Chapter 35 Chapter 35 She's the Boss, hehe
As dawn broke, Zhou Yue's biological clock instinctively woke him up at five o'clock.
Opening his eyes, the man did not get up immediately. He propped himself up on his elbows and looked at his daughter and wife.
The daughter was fast asleep, her arms rolled up, her head tilted towards her wife, and the blanket that her wife had taken from her and was now holding in her arms.
As his daughter's little belly rose and fell, Zhou Yue's eyes softened with a gentle smile. He couldn't help but chuckle and picked up the thin blanket he was wearing to cover his daughter.
The man paused for a moment, thought for a moment, then leaned over and draped the corner of the blanket over his wife.
The sleeping wife was peaceful and serene, just as well-behaved as her daughter, though her sleeping posture was somewhat questionable.
Zhou Yue quietly looked at his sleeping wife and daughter, his heart filled with something, an indescribable tenderness spreading through him, and his whole body brimming with strength.
He tucked the blanket around his daughter. The temperature was a bit low in the morning, so he turned the fan down a bit. Then he got up to wash and get ready, moving very gently.
The sky gradually brightened from its initial grayness, and a golden hue appeared on the horizon. The first ray of sunlight pierced through the window, illuminating the man with a soft glow.
When Cheng Cheng woke up, she saw this scene. She lay on the bed and quietly admired the man's profile for a while. Her gaze fell on his face, and the lines of his high nose bridge, outlined by light and shadow, were particularly three-dimensional and charming.
My gaze slid from the bridge of his nose to his eyebrows and eyes. The man seemed to be facing some troublesome matter. His brows were slightly furrowed, his eyes were lowered, his long eyelashes cast a small shadow under his eyes, his lips were slightly pursed, and his expression was focused and absorbed.
Cheng Cheng quietly climbed off the bed, tiptoed behind the man, and silently made her way there.
Just as she was about to startle the man, he turned his head slightly and glanced at her, his eyes still showing the focused and deep look he had when he was working, and his expression seemed not to be surprised at all.
Cheng Cheng casually lowered her raised hand, a look of confusion on her face. "How did you find out about me?"
Even though her movements were already very light, based on the boss's focused concentration when working, isn't it said that he usually enters a state of flow, where he is completely unaware of any external noise?
Cheng Cheng pointed at him with a smile, "Zhou Yue, you're not concentrating on your work!"
The man chuckled softly, his gaze falling on his wife's face. When she was asleep, she was serene and peaceful; when she was awake, she was lively and mischievous, full of vitality.
"When you walk over, you will cause air to move. Even if you make a very small sound, according to the principles of fluid dynamics, it will still cause the surrounding air to move and form a weak airflow."
Cheng Cheng: "..."
Speak like a human!
The speechless expression on her face was so obvious that the man paused for a moment, then suddenly chuckled, picked up a piece of draft paper from the table and placed it in his palm.
Cheng Cheng asked her wife to take a few steps back before coming closer, and she did so. Then she looked at the man with a puzzled expression, "Is there any change? What does this mean?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yue stood up and placed the draft paper in his hand into his wife's hand. He took a few steps back and walked slowly toward his wife.
In order for his wife to better observe and appreciate these subtle differences, Zhou Yue deliberately made his movements a bit more exaggerated.
Cheng Cheng suddenly exclaimed, "I know! It moved!"
It was a very, very subtle movement, which most people wouldn't even notice. Moreover, her movements were much smaller than Zhou Yue's. Yet, Zhou Yue was able to keenly detect such a tiny movement.
All she could say was, "This boss truly lives up to his reputation."
However, she looked down at the draft paper in her palm, which was covered with dense numbers and formula characters that she couldn't understand.
He held the draft paper between his thumb and forefinger, waved it in front of the man, and teased, "Zhou Yue, your sense of secrecy is a bit lacking. You just give it to me like this, aren't you afraid of leaking secrets?"
The man was unusually silent for a few seconds, seemingly at a loss for words.
Cheng Cheng raised an eyebrow, her lips curving into a slight smile. Although she tried to remain calm, the smugness emanating from her eyes was impossible to hide.
Zhou Yue looked at his wife quietly, his eyes softening instantly. A faint smile appeared on his lips as he asked softly, "Acheng, can you understand it?"
"ah?"
Cheng Cheng's smile froze. She blinked, glanced at the man, and then looked down at the draft paper in her hand.
The smile on her face vanished; she was now absolutely certain that she had been looked down upon by the big shot.
Moreover, she strongly suspected that Zhou Yue was implying something about her, which was why she entrusted the things to her so confidently, giving Zhou Yue a resentful look.
"Hmph, I don't understand!" he declared confidently.
As it turns out, the smile didn't disappear, it just shifted. Zhou Yue, with a smile on his lips, took the draft paper his wife slapped at him and placed it on the table.
Are you angry?
Upon hearing this, Cheng Cheng glanced at the man and reasonably suspected that although the big shot was extremely intelligent, he was nothing more than a straight man.
She shook her head. "Pshaw, I'm not that petty."
After Cheng Cheng finished speaking, she went out to brush her teeth and wash her face, thinking to herself, "So what if she doesn't understand? Isn't this normal?"
She's not a freakish genius like Zhou Yue. Oh, and there's another little freakish genius in their family.
Cheng Cheng lowered her eyelids and fell silent. The world of geniuses was indeed beyond her comprehension.
My little Xiaoxiao really liked the whole book of Sudoku puzzles that Zhou Yue made!
Moreover, it's a genuine liking; because of this Sudoku book, Xiaoxiao's affection for her father has visibly increased.
Cheng Cheng didn't understand, but she was greatly shocked!
Well, it seems there's a connection between geniuses; mortals like her shouldn't even try to understand.
But so what if someone is a genius? Aren't they still human?
Hmph, Zhou Yue can't even peel garlic properly and needs his daughter to teach him. He probably knows absolutely nothing about the kitchen.
She is a genius in this field; she is the absolute authority!
Anyway, she couldn't quite understand the father and daughter's obsessive dedication to mathematics. She didn't understand, but she respected it.
In her opinion, the only things in this world that shouldn't be missed are beautiful scenery and delicious food. She can postpone the beautiful scenery for now, but she can enjoy the delicious food!
After brushing her teeth and washing her face, she went into the room and said to the man, "I went to the market. What would you like to eat for breakfast? I'll bring it back later."
Hearing the sound, Zhou Yue looked up at the door, put down his pen, stood up and said, "I'll go with you."
"Mom, I want to go too!"
Little Lingxiao woke up at some point and sat blankly in the middle of the bed, his dark eyes looking at his parents, his little face flushed.
Cheng Cheng agreed without much thought, changed the little guy's clothes, braided his hair, brushed his teeth, and washed his face.
She and Zhou Yue took the little girl out of the house and headed to the market.
As Zhou Yue came out of the yard, he turned around to lock the door, while Cheng Cheng stood at the door with the little one in her hand, waiting for him.
Aunt Ma from next door came out pushing her old bicycle. Seeing them, she walked over with a smile, glanced at the man, and couldn't help but ask gossipily, "Little Cheng, who is this?"
Cheng Cheng turned her head to look at Sister Ma, whose face was burning with a strong desire for gossip. Because of her excitement, her small eyes were more bright than usual.
She reasonably suspected that Sister Ma had heard them leaving and deliberately went out at this time.
Although she thought this in her heart, she didn't show it on her face at all, and introduced him with a smile: "Sister Ma, this is Zhou Yue, my husband."
"Your partner is back?"
Sister Ma couldn't help but exclaim, her face full of surprise. Xiao Cheng had lived here for several years, and they had never seen her husband before, assuming he was already...
Perhaps realizing that she was being too excited and exaggerated, Sister Ma calmed down and said with a smile, "Xiaoxiao's dad is back! That's wonderful! Your family is finally reunited. This is a good thing!"
Zhou Yue locked the door, turned around to look at the person who came in, and nodded politely to greet them.
When Sister Ma finally saw what Xiao Cheng's husband looked like, her eyes widened in surprise. Just by looking at his back, she knew that Xiao Cheng's husband must be good-looking; he was tall and upright.
When she turned around, she found that the other person was even more beautiful than she had imagined; the whole family was good-looking!
After introducing themselves to each other and exchanging a few pleasantries, Cheng Cheng said, "Sister Ma, we're going to the market to buy groceries now. We'll talk again later."
"Okay, okay, let's talk about it later."
Cheng Cheng glanced at Zhou Yue, and the man immediately stepped forward, picked up his daughter, and the family of three headed to the market.
After walking about ten steps, just as they were about to leave the street and reach the intersection of the alley, Cheng Cheng turned around.
Zhou Yue, holding his daughter in his arms, saw his wife suddenly stop and turn to look behind her. Confused, he followed her gaze.
Then you see half a cart wheel pressing against the threshold, entering the yard.
Zhou Yue roughly understood why his wife had turned back, and a smile appeared on his lips.
She knew that Sister Ma had deliberately come out to meet her, and sure enough, she had.
"let's go."
It's estimated that the news of Zhou Yue's return will spread throughout the neighborhood soon.
After they left, the conversation between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law could be heard from the neighboring family's courtyard.
Yu Xiagu stepped out from behind the door, walked timidly to her mother-in-law, and whispered, "Mother, that man is Comrade Cheng Cheng's husband."
Old Mrs. Zhuang's face darkened, and she glared at her daughter-in-law. "What husband? He's clearly that little harlot's lover! Her husband is long dead!"
Grandma Zhuang was furious. Yesterday, she heard a strange man's voice in the neighbor's yard. She was secretly delighted. If it hadn't been so late last night, she would have told everyone about it.
That little slut will lose face and be unable to hold her head up. No woman who is on good terms with that bitch Luo Xiaojuan is a good woman!
"mother……"
Yu Xiagu dared not refute her mother-in-law. With her head down, she thought to herself, "Why does Mother have to pick a fight with Comrade Cheng and slander his innocence?"
If Comrade Cheng finds out, there will inevitably be another lawsuit. The neighbors in the neighborhood don't like the Zhuang family anyway and love to gossip behind their backs.
Mother is going to provoke people again. Aunt Yu Xia can't and doesn't dare to interfere. She'll just have to stay away from her.
To outsiders, farming may seem like a bad thing, but for her, it was a good place to settle down. She could eat her fill there and wouldn't have endless farm work to do every day.
In a way, she should thank her sister-in-law for helping her marry into the city.
However… although what Comrade Wei Hong said made sense, she decided not to listen. She was very satisfied with her current life, and it was fine as it was.
She knew in her heart that Comrade Wei Hong was doing this for her own good and that she was thinking of her. Few people were kind to her, so she kept Comrade Wei Hong's kindness in her heart and decided to secretly see Comrade Wei Hong from now on, without letting her mother-in-law know.
-
Today is the weekend. Usually, Cheng Cheng's biological clock will automatically adjust on weekends, and she will wake up half an hour later.
I woke up late today and waited a while, so by the time I got to the market, it was already too late; all the good stuff had been bought by others.
There were only a few large bones left on the meat stall, with hardly any meat on them, just bones, and nobody wanted them.
Cheng Cheng thought that big bones would be great for making soup, so she turned her head and asked the man, "We're out of meat, how about we buy some big bones to make soup?"
Zhou Yue held his daughter in his arms and had no objection to his wife's words; he would let his wife make the decision.
Cheng Cheng weighed the big bones, then saw that there was a lotus root for sale, so she quickly walked over and asked for two lotus roots.
After paying, she strolled around and bought things on her own, while Zhou Yue followed behind, carrying their daughter. He watched his wife skillfully navigate the market, greeting people and buying what she needed.
"Little Orange?"
Liu Xiulian called out and waved to her, but her gaze drifted to the man holding Xiaoxiao.
"Aunt Xiulian."
Cheng Cheng led Zhou Yue over and introduced, "Zhou Yue, this is Aunt Xiulian, my eldest sister's mother-in-law."
“Aunt Xiulian, this is my husband, Zhou Yue.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Xiulian looked at them in surprise, "Your husband is back? When did he come back?"
Cheng Cheng nodded. "I came back yesterday. I was in a rush and didn't have time to tell you."
Even she was startled!
"Aunt Xiulian." Zhou Yue nodded to her and greeted her politely.
Cheng Cheng glanced at the stall, lowered her voice, and asked, "Aunt Xiulian, do you still have any braised food?"
"Yes, there's only some pig intestines left. Do you want some?"
Pig intestines have a strong smell, even after being processed and braised. However, they taste quite delicious, especially when stir-fried with pickled chili peppers and pickled cowpeas.
"want!"
Cheng Cheng bought up all the remaining pig intestines. People who like this kind of food find it more and more delicious the more they chew it, but those who don't like it will find the smell unpleasant and might not be willing to eat it.
While paying, Cheng Cheng glanced at the man's expression. She saw him frown and instinctively take two steps back while holding his daughter.
Seeing this, Cheng Cheng knew what was going on. Zhou Yue probably didn't like this food, but Xiao Xiao had the same taste as her and loved it!
As Liu Xiulian filled Xiao Cheng's pig intestines from below, her hands moved without stopping for a moment, and she spoke excitedly, "Xiao Cheng, I'm telling you, it's done!"
"Leng Gang and Comrade Xiao Juan are married!"
Liu Xiulian got excited as she talked about it. She was the matchmaker who introduced the two of them, and she never expected that they would get together so quickly!
She has such good taste!
You can't go wrong when it comes to judging people!
Cheng Cheng had guessed the result yesterday, but judging from what Aunt Xiulian said, it seems that the results of Xiaojuan and Leng Gang's hospital check-up yesterday should be satisfactory.
Cheng Cheng smiled and said, "That's great, congratulations to them!"
After buying the pig intestines and exchanging a few words, Cheng Cheng said goodbye to Aunt Xiulian. The family of three left the market, packed breakfast from the People's Canteen, and headed home.
On the other side of the vegetable market, Liu Xiulian asked an acquaintance to watch her stall for a while before rushing back to the family compound.
"Xiaoping, your brother-in-law is back!"
"Mom, what did you say?"
Liu Xiulian returned home panting. She first drank some water to catch her breath before saying, "Your brother-in-law is back. It's Xiaocheng's husband, Zhou Yue."
This was the first time Liu Xiulian had met her daughter-in-law's brother-in-law. He was incredibly handsome, and standing next to Xiao Cheng, they were a perfect match—a handsome man and a beautiful woman!
Liu Xiulian talked at length about what Xiao Cheng's husband looked like, his appearance, his figure, and his temperament—he was clearly no ordinary person.
After hearing her mother-in-law's explanation, Cheng Ping immediately stood up, grabbed her bicycle keys, and hurriedly prepared to leave.
Liu Xiulian shook her head as she watched her daughter-in-law's hurried figure. This impatient nature was just like her mother-in-law's!
-
Zhou Yue took a bite of the tofu pudding, frowned, looked at his wife and daughter, and said with concern, "Can you get used to it? If you don't like it, give it to me, you can have steamed buns."
Then he asked, "Do you have any malted milk powder at home? I'll make you two bowls."
Cheng Cheng looked up: "?"
Xiao Lingxiao looked at his father with a puzzled expression, not understanding why his father said that.
Staring at him with two pairs of bright black eyes, Zhou Yue remained calm, pointed to the tofu pudding in front of him, and frowned, saying, "The tofu pudding here is more expensive than in the capital, and it even has sugar in it."
"Pfft—"
Cheng Cheng burst out laughing. So that's why. Because the tofu pudding has sugar water in it, it will definitely be more expensive.
She scooped up a spoonful of tofu pudding and put it in her mouth, making smacking noises. She raised an eyebrow at him and said, "It's pretty delicious. You can ask your daughter if you don't believe me."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Lingxiao followed his mother's example and took a bite of tofu pudding. His little face was full of joy as he asked curiously, "Dad, what do you put in tofu pudding if not sugar?"
Seeing this, Zhou Yue understood immediately. He had misunderstood. It turned out to be a regional difference. He grew up in the capital, and the tofu pudding he ate from childhood was always savory, topped with gravy, and sometimes served with daylily, wood ear fungus, diced shiitake mushrooms, or minced meat.
However, his wife's hometown was different from theirs; the tofu pudding there was sweetened with sugar water, and his wife and daughter clearly preferred the sweet version.
Having made a blunder, Zhou Yue sat up straight and said to his wife and daughter, "When we have the chance in the future, I'll take you to try the tofu pudding in the capital."
Cheng Cheng had tried savory tofu pudding before, but she preferred sweet tofu pudding.
Northern tofu pudding is savory, southern tofu pudding is sweet, and tofu pudding in the southwest is spicy. When it comes to the "North-South debate" in the world of tofu pudding, Cheng Cheng unconditionally supports sweet tofu pudding!
"Dad, is the tofu pudding in the capital city delicious? Is it the same as ours?"
Little Lingxiao tilted his head and asked his father.
Zhou Yue patiently explained to his daughter the differences in food between the two places. Whether tofu pudding tastes good or not is subjective. Just like he was used to savory tofu pudding, he found it strange when he ate sweet tofu pudding for the first time. But his daughter was used to sweet tofu pudding and might not be used to savory tofu pudding.
The family of three finished breakfast and got ready to go out to a photo studio to have their pictures taken.
Cheng Ping arrived riding her old-fashioned bicycle.
As soon as Cheng Ping entered the courtyard, she saw the man beside her younger sister. He was tall and upright, with a handsome face, a high nose, sword-like eyebrows, and bright eyes. His expression was indifferent yet gentle.
His gaze was indifferent and aloof when he looked at her, but when he looked at his younger sister and niece, his eyes seemed to warm up and his aura became gentle.
When Cheng Cheng saw that her sister had arrived in such a hurry, she immediately guessed the reason. With a smile, she introduced the two of them: "Sister, this is Zhou Yue, Xiaoxiao's father."
"Zhou Yue, this is my eldest sister, Comrade Cheng Ping."
According to her memory, it seemed that only her grandfather and she had ever met Zhou Yue. No one else in the family had ever met Zhou Yue. When they got married, it was her grandfather who took the original owner of the body to the capital to complete the wedding.
Moreover, the marriage was actually very rushed. Zhou Yue had no vacation time, and the two of them had an arranged marriage, which was a forced marriage. They got their marriage certificate in a hurry while Zhou Yue was in Beijing with the base leaders for a meeting.
She left the next day and stayed away for several years. There was too much time in the rush, and they didn't even take wedding photos.
"Hello, ma'am."
Zhou Yue took the initiative to walk over, his expression gentle, and he gave a polite smile.
"Hello."
Cheng Ping also smiled, though she was somewhat surprised.
My first impression of this brother-in-law was that he was cold and indifferent, as if he were as cold as ice in winter. His attitude towards her was completely different from his attitude towards my younger sister and niece.
She could understand that, but after her younger sister introduced her, her brother-in-law's demeanor changed, and he became polite and considerate towards her.
Cheng Ping couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong. Maybe she was overthinking it, since it was the first time she had met her brother-in-law.
"Sister, we were just about to go out to the photo studio to take pictures."
Cheng Cheng pursed her lips and thought for a moment, then said, "At noon, invite your brother-in-law, Da Ni, Er Ni, and Niu Niu, and let's go out to eat together."
"I promised Niu Niu and the others that I would treat them to a meal if they did well in their exams, so let's keep my promise today."
"It's perfect timing that Zhou Yue is back. Let's have our two families meet and have a meal together."
Cheng Ping could tell that the family of three was about to go out, and that her timing was off, so she said, "Okay!"
"Let's meet at the state-run restaurant on Wutong Road in the south of the city at noon."
After her older sister rode away on her bicycle, Cheng Cheng returned to her room and rummaged through a locked cabinet, finding a small wooden box wrapped in blue cloth.
He took the small key, unlocked the small lock on the wooden box, and counted out five ten-yuan bills, placing them on his person.
Zhou Yue led his daughter in and, seeing his wife's actions, asked with concern, "Is this enough?"
These words... Cheng Cheng raised an eyebrow and looked at the man, a sly glint in her eyes.
She casually asked, "Don't you send your entire monthly salary back to me? Are you hiding some money from me?"
The man didn't speak, but walked towards the suitcase he had brought back and pulled an envelope from a hidden compartment inside.
He handed it to his wife, saying, "This contains my bonus and subsidies."
Cheng Cheng didn't stand on ceremony, took it and opened it to take a look; it seemed like quite a lot.
"You gave them all to me?"
The man nodded.
Cheng Cheng pushed it back. As long as the attitude was there, that was enough. She didn't necessarily want the other person to have no money left at all; the important thing was the attitude.
"Keep it."
Zhou Yue didn't take it, but shook his head. "It was originally going to be handed over to you anyway. You're in charge of things at home."
Hearing those words is so comforting and makes one's heart flutter.
However, one cannot be without money. If there is an emergency, one will be helpless and unable to get help.
Even with her daughter Xiaoxiao, she gives the little one a allowance every week, letting her make her own decisions about what to buy, whether it's food or comic books.
She's not the kind of person who's extremely stingy with money, who has to be extremely careful with everything; as long as she has enough money to spend, that's fine!
Her approach to educating Xiaoxiao is to teach her how to use money, what to use it for, to have a general plan, to have a concept of spending and saving money, and to cultivate a correct view of money in the little one. As for the rest, she lets Xiaoxiao handle it herself.
After listening to his wife's views on money education for their daughter, Zhou Yue's eyes showed appreciation, which strengthened his previous idea. "You keep it. I don't usually have any expenses. If I need it urgently, I'll ask you for it."
Since that's how it's been said, fine, she'll accept it.
Zhou Yue begged her to accept this!
Cheng Cheng felt a little smug. Whether it was a trick or genuine, the money was in her hands anyway.
And judging from Zhou Yue's words, she's the one in charge of their family, she's the head of the household, she's the eldest, hehe!
What to do? The more she thought about it, the happier she became. Her lips couldn't help but curl into a smile, she just couldn't suppress it!
Cheng Cheng turned around, put the money into a small wooden box, locked it, wrapped it in a blue cloth, stuffed it into the middle compartment of the cabinet, covered it with clothes, and locked it again.
She was completely hidden, and then the head of the household announced her first order: "Let's go!"
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Author's note: Happy weekend~ Goodnight, see you tomorrow~~
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