Li Chu sat down by the stove, lit a cigarette, and slowly stirred the porridge in the pot with a spoon.
At this moment, Ding Qiunan came downstairs and saw Li Chu sitting by the stove. She immediately came over, sat on his lap, and hugged his neck, asking, "Why did you get up so early?"
“I didn’t eat last night because I was afraid you’d be hungry, so I went out this morning to buy some steamed buns with mutton filling. I also made some porridge, which is almost ready. Go wash up, and you can eat it soon.” Li Chu patted the girl’s round buttocks.
After finishing breakfast, the two of them got ready and went out together to the neighborhood office where Li Qin worked. They were going to get their marriage certificate today.
When Li Chu came out of the neighborhood office, she was holding a marriage certificate in her hand. It was the same size as an award certificate, just a piece of paper, and there was no photo on it.
There is also a ticket, which is for weddings only. With this ticket, you can buy two catties each of candy, peanuts, and melon seeds. Every newlywed couple receives one.
Li Chu stood by the roadside in front of the street office, carefully looking at every word on the marriage certificate, grinning foolishly.
Ding Qiunan couldn't stand it anymore and slapped him: "Silly boy, haven't you seen enough yet!"
Li Chuzai carefully folded the marriage certificate and put it into her handbag.
He cleared his throat and looked at Ding Qiunan in a serious manner, saying, "Comrade Ding Qiunan, I am a new husband, please guide me in the future!" After saying that, he cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Ding Qiunan.
Upon hearing his words, Ding Qiunan's already bright eyes seemed to shine even brighter, and she followed his example by cupping her hands in a respectful gesture: "Comrade Li Chu, I am a new wife, please guide me in the future."
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