Chapter 67
Since he wasn't coming to work at the workshop that night, Han Shuo planned to take the remaining half-box of beads and the box of beads that was already strung together back to his room when he left.
Anyway, Sister Zhang said he would settle the money whenever he finished playing the game.
Seeing that Han Shuo was about to carry the cardboard boxes, Meng Yuxiu rushed ahead and took both boxes away.
"Aren't you going to pick up your bicycle?" Han Shuo asked from behind.
"Come down right away," Meng Yuxiu said, quickly walking up the stairs to the third floor.
Then he quickly went downstairs and carried the bicycle back up.
During his stay in Hecheng, Meng Yuxiu had been preparing dinner all by himself. On the first day, he lit the stove so much that the smoke filled the balcony and the room, but after a few days, he became more familiar with the process.
He first lit a stove on the balcony to cook rice, then left Han Shuo in the room while he went to buy groceries.
"I'll go with you."
"No, you should rest at home."
"I've been staying at home all day, and if I don't go out for a walk, I'll go crazy from boredom."
Meng Yuxiu listened without saying anything more, and then took out the basket they had bought from home specifically for buying groceries from the room.
Han Shuo noticed that Meng Yuxiu's expression had been strange ever since he came out of the small workshop. For example, when the two were walking in the alley, he was talking as he walked, but Meng Yuxiu just nodded silently as a response.
Han Shuo was puzzled, so he stopped.
As soon as Han Shuo stopped, Meng Yuxiu also stopped.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Han Shuo leaned closer and tilted his head to look at Meng Yuxiu. "What's wrong with you?"
Meng Yuxiu answered in a muffled voice, "No."
Han Shuo clicked his tongue: "Not yet? Your face looks like a bitter gourd."
Meng Yuxiu lowered his eyes and remained silent.
Han Shuo shook his arm. "Tell me? What happened?"
Meng Yuxiu looked up and stared at Han Shuo's face for two seconds, then suddenly grabbed Han Shuo's shoulders and hugged him tightly.
"What the heck!" Han Shuo never expected that someone who was usually so thin-skinned would do this.
The two were almost out of the alley, where the small restaurants were bustling with business at this hour.
In this day and age, hugging and cuddling will immediately attract the attention of passersby.
"What are you doing? What are you doing?" Han Shuo nudged him, but Meng Yuxiu wrapped his arms around him even tighter.
"Let go, damn it! Hugging and kissing in public, aren't you embarrassed?"
Meng Yuxiu was half a head taller than Han Shuo, but even so, he lowered his head and buried his face in Han Shuo's shoulder.
He shook his head slightly, his voice muffled as it came from Han Shuo's shoulder.
"Han Shuo, stop stringing beads."
Han Shuo struggled, and after breaking free, he cupped Meng Yuxiu's face in his hands to look at him. When he saw Meng Yuxiu's distressed expression, Han Shuo understood.
He laughed and said, "Feeling sorry for me?"
Meng Yuxiu looked down at him, pursed his lips, and then said, "I don't want you to be too tired. I'll start earning money tomorrow."
Han Shuo was indeed feeling dizzy and disoriented from all the work, but hearing Meng Yuxiu say that made him feel exceptionally relaxed.
"Where are you tired?" he comforted. "It's not physical labor, just a matter of moving your hands. Besides, we're supposed to make money this semester, and making money isn't just your responsibility. And I'm not in military training now, so I'm bored, don't you think?"
That makes sense, but when Meng Yuxiu thought of Han Shuo working diligently in the small workshop, he still felt guilty.
But he knew Han Shuo's personality. Back in high school, Han Shuo would go out to collect recyclables during his holidays. Even if he couldn't collect many, he would still search street by street.
Suddenly, a sense of defeat, as a husband, overwhelmed him.
Seeing his sullen expression, Han Shuo felt both amused and warmed.
Meng Yuxiu was like that. Although he still acted childishly from time to time when they were together, he also knew the pride in Meng Yuxiu's bones. He was young, but he was a bit of a male chauvinist.
"Alright, alright," Han Shuo changed the subject. "You just said you were going to make money too?"
"Hmm." Meng Yuxiu's downcast eyes finally regained some light. "I can't think of anything I can do right now, so I'm going to continue tutoring."
Han Shuo nodded, "That works too. We can't just sit around doing nothing until we figure out what to do. Let's just make some money first, and then figure things out as we go."
"After my military training tomorrow, I'll go to several high schools in Hecheng to see if I can get some tutoring jobs," Meng Yuxiu said.
"Then I'll go with you tomorrow."
"No need, I'll just ride my bicycle there."
Han Shuo: "Stop making excuses. We're unfamiliar with Hecheng and have no connections here. Do you think we're still in a county town? Everyone knows you're Meng Yuxiu, so why would they be eager to have you tutor them?"
Meng Yuxiu said, "I will bring Jinhua's admission notice and college entrance examination results with me."
Han Shuo chuckled and pinched his cheek. "Not bad, you're getting high-profile, huh? Hehe. But I'll still go with you to recruit students tomorrow. I'm definitely more eloquent than you, right?"
Meng Yuxiu thought about it for a moment and then agreed.
“Then take the bus tomorrow and get off at Xingyuan High School,” Meng Yuxiu said. “We’ll meet at the school gate then.”
Han Shuo: "Okay."
Meng Yuxiu's arm was still around him. Seeing that his mood had improved, Han Shuo patted his back to let go. "Alright, don't look so miserable. I've already started making money, you should be happy. And don't underestimate stringing beads. You can make ten cents for a bracelet, fifty bracelets is five dollars. Even if we don't make a lot of money in the end, we'll still make some, don't you think?"
"With you tutoring, the two of us should make at least a hundred yuan a month, right?"
Meng Yuxiu hesitated for a moment, then said, "Don't overwork yourself."
"Don't worry, health is the foundation of everything, I know that." Han Shuo grabbed Meng Yuxiu's arm and couldn't help but pinch his face and laugh, "I didn't expect you to be so caring towards your wife at such a young age, not bad, not bad, you're a good husband."
Hearing Han Shuo constantly referring to his wife and husband, Meng Yuxiu smiled and reached out to touch Han Shuo's stomach.
"Are you addicted to touching it?" Han Shuo slapped his butt.
Han Shuo always hits people without restraint, and each slap is quite forceful. Meng Yuxiu rubbed the spot where he was hit and said to Han Shuo, "Don't always hit so hard."
"What's wrong?" Han Shuo teased him, feigning disgust. "Look at your delicate skin."
“No…” Meng Yuxiu frowned, “It’s that you sometimes hit me…”
"What did I hit you for?"
Meng Yuxiu said awkwardly, "It hurts my balls a bit from all that hitting..."
"..." The next second Han Shuo burst out laughing. He quickly rubbed Meng Yuxiu's butt and whispered, "Who told you to be such a bull's egg? I can shake it up with just one slap on your butt."
"..." Meng Yuxiu was speechless. He could only say, "I mean, don't spank me like you're hitting a child."
"What's wrong with you? Aren't you just a kid?"
Meng Yuxiu gave a soft hum and glanced at Han Shuo. "No."
Han Shuo particularly adored his proud and aloof expression, and immediately coaxed him with a soft touch: "Oh, okay, okay, you're not a child, you're a good man who can cherish his wife."
Meng Yuxiu smiled with satisfaction, letting Han Shuo put his arm around his shoulder and push him forward.
"What groceries should we buy for dinner?" Han Shuo asked him as they walked.
"I want to buy meat to make braised pork, and I also want to buy shrimp."
"Wow!" Han Shuo clicked his tongue at him. "Are you trying to live a life of luxury? So extravagant? Just buy something to eat. Besides, do you even know how to make braised pork? Forget it, listen to me, just buy some eggs and tomatoes too."
Meng Yuxiu suddenly stopped and looked at Han Shuo, saying, "I know you want to leave them more money, I know you're reluctant to spend it..."
He paused, then lowered his eyes and bit his lip slightly.
Han Shuo heard him say very softly, "But... I want you to eat meat and shrimp."
"Is it okay? Just today, just this once, is that alright?"
The sky darkens earlier in September than in August. There are no streetlights in the alley, and at this hour, the sky is already hazy.
Han Shuo looked at the tall boy, who stood before him with his head bowed, speaking softly and urgently about his heartache. He couldn't see the emotions hidden beneath Meng Yuxiu's stern eyes, but Meng Yuxiu's voice gently struck his eardrums.
This caused Han Shuo's burning heart to beat uncontrollably.
"Silly boy..." He couldn't help but move closer to Meng Yuxiu, his fingertips caressing his delicate cheek, and he whispered in the same soft voice, "Okay, buy me meat and shrimp."
This was the most lavish meal the two of them had prepared since arriving in Hecheng. After buying groceries, Meng Yuxiu happily carried the basket downstairs to wash the vegetables. The neighbors next to him saw the shrimp and meat in the basket and teased Meng Yuxiu, "Little Meng, did you have such a good meal at home today?"
Meng Yuxiu didn't stop what he was doing; he just smiled politely at them.
After washing, he hurriedly grabbed the basket and ran upstairs.
The neighbors on the first floor watched his retreating figure, chatting and laughing as they washed the vegetables.
"Is that the young man who lives on the third floor? He seems quite shy."
"Yes, he and his wife are both college graduates."
"Let me tell you, this young man may look young, but he's incredibly doting on his wife! Ever since they moved in, he's been the one washing the vegetables and doing the laundry..."
As darkness fell, Meng Yuxiu was cooking on the balcony with great enthusiasm, and the sounds of his cooking filled the simple rented room with lively activity.
Han Shuo leaned against the doorframe, watching Meng Yuxiu wearing only trousers and shirtless. As he stir-fried the food, the muscles in his arms and chest taut, revealing smooth lines.
"Tsk tsk." Han Shuo crossed his arms and teased, "Looking at your great figure, I'm already full without even having dinner."
Meng Yuxiu wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled somewhat embarrassedly at Han Shuo, "It was too hot, I really couldn't stand it, so I took off my clothes."
Han Shuo chuckled and nodded, "Yeah, yeah, I didn't say anything to you."
Meng Yuxiu smiled and glanced at him.
Han Shuo kicked his foot, then raised his chin at him, "Since you have such an alluring body, how about we have some fun tonight?"
Normally, this kid's eyes would light up when he heard this. But today, when Han Shuo said it, he hesitated for a moment.
"Han Shuo, can we do it another day?"
Han Shuo raised an eyebrow in surprise, "What the heck, what day is it today? You're not only not happy, but you're actually changing it to another day?"
Meng Yuxiu grabbed the spatula and stirred the contents of the pan a couple of times, then gave a stiff, forced smile. "I did fifty frog jumps during military training today, so my legs are a little sore..."
"Hahahaha!!" Han Shuo walked over and put his arm around Meng Yuxiu's shoulder, but he laughed so hard he couldn't stand up straight.
Meng Yuxiu, his ears red, told him not to laugh.
Han Shuo smoothed his chest, which was still churning from laughing so hard he could barely breathe. "Alright, alright, let's have fun another day. Hahahaha, I never thought you little glutton would have a day like this!"
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