10 Chapter 10: Worry

How could Xie Jun possibly let his darling wife fight him off? He picked her up in a princess cradle, saying:

"Darling, be good, take a nap. Look at those dark eye circles under your eyes."

Setting Fang Hong on the bed, Xie Jun removed his own work clothes before slipping in beside her and embracing her, ready to take an afternoon nap.

No longer struggling, Fang Hong let him take charge. She herself was indeed a bit tired. After waking up, she could finish her chores.

Finding a comfortable position nestled against Xie Jun's arm, Fang Hong closed her eyes, preparing to sleep. Suddenly, she remembered:

"Mr. Xie, when will Chu Molin and others be back? This time Qin Xue's situation was too risky. You have no idea that she was in a coma for several days, doctors even said if she didn't wake up she could end up in a vegetative state. Furthermore, Qin Xue is pregnant, and without Molin around, I was really worried. Who would have thought that Qin Xue would regain consciousness, giving my anxious heart some relief. Do you think Molin will be as bewildered as you were when he finds out he's going to be a dad?"

Xie Jun watched his wife's fluttering lips and immediately placed his hand over her mouth. Instead of resting, she was discussing other men.

Xie Jun was clearly jealous - his wife should only think about him, not others. Disturbed by this, he smothered Fang Hong almost to the point of suffocation:

"Stop, do you want to smother me?"

Taken aback by Fang Hong's annoyed outburst, Xie Jun immediately removed his hand.

...

Later, watching his exhausted wife asleep, Xie Jun was filled with contentment.

Both Xie Jun and Fang Hong were city folks who had grown up together. Their families both faced financial hardships, so they focused on their education. As an adult, Xie Jun was lucky enough to land himself a research job. Fang Hong, following her affection, married him. They were both in their thirties now, with a child in middle school, yet their feelings remained just as strong as before.

Xie Jun had known Chu Molin for over a decade now. They had served together like brothers, both of them climbing up the ladder step by step, which was why reaching where they were today had not been easy.

Xie Jun genuinely wished Chu Molin and Qin Xue could reach the same comfort level he and Fang Hong had achieved.

That's why in Chu Molin's absence, he asked his wife to take good care of Qin Xue when she was injured. Normally, he would never make Fang Hong go through so much, but as he held her in his arms, preparing to drift off into a peaceful sleep, he knew it was worth it.

Qin Xue, upon returning home, tidied the house, discarded the trash, folded and arranged the keeper items. She noticed a dirty spot, fetched a bucket of water, mixed some detergent in it, wiped the spot clean and then emptied the bucket.

After cleaning the kitchen and living room, she mopped the floor. Looking at the floral clothes on her bed made her grimace. What kind of aesthetic sense deemed these okay? Were there no normal clothing options?

Most of the clothes were practically brand new, surely bought by Molin after they arrived here, Qin Xue thought. With not many options available, she decided to fold the clothes and sell them some other time - despite being the latest fashion, she could not see herself wearing them.

After arranging all the clothes and cleaning out the desk drawers, she discovered she only had US$ 68. During the '80s, this was considered a substantial amount. However, since Fang Hong had paid her hospital bills after her accident, after paying Fang Hong back, Qin Xue would only be left with about US$ 28. What could she do with such a meagre sum of money?

Observing the absence of almost everything essential at home, Qin Xue pondered the uncertain return of her cheap husband: with him not around, what would she eat or spend on?

This wasn't going well, she needed to find a way to earn money. Yet, she wasn't familiar with the place and was carrying a baby, what could she do?

Qin Xue didn't dare rummage through Molin's stuff, nor had any idea about his financial status. Burying herself in her blanket, she dozed off while pondering over things. When she awoke, the sun was setting.