Married but Untouched! Her Soldier Husband Came Home Dumbfounded! - Chapter 32

Shen Chunsheng watched his son working silently and tried to make conversation, eventually steering the topic toward Shen Zhanxun.

“Has Zhanxun written lately? He hasn’t come back in years. Your mother and I really miss him.”

He even heaved a dramatic sigh. “Your mother and I won’t be around forever. Zhanxun only comes back once in a while… I don’t know if I’ll get to see him again in my lifetime.”

His tone was so mournful that anyone overhearing might think he was on his last legs.

“Dad, what are you saying? You and Mom are perfectly healthy. You’ll live long lives.”

Shen Jianhua felt uneasy but offered a few comforting words anyway.

His father hadn’t touched the fields since he was fifty and never involved himself in household chores. He was strong and healthy. Today’s melodrama had a purpose, it was obvious.

Shen Chunsheng shook his head. “At our age, the body just keeps failing. Something hurts here, something aches there… just the medicine alone costs several yuan every month.”

Shen Jianhua knew that if he didn’t confront the matter directly today, his father wouldn’t let it go. He didn’t want to waste time playing verbal gymnastics either.

“Dad, is it because the three of us don’t send enough allowance for you and Mom? Should I call in my eldest and youngest brothers so we can discuss it again?”

Shen Chunsheng choked on his own words and sipped water. “You three just work for a living—how much can you earn? Even if your mother and I were hanging from the rafters, we wouldn’t want to trouble you.”

Shen Jianhua grew increasingly frustrated. His hands shook as he sifted flour faster and faster. Eventually, he put the sieve aside, sternly asking:

“Dad, what exactly do you want? You said medicine alone costs several yuan a month. I offered to discuss giving you more with my brothers, and you refused. Just be straightforward—what do you want us, your sons, to do?”

Shen Chunsheng felt a twinge of embarrassment at being scolded. He thought his second son was slow-witted. He’d already hinted at wanting money from his grandson in the military, yet the second son still didn’t get it.

Ye Fangfei, listening in from the room, could barely hold back her laughter. This old man sure knew how to scheme—even after the household split, he was thinking about his grandson’s wages.

Honestly, Ye Fangfei had no problem giving elders some money, it was the proper thing to do. But the way he twisted and turned, dramatizing life-and-death stakes to ask for it… it was just too ugly.

Unable to resist, she reminded Shen Zhanqiang to focus on his studies before stepping out.

She called out to her grandfather, feigning seriousness as she turned to Shen Jianhua. “Dad, has Zhanxun’s money been sent this month?”

Shen Jianhua froze, then quickly replied, “Not yet, but it should arrive soon.”

Ye Fangfei frowned. “It’s almost the end of the month. Why hasn’t it come yet?”

“Dad, once it arrives, give me the transfer slip—I’ll go collect it. Back when we weren’t split, I wouldn’t say anything. But now, after the household split, that money belongs to me. Otherwise, I’ll divorce Shen Zhanxun.”

“…Right… right, that’s fair. That money should be yours anyway,” Shen Jianhua nodded.

Finally, Ye Fangfei allowed a small smile. “Grandpa, Dad, you two talk. I’ll go check if the meal’s ready.”

She glanced at Shen Chunsheng before leaving. His mouth twitched angrily, his face twisted in frustration. Ye Fangfei was elated—today’s little victory put her in an excellent mood.

Shen Cuijuan was making noodles downstairs. Seeing Ye Fangfei’s red-faced, restrained smile, she curiously asked, “Sister-in-law, what’s making you so happy?”

“It’s nothing big,” Ye Fangfei replied. “Just that I’ll have an extra ten-yuan pocket money every month. Now that the household is split, the money your brother sends back is all mine.”

Sun Xiujü smiled knowingly, probably having figured it out. Shen Cuijuan, however, still looked clueless. Ye Fangfei winked at her. “I’ll explain later.”

Shen Chunsheng, having failed to get the money today, left with a scowl. Sun Xiujü called him to eat, but he ignored her.

Shen Jianhua walked him to the door. As he turned back, his daughter-in-law asked, “Dad, you weren’t mad at me for earlier, right?”

Shen Jianhua waved dismissively. “Good thing you intervened. Otherwise, I really wouldn’t know what to do with your grandfather.”

He shook his head, resigned, and returned to the main room.

The next morning, Ye Fangfei took Shen Cuijuan into the city.

The promotional flyers printed a few days ago were ready, and today they would distribute them at nearby factories and residential compounds to advertise the soon-to-open shops.

Shen Jianhua and Sun Xiujü stayed behind to tend the vegetable patch, planning to bring the food over in the afternoon.

The shops were scheduled to open in three days.

Ever since Ye Xihu became a partner, he hadn’t sold ice cream anymore. Instead, he spent his days going to markets, sourcing ingredients, and negotiating prices with small vendors.

Following Ye Fangfei’s advice, he sourced three suppliers for each ingredient, preparing for sudden price hikes or shortages.

It was Shen Cuijuan’s first time seeing the shops. When she glimpsed the signboard, she exclaimed, “Sister-in-law, all three shops are ours?”

“And the signboard! It’s so grand, and the names are beautiful.”

Ye Fangfei glanced at the two wooden signs, the bold red lettering reading Pastry Legacy and Imperial Braised Meats. She felt a little embarrassed every time she saw them. “Brother Xihu came up with the names. He said they sound impressive.”

“Yes! So impressive! Just looking at them makes my mouth water,” Shen Cuijuan gushed, giving a thumbs-up. “Brother Xihu’s naming skills are amazing!”

Ye Fangfei snickered quietly. The names were over-the-top, but if everyone else liked them, perhaps they suited the era’s aesthetic—she simply lacked appreciation.

They walked to the backyard, where the Ye brothers were shoveling coal from a cart. A sizeable pile already stacked in the corner.

“Brother Xihu, you got the coal here already? The coal factory isn’t even open yet,” Ye Fangfei said, checking the clock—it was just past seven.

Ye Xihu put down the shovel and greeted Shen Cuijuan first. “I got a few carts from a private supplier—cheaper than the factory.”

Ye Fangfei understood. Seeing smoke rising from the kitchen, she went over. Ye Dahu was cooking.

“Big brother, haven’t you eaten yet?” she asked.

He smiled. “We went to the second factory for coal last night and just got back.”

“Little sister, have you and Cuijuan eaten? I can add some water to the pot if not.”

“We already ate at home,” Ye Fangfei replied, deeply touched by her brothers’ efforts—they had crossed half the city late at night just to save her money.

“Big brother, it’s cloudy today. Maybe skip selling ice cream and rest a bit,” she suggested.

Ye Dahu shook his head. “No, we won’t go. Brother Xihu said it might rain. We haven’t been back in days anyway. We’ll see later.”

Since Ye Fangfei had rented the courtyard, her brothers could sell ice cream by day and sleep there at night, saving the exhausting back-and-forth from before.

“Big brother, when you return, tell Dad to come help me prepare a few change-of-clothes items. We won’t go back tonight.”

“Alright, I’ll tell him,” Ye Dahu smiled.

Ye Fangfei planned to hire her father to help cook the braised intestines, paying him a monthly wage.

The shops would open in a few days, so she wanted everyone to familiarize themselves with the workflow. As for her brothers, they’d continue selling ice cream until her business picked up, then she would decide on hiring them.