Married but Untouched! Her Soldier Husband Came Home Dumbfounded! - Chapter 10

Dongping City.

Shen Zhanping and Liu Wenjing had come to inspect the market for their planned restaurant.

The heat these past few days has been relentless. After walking all morning, Wenjing’s face was flushed, her legs felt like lead, and irritation simmered in her heart. She couldn’t help thinking how inconvenient travel was in this era—how nice it would be to have a bicycle. Not as comfortable as a car, of course, but far better than walking.

The thought gnawed at her, especially when she remembered Shen Zhanxun and Ye Fangfei’s wedding. Their bride price hadn’t just included a bicycle, it came with a watch, too.

Her own wedding had been meager—only two sets of clothes and sixty-six yuan as bride price, a sum her parents and the Shen family had haggled over for days before securing.

Wiping the sweat off her forehead, Wenjing glanced at Zhanping and gently dabbed at the beads of sweat on his face. Pouting, she vented her frustration and aired her thoughts.

Zhanping had always felt he’d been at a disadvantage compared to Shen Zhanxun at the time of marriage. Hearing Wenjing speak so openly stirred a mix of guilt and embarrassment in him.

After a moment, he murmured defensively,
“He didn’t use the family’s money for his wedding. He earned it all himself.”

“But we haven’t split the family property yet, right? Everything you earn goes to your grandparents. Why can he keep his wages for himself?”

Wenjing saw the deepening shadow in his eyes. Sensing he felt uneasy too, she feigned magnanimity with a small smile:
“Zhanping, you know I don’t care about those things. I married you for you. I was only speaking up for you just now—why should the grandchildren of the Shen family be treated so differently? The grandparents’ favoritism is too unfair.”

Zhanping gently squeezed her hand.
“Wenjing, I’ve wronged you.”

Shaking her head with a smile, Wenjing said softly,
“Being with you, I never feel wronged. Policies are opening up now, and I have skills. Once we earn money, whatever we want, we can buy ourselves.”

The two of them locked eyes, hearts nearly skipping. It was Zhanping who finally looked away first, embarrassed.

A vendor walked past, shouting:
“Ice pops! Ice pops! Cool and refreshing old-fashioned ice pops—red bean, green bean, and rich, sweet milk ice cream!”

Wenjing, hot and thirsty, waved and called out,
“Two of the old ice pops, please!”

“Right away, comrades!” The man deftly opened his box and handed them two pops.
“Five cents each, two for ten. Here you go, comrades.”

Zhanping paused. Something about the voice sounded familiar. He looked up at the vendor—tall, broad-shouldered, tanned, wearing a worn vest with shiny shoulders, a wide straw hat perched on his head, pushing a cart with two wooden boxes wrapped in quilts.

When the man lifted his head, Zhanping exclaimed,
“Xihu? Is that you?”

“Ah, Zhanping! In this scorching heat, what are you two doing standing here?” Xihu handed them the pops and gave Wenjing a friendly nod.
“It’s so hot today. Cool off a bit.”

Zhanping reached into his pocket to pay, but Xihu waved him off with a smile.
“No need for formality. Eat two pops—can I really take your money?”

“That won’t do—you spent money to buy them too!” Zhanping insisted, embarrassed at taking advantage, and a playful tug-of-war began.

Wenjing had only just married into the Shen family and didn’t know Xihu personally. But she remembered that Ye Fangfei had a set of brothers—Dahu, Erhu, Sanhu, and Xihu. She had already guessed who he was and smiled, interrupting:
“Brother Xihu, if you don’t take the money, we’d feel bad eating them.”

It was just ten cents, but she didn’t want to take advantage of Ye Fangfei’s family and risk offending anyone.

Zhanping also added,
“Brother Xihu, you have to take this. It’s hot, and doing business isn’t easy.”

“You two are too polite—it’s family, no need,” Xihu chuckled. Another customer came by, so he took the money and moved on.

After the ice pops, Wenjing casually asked,
“Brother Xihu, your business seems good. You must earn a decent amount each day?”

Xihu lifted his straw hat, fanning himself, and smiled innocently.
“Come early, leave late, you can make around one yuan and eighty cents. Work in the fields isn’t much—hardly any work points. Selling ice cream is tiring, but it’s better than doing nothing at home.”

“That’s quite a lot. A textile worker earns only around thirty yuan a month. You’re almost at a formal worker’s salary!”

“How can we compare to factory workers? That’s a secure job. Selling ice cream is hard work, and it only lasts a month or two.”

Xihu put on his hat and smiled at them.
“You two keep exploring, we’ll talk another time. I need to hurry—these pops will melt.”

“Alright, Brother Xihu, go ahead.” Zhanping nodded politely, and he and Wenjing headed to a state-run restaurant nearby.

Zhanping had rarely been eaten in a restaurant in the city. Today, Wenjing insisted on tasting some dishes, so he had reluctantly agreed.

Before entering, Wenjing glanced back at Xihu, who was gnawing on a corn cake, and smirked slightly. She thought to herself—selling ice cream probably doesn’t earn much, or else how could he even spare a steamed bun?

With only two liang of meat, they ordered celery and shredded pork and a bowl of clear noodle soup each.

Wenjing tasted the meat first, the pork tender, the celery crisp and sweet. The presentation was neat; the dish had color, aroma, and flavor. With limited ingredients, it was already impressive. The master chef at this state-run restaurant clearly had skill.

The restaurant buzzed with chatter, laughter, and the shouts of waiters, as if the noise might tear through the roof.

They ate quickly and went outside.

“Wenjing, where should we go this afternoon?” Zhanping wiped sweat from his face.

“Let’s check out the East District,” she suggested. “Several factories there employ thousands, and plenty of residents live nearby. If we open a restaurant there, business should be good.”

Zhanping hesitated.
“The East District may have many factories, but most have canteens. Some workers cook at home. Few would actually go out to eat.”

“I think People’s North Road is better. There are government offices and guesthouses. Travelers are on official trips, and there’s only one state-run restaurant nearby.”

Wenjing’s eyes lit up. She had only considered the East District’s population, not their spending power. Compared to factory workers, office staff have money and are willing to eat out.

“Zhanping, you really think ahead! Let’s check People’s North Road and see if there are any shops for rent.”

They boarded a bus to People’s North Road. It was the hottest part of the day, and the bus was almost empty. They sat at the back.

Zhanping hesitated, then spoke his mind.
“Wenjing, renting a place for a restaurant will cost a lot. Where do we get that kind of capital?”

He had been too embarrassed to ask about her bride price. If Wenjing hadn’t insisted on opening a restaurant, he wouldn’t have brought it up.

Wenjing paused. She had come into this life the day after marriage. Her parents had left the bride price mostly to her brothers, giving her only six yuan as savings.

After marriage, Shen Zhanping handed her his private savings—seven yuan. Combined with her six yuan, that made thirteen yuan.

After paying for the bus, the meal, and some soda—over two yuan—she now had less than ten yuan left.