Chapter 116: Be Worthy of My Father-in-Law’s Trust

Chapter 116: Be Worthy of My Father-in-Law's Trust

At 6 p.m., after dinner, Deng Yuntai waved to his wife and said, "Ah Ping, come here for a moment. I need to tell you something."

Zhang Xiuping wiped her wet hands on her pants and walked over, asking, "Brother Tai, what is it?"

When she approached, Deng Yuntai placed his hands on her shoulders and guided her into the house, saying, "Let's talk inside."

In this era, people were still quite reserved in expressing emotions. Even couples rarely held hands in public, unlike later generations where kissing in crowded squares or holding hands was commonplace. Although Deng Yuntai didn't hold Zhang Xiuping's hand, placing his hand on her shoulder in front of her younger siblings still made her feel embarrassed.

Moreover, after entering the room, Deng Yuntai closed the door, which made Zhang Xiuping blush, thinking he wanted to do something intimate at this moment! She whispered, "Brother Tai, your brothers and sisters are watching. What are you doing?"

Deng Yuntai pulled out a large sum of over 180 yuan from his pocket, handed it to her with a smile, and said, "Ah Ping, look at this."

Zhang Xiuping took the stack of money and asked in surprise, "Brother Tai, what is this?"

Deng Yuntai smiled and replied, "This is my salary for this month."

Zhang Xiuping rolled her eyes at him and said, "You should give your wages to Dad. Why are you handing them to me?"

Deng Yuntai explained, "Dad said that since I'm married now, I don't need to give him my wages anymore. He told me to bring it back and let you manage it."

"Ah? What did you say?" Zhang Xiuping wondered if she had misheard.

Deng Yuntai repeated his words with a smile.

After confirming she had heard correctly, Zhang Xiuping was utterly shocked.

In this era, parents-in-law held absolute authority. Some strict mothers-in-law even controlled their daughter-in-law's dowry. Before the family divided assets, most of the income earned by the son or daughter-in-law had to be handed over to the parents, with only a small portion left for personal use, and even that required parental approval.

Zhang Xiuping had been aware of this situation before marrying. She never imagined managing her husband's wages, as it seemed impossible. Yet, here she was, holding a large sum of money entrusted to her by her father-in-law shortly after her marriage. His kindness left her speechless. To have such a father-in-law, her family's ancestral graves must be blessed!

Seeing his wife's stunned expression, Deng Yuntai couldn't resist leaning in to kiss her.

Zhang Xiuping snapped out of her daze, gently patted him, and said coquettishly, "You're so annoying!"

As newlyweds, Deng Yuntai found her adorable reaction irresistible and couldn't keep his hands to himself...

After a while, Zhang Xiuping pushed him away, her face flushed, and asked, "Brother Tai, am I really keeping this money?"

Deng Yuntai, still savoring the moment, replied, "Yes, keep it. I'll hand over my future wages to you as well."

Zhang Xiuping pursed her lips and vowed, "Brother Tai, don't worry. I'll keep the money safe and won't spend a single penny carelessly."

Deng Yuntai smiled and said, "We should still spend what needs to be spent."

Zhang Xiuping didn't argue further. She took the money and locked it in the cabinet, determined not to spend recklessly or take money from her parents' home without reason. She resolved to live up to her father-in-law's trust.

...

Deng Changmei's Home

Deng Shirong was surrounded by several parents whose children were of marriageable age. They all hoped he could help find suitable matches for their children, including Deng Yuncai, father of Deng Changyuan.

After addressing the other parents, Deng Shirong turned to Deng Yuncai and said, "Yuncai, I've found a good match for your Yuan. But before I proceed, I need to be honest with you. You must build a new house soon. Otherwise, even if the girl doesn't mind, her parents likely won't agree to the marriage."

Deng Yuncai felt both happy and worried. He was pleased his uncle had found a good match for his son without being asked, but he was anxious because his family's financial situation was dire. Building a new house would leave no money for the wedding.

"Uncle Jiu, I understand, but my family is struggling. I don't know what to do."

Deng Shirong said, "Yuan has been working at the tile factory for months and has earned a decent amount. Building a house shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

Deng Yuncai sighed, "If we use the money to build a house, we won't have enough for Yuan's wedding anytime soon."

Deng Shirong replied, "Yuncai, as the saying goes, sharpening the axe doesn't delay chopping wood. Your family has no proper living space now. Even if you rush to find a daughter-in-law, it won't work. No parent would want their daughter marrying into a family without a home."

Deng Yuncai nodded, "Uncle Jiu, you're right. We need to build a house. We had planned to finish building the eldest son's house by year-end. Once the couple moves in, there'll be space for Yuan to marry. But after seeing your new house, my eldest son no longer wants a mud-brick house. He wants a blue-brick and tile house instead. However, we can't afford that, so the plan is on hold."

Deng Shirong hadn't expected this. Knowing how fast the country would develop, he couldn't advise them to stick with outdated mud-brick houses. He said, "If you build a blue-brick and tile house like mine, two or three rooms would cost around three to five hundred yuan. Of course, after building it, you can't give it all to your eldest son. Yuan should at least get a room, so I can find him a match."

Deng Yuncai agreed, "I understand. Yuan is the one earning the money now. If we spend so much on the house and he gets nothing, it won't be fair."

Deng Shirong said, "In any case, build the house as soon as possible. Once it's done, I'll handle Yuan's marriage and find him a suitable partner."

Deng Yuncai nodded again, "Alright, Uncle Jiu. It's too late this year, but we'll start building after next spring."

Deng Shirong reminded him, "Yuncai, since your family is struggling financially, don't just focus on the small piece of land at home. Raise more chickens, ducks, geese, and pigs. The state has relaxed controls on this, so you can raise them without worry. Selling them will bring in money!"

Deng Yuncai smiled, "Uncle Jiu, I was planning to do just that. Hearing you say this makes me more confident. I'll raise more chickens, ducks, and pigs."

(End of Chapter)