Huh! Why is my dear husband at home? What’s this about? Didn’t he say he was going to the Academy?
Xiaoxiao: "Why did you come back?"
Yang Ming: "With a baby on the way, stop running around outside."
Oh my god! That’s not answering the question at all. Why did he come back?!
Xiaoxiao: "Can you go live in the fourth brother’s room?"
What to do? It’s so inconvenient to have a grown man around the house. Should I think of some way to get rid of him? Xiaoxiao thought to herself.
When dinner time arrived, both of them went to eat. This was the first time the whole family had come together for a meal, and the food was richer than usual.
"Son, are you leaving again after this time?" Yang’s father was delighted to see the whole family gathered.
"Hmm, good, stay at home and help your wife more."
Afterward, the family quietly ate their meal, and Xiaoxiao asked as if making small talk:
"Dad, are there any vacant houses in our village, preferably a big one?"
"Sister-in-law, why do you ask? You’re not thinking of moving out, are you?" The second sister-in-law began to tease!
"How could that be? I want to rent it for three months to start a workshop!"
Start a workshop? What’s this all about? Yang Ming was entirely knocked senseless by his wife’s words.
"Our supply of spicy cabbage can’t keep up anymore. I went to talk to the restaurant owner today, and we’ve agreed to start a workshop. They’ll provide the capital, and we’ll provide the labor. For every kilogram of spicy cabbage produced, our family will get a share of two wen, and of course, there’s a wage for working in the workshop too!"
As she spoke, she took out the contract for everyone to see, but no one in the family could recognize more than a few characters. In the end, it was Yang Ming who read it.
Everyone was happy after hearing Xiaoxiao’s plan, not only because they would receive wages but also because making spicy cabbage would earn them money. It was an excellent opportunity.
Yang Ming saw Chu Lian’s name on the contract, and it suddenly reminded him that Chu Lian was another man keeping an eye on his wife. In the past few days, the fact that his wife was pregnant had overwhelmed him to the point that he’d completely forgotten about such a vital issue.
He immediately stated, "I disagree."
Nobody at the table expected Yang Ming to disagree, and for a moment, silence fell again. Yang Ming’s words always carried weight in their household, and generally, everybody listened to him. Now that there was a disagreement between the couple, it was up to them to resolve it, so nobody else said a word.
Xiaoxiao was also surprised; her quick temper was about to erupt on the spot, but with so many people around, she held back, thinking of settling it with him once they were back in their room.
Yang Ming recalled the words Chu Lian had said to him these past few days, and he finally had a revelation.
How much effort his wife had put into their home these days: selling candied hawthorn on the streets, writing couplets for people, volunteering to make candied sweet potatoes, and now proposing that their family make spicy cabbage—all because the house needed money.
A pang of distress rose in his heart; he felt he was inhumane to let a woman expose herself to the public eye so much while he himself...
After dinner, Xiaoxiao and Yang Ming returned to their room, and Xiaoxiao immediately exploded.
"By what right do you disagree?!"
"..." Yang Ming, seeing Xiaoxiao’s face, knew she was angry, but what could he do? He certainly couldn’t say that Chu Lian had improper thoughts about her.
"You’re expecting a child!"
"..." What does that have to do with having a child?
"Don’t go outside all the time; take care of yourself.
"..." Somehow, it felt like she was being cared for. It made it hard for her to even start an argument!