Chapter 64
Meng's father and Han Hong left on the bus. Han Shuo and Meng Yuxiu stood by the roadside for a while before returning to their rented room.
The rented room was simple, but the mat on the bed was clean, the blanket was neatly folded, the windows were sparkling clean, and all the items were arranged in an orderly manner.
Meng Yuxiu looked around the rented room, watching Han Shuo's figure walk back and forth between the room and the balcony, and his mood fluctuated slightly.
This was the first time Meng Yuxiu had ever rented a place outside his home, even though he was married to Han Shuo and had his own room in the Meng family home.
But it's different, because this small rented room belongs entirely to him and Han Shuo, and is only for the two of them.
In the Meng family, there were parents; in the Han family, there was Han Hong. In Meng Yuxiu's mind, no matter which family he and Han Shuo were in, they both had parents.
Only in this small rented room did he truly feel like he was in charge. Only in this small rented room could he be a strong and supportive husband who could hold up an umbrella for his wife.
Han Shuo looked around the room, then strolled around the balcony before returning to the room to find Meng Yuxiu standing there, dumbfounded.
What are you spacing out about?
Meng Yuxiu walked up to Han Shuo, looked at Han Shuo's face, and asked a classic question about the poor husband living with his pregnant wife in a small, dilapidated house.
"Han Shuo, you've suffered because of me."
Han Shuo was taken aback by these serious words, then chuckled and said, "What's there to feel aggrieved about? What's there to feel aggrieved about? Isn't this great? It's much better than living in the dormitory in high school."
These words moved Meng Yuxiu. In his opinion, Han Shuo was too good to him, and he had no regrets even if he had to eat coarse food with him.
He looked intently at Han Shuo and said, "Once the mission is complete and we return to our original world, I will let you live in a big house. I won't let you suffer like this."
Han Shuo got goosebumps looking at the boy's sincere and affectionate words. He nodded repeatedly and said perfunctorily, "Oh, okay, okay, I'll wait for you to give me a big house."
"kindness."
To prevent the kid from saying anything mushy again, Han Shuo quickly changed the subject: "Alright, it's getting late. What do you want for dinner?"
Meng Yuxiu said he was going to the nearby market to buy groceries. Han Shuo then told him to take the cloth bag he had brought from home, and the two of them locked the door and went downstairs.
As dinner time approached, the area became very lively. Not only could you hear the sounds of woks being tossed and stir-fried from the restaurants in the alley downstairs from your balcony, but the sinks on the first floor were also crowded with people washing vegetables at their respective taps.
Landlady Zhang was sitting on a chair by the door, picking green beans, when she saw the young couple who had rented the room that day come out of the house.
She already knew Han Shuo, and the tall, handsome, and seemingly refined young man following closely behind Han Shuo was probably the husband Han Shuo had been talking about with everyone in the small workshop.
Upon learning that both young men were college students, especially Meng Yuxiu, who was a top student at Jinhua University, even though they were standing in a dilapidated alley in an urban village, the landlady, Sister Zhang, couldn't help but think that these two young men had an outstanding presence.
Sister Zhang greeted her with a smile, "Xiao Han, are you and your husband going out?"
Han Shuo: "Yes, we're going out to buy groceries."
"Okay, okay." Sister Zhang pointed in the direction of the alley entrance to the young couple and said, "Do you know where the market is? Just turn right at the alley entrance and walk along the street..."
Han Shuo thanked the landlady, Sister Zhang, called out to Meng Yuxiu, and continued walking.
However, Meng Yuxiu could no longer hear anything in his head at this moment, not even the clanging of spatulas from the small restaurant next door.
His mind was completely occupied by the word "husband" that the landlady had said.
He and Han Shuo had been married for almost a month, so they were naturally husband and wife. But he had never heard the phrase "he is Han Shuo's husband" before.
Now, hearing this suddenly, especially after hearing Han Shuo answer outsiders so calmly just now...
It was as if his identity as Han Shuo's husband was openly exposed to the public, which inexplicably made him feel excited.
Han Shuo walked ahead and noticed that the person next to him was dawdling. He turned his head and saw Meng Yuxiu carrying a bag, his eyes downcast, seemingly lost in thought, with the corners of his mouth silently turning up one after another.
Han Shuo stopped and asked, puzzled, "What are you grinning about all by yourself?"
Meng Yuxiu was pulled back to his senses and immediately stopped smiling: "I wasn't grinning like an idiot."
"Tch!" Han Shuo walked over, grabbed Meng Yuxiu's arm, and gently pulled him along. "You're not grinning like an idiot yet? Your mouth is practically stretched to your ears. Tell me, what interesting thing have you thought of?"
"I didn't." Meng Yuxiu was too embarrassed to tell Han Shuo that he was only in a good mood because of a comment made by Han Shuo's husband.
Han Shuo turned his head to look at Meng Yuxiu's still fair and proud face, and chuckled, "To be honest, I used to think you looked pretty aloof and pretentious, how come you've become such a goofball now?"
"I didn't," Meng Yuxiu snorted softly, a smile playing on his lips as he said to Han Shuo, "I only act like this in front of you."
"Hehehe." Han Shuo released his arm and instead put his arm around his shoulder. "I know, I know. You only show your true self to me, right?"
Meng Yuxiu smiled and remained silent.
However, the more he pondered the landlady's words, the happier he became. On his way from the alley to the market, he frequently smiled.
After walking a few more steps, she couldn't resist reaching out to touch Han Shuo's stomach next to her.
"What are you doing? Why can't you walk properly?"
"I just want to touch the child," Meng Yuxiu said, refusing to let go.
Han Shuo couldn't stand Meng Yuxiu's tone, which sounded like he was being pleaded with her. He gave in and said, "Okay, okay, you can touch it, you can touch it. Do you want to tell it that Daddy is here to touch you?"
Upon hearing this, Meng Yuxiu glanced at Han Shuo, his smile deepening.
When it comes to children, every new father gets excited, and Meng Yuxiu is no exception. He asked Han Shuo, "Han Shuo, we haven't named it yet."
Han Shuo had never thought of it before, but now that Meng Yuxiu brought it up, he began to think about it.
"What do you want to take?" he asked Meng Yuxiu.
“I’ll listen to you,” Meng Yuxiu said.
"Listen to me?" Han Shuo looked at the serious look on this man who had become a father at the age of eighteen and suddenly wanted to tease him, "Then I'll just pick one."
"Then let's name him Tiezhu, meaning 'Founder of the Nation'!"
Meng Yuxiu frowned. "No, it doesn't sound good."
"Then let's call him Ultraman!" Han Shuo raised his arm and unleashed a barrage of "biubiubiu!" at Meng Yuxiu.
"Can you be serious for once?" Meng Yuxiu couldn't stand Han Shuo's antics anymore.
Han Shuo stopped teasing him, chuckled, and leaned closer to him, saying, "Oh dear, I'm no good at naming things. I'll leave this difficult task to you; you're the top scholar in the city."
"Okay, I'll think about it carefully." Meng Yuxiu was so happy that even his calm and indifferent eyes seemed to be filled with dazzling light.
"Okay!" Han Shuo patted his shoulder. "Let's go buy groceries!"
When they left home, Meng's father brought rapeseed oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and other seasonings, which he estimated would last for a quarter of the year. Therefore, Han Shuo and Meng Yuxiu only needed to buy enough groceries for one meal at the market.
Han Shuo and Meng Yuxiu weren't very good at cooking, so there weren't many options for them to choose from. That was fine, as it saved them money.
After Han Shuo became pregnant, he craved appetizing dishes, so Meng Yuxiu bought two palm-sized red tomatoes, squatted down in the poultry section to pick out a few eggs, and finally bought a loofah.
He planned to use one tomato to make a tomato and egg stir-fry, while giving the other to Han Shuo as fruit.
Also, make a bowl of loofah soup.
One dish and one soup are enough for the two of them to eat in the summer. Anyway, they can't keep food in their rented room without a refrigerator, so they can just spend a little money every day to eat fresh food.
Before his father left, Meng Yuxiu was instructed to cook and do laundry. In fact, Meng Yuxiu would have done it willingly even without his father's instruction.
So after returning to his rented room, he went to the sink on the first floor to wash and peel vegetables, then went back to the balcony to chop vegetables and light the coal stove.
The sky outside gradually darkened, but the sounds of woks and spatulas from the small restaurant downstairs continued. Through the glass window, one could see Han Shuo sitting on a mat eating raw tomatoes under the warm light.
Meng Yuxiu stood on the balcony cooking, savoring the moment. Never before had he felt more like a true husband than at this moment.
After dinner, the two went downstairs to take a shower. The landlady, Sister Zhang, was quite thoughtful. In addition to the sink for washing vegetables and clothes on the first floor, she also prepared two rooms behind the stairs, which were used as men's and women's bathrooms respectively. However, there were no water taps installed; they were just two bare cement rooms.
If people want to take a shower, they have to fetch water outside and bring it to the bathroom to rinse.
But for Han Shuo and Meng Yuxiu, it was indeed very convenient. Being able to take a shower in the bathroom was much better than having to fetch water and carry it to their room, making the room all wet.
Although Meng Yuxiu was very uncomfortable with it, he had no choice but to adapt since he was renting a place outside.
After taking a quick shower, the two returned to their room.
It was still early, and they couldn't sleep at this hour. With no other entertainment, Han Shuo counted all the money they had.
The 800 yuan dowry has been deposited into Han Hong's savings account, and he also has more than 100 yuan from selling crayfish.
Han Shuo sat on the mat and calculated. In two days it would be September, and he was four months pregnant. After ten months of pregnancy, he would give birth around mid-February.
He asked Meng Yuxiu, "Hey Meng Yuxiu, what's the date of the Lunar New Year this year?"
Meng Yuxiu: "January 25th."
"January 25th..." Han Shuo frowned, "I'm due to give birth in mid-February, so how about we go home for winter break and come back to Hecheng after the New Year?"
Meng Yuxiu thought for a moment, "You'll be nine months pregnant during the Lunar New Year. Your family will probably be worried about you going out again and will definitely hope that you can stay in the hospital in your hometown to give birth so they can take care of you after the baby is born."
"The mission is complete once the baby is born, so does that mean we have to earn the money before winter break?" Han Shuo muttered to himself as he calculated the time. The next second, he exclaimed, "Damn it! Let's say it's September now, winter break starts in January, so September, October, November, December... that leaves only a little over four months?!"
Meng Yuxiu asked, "How much money do you plan to earn to leave for your brother and my parents?"
"Of course, the more the better," Han Shuo said.
To be honest, Han Shuo wanted to leave some money for Han Hong, Han Ting, and Meng Yuxiu's parents, and it wasn't just a few dozen or a hundred yuan. He figured that since he had the 800 yuan dowry plus the 100-odd yuan from selling crayfish as capital, he should be able to earn several thousand or tens of thousands of yuan. If he could also buy a house and a car and leave a large sum of money, and find his brother a stable and well-paying job so that he wouldn't have to worry about making a living and could raise Han Ting, that would be even better.
But time is of the essence, where can we earn so much money?
He asked Meng Yuxiu, "Hey, what kind of business makes money the fastest? We have over nine hundred yuan in hand. As long as we can do a profitable business, we can invest all nine hundred yuan without any problem!"
Meng Yuxiu frowned and pondered for a moment, then said, "Let me think about it."
Han Shuo grabbed his arm and said urgently, "We have to hurry. It would be best if we could start doing business and making money as soon as school starts!"
Meng Yuxiu asked, "Aren't there classes at university anymore?"
Han Shuo knew that Meng Yuxiu had his principles. Although he would have to leave this world sooner or later, he would treat himself as a student as long as he stayed in this world. If he was not allowed to attend classes, and this matter reached the ears of Meng's parents, he probably would not want to make his parents sad.
Actually, it wasn't just Meng Yuxiu; Han Shuo felt the same way. Han Hong had high expectations for him, and he didn't want Han Hong to know that he hadn't been studying diligently here.
Even if Han Hong might not find out, Han Shuo would always feel guilty.
"Then do business after school, and do business on Saturdays and Sundays. So hurry up and think of any business that allows you to freely adjust your schedule."
Meng Yuxiu nodded, "I understand."
The two sat on the bed, pondering their business plans, and didn't turn off the lights and rest until 9:30.
There was no electric fan in the room, so Meng Yuxiu opened the window. Fortunately, it was close to September, so it wasn't too stuffy, and the occasional night breeze could make him feel cool.
Han Shuo closed his eyes and went to sleep, while Meng Yuxiu kept his eyes open, thinking about doing business.
He was calm and focused, but after thinking for about ten minutes, he suddenly heard the creaking of the bed in the next room.
The eighteen-year-old, who had already experienced life, immediately understood, and so, amidst the creaking and groaning, he was unable to concentrate on business matters.
He turned over and listened quietly to Han Shuo's even breathing for a while. A few seconds later, he couldn't help but move closer to Han Shuo.
The soundproofing was terrible. After a while, Han Shuo woke up too. He pricked up his ears and asked Meng Yuxiu, "Holy crap, what's that sound?"
Meng Yuxiu wrapped his arms around Han Shuo's waist, almost pressing his face against Han Shuo's cheek, and whispered to Han Shuo, "The neighbors are over there..."
"Damn! That intense?"
"kindness……"
Upon hearing Meng Yuxiu's restrained yet affectionate voice, Han Shuo knew that the boy was itching to get out from the noise next door.
Han Shuo raised an eyebrow. "What? You want to too?"
"I didn't," Meng Yuxiu denied, only hugging Han Shuo even tighter.
He paused for two seconds, then added, "My dad told me to control myself."
Han Shuo chuckled and teased, "You're so obedient? You listen to your dad so much?"
Meng Yuxiu nodded and said softly, "I'm worried about your health."
Han Shuo nodded slowly on the pillow and said, "Mmm, thank you so much for thinking of me. What are you doing with your fingers moving around like that?"
"..." Actually, Meng Yuxiu wouldn't have noticed it himself if Han Shuo hadn't mentioned it.
He was momentarily embarrassed and immediately withdrew his hand.
But Han Shuo grabbed her.
Han Shuo laughed and said, "What's going on? You've already done it, why are you feeling embarrassed? I was already feeling it too."
"Hurry up!"
"Is it okay?" Meng Yuxiu hesitated. "But my dad said..."
Han Shuo: "Why are you talking so much nonsense? Your dad is on the bus right now. Do you want to write him a letter and tell him that Han Shuo wants to do it, and ask if you can do it?"
Meng Yuxiu chuckled quietly.
Do you want to do it or not?
Meng Yuxiu certainly wanted to, but he frowned and hesitated, saying, "But I can't be as willful as I used to be now."
Han Shuo raised an eyebrow slightly. "What, are you going to learn how to be a father?"
Meng Yuxiu tightened his embrace of Han Shuo, rested his forehead on Han Shuo's shoulder, and nodded very gently on Han Shuo's shoulder.
A warm feeling washed over Han Shuo.
He nuzzled Meng Yuxiu's hair with his chin, then whispered, "Good job. But what if I want to do it now?"
Meng Yuxiu asked, "How about I help you?"
Han Shuo shook his head, "I want real guns and ammunition."
Meng Yuxiu wanted to laugh when he heard the wording.
"What are you laughing at?" Han Shuo urged him. "Hurry up, you said your dad told you to be in charge of yourself, now I'm going to do it. Are you going to listen to your dad or your wife?"
Meng Yuxiu slowly opened his eyes wide, then smiled and nodded, saying, "I'll listen to my wife."
Han Shuo chuckled and gave him a hard slap on the bottom. "Then hurry up and come on! Otherwise, our voices will drown out the neighbors'!"
"kindness!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com