In the end, Shu Ran didn’t ask that question.
There was no need for a quarrel, and he was very self-aware. He knew Xu Shen cared about him very much, and his insistence on leaving might bring a bloody storm.
That was the first point. Secondly, Shu Ran wasn’t the type of man to put on his pants and pretend he didn’t recognize his partner after the deed was done… Even if he wanted to eventually leave, he couldn’t right now.
Then… he had to think about it again.
The two of them were facing each other, in a situation of one looking up, and the other being looked up to. At this moment, Shu Ran was completely free of his “prostitution” shackles and, without a financial relationship, he didn’t hate being with Xu Shen.
“Do you really want me to stay?” He asked the man.
“Of course, I hope so.” Xu Shen immediately said, with the corners of his eyebrows dropping and a self-deprecating smile on his lips. He could see what Shu Ran was thinking, and the scale was not leaning in his favor. But he didn’t dare to urge, so he held his breath and waited. It must have been the most painful waiting time in his life, with no exaggeration.
“…” Shu Ran was thinking. He felt much more comfortable after paying back the debt, but he didn’t think he could get rid of his relationship with Xu Shen right now. As Zhou Hui said, it was no longer a matter of just money. Why not just fall in love with him? It didn’t matter for how long, anyway, it couldn’t be for a lifetime. Shu Ran was a very pessimistic individual. Experts said that love expires after 18 months. He trusted the experts. If Xu Shen was still in love with him after 18 months, it could only prove that…
The experts were full of shit!!!
Thinking about this, Shu Ran almost made himself laugh. And then he thought it wasn’t wise to laugh. The person who might still be disappointingly in love after 18 months… might not necessarily be Xu Shen.
That was a dangerous direction, and Shu Ran immediately killed that thought.
“It’s fine.” Shu Ran took a deep breath and continued. “Then I won’t go.” Whether it was the feeling of love or his attachment to Xu Shen’s warmth, there was no need to think too deeply. He just impulsively decided.
“Huh?” Xu Shen looked a little dull.
“Didn’t hear it?” Hey, this conversation sounded a little too familiar…?
“I heard it clearly.” Xu Shen coughed gently and smiled. “Then stay and have a good time with me. I… won’t make you regret it.” He looked into Shu Ran’s eyes, feeling that he had never been so serious in his past eight lifetimes. “I will treat you well!”
Despite being the one who decided, Shu Ran still felt quite complicated. He nodded silently.
He especially wanted to add that he couldn’t guarantee how long their relationship would last. In this era, there were too many uncertainties. But, in the end, he didn’t say it.
With a wrong look in his eyes, Xu Shen unexpectedly came over and picked him up horizontally. Tut… What was this? A display of strength?!
“Wife, why didn’t you put on any weight?” Xu Shen was distracted by the slender body in his arms. Shu Ran looked up and mumbled: “Just a couple of meals at your house… Do you think that’s enough?”
Yes, Xu Shen calmed his little heart that still had some lingering fears and said with a smirk: “Then the matter of paying me back is over. Don’t mention money in the future. Live a good life!”
Shu Ran leaned in his arms and whispered: “Hmm.”
Xu Shen kept him in his arms. “Our sister’s wedding is probably coming soon. I’m going to buy some electrical appliances and furniture tomorrow, for my sister when she gets married.”
This man… Shu Ran stared at Xu Shen, thinking: “All that going back and forth, it was all a trap to get me back to the beginning!” A scheming man who thinks he can keep people if he spends enough money. But… how to put it… generous men were indeed charming. Shu Ran remembered the first impression he had about Xu Shen. He was rich and… handsome.
Entering the room, Xu Shen kissed Shu Ran excitedly and pressed him on the bed. Shu Ran knew that his mood was impossible to restrain, so he let him be presumptuous.
“Well, hey, okay… That’s enough!” Shu Ran was afraid the kiss would degenerate into something else, so he struggled to sit up and wipe the wet marks on the corners of his mouth.
Xu Shen also licked his lips and said seriously: “Wife.”
“…” Shu Ran didn’t want to answer, but he still looked at him.
“It’s okay. I’m just calling you.” Xu Shen laughed.
“I’m so speechless.” Shu Ran looked elsewhere, thinking: “What a fool!”
“Shu Ran, I’m glad you’re not leaving.” Xu Shen kept smiling as if he had picked up a great bargain.
“Oh.” Shu Ran wanted to be serious, but the decision to stay was stupid no matter how he looked at it. A good, proper man chose to become another’s wife… almost as stupid as Xu Shen marrying him for 500 yuan.
But how to put it, having wine leads to getting drunk, and he didn’t suffer any loss. In the end, Shu Ran couldn’t help but laugh. Maybe stupidity was a contagious disease, transmissible by eye contact…
“Let me tell you about our family’s financial condition?” Xu Shen calmed down a little and went to the cabinet and picked up his money box, eager to show off his money and keep others by his side…
“This is part of what I have.” Xu Shen sat down, put an arm around Shu Ran’s waist, and told him what was in the box: “There is not much cash, about 3.000 yuan.” Then he picked up two deposit slips and gave them to Shu Ran: “This is a bank deposit certificate, each for 20.000 yuan1Rich, rich as fuuu… let’s bring out my Google search skills once again. 3.000 yuan back in 1983 was the equivalent of about 1.500 USD. So he has 1.500 USD in cash, in a box in his cabinet ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. That’s a lot of cash to have, with the purchasing power of about 4.700 USD today. The bank deposits are explained in the next paragraph.”
This year’s 10.000 yuan was equivalent to having more than 2 million yuan in modern times, and Xu Shen had 40.000 yuan. So several times that… He was a rich person, a properly rich person2So he has 40.000 yuan in the bank, the modern equivalent of 8 million yuan, or about 1.2 million USD. He’s a millionaire y’all. A millionaire no matter the time period.
“So much?!” Shu Ran opened his mouth. It’s not that he had never seen money. His original family was also quite well off and he never cared about riches. But still, he was surprised that Xu Shen was that rich.
Shu Ran’s reaction was expected by Xu Shen. He said: “It’s not enough. I’m not good at saving money.” A lot of what he earned was divided with his brothers, and his part was small.
But he also had some investments.
“It’s a lot.” Shu Ran calmly said.
“That’s right. So don’t save money anymore. Just spend what you need to spend and use it however you want3Oh, wow, the sweet words of an angel!.” Xu Shen pinched Shu Ran’s surprised face. It felt good and he couldn’t help kissing him twice. Still not enough…
Shu Ran let him kiss and asked bluntly: “Brother Shen, it’s not easy to make so much these days. Can you be honest with me? I want to know how you made this money.”
He was not at ease without a clear explanation. Shu Ran was afraid the police might suddenly come to their home and arrest Xu Shen. After 100 days of kindness between husband and wife, he now fully accepted Xu Shen. Shu Ran genuinely wanted him to be safe, and not repeat the tragic ending he knew.
“Ah?” Xu Shen was stunned.
“Don’t pretend, you’ve heard me clearly!”
Xu Shen didn’t want to say anything, so he vaguely commented: “Don’t worry, it’s nothing illegal.”
Shu Ran shook his arm and asked: “What on earth is it?!”
“Just some small business.” Xu Shen also put Shu Ran’s 500 yuan in the box and put it away.
“What kind of small business?” Shu Ran continued to press him. “Say it quickly!”
Please don’t be involved in pornography, gambling, or drugs… Shu Ran was really afraid.
“What we do is mostly just speculative, and we also help people transport goods. Don’t worry, the police won’t come to catch me in the middle of the night.”
In addition to what he said, he also offered loans to other people. But the interest was in line with the national standard. It was legal, and nothing to hide from the police.
Shu Ran was very suspicious: “Really?”
He didn’t believe Xu Shen didn’t do anything illegal, but it was obvious that the other party didn’t want to explain to him right now.
Xu Shen felt his lack of trust, so he playfully bit Shu Ran’s finger. “Can I lie to you? Think about it, what is the background of Jiang Fan’s family? His brother is willing to let him work. How bad can it be?”
Jiang Fan’s brother could turn a blind eye, so the business they were doing was not shady, but clearly not completely white either. They were probably taking advantage of some loopholes. Not illegal, but definitely not encouraged by the state either.
Shu Ran had no idea about the legal system of that era. No matter what Xu Shen said, his impression was still negative. Otherwise, where did those crimes published in newspapers come from?!
“You don’t believe it?” Xu Shen raised his eyebrows, dissatisfied with Shu Ran’s suspicion over his character.
“Right.” Forget it, the past was already gone. Shu Ran only cared about the future. He must take care of it… “I just want to say, if you go to prison, I won’t wait for you. I’ll run away with someone else!”
The warning was so harsh that Xu Shen was immediately subdued.
“I don’t care about your past.” Shu Ran continued. “Be honest in the future and don’t scare me.”
Xu Shen was lost in thought when Shu Ran’s lips pressed against his. This kiss made him confused, and he solemnly nodded. “Okay, I promise. I’ll let you know everything I do in the future.”
“Really, never done anything illegal?”
Xu Shen froze. When he came to his senses, he saw Shu Ran grinning like a little fox, as if he had seen through his entire person, all the way to his soul.
“…” Xu Shen smiled bitterly, pretending to be stupid.
His soul was not beautiful, at least not as beautiful as his skin.
…………
The next day, Shu Ran said to Zhou Hui: “Sister, Brother Shen accepted your betrothal money, but he said he wanted to add something to your dowry.”
After knowing each other for a while, Zhou Hui didn’t refuse. She thought he wanted to add some quilts or some sort of daily necessities. “Then thank him. Anyway, my marriage with Brother Yunsheng is thanks to him. Later, I must give a red envelope to Brother Shen and Brother Fan.”
Shu Ran didn’t explain it clearly. The three of them went to the shopping district, and seeing Xu Shen look at the electrical appliances gave Zhou Hui the shock of her life. She quickly pulled her brother over and tremblingly asked: “Dingzi, is Brother Shen buying it for his house, or…”
“It’s for your dowry.” Shu Ran knew her mood and sighed. “I also refused, but he didn’t want to change his mind. He said he’d be anxious if we kept refusing.”
Continue to say no, and there’s the possibility of a quarrel. Shu Ran didn’t like the atmosphere of a conflict, but it all depended on his sister’s opinion.
Zhou Hui was shocked. “For my dowry?! How can that be? There are no small objects, only big and expensive ones!”
She calculated with Shu Ran. The things Xu Shen wanted to buy for her were worth hundreds, even thousands of yuan. She pushed Shu Ran: “No! You go and talk with him. I can’t accept it!”
How could she accept such valuable things? Shu Ran also thought so. He bravely pulled Xu Shen’s sleeve and said: “Brother Shen, don’t look at other things… why don’t we buy an electric fan?”
An electric fan was already a big expense for most people. A branded one costs more than 90 yuan, about two, or even three salaries. Many people only got them as wedding gifts.
“We already agreed on it. Why are you regretting it now?” Xu Shen already discussed this matter with Shu Ran yesterday, and it took a long time for them to reach a consensus.
“It’s my sister who is getting married. Listen to her opinion.” Shu Ran looked at Xu Shen helplessly.
Xu Shen wanted to raise his hand and pat Shu Ran’s head, but there were too many people in the store, so he gave up. “Let’s add a sewing machine. Go and ask her. She’ll definitely need one.”
They were all practical things, and it was really good to have them.
Shu Ran went back and asked Zhou Hui. Sure enough, as soon as Zhou Hui heard about the sewing machine, her lips pouted, and she began to struggle. Which woman didn’t want a sewing machine when she got married?
Shu Ran took the lead: “Sister, I know you want it.”
Otherwise, everyone would be unhappy if they continued to refuse.
“It’s too expensive.” Zhou Hui couldn’t get over the hurdle in her heart. They had already profited from Xu Shen’s kindness. How could she ask for more? “Brother Shen has a hard life… Let’s not spend his money.”
Shu Ran listened with a mixed heart. If Zhou Hui knew Xu Shen was his husband… let alone feeling distressed about him. She might eat him alive.
After thinking about it, Shu Ran said: “He wants to give it, so don’t refuse. When he gets married in the future… we can give it back to him…”
Eating people alive in anger wasn’t good for her health… Shu Ran didn’t intend to plot against Zhou Hui, he just tried to save Xu Shen from getting scolded in the future.
“This…”
“Brother Shen has a good heart.” Shu Ran continued to persuade. “Just take it, don’t be so polite.”
Zhou Hui nodded and said: “Okay, let’s settle for the fan and sewing machine.” In the future, when Xu Shen gets married, she will also give him a gift.
Zhou Hui’s dowry was soon selected. With such a high bill, the shop wanted to help send it to their home, but they needed someone to lead the way.
“I’ll go back with them!” In this way, Zhou Hui followed the shopping assistant back home, leaving Shu Ran alone with Xu Shen.
Although the streets of the county town were not glamorous, they were full of people. If one wasn’t paying attention, they could easily be scattered by the crowd.
In this era, people didn’t wear colorful, fancy clothes. Most of the outfits were simple, made of coarse cloth. The most common thing men wore was a white shirt. Xu Shen was also wearing one, but he stood out from the crowd, and he could be seen at a glance.
Xu Shen pulled Shu Ran and said: “The last time you said you wanted to go shopping with me. What shall I buy for you?”
Feeling that he was too shy to ask for anything, Xu Shen asked one by one: “Do you want a TV?”
There were black-and-white TV sets available, between 9 and 14 inches big, with a hefty price tag. Xu Shen didn’t have a TV at home because he didn’t think he needed one. But now, maybe his wife liked it?
Shu Ran shook his head. The TV set was very expensive, and as rare as snow in summer. He was also tired of watching TV in modern times. There was no need to buy one.
“Fridge?” Xu Shen asked again.
Fortunately, Zhou Hui was already gone. Otherwise, her soul might have been scared away. Xu Shen asked about things that ordinary people didn’t even dare to think about.
“No, it’s not practical.” Shu Ran kept on shooting his head. These were all dispensable, luxury goods. He didn’t care about them, but pointed at Xu Shen’s wrist. “Why don’t you get me a watch?” It was more practical.
Xu Shen was still racking his brains to find things to buy for his wife. He happily nodded when he heard his words. “Okay, let’s go look at watches.”
Watches and jewelry were sold together. When he entered the store, Xu Shen saw a pair of young people picking out rings, and he couldn’t peel his eyes away from them.
His heart moved and he asked Shu Ran: “Wife, do you want a ring?”
“No.” Shu Ran didn’t hesitate.
Xu Shen stopped asking and started looking for his watch in the display cabinet. “Then, do you want the same watch as me?”
Wear a couple’s watch? Shu Ran saw nothing wrong with it, so he accepted. “Oh. Sure, buy the same one.”
The watch was not expensive. Every person who worked had one. It was the standard accessory for young professionals.
Out of the watch shop, Xu Shen continued to lead Shu Ran to the bookstore, with the intention of buying writing supplies. “You love to study. If you are bored at home, you can practice.”
One brush was nothing expensive, but a fountain pen was luxurious. Shu Ran waved his hand: “I don’t want a fountain pen, I’m not some big boss who signs documents every day. It’s useless for me.”
“But I want to buy it for you…” Xu Shen insisted.
Passing by the seal engraving shop, Xu Shen also ordered two seals on the way. One with Shu Ran’s signature, and the other with the joint signatures of both of them.
Shu Ran commented: “Are you planning on writing with me?” Spending money in vain was no fun…
“I won’t use it. I’m just happy to take it home and look at it.” Xu Shen said with a smile.
In the end, he bought everything. Not just these, but also comfortable clothes, shoes, and socks. Shu Ran wanted to argue with him, but Xu Shen insisted. It was embarrassing to push and pull on the streets, so Shu Ran had to compromise. At the end of their shopping spree, the two carried a bunch of things to the state-owned restaurant, to eat noodles.
The restaurant was full of “Eight Immortals”4Named after its seating capacity, an “Eight Immortals” table is a 19th Century square wooden table, able to accommodate 8 people at once, on 4 benches for two on each side. Found at the center of social activity, square tables like this one were used daily for dining, serving tea, or playing games. You can see how one looks like here link –> this Real vintage ones are also really expensive. tables, with long and wide stools, but Xu Shen still insisted on squeezing next to Shu Ran. He pointed at the dazzling signs on the wall and asked his wife: “What kind of noodles do you want to eat?”
Shu Ran looked at the menu and answered: “I want a bowl of spring noodles5Spring noodles refers to Yangchun noodles (Simplified Chinese: 阳春面; Traditional Chinese: 陽春面; Pinyin: yáng chūn miàn), also called “plain noodles” or “plain noodle soup”. Is a kind of noodles originated from Shanghai. It tastes refreshing and savory and is deeply loved by the local people, but it only contains noodles, chopped onions, lard, and soy sauce.” These days, Yangchun noodles must be very authentic. He was looking forward to the taste.
“That’s too simple.” Xu Shen commented. “How about beef noodles?”
Shu Ran didn’t want to eat meat. “If you want beef noodles, eat them yourself. I want Yangchun noodles.”
Xu Shen looked at him in order to make sure he really craved that, not just wanted to save some money.
“Okay…”
Two bowls of noodles came, and Xu Shen’s first move was to put some beef into his wife’s bowl. Shu Ran speechlessly looked at his ruined bowl of Yangchun noodles, and then at Xu Shen’s face.
“…”
The beef was too strong. Wouldn’t it change the flavor of his dish?
Shu Ran rolled his eyes, but there was nothing he could do. He knew Xu Shen was full of good intentions, wanting him to have a healthier diet. But meat was meat, and Shu Ran didn’t want to eat it. He symbolically kept two pieces, putting the rest back into Xu Shen’s bowl. “You eat what you’ve ordered. I can’t eat that much.”
Xu Shen was not greedy, but he ate a lot, quickly finishing the meat his wife didn’t want. When Shu Ran saw a couple of families coming to eat noodles, he suddenly remembered the Zhou family. “It’s not convenient for my sister to go back home. How about I take the things my brother-in-law sent yesterday?”
“Okay,” Xu Shen said indifferently. “I’ll accompany you back home.” He thought of something and suddenly smiled ambiguously. “Just treat it as your return6Traditionally, a bride must return to her natal home three days after her marriage, accompanied by her husband. It’s a way of formally introducing and accepting him into her family.”
Shu Ran glanced and kicked him under the table. A small warning to not take advantage of others was enough. What return? He was not a woman…
Xu Shen also bumped Shu Ran with his knee under the table, but on the surface, he lowered his head and maturely ate his noodles.
‘What are you doing?” Shu Ran was speechless and kicked him back again.
“Nothing.” Xu Shen said. “I just realized that you are quite competitive.”
“You can’t win, so stop touching me!” Shu Ran took the last bite of his noodles.
Xu Shen sighed in secret, his mind full of: “Did I touch you because I wanted to win?!”
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