Chapter 157 Mysterious Gift "Spending money on your wife, how can that be considered reckless spending..."
As the saying goes, "A person is in high spirits when they have a happy event," and Zhu Liushuang's mouth has never closed since she signed the house purchase contract.
And because He Ming said, "I'll be back early tonight," her heart soared to the sky.
After lunch, she returned home feeling exhausted and with nowhere to expend her energy, so she grabbed a mop and cleaned the floor inside and out. Just as she was getting into the swing of things, the doorbell suddenly rang.
"Coming—" Zhu Liushuang put down the mop and hurriedly ran to the entrance, muttering to herself, "Who is it?"
This spot couldn't possibly be He Ming's; it must be—
A strange man's voice came from outside the door: "Is anyone home? Delivery—"
Oh, he's a deliveryman!
But she hasn't bought anything online lately...
Could this package be the thing He Ming was going to give her?
Thinking of this, Zhu Liushuang couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.
"Creak—" She opened the door and looked out.
Outside the door, a man wearing a baseball cap handed over a large cardboard box: "Hello, SF Express."
Zhu Liushuang took the box, weighed it in her hand, and found it to be quite heavy.
What exactly is it?
Her curiosity was fully piqued, and as she carried the cardboard box back into the house, she began to examine the information on the delivery slip. After scanning it twice, she couldn't find any other useful information besides the address and recipient.
It's so mysterious, what could it be?
She frantically searched through the cardboard box, so engrossed that she didn't even bother to pick up the mop that had fallen to the side.
Or... should we just open it up and take a look?
But what if this wasn't meant for her?
Zhu Liushuang hesitated for a moment, then picked up her phone, snapped a picture of the cardboard box, and sent it to He Ming.
Honey, I just signed for a SF Express package. Can I open it? / Curious
She knew he had been incredibly busy these past few days and probably wouldn't have time to check his phone. Just as she was about to pick up the mop and get back to work, her phone vibrated twice as soon as someone started talking.
[Demolish it, please.]
His concise and to-the-point style of reply made Zhu Liushuang smile.
Having received permission, she excitedly found a utility knife, squatted down, and slashed a hole in the delivery box.
The box was opened, revealing its contents, the top layer being an inflatable plastic protective film. She continued unpacking, and after tearing off the protective film, a strangely shaped object was revealed.
With a black background and gray edges, it looks like a large sponge cushion, but it's much larger than a regular pillow. One end is higher than the other; the upper part resembles undulating mountains, while the lower part is a sloping surface.
Zhu Liushuang reached out and touched it, muttering to herself, "The resilience is pretty good, but it's a bit hard... I wonder if it's comfortable to lean against?"
She was feeling a bit backache from mopping the floor, so she decided to test it out. She moved the large object to the sofa, then leaned forward and lay down on it.
I must say, this big thing, despite its strange appearance, is actually quite comfortable to use. The wavy curves on top perfectly match the curves of her body, especially her chest and waist... Lying face down on it like this, her neck doesn't feel strained at all; it's practically a godsend for scrolling through her phone or watching classes!
Zhu Liushuang was extremely satisfied. She changed to a more comfortable position, took a picture of herself with her phone, and then sent it to He Ming.
【"Is this a gift for me? I just tried it out, it's so comfortable!"】She smiled and sent the message, then couldn't help but complain, 【"It's just a bit oddly shaped, and it's too big, it takes up so much space!"】
She lay lazily on the cushions, occasionally picking up her phone to check for replies.
The afternoon sun was warm and comforting, making her drowsy. She kept nodding her head like a chick pecking at rice, and finally, she received a message from the man.
"Hmm... as long as it's comfortable."
For some reason, Zhu Liushuang felt that the string of ellipses on the screen was quite meaningful. But before she could think about it, she was overcome by sleepiness.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the city, Zhonghe Accounting Firm.
A man wearing frameless glasses put down his phone and turned his head to the computer screen filled with data. His fingertips hovered over the mouse for only a few seconds before his eyes involuntarily drifted back to the phone lying beside him.
For the next ten minutes or so, his gaze seemed to be drawn to the photos on his phone screen, glancing up at them every now and then.
My thoughts were tossed about by some chaotic ideas, and the image of Zhu Liushuang lying on the mat kept appearing in my mind...
Behind his glasses, He Ming's phoenix eyes gleamed. He slammed his phone face down on the table, trying to extinguish the flames that were beginning to burn in his lower abdomen.
————
Zhu Liushuang slept for a long time. When she woke up again, the sun was setting outside the window, and the faint shadows of the distant green mountains were bathed in golden light.
She stretched and yawned, then got up sleepily and headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Before she even entered the kitchen, her phone rang.
She cleared her throat before answering the phone: "Hello, honey—"
The man's voice on the other end of the line was more urgent than usual: "Honey, I'm in the underground parking garage right now. Could you come down here?"
"Do you need help moving anything?" Zhu Liushuang asked instinctively.
The man replied vaguely, "You'll find out when you get down... Hurry up."
"I was just about to cook dinner..."
"No rush, I'll start cooking in a bit. You can come down now..."
What could be so important? Zhu Liushuang muttered to herself as she hung up the phone, changed her shoes, and went out.
It only took a few minutes to go from the fifth floor to the underground parking garage. Because he told her to hurry, she practically ran to her parking space. But when she arrived, there was only an empty car; He Ming was nowhere to be seen.
She hurriedly dialed his number, panting, and asked, "I've arrived...where is he?"
A series of footsteps came through the receiver: "Go further ahead, to parking space number 99."
Although Zhu Liushuang had questions in her mind, she still followed his instructions and walked forward. After turning the corner, a tall figure came into view.
"Husband—" Zhu Liushuang rushed to the man's side, and seeing that his hands were empty, she asked in confusion, "Where are the things? Didn't you ask me to come down and help?"
The man finally stopped beating around the bush, took her hand, and gestured with his chin towards the new energy vehicle parked in parking space number 99: "Is it pretty?"
"What?" Zhu Liushuang was completely confused. "A car? It's beautiful. Didn't we see a similar one on the road last time? It was pink and had a cute name, something like Ballet Cat... But this blue one is even better."
Upon hearing her assessment, He Mingping's straight lips curled up: "Hmm, blue looks better."
"Honey...you rushed me down here, you didn't just come to admire other people's cars, did you?" Zhu Liushuang tugged at his hand and urged him softly, "Come on, we haven't cooked dinner yet...if the car owner comes over later, who knows what they'll think of us, how silly of us."
She tugged at it a few times, but the person holding her didn't budge.
"Husband?" she urged him again.
As their eyes met, the man calmly took a bunch of keys out of his pocket, opened his palm, and presented them to her.
Car keys?
Could it be...?
Only now did Zhu Liushuang belatedly realize that the new car in front of her, adorned with a red bow, might belong to her.
She gasped in surprise, stammering, "This...this...car...is for me?"
He Ming nodded solemnly.
"Ugh... why did you spend money like that without saying a word! What if I don't like it?" she complained, gripping her car keys tightly.
"You just said you liked it." He Ming was extremely satisfied with the surprise he had prepared. "Besides, how can spending money on your wife be considered wasteful?"
"Is it very expensive?" Zhu Liushuang walked awkwardly to the car and touched the body of the car to ask.
He Ming shook his head: "It's not expensive, it's within my budget. Do you want to go up and give it a try?"
She leaned against the car door, still feeling the pinch of the huge expense: "The weather's warmer now, and I'm perfectly fine riding my electric scooter. Buying a car really wasn't necessary... Honey, I remember we only have one parking space. You didn't buy another one, did you?"
A parking space in Chunhua Lane costs nearly 200,000 yuan, and Zhu Liushuang felt a pang of heartache at the thought.
“The parking space is rented, three thousand five hundred a year.” The man beside her understood her concerns and explained in a low voice, “Don’t worry, your husband knows what he’s doing.”
"Oh—" The weight on her chest lifted, but Zhu Liushuang still hesitated to get into the car.
Helpless, He Ming could only soothe her gently: "Honey, although a car isn't a necessity, it will make commuting to and from get off work or going shopping much more convenient. With my job, I might be too busy to take care of the family, let alone pick you up and drop you off whenever I want. I also don't feel comfortable letting you ride your little electric scooter in windy or rainy weather... Buying a car isn't something I decided on a whim; I had planned it during the New Year. Just think of it as... think of it as my dowry for you."
His words came from the bottom of his heart, and Zhu Liushuang felt a surge of warmth in his heart.
“Husband…” she looked at him with teary eyes.
"You're already crying?" He Ming wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. "Don't worry, I'll prepare everything other girls have for their weddings. We'll go back and ask Mom sometime to see what she wants..."
Zhu Liushuang didn't really care about these formalities, so she never mentioned them to He Ming.
But the person in front of her considered her needs in everything.
We won't let her suffer any losses or feel wronged.
The more he spoke, the softer her heart became.
"Waaah..." Tears welled up in her eyes, one after another, flowing like a spring.
"Don't cry, sweetie." Looking at his wife's tear-streaked face, He Ming felt extremely sorry for her. He couldn't help but pull her into his arms, gently patting her back and coaxing her, "Wife, buying a car and a house are both joyous occasions. On such an important day, we can't cry. We should be happy..."
"Ugh—I know, but I can't help it..." Zhu Liushuang sobbed, forcing out a smile.
After He Ming comforted her, her emotions gradually calmed down, and she got into her brand new car.
New drivers are naturally both nervous and excited when they first hit the road.
Fortunately, since after the Lunar New Year, He Ming had intentionally or unintentionally let her drive his car. At that time, Zhu Liushuang did not know his intentions, but now she realized that this man had planned it all along.
With someone accompanying her in the passenger seat, Zhu Liushuang felt much more emboldened. She carefully drove onto a relatively empty main road and circled the neighborhood three times. The more she drove, the more comfortable she became, so she simply drove He Ming towards the downtown area, not returning until dusk.
"Are you tired?" the man asked her with concern as they returned to the underground parking garage.
Zhu Liushuang shook her head: "Not tired... It feels quite novel to drive myself, especially since the interior of this car is so beautiful and it can park automatically..." She excitedly praised the car from head to toe.
Seeing the beads of sweat glistening on her nose, He Ming couldn't help but flick the tip of her nose and said, "Let's just drive it to work tomorrow."
"OK!"
Do you want me to come with you?
Zhu Liushuang, understanding that he had been busy with work lately, declined, saying, "No need, it's just a short distance, I can manage by myself."
“Then drive slower…” He Ming said, then changed his mind again, “I’m still not at ease. How about this, I’ll drive with you for a week first.”
"It's too much trouble... Honey, I'm a 'veteran driver' with five years of experience. If you don't believe me, go look at my driver's license..." Zhu Liushuang declined.
The man squeezed her hand and chuckled, "Hmm, five years of driving experience on your license, but only one month of actual driving experience..."
"Hey, you can rest assured, you really don't need to come with me."
After much arguing, Zhu Liushuang still couldn't win against He Ming.
————
As night fell, the two walked home hand in hand.
Because they had been practicing driving for a while, they missed their mealtime. Now their stomachs were growling with hunger, so Zhu Liushuang decided to give up on the tedious task of cooking and suggested that they make do with the shepherd's purse wontons they had made over the weekend.
He Ming had no objections. He stopped her at the kitchen door and volunteered to cook wontons.
Zhu Liushuang was happy to have some free time, and after telling him to put more sesame oil in his bowl, he happily moved to another spot.
Before long, steaming bowls of wontons were served.
The two sat down facing each other, eating wontons with gusto. Halfway through, Zhu Liushuang suddenly looked up and asked, "Honey, was the cushion we signed for this afternoon bought from Taobao? Why isn't there any product information..."
He Ming paused, his hand holding the wontons still, and responded.
"What's its name? It's a cushion, right?"
Her response was a simple "Mmm".
Zhu Liushuang put down her spoon and muttered, "We already have so many cushions at home, why do we need to buy another one that takes up space... The worst part is that it's oddly shaped and ugly."
"Didn't you say it was quite comfortable to use?" He Ming glanced at her nonchalantly.
Although Zhu Liushuang did like this "magic device" for using her phone, she couldn't help but glance at him: "In the future, if you want to buy any daily necessities, can you discuss it with me to avoid waste?"
"Okay—" the man agreed verbally, but in his heart he muttered, "Not a waste."
As for why this "pillow" wasn't wasted, Zhu Liushuang understood after taking a shower.
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Author's Note: This isn't a cushion, it's clearly... [shy]
The countdown to the end of the main story has begun!
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