Chapter 195: My Husband is Amazing

Chapter 195: Chapter 195: My Husband is Amazing

"Want a cold drink?"

Song Yao just smiled.

"It’s not a permanent position, just helping out temporarily."

Hearing it wasn’t an official post, their curiosity immediately faded, though they couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy.

"That’s still great! With both of you earning, life must be comfortable!"

The woman with the short hair smacked her lips, her eyes fixed on the pork ribs and fruit in Song Yao’s bag.

The shorter woman chimed in.

"Isn’t that the truth? Look at Director Zhang and his wife. She’s an accountant, so they’re financially comfortable. They’re raising two kids without any stress, and she always looks so neat and put-together!"

As she spoke, she smoothed down a stray lock of hair on her forehead, then felt the back of her child’s neck to check for sweat.

"Exactly, exactly!"

The round-faced woman immediately turned to praise Song Yao.

"But I think you’re even prettier than her, dear!"

She leaned forward and lowered her voice. "So, dear... what’s your husband’s rank?"

"Oh, it’s not that impressive!"

Song Yao scratched her head with a slightly shy smile.

"In Ning City, he was in charge of a unit. After transferring here, it seems he’s doing the same thing."

"Oh, the newly appointed director of the Third Unit?"

The round-faced woman’s eyes lit up.

She put down her cattail fan and handed her child to the short-haired woman to hold.

Then she straightened up, a deeper smile spreading across her face.

Song Yao nodded quickly. "Yes, yes, that’s him!"

"My, look at you! You could pass for someone in their early twenties!"

The short-haired woman chimed in.

She reached out as if to touch the end of Song Yao’s braid, then quickly pulled her hand back and slapped her own thigh instead.

"So how old is your man?"

The shorter woman asked, pricking up her ears as she gave her child a drink of water.

"Twenty-nine."

Song Yao answered without a moment’s hesitation.

The three women exchanged glances and nodded.

"That’s good. A military job is stable. You get a salary, allocated housing, and medical care. It’s a reliable choice!"

The implication was clear.

Even though the man was a bit older, he had a solid foundation and bright prospects that couldn’t be denied.

Song Yao was secretly amused.

’My Li Hanchen isn’t even thirty. How is that old?’

She replied with a smile.

"Yes, that’s so true!"

Then she tapped her forehead.

"Oh dear, I have to hurry back and cook," she said, turning to head upstairs.

’Making small talk with people I barely know? It’s draining and easily leads to misunderstandings. Why bother? I’d much rather be back in my room with the fan on, watching a show and munching on watermelon. So much more relaxing!’

No sooner had she gone upstairs than the three women also said they had to go home and start dinner, and they gradually dispersed with their kids in tow.

The shorter one lived on the floor below Song Yao, in the apartment to the left.

The moment Song Yao got inside, she turned on the TV and GULPED down a large glass of cool water.

Then she flopped onto the sofa and started eating an apple. CRUNCH, CRUNCH.

Only after she was fully rested did she saunter into the kitchen.

The rice was already steaming, and the vegetables had been washed and prepped.

As for what to stir-fry and how to cook it, she left all of that for Li Hanchen to handle.

She was close to her due date, and her back ached terribly.

After being out and about all day, she was too tired to even lift her legs when she got back.

Li Hanchen had no idea that Song Yao had already bought groceries.

When he came home from work carrying pork ribs, the director from the neighboring Second Unit called out to tease him.

"Director Li, treating yourselves tonight? Braised pork ribs?"

Li Hanchen grunted in acknowledgment. He caught Yang Lei out of the corner of his eye, looking like he wanted to say something but was holding back. Li Hanchen immediately turned away, pretending not to see him.

Song Yao saw the bag in his hand and casually pointed toward the kitchen.

"I bought some too."

Li Hanchen froze.

"How about we make half sweet and sour, and half braised?"

"Can the two of us finish all that?"

"We can just steam less rice!"

Song Yao shrugged and jutted her chin toward the stove.

"Too late. The rice is already in the pot."

"Well... I’ll just eat a couple of extra bowls tonight," he replied decisively.

In this heat, the meat would spoil overnight. It couldn’t wait until tomorrow.

Song Yao thought that was a great idea.

"You’re the best, honey! Go for it!"

As Li Hanchen tied on an apron and disappeared into the kitchen, a new idea popped into Song Yao’s head while she peeled an orange.

"Hey, should we buy a refrigerator?"

"Look, it’s getting hotter and muggier every day. Vegetables wilt after half a day, and meat gets sticky after just a couple of hours. I hate eating leftovers—once the food gets cold, I just throw it out. I don’t even have an appetite for leftovers if they’re served again. If we buy too much and can’t finish it, it’s a shame to throw it away, but we risk it spoiling if we keep it. With a fridge, we could freeze things for a week or keep them fresh for three to five days. We could just grab what we need, whenever we need it. It would be so much less stressful!"

Li Hanchen never argued with Song Yao.

He had put up with her old, reckless self, who could cause enough trouble to tear a hole in the sky. So now, with this new, down-to-earth Song Yao, everything she said sounded perfectly reasonable to him.

"Alright, you got it! When I get my day off, I’ll go with you to pick one out. We’ll find one that’s solid, durable, and energy-efficient."

"Great! It’s a deal!"

Song Yao had just finished planning their refrigerator purchase when people upstairs and downstairs were already quietly scheming about their apartment.

When Yang Lei walked in the door, He Wei was at the stove, stir-frying in her apron.

He cleared his throat and whispered to her, "That couple transferred from Ning City. They were top performers, which is why the organization gave them special approval to come here."

He didn’t say it outright, but his meaning was crystal clear.

’Thinking of swapping apartments? It’ll be difficult. They aren’t here just to get by; they have real credentials.’

He Wei said nothing.

"THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!"

The chopping was thunderous.

She had already made up her mind: the next time she had a day off, she was going to pay them a visit and see for herself.

’I have to see what makes this new couple so high and mighty, snagging a three-bedroom apartment without even breaking a sweat!’

But before He Wei could even submit a leave request, Song Yao had already moved a large item into her apartment.

A refrigerator.

Back then, just having a black-and-white television at home made you a respectable family, let alone a refrigerator.

It was as precious as a golden nugget. Who would be willing to spend that kind of money?

When the white box, so tall it nearly touched the ceiling, was hauled upstairs by four burly men grunting and groaning, the neighborhood aunties crowded the landing, craning their necks to look and asking all at once.

"This iron box... how much does it cost?"

"Two thousand one hundred."

Song Yao answered crisply, not hiding a thing.

There was no hiding it. The moment it entered the stairwell, the whole building knew.

Someone immediately ran to the department store to check and came back slapping their thigh.

"She really wasn’t lying!"

"My heavens! That little box costs as much as our husbands’ salaries for two years!"

"You’re telling me!" someone nearby immediately chimed in.

The crowd muttered amongst themselves as they watched.

Once the refrigerator was moved inside, the topic of conversation shifted entirely to Song Yao.

"Our salaries are all the same, so where did she get so much cash on hand?"

"I see her at the morning market every day with her basket, buying apples and bananas without skimping. How did she manage to save up?"

"Are you dense? They have a double income. One spends, the other saves like crazy. And with no kids to hold them back, it’d be strange if they couldn’t save!"

"She has a job too?"

"But isn’t she pregnant?"

"That’s right! I go out to buy tofu at five-thirty every morning, and I always run into her at the alley entrance, walking fast with her net bag."

"Her job is temporary. She gets off work really early."

The woman who had chatted with Song Yao at the market the other day stood in the crowd with her hands on her hips and shouted this.

"What kind of workplace is that? Sounds pretty cushy—easy work and good pay?"

"If the pay wasn’t good, could she afford that thing? What does it do besides take up space? You can’t even sit on it like a stool! At least with a TV, you can listen to the news or watch a show!"