Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Zhou Jiaojiao had her own calculations regarding the bicycle.

"Will this work?" Wang Qingqi was startled. His parents were not particularly generous people.

Especially when it came to something as precious and rare as a bicycle, which not every family in the city could afford.

Moreover, even if their parents were willing to pay, they wouldn't be able to get a bicycle ticket!

Wang Qingqi's thoughts raced, and he sat up abruptly. "Can our parents agree to this?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jiaojiao pinched him and scolded, "If they don't agree, we'll beg them. This has to happen. Don't look at how transparent they've been with part of their finances, saying that's all the money they have. I estimate there's more.

Later on, we'll make them give us some extra money privately.

Publicly, I'll say my parents bought it for us.

I think this family will eventually be split by Eldest Brother and his wife. Before that happens, we must get control of our parents' money.

You don't want to end up with no money after the split and still have to support our parents, do you?"

"That's true... But won't our parents live with Eldest Brother and his wife?" Wang Qingqi was uncertain. He hoped his parents would live with his eldest brother. They were getting older and wouldn't be able to do much in the future.

How would life be like if they lived with him and Jiaojiao?

Living with his eldest brother and his wife, they could occasionally get some money from them to subsidize him and Jiaojiao. That would be ideal!

He wouldn't have to support his parents and could still receive subsidies.

"Hmph, I wish they would. Look at the attitude of those two. They'll definitely choose to live with us or Second Brother's family. This is still far off. For now, we need to get control of the money."

Zhou Jiaojiao's mind was active when she thought about the family's assets.

Late at night.

After washing up, Bai Xiuxiu considered that the family should go to the public bathhouse in the county in a few days.

Their bath tickets were running low, and they needed to exchange other miscellaneous items.

When her husband returned with water, Bai Xiuxiu brought up the matter.

Wang Qinghe knew everything about various types of tickets!

Before marrying Xiuxiu, he had never heard of these tickets. However, since marrying Xiuxiu, he had become adept at frequenting small venues where tickets were exchanged.

"I'll go and exchange them. Make a list of what we need." Wang Qinghe readily agreed.

Bai Xiuxiu kissed him satisfactorily. "Okay, I'll make the list tomorrow morning. By the way, we need to prepare some dried goods this year and send them to my elder sister later."

Wang Qinghe was very familiar with these tasks. "I've already arranged it with Liu Erhu. We'll exchange our game for dried goods, and he'll help us dry them. I'll take them to the mountains to exchange, and then I'll directly mail them out."

"Xiuxiu, can we sleep now?" Wang Qinghe looked expectantly at Bai Xiuxiu.

Seeing his expression, Bai Xiuxiu blushed slightly. "Let's rest!"

The next morning, Bai Xiuxiu got up early and started making a list.

She listed down all the tickets they needed.

She also gave Wang Qinghe forty yuan and ten jin of food tickets. "We'll need more things lately, so carry more money."

Wang Qinghe put away the list his wife had made. "I'll follow your instructions. Last night, while I was washing clothes by the river, I noticed that the water is now bone-chilling cold. You're not well, so don't go near the river. I'll wash the clothes."

Wang Qinghe kept the money and couldn't help but express his concerns again.

In his dreams, he could never see the face of the person who pushed Xiuxiu.

Every time, after that person pushed Xiuxiu into the water, the scene in his dream changed.

It turned into a scene of Xiuxiu lying motionless after her death.

Xiuxiu, who always chatted and laughed with him, loved to act coquettishly and order him around, and always had countless requests, lay there motionless.

It had almost become his nightmare!

But every time he opened his eyes, he could see her alive and well in front of him.

For so many days, that dream had followed him everywhere, and he had started to fear sleeping.

He also feared Xiuxiu leaving his sight.

Bai Xiuxiu realized that Wang Qinghe was really resistant to her going to the riverbank.

Could it be that he had also been reborn along with her? But he didn't seem like it. Given his future self, if he had truly been reborn, this entire family might not have survived until dawn.

Could it be the nightmare he mentioned?

"Why are you so afraid of me going to the riverbank?" Bai Xiuxiu looked at her husband and decided to dispel her doubts. She naturally asked him about her curiosity!

Hearing this, a hint of embarrassment appeared on Wang Qinghe's handsome face. He lowered his head, not daring to look at her. "That nightmare... I'm still having it..."

"How about you go to the hospital to check?" Bai Xiuxiu was also a bit worried.

Having the same dream repeatedly might indicate an illness.

Wang Qinghe shook his head. "My head doesn't hurt. Xiuxiu, as long as you don't go near the water, I'll be fine."

"If I don't go, don't worry that I won't listen to you." Bai Xiuxiu suspected that he had been initially frightened by the dream and had been having it repeatedly ever since!

"Wang Qinghe? Hiding in the house? Get out here and work!" Outside, Zhao Guifen was berating through the window.

Bai Xiuxiu frowned at the sound, about to retort when Wang Qinghe kissed her, silencing her.

He brought over the honey water. "I'll go check outside. Xiuxiu, drink this then get up to wash up. Don’t listen to them, don’t waste your thoughts on them."

Wang Qinghe left the room after that.

The sweetness of the honey water relaxed Bai Xiuxiu's brows and eyes.

Through the window, she could see Wang Qinghe working as instructed by his mother, Zhao Guifen.

This was what she found most incomprehensible about her husband.

It was the same in her previous life; before her death, this man never thought of retaliating against this family for their cruelty.

He barely harbored any resentment.

And it was the same now; he wanted to separate from the family because the Wangs didn't like her, because she wasn’t happy in this home.

Not because of what he wanted or didn’t want for himself.

"Mommy..." Yueyue’s slightly aggrieved voice interrupted Bai Xiuxiu’s thoughts.

Turning around, she saw her daughter struggling with her clothes, face full of grievance.

The buttons on this sweater were hard to fasten.

Seeing her distressed, she could only smile, pick her child up into her arms, and help her button her clothes.

She then got off the bed and went to the table to fetch the children’s honey water.

"Drink this before you wash your face, remember to brush your teeth and rinse your mouth." Bai Xiuxiu reminded the two children before starting to tidy herself up.

In the morning, the Wang family’s meals were even more bland than at night.

Especially without the chicken broth, they were even more vegetarian!

Cabbage from the frost-stricken plot, thrown into boiling water, made a simple soup. Cornmeal mixed with buckwheat husks, made into flatbreads, constituted breakfast.

There wasn’t even a side of pickles.

There wasn’t a drop of oil to be found on the entire table!