“Thank you, Wife!”
Zhou Beihan called out from outside the courtyard gate.
After returning home, he lit the kerosene lamp and carefully examined the watch.
One glance was enough to tell that it was a high-end piece.
It seemed his wife had many secrets.
From now on, he would do everything he could to help her keep them hidden.
A peaceful night passed without dreams.
Early the next morning, Zhou Beihan went to the black market and handed the watches directly to Huang Chao.
The moment Huang Chao saw them, his eyes lit up.
Once these watches were sold, he would make a considerable profit.
“Where did you get so many watches?”
Huang Chao asked curiously.
“A friend’s. Just pay me the current market price. I’m returning to the military in five days.”
Zhou Beihan didn’t reveal a single detail.
“Why are you going back so early? Wasn’t your leave supposed to last a month?”
Huang Chao asked even more suspiciously.
“I called the commander yesterday. He agreed to process my marriage application, but the condition was that I return to the unit earlier.”
Zhou Beihan replied helplessly.
“Doesn’t marriage require a political background investigation first? You two really have some nerve.”
Huang Chao looked at him speechlessly.
“My wife’s background check won’t be a problem. Even if there is an issue, I’ll handle it. The commander will help solve everything. The application date is only being moved forward by a few days. No one is going to make a fuss over it.”
Zhou Beihan understood the process well.
“That’s true. As long as the commander agrees, everything will be fine. You’re one lucky guy to have found such a wonderful wife.”
Huang Chao couldn’t hide his envy.
Afterward, Huang Chao took out 12,000 yuan and handed it to Zhou Beihan.
These watches had stylish designs and didn’t require ration coupons.
Even if he sold them for 180 yuan each, people would still rush to buy them.
Carrying the cloth bag filled with money, Zhou Beihan left the black market.
He rode his bicycle straight back to the village and headed directly to the educated youth residence.
Ye Qinglan hadn’t gone to work that day and was cooking porridge.
When she saw Zhou Beihan arrive, she invited him into her room.
“This is the money from selling the watches. Each one sold for 120 yuan, making a total of 12,000 yuan.”
After speaking, Zhou Beihan handed her the cloth bag.
“Very good. Here’s your spending money.”
Ye Qinglan took out fifty yuan and handed it to him.
“Wife… are all those watches really yours?”
Seeing how generous she was, Zhou Beihan couldn’t help asking in a lowered voice.
“That’s right. Every one of those watches belongs to me. Your wife is very wealthy. It just isn’t the right time yet. I’ll tell you everything in the future.”
After speaking, Ye Qinglan placed the money into the wardrobe.
In reality, she stored it inside her space.
“It’s not safe to keep so much money here. Why don’t you deposit it in the bank? Open a savings account. It’ll be more convenient whenever you need to withdraw money.”
Zhou Beihan kindly suggested.
“No need. The money won’t disappear. I have a safe place to keep it, so you don’t have to worry.”
Ye Qinglan politely declined.
Hearing that, Zhou Beihan didn’t press the matter any further.
It seemed his wife truly had many secrets.
From now on, he would have to be even more careful.
Ye Qinglan served Zhou Beihan a bowl of plain porridge.
She opened a jar of pickled cucumbers, and the two of them finished every last bit of the porridge.
Only then did Zhou Beihan leave to hunt in the mountains.
In the blink of an eye, the day of their wedding banquet arrived.
Tan Siyu specifically came to see Ye Qinglan because she wanted to buy her coal stove and coal briquettes.
She also bought the cooking pot so she could begin cooking for herself.
She took all the cooking essentials as well, including oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.
Many of the items Ye Qinglan owned hadn’t even been opened yet.
Tan Siyu paid the original prices.
Since she didn’t think they were expensive, Ye Qinglan didn’t ask for any ration coupons.
“Qinglan, this is my wedding gift for you. I wish you a lifetime of happiness.”
Tan Siyu presented her with a pair of brand-new pillowcases embroidered with a pair of mandarin ducks swimming together.
“Thank you for your blessing.”
Ye Qinglan accepted the gift with gratitude.
Her dowry had already been prepared.
It included two brand-new cotton quilts, two enamel basins, two enamel mugs, two new thermos flasks, a new chamber pot, and several towels.
It was more than enough.
Ye Bailian hid inside her room.
She didn’t own anything valuable and was unwilling to spend her own money, so she simply avoided everyone.
“Wife, I’m here to bring you home. I’ll treat you well.”
Zhou Beihan looked at the beautifully dressed Ye Qinglan as he spoke.
“I hope you remember those words. If you ever treat me badly, I’ll leave you.”
Ye Qinglan deliberately gave him a warning.
Zhou Beihan thought to himself that such a day would never come.
It had taken him so much effort to find the woman he truly loved.
Even if someone beat him to death, he would never let her go.
Zhou Beihan had brought many people with him to carry the dowry.
They quickly emptied Ye Qinglan’s room.
Then he lifted her into his arms and gently placed her on the back seat of his bicycle.
In this era, using a bicycle as the wedding vehicle was already considered quite respectable.
Not only did Ye Qinglan not dislike it, she actually found the experience refreshingly novel.
Her space contained countless luxury cars.
Unfortunately, none of them could be taken out.
Zhou Beihan deliberately rode around the village before arriving home.
Ye Qinglan’s dowry was carried into their room.
Many villagers gathered outside the Zhou family home.
Some relatives went inside to inspect the bride’s dowry.
After seeing everything, they were green with envy.
“Chunxiang, your second son’s wife is really wealthy. You and your husband are going to enjoy a comfortable life.”
One of the older women from the clan remarked sourly.
“That’s right. My second son is blessed. He found a wealthy wife, so we’re blessed too.”
Li Chunxiang smiled as she waited for the newlyweds to arrive.
Soon, firecrackers exploded outside the courtyard gate to welcome the bride and groom.
The entire village was bustling with excitement.
The village chief sat in the main hall.
Since all the villagers had been given the day off, everyone came to witness the wedding.
Ye Qinglan wore a military-style outfit.
Zhou Beihan wore a brand-new military uniform.
Standing side by side, they looked like a perfectly matched couple.
The village chief conducted a simple wedding ceremony.
After reading from the Little Red Book and completing the oath, the ceremony officially concluded.
The bride then entered the bridal room.
The windows were covered with red Double Happiness decorations.
The dowry was neatly stacked in one corner.
The two quilts had already been placed on the heated brick bed.
Ye Qinglan took out two enamel mugs.
There was already hot water in the thermos on the table.
She rinsed the mugs with hot water before preparing herself a cup of malted milk.
After finishing it, she rested for a while.
Later, she would have to go outside to toast the guests.
“Wife, the banquet has started. Let’s go make the rounds and offer our toasts.”
Zhou Beihan smiled so broadly that he couldn’t stop grinning.
“Look at you acting so silly. Hurry up and lead the way.”
Ye Qinglan could barely stand watching him.
Getting married really seemed to lower a man’s intelligence.
Even Zhou Beihan felt he was acting foolish.
He was so excited that he started walking with both hands and feet moving in sync.
Ye Qinglan covered her mouth behind him, trying not to laugh.
This man was truly innocent.
According to everyone, he had never been in a relationship before.
He was still an inexperienced virgin.
It looked like tonight’s wedding night was going to be very interesting.
Just thinking about it made her a little excited.
Although Ye Qinglan had no experience either, she still knew a little more than he did.
She just hoped their first time wouldn’t be too painful.
The newlyweds went outside and began toasting the guests.
Zhou Beihan had secretly diluted his own liquor with plain water.
Ye Qinglan nearly laughed after taking a sip.
Sometimes this man was surprisingly cunning.
The bottle in his hand contained genuine strong liquor.
He deliberately poured it into everyone else’s cups.
Meanwhile, the bottle he had given Ye Qinglan contained nothing but water.
That was the bottle the two of them drank from.
By the end, they had both drunk nothing but water.
After finishing the toasts, Ye Qinglan returned to the bridal room.
Her sister-in-law, Qin Baozhu, brought her a meal.
The bowl was filled mostly with meat dishes.
There was chicken, duck, fish, and pork—a truly lavish spread.
“Second Sister-in-law, just leave the dishes on the table after you’re finished eating. Someone will come collect them later.”
Qin Baozhu said gently.
“Thank you, Sister-in-law. You should hurry back and eat too.”
Ye Qinglan thanked her sincerely.
Qin Baozhu happily returned to the banquet.
Her new second sister-in-law was truly beautiful.
She and Zhou Beihan looked perfect together.
And after spending some time with her, Qin Baozhu found her easygoing and pleasant to be around.