Married but Untouched! Her Soldier Husband Came Home Dumbfounded! - Chapter 7

The Shen family lived in Shenlou Brigade, a village without even a small supply kiosk—if villagers wanted to buy anything, they had to walk to the commune.

But their village held one great advantage: its location. It sat right beside the national highway—twenty li east was Dongping City, and twenty-some li west was Yunyang County.

Shenlou sat neatly between the two. Whether heading to the city or the county, it was convenient—an hour on foot, or twenty minutes by bicycle.

Ye Fangfei headed straight for the commune, planning to buy ingredients for sponge cakes. She wanted to try making some at her parents’ home first.

If it worked, she’d go with her brother-in-law to Dongping City the next day to inspect the market, order molds, rent a storefront, and start preparations for her shop.

She pedaled her bicycle to the commune and had just turned toward the back of the school when she heard a familiar voice shout:

“Sister-in-law!”

She hopped off the bike. Shen Zhanqiang came jogging from across the street.
“Sister-in-law, what are you doing at the commune? Shopping?”

“I need to buy some sugar.” Her brows tightened when she saw his schoolbag slung carelessly over one shoulder, books nearly falling out. “Why aren’t you in class? What are you doing here?”

Shen Zhanqiang grinned sheepishly.
“It’s not time yet! You’re heading behind the school, right? I know that place well. Want me to show you?”

Ye Fangfei glanced at her watch. The days were bright early breakfast was long over, and it was only a bit past seven.

She wasn’t familiar with the market layout, and she had the family’s entire fortune hidden in her. Better to keep him with her.

Before they even reached the area, the sounds of bargaining filled the air. She had Zhanqiang push the bicycle while she walked ahead.

Behind the school was a small patch of wood. Now every inch of shade is occupied by vendors. Some sold chickens and eggs from home, others had tofu and bean sprouts. One roadside stall displayed steamed rice cakes and almond crisps.

Opposite them were several stalls selling sewing needles, thread, and the little daily necessities farmers often needed…

Nothing abundant—mostly homemade goods or produce from family fields.

Ye Fangfei didn’t see anyone selling sugar. She bought fifty cents’ worth of rice cakes and fifty cents’ worth of almond crisps—planning to taste-test them and see if she could replicate the recipes herself.

With the entire household’s money on her, she didn’t dare linger. After buying the pastries, she left with Shen Zhanqiang.

She handed him a couple of pieces of pastry, then dug out fifty cents from her pocket.
“Here—buy yourself an ice pop.”

Shen Zhanqiang bit into the almond crisp, staring wide-eyed at the fifty cents. He wanted it but didn’t dare take it.
“Sister-in-law… an ice pop is only five cents. Fifty cents are too much.”

“Take it. Buy a soda too.”

She stuffed the money into his schoolbag and added, “Exams are soon, right? Review well. See if you can get into Dongping City’s high school.”

Zhanqiang froze mid-chew, eyes widening in horror.
“S-Sister-in-law… I—I study terribly. I probably can’t get into high school. I’m planning to stop after junior high.”

“You’re just a kid. If you don’t study, what will you do? Work the fields?”

As someone who’d grown up as an academic star, it was inconceivable to her. Hearing him say he’d quit after junior high made her frown at him like she was looking at her own former slacker brother.

Shen Zhanqiang wilted under her glare. He had no idea what to say.

He licked his lips, just about to find an excuse to escape when the school’s warning bell sounded.

His eyes lit up. He took two steps back.
“Sister-in-law, class is starting! I’m going! Ride slow on your way home!”
And he sprinted off.

Behind him, Ye Fangfei called, “Zhanqiang! Study properly! I’ll quiz you in a few days. If you don’t get into high school this year, I’ll have Dad beat you—and then you’ll repeat the grade!”

Shen Zhanqiang nearly burst into tears. The fifty cents and the pastries suddenly tasted like sawdust.

If he had known this would happen, he would’ve pretended not to see her earlier. Truly self-inflicted suffering.

Ye Fangfei watched the teenager’s retreating figure, thinking of the brief descriptions in the novel.

Quiet. Honest. Expressionless. No outstanding qualities. None of the cunning his older brother had. Dropped out after junior high and stayed home to farm.

At eighteen, his brother arranged a temporary job for him at Yun County’s power supply station.

Before Shen Zhanxun’s death, he had just been promoted to deputy office director. After the male and female leads moved his parents to Dongping City, Zhanqiang moved them right back.

After that, the book barely mentioned them again—only singing praises of the male and female leads’ bright future.

But looking at him now, Ye Fangfei didn’t think the book’s portrayal was accurate at all. The boy was clearly sharp and quick-witted—nothing like the dull character described in the novel.

Going from a temp worker to deputy office director might’ve been helped by his brother’s connections, but if he had zero ability, he wouldn’t have made it that far.

Ye Fangfei slowly pushed her bicycle toward the supply and marketing cooperative.

Her thoughts drifted—to her current marriage, and the husband she had never met.

She didn’t know what kind of person Shen Zhanxun was. But this was a military marriage. Unless he made a serious mistake, divorce was unlikely. They would probably be tied together for a lifetime.

Ye Fangfei had always longed for family. In her previous life, her dream was simple: once she reached the right age, she wanted a spacious home, a gentle, emotionally stable husband… not necessarily outstanding, just someone who cherished home. And then two children—a quiet, steady life.

After graduating from university, she thought her life would go step by step: work, fall in love, marry, have kids… peacefully live out her days.

But fate was a merciless director. Its gears kept spinning, grinding her path forward—and had thrown her into this completely unfamiliar era.

She sighed helplessly. If Shen Zhanxun committed no unforgivable wrongs, if he had no unbearable flaws… then maybe living together wouldn’t be impossible.

He spent most of his time in the army anyway. They might only meet once a year, or even once every few years. If they didn’t get along, she could just endure it.

Since she and Shen Zhanxun were destined to be tied together, then his family couldn’t be allowed to drag him down.

As the father of her future children, he had to remain clean and respectable.

Even if Shen Zhanqiang couldn’t become his brother’s support, he at least needed to be able to support himself. She had to make sure he stayed in school.

If he couldn’t get into university, then at least he should get into a technical secondary school—graduate and receive a state-assigned job. Then he wouldn’t have to depend entirely on his older brother.

And Shen Zhanxun’s two younger sisters needed to be guided properly too. She’d have to keep an eye on them.

If their characters were decent, she’d bring them into her future business. She’d need employees anyway—better to keep it within the family.

If everyone could earn money together, life would be easier. With better finances, there would be fewer messy thoughts.

The old saying goes: The poor grow schemes; the rich grow conscience.
Not always true, but not wrong either.

As for the original owner’s parents, Ye Fangfei would treat them equally. As long as they weren’t crooked, she’d help them where she could. It was her way of repaying the original girl whose life she now lived.

Ye Fangfei wasn’t the type to overthink. Once she figured things out, she stopped dwelling on them and accepted the reality of her transmigration.

She visited the supply and marketing cooperative opposite the school. The selection wasn’t great, but they did have the sugar she needed. Shen Zhanxun had mailed her sugar coupons two months earlier, two jin worth—and she used them all.

At the meat counter, a string of pig intestines hung from the hook. Her eyes brightened instantly. She hurried over.

“Comrade, how much for the intestines?”

Her lawyer father loves braised dishes. Her mother didn’t trust the hygiene of store-bought food, so she always braised them herself. Ye Fangfei had learned how to make them too.

The middle-aged butcher glanced at her.
“Two mao a jin. No ration ticket needed.”

“I’ll take all of it. Can you weigh it for me?” She beamed at the sight of the intestines.

“There are two sets. Are you sure you can finish them?”

“We have a big family.” Just imagining the aroma of braised intestines made her mouth water. She had never been this hungry for meat in her life.

The butcher efficiently hooked the bundle of intestines onto the scale.
“Five jin and six liang—one yuan and twelve cents. Pay over there.”

“Thank you, comrade.”

Ye Fangfei paid, hung the intestines over her handlebars, bought some star anise and cinnamon, and rode toward Ye Family Village.