Lin Wanwan pretended not to hear the subtle jabs in Zhao Xiue's words. After all, Xie Sui said he would handle it, and she was curious to see what he was capable of!
A daughter-in-law is always in the wrong, no matter what she says. Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships have always been a difficult problem, and Lin Wanwan didn't think she could manage a mother-in-law who doted on her son.
"Mother, Wanwan is here to help with the accounts. What if we get swindled out of our money?"
Xie Sui wasn't unintelligent, he was just lazy. In reality, he could grasp arithmetic concepts after hearing them once, and scoring full marks wouldn't be a problem. However, he was a troublemaker, and teachers disliked him, so he deliberately went against them, always scoring zero.
If it wasn't for Xie Dahe forcing him, he wouldn't have even finished primary school. He barely graduated junior high and refused to go back to school for anything.
Zhao Xiue immediately relented upon hearing this: "That's true. Wanwan is well-educated; educated youths are different. She even used to substitute teach at our primary school. If anything comes up, ask your wife."
"Okay, I'll listen to you, Mother."
Zhao Xiue was even happier. Nothing pleased a mother more than her son's obedience.
Xie Sui winked at Lin Wanwan, "See? Handled it, right?"
Lin Wanwan ignored him, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up. She hadn't realized he was so good at coaxing people before.
Zhang Wenfeng drove the cart, while Xie Sui and Lin Wanwan sat in the back, shoulder to shoulder. From a distance, they looked like a loving, affectionate young couple.
In reality, their conversation was far from entirely affectionate.
Lin Wanwan: "Couldn't you sit in the front? It's so hot squeezed together like this." Sudan Novel Network
"Not at all! The sun hasn't even risen yet, it's not hot at all. I was afraid you, my dear wife, would get cold. Squeezing together keeps us warm."
"I'm not cold, you can sit in the front."
"What if you fall off? I can hold onto you then!"
"I'm not that clumsy. I wouldn't fall even if you did."
As they were talking, the mule cart suddenly jolted. Xie Sui was too focused on looking at Lin Wanwan and fell off. He was completely bewildered.
Who am I? Where am I? What just happened?
"Haha..."
Lin Wanwan couldn't stop laughing. Serve him right for being so smug. It's a slap in the face!
"Zhang Wenfeng, stop quickly! You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
The mule cart was divided by cages and cargo. Zhang Wenfeng hummed a tune, completely unaware that Xie Sui had fallen off.
Xie Sui got up and quickly chased after them. It was Lin Wanwan who called out to him, making Zhang Wenfeng stop. He grinned, revealing his back teeth, "Brother Xie, what are you playing at?"
"Playing... forget it. I'm unlucky. You're deliberately undermining me."
Xie Sui felt like he had lost face in both his past and present lives. He had never been so embarrassed. This wasn't a failed attempt at flirting; it was a joke at his own expense.
Even his famously thick skin couldn't take it. Even without the sun, his face felt hot in waves.
"Haha..."
Lin Wanwan, on the other hand, was still laughing. Seeing his dark expression, she inexplicably found him a bit cute.
"Still laughing? Did you eat rat poison!"
"If anyone's eating it, it'll be you first."
Lin Wanwan wasn't even feeling guilty about the rat poison comment. If he dared to act like he used to, only bullying her, she would force-feed him.
"Alright, I'll eat it first, as long as you feed it to me. I'd even eat arsenic."
Xie Sui said seriously. He could die, as long as Lin Wanwan and their child lived well.
Death was easy, just a moment of pain. Those left behind would have to spend a lifetime atoning.
Lin Wanwan felt a little flustered under his gaze. She stopped laughing and looked at the trees on either side, lost in thought.
Zhang Wenfeng, listening to their conversation, had wanted to learn some romantic talk from Xie Sui. He was listening intently when it suddenly went quiet. What happened? Why did they stop talking?
They soon arrived in town. Xie Sui stopped the cart at the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative and went in to buy cigarettes, clearing out all the remaining Shilins.
The saleswoman became completely devoted to him. "Young man, what's your family's financial situation like? Buying such good cigarettes?"
"Average. I'm getting them for someone, not for myself. Smoking is harmful to health. My wife strictly forbids me from smoking, I've quit."
The saleswoman gave a dry laugh and lost her smile. "Your wife really has a tight rein on you. If a man doesn't smoke or drink, is he still a man? She must not treat you well."
Xie Sui chuckled. "Then, is a man who hits his wife a good man? You're young and don't understand marital matters. If my wife didn't control me, I'd be worried because she wouldn't care about me. My wife is wonderful, the best woman in the world. I'm leaving. Next time you look for a man, sharpen your eyes."
Xie Sui waved goodbye, his retreating figure exuding a certain swagger. The saleswoman was captivated.
Not far from the supply and marketing cooperative was the state-run restaurant. Xie Sui went directly to the backyard, where there was a back door. A cook wearing a white hat was counting ingredients.
"Comrade, could I trouble you with something?"
Xie Sui offered a cigarette. Seeing it was a Shilin, the cook's expression improved. This person knew how to act.
"What is it?"
Xie Sui lit it for him with a match and said, "I have some game meat and dried goods here. Only a state-run restaurant like yours can afford them. I want to exchange them for some money for the child's education. The price is negotiable. Could you help me out?"
He directly handed over a pack of cigarettes. The cook said, "I'll have to ask our head chef. As for the price..."
"Please look out for me. For every catty, I'll give you five fen as a bonus, so you're not working for nothing. You're my cousin, after all, family!"
The cook smiled. "Alright, cousin. I'll go ask for you."
For five fen, the two had become cousins. If Public Security Officer Huang Tianliang knew, he would have to admire the speed with which this newly acquired "cousin" made connections.
A moment later, the cook came out. "It's done. The head chef will buy it all as a favor to me, as long as the goods are good. We have to spend money on procurement anyway."
"They're definitely top-quality. The game meat is alive, and the mushrooms and fungus are dried clean. We picked them ourselves."
Xie Sui waved, and Zhang Wenfeng and Lin Wanwan brought in the cages. The cook nodded with satisfaction. "Follow me to the scale."
The wild chickens and rabbits yielded a profit of about fifty fen per catty, totaling over thirty catties. The dried goods were lighter, only about three catties, but they were more profitable, earning a dollar per catty. Xie Sui roughly estimated he could make over twenty yuan from this trip.
The cook then took him to the accounting office to settle the bill. As they were leaving, Xie Sui secretly slipped him two yuan. "Cousin, come over for a drink sometime!"
"Sure. When are you coming to town next? I'll be waiting."
"In three days. No matter how busy things are at home, I'll come visit, Cousin."
Anyone who didn't know would think they were real cousins who had grown up together. A restaurant waitress even greeted them, "Master Xu, is this your cousin? He's quite handsome."
"Of course. Whose cousin do you think he is? Naturally handsome."
Master Xu walked him to the door and then asked, "What's your name? Which village are you from?"
"Xie Sui, like Emperor Sui of the Sui Dynasty. From Yushu Village. Come visit our village when you have time. I'll treat you to drinks. You go ahead and be busy, Cousin. Goodbye!"
"Goodbye, travel safely."
Lin Wanwan, who was waiting outside, asked, "Do you have relatives who are cooks? Have you not been in touch before?"