Su Xiaoqi stepped closer to Zhou Ye and shot him a playful glare.
“What are we going to do with the wild boar?”
Zhou Ye smiled.
“I’ll head out later.”
Tilting her head, Su Xiaoqi asked,
“Zhou Ye, do you want to spend the rest of your life with me, or should we find a way to get divorced?”
She wasn’t the original Su Xiaoqi.
He didn’t need to take responsibility for saving her.
Zhou Ye looked at her in surprise.
“Do you still like that educated youth? He probably wouldn’t marry you anyway. Your family background is… rather complicated.”
Su Xiaoqi fell silent.
Memories of the original owner’s family flashed through her mind.
What the…
Her father had actually been a university professor, now living through unimaginable hardship. The entire family had suffered because of his status, constantly being bullied and struggling to survive.
Being the wife of a soldier was definitely the better identity.
“I meant… I forced you to marry me back then…”
In the beginning, Zhou Ye really had been forced into marrying Su Xiaoqi, and he had resented her for being so ungrateful.
But…
After everything she had done today, he found himself genuinely liking this fearless woman who wasn’t afraid to argue with anyone.
“That was then. Now… I’m more than willing.”
“I want to heat some water and take a bath.”
Su Xiaoqi spoke softly.
The original owner hadn’t bathed for several days.
She couldn’t beat anyone in the family, so she wasn’t allowed to boil water at home.
No one took her to bathe by the river, and she didn’t dare go alone for fear of running into someone with bad intentions.
“I’ll heat the water.”
Zhou Ye stood up.
He boiled water, washed the large wooden tub she had bought after their marriage over and over until it was spotless, then carried it into the room.
After mixing the water to a comfortable temperature, he said,
“I’ll wait outside. Take your time.”
“Okay.”
A faint blush spread across Su Xiaoqi’s cheeks.
As soon as Zhou Ye left, she quickly undressed and enjoyed a long, comfortable bath.
After changing into clean clothes, she opened the door.
The redness on Zhou Ye’s ears still hadn’t faded.
His senses were exceptionally sharp.
He had heard every splash of water while she was bathing.
“I’ll pour the water out.”
His naturally pale skin made the blush look almost luminous.
Su Xiaoqi stared at him in amazement.
It was the first time she had ever seen a man with such flawless skin.
When Zhou Ye returned, his usual calm expression had already returned.
“Are you going to the back mountain?”
“Later. There are people checking outside right now.”
He sat down on the chair as Su Xiaoqi climbed onto the bed in her nightclothes.
His gaze immediately shifted away.
“I still have my allowance to give you.”
Su Xiaoqi remembered what he had said on the mountain earlier and smiled.
“Didn’t you say you’d only give me twenty yuan?”
Zhou Ye leaned closer.
His nose nearly brushed her cheek.
“You didn’t even recognize your own husband.”
“How should I punish you?”
She watched as his ears slowly turned red again.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she tilted her head slightly.
Her lips slowly moved closer until they stopped just short of his.
No way a modern woman like me can’t flirt better than a soldier.
Fireworks exploded inside Zhou Ye’s mind.
His large hand cradled the back of her head as he awkwardly deepened the kiss.
He had no technique whatsoever.
He simply followed instinct, clumsily kissing and nibbling.
Su Xiaoqi wanted to stop him—
But the moment she opened her mouth, she gave him the opportunity.
Zhou Ye’s tongue slipped between her lips.
Their breaths intertwined.
“Xiaoqi…”
Reluctant to let her go, Zhou Ye removed his outer jacket and pulled her down onto the bed with him.
His breathing grew heavier.
Burying his face against her neck, he whispered hoarsely,
“Don’t move… Just let me hold you for a while.”
Su Xiaoqi immediately sensed the change in his body.
She didn’t dare tease him any further.
“Hey…”
“My name isn’t ‘Hey.'”
“Ah Ye.”
“…Mm. Just let me hold you.”
“Shouldn’t you go take a cold shower?”
She gently pushed him.
His eyes were dark with restrained desire.
When he looked into her sparkling eyes, he couldn’t resist kissing her again.
This time, the kiss was gentle and lingering.
“We’ve only just met…”
Then she remembered that in her previous life, many couples barely knew each other before getting married.
Judging from Zhou Ye’s self-control…
Her future married life probably wouldn’t be bad at all.
He held her tightly, closed his eyes, and remained silent.
Su Xiaoqi finally managed to free one arm.
She traced her finger lightly across his sharp features.
When her fingertip reached his lips, Zhou Ye gently bit it.
“Zhou Ye…”
“What if I don’t want… that… tonight?”
He released her finger.
His gaze darkened.
“Do you mean not right now…”
“…or never?”
Zhou Ye had never understood love.
He had never believed marriage was necessary.
Even after being forced to marry Su Xiaoqi, he had only intended to give her the stable life she wanted.
Once he had earned enough military merit to secure their marriage approval, he planned to bring her to live with him.
But after spending just one day with her…
He found himself falling in love at first sight.
Su Xiaoqi thought for a moment.
“For now.”
Though, if she followed her heart… maybe even “for now” wouldn’t last long.
Zhou Ye slowly released her.
“All right.”
He stood and opened the wardrobe, taking out a thin quilt.
It hadn’t been aired out for a long time and carried a faint musty smell.
Su Xiaoqi covered her nose.
“I never said you had to sleep under a separate blanket.”
Turning back with a smile, Zhou Ye said,
“I’m afraid I won’t be able to control myself.”
“Then don’t.”
The moment those words left her mouth…
Both of them froze.
Laughter escaped Zhou Ye’s throat.
He laughed so hard his shoulders shook, bending over slightly.
Embarrassed, Su Xiaoqi grabbed a pillow and threw it at him.
“Get lost.”
He caught the pillow and gently placed it back on the bed.
“Do you still want my allowance?”
“Of course! Give me everything.”
She gritted her teeth.
As long as Zhou Ye didn’t make some unforgivable mistake, she had no intention of leaving him.
Back when she had read The Lucky Wife of the ’70s, she had always felt an inexplicable sympathy for him.
He was a man who had brought honor to his country.
A soldier who had stopped countless foreign infiltrators at sea.
He had even recovered enemy intelligence equipment from the ocean floor.
Yet after retiring because of his injuries, he had endured endless inhumane suffering.
Zhou Ye took out his allowance record book, his savings passbook, several hundred yuan in cash, and a stack of ration coupons from his travel bag.
Su Xiaoqi counted everything.
His monthly allowance was 125 yuan.
“I’m paid at the deputy regimental level,” Zhou Ye explained.
“There are also various rewards. I’ve recorded every payment in the notebook.”
Every allowance and reward had been carefully written down in his strong, powerful handwriting.
It didn’t match his appearance at all.
“Your family thinks you’re only a squad leader.”
Zhou Ye nodded slightly.
“I didn’t want unnecessary trouble.”
If Yang Huaihua learned he was a deputy regimental officer, she’d probably pack up the whole family and insist on following him to the military base.
Even if she couldn’t, she’d definitely make endless trouble and demand more money.
Su Xiaoqi was surprised to discover he had enlisted as a teenager.
“You joined the army at fifteen?”
“I added more than two years to my age when I signed up.”
He handed her all the money and ration coupons.
“Should we send some to your parents?”
Looking at him, Su Xiaoqi asked instinctively,
“My political background should never have passed the review. How did you manage it?”
“I was serving in the south. Things were a little less strict there.”
He didn’t elaborate.
But Su Xiaoqi knew that military discipline was the same everywhere.
Especially during those difficult years.
For him to marry her…
He must have paid a considerable price.
Thinking of that, she wrapped her arms around him.
“Thank you.”
“We’re husband and wife.”
“There’s no need to thank me.”
Zhou Ye tilted his head in disagreement.
He had been about to kiss her again, but remembered what she had said earlier and hesitated.
Before he could pull away, soft lips covered his.
The fresh fragrance lingering after her bath assaulted every one of his senses.
The two of them stayed wrapped in each other’s embrace for more than ten minutes.
Outside, Yang Huaihua noticed the light still shining from their room and spat angrily.
“Doesn’t kerosene cost money? Why are you two lying in there instead of sleeping? What are you doing?”
Zhou Ye’s expression darkened.
Su Xiaoqi, however, had never been one to back down.
She immediately shouted back,
“Comrade Old Yang, if you were so well-behaved yourself, how did you end up having so many children? That’s rather improper of you.”
The cursing outside instantly stopped.
Only the creaking sound of the front door closing remained.
“I’m a very fair person.”
“If people treat me well, I’ll treat them well too.”
“But if they don’t…”
“Don’t expect me to know anything about filial piety.”
“I only know how to laugh… and how to fight.”
“I like you exactly the way you are.”
Su Xiaoqi asked Zhou Ye to bring the kerosene lamp closer.
Lying on the bed, she happily began counting the money.
There was 425 yuan and 65 cents in cash.
The savings account still held another 2,000 yuan.
“Not bad, Zhou Ye.”
“You’re actually a little rich.”
She knew that amount would barely count as anything in the future.
But in 1972, when most people earned less than fifty yuan a month…
This fortune had appeared completely out of nowhere.
Haha… I’m rich!