Sweet slice-of-life love story: Wife, Let's love again
Chapter 294 - 289: Early Nine

Chapter 294: Chapter 289: Early Nine

"Three with one."

"Against A."

"One two."

"Out."

Qin Guanglin threw out all his cards and looked at the two opposite, while He Fang leaned on his shoulder, stretching out her little hand to collect money.

After dinner and a bit of wine, He Shan and Qin Guanglin’s faces were a bit red. Dragged by He’s Daddy to play Dou Dizhu, the game had just started and Qin Guanglin had quite easily defeated them.

"I remember you said you couldn’t play cards?" He’s Daddy grudgingly fished out a coin and handed it to He Fang, who smiled gleefully and then reached out to He Shan.

"Luck, all luck," Qin Guanglin modestly shuffled the cards.

He Shan patted himself and looked at He’s Daddy, "That... I don’t have change, Dad, can you lend me some?"

"You don’t borrow money in card games! Go, ask Fang to get change."

He’s Daddy clutched his change tightly. Borrowing money in a card game was the beginning of a loss... Although he was losing without borrowing, it felt different.

"Let’s keep track, and when I’ve won enough, I’ll take your whole bill," He Fang waved her small hand, marking it down for him.

"What bill can you take with one yuan... You don’t even know if you can take this ten yuan." He Shan frowned, catching Qin Guanglin who was ready with the shuffled cards.

"That’s wrong, there was a bomb just now."

Qin Guanglin reminded He Fang.

"Right, you need to bring one more yuan over." He Fang’s eyes lit up as she pried another yuan from He’s Daddy and marked two yuan for He Shan.

"..."

"..."

"You’ve bulked up since last time, hitting the gym?" He Shan casually struck up a conversation while handling the cards.

"Yeah, I frequently go to the gym and lift a bit." Qin Guanglin nodded, having gained over twenty pounds this year, mostly muscle.

"It’s good to workout, bulk up a bit so next time someone will think twice if they can take you."

He Shan didn’t specify which incident but they all understood what he was referring to. That time had truly scared them.

Speaking of this, Qin Guanglin was a bit curious, "What happened to those guys?"

"They’re still locked up, better they stay put," He Shan chuckled. "Those two students came out somehow, must have cost a fortune... That lesson will stick with them for a lifetime."

"They won’t forget it, even if they wanted to," He Fang said without a hint of sympathy. Regret was never useful after making a mistake.

People like that, even if they regretted, mostly just regretted getting caught.

He Shan smacked his lips, sorted his cards, and said, "Heard they’re transferring to that place... don’t know if it worked out, if so, they can continue their studies."

"That’s a lot of money, pretty good." Qin Guanglin raised a card, "Losing money to avoid disaster, can’t leave people without any chance."

"Huh, if it weren’t for my brother’s influence, I would have become a lawyer," He Fang was still a bit annoyed, nuzzling Qin Guanglin’s shoulder towards He Shan and scrunching her nose, "I’d sue all those bad people to death."

"How did I influence you?" He Shan felt quite innocent.

"You’re always plotting how to get people divorced, fighting over properties, made me not want to be a lawyer."

"Two, end it—being such a lawyer, breaking marriages every day, that’s no good deed!"

He’s Daddy chimed in, he had always disliked He Shan’s focus on divorce cases, clueless about accumulating good deeds, always spouting twisted logic.

"I am accumulating good deeds..."

"Shut it, just play."

"You already played a two, what else can I play." He Shan held his cards, unplayed, "Pass."

He’s Daddy raised an eyebrow, looking at Qin Guanglin if he also passed, these two surely had a pair of jokers.

Qin Guanglin was just holding a small joker, about to play it, but seeing He’s Daddy’s glance, silently passed.

Let him get this round.

"Hey, everyone passed?" He’s Daddy was in trouble, gazing at his cards, lost in thought.

He Fang blinked her innocent big eyes, not understanding the flow of the game at all.

Time quietly passed, and though she didn’t gain many coins, she managed to snatch He Shan’s ten yuan bill.

Watching Qin Guanglin and He’s Daddy remembering cards, and then remembering against those cards, He Shan grew more baffled—the two kept winning, leaving him continuously losing.

"Zhao Qing, come help me!"

"Can’t even play cards, how much have you lost?" Zhao Qing put down the remote control to come over, while He Cheng immediately happily claimed the remote and switched the TV to the children’s channel.

"Over twenty."

"To lose that much with one yuan stakes, you’re quite something."

Zhao Qing leaned on He Shan from behind to give some pointers, He’s Daddy and Qin Guanglin immediately felt the pressure. It wasn’t like before when they treated He Shan as an NPC.

"Heh heh, this hand is good," He Shan grinned at his cards, "You really do boost my luck."

"Shut up, you want everyone to know you got good cards?"

He’s Daddy glanced at Zhao Qing leaning on He Shan’s shoulder, then at He Fang leaning on Qin Guanglin’s shoulder, his mood suddenly complicated.

If her mom was still here, it would be a fun game three on three.

Night deepened.

When Zhao Qing sent He Cheng off to sleep, the card game was almost at its end. They gathered up the cards, stretched, and prepared to rest while He Fang counted the twenty-plus yuan in her hand, blissfully content.

They always ganged up to tease her, but this was the first time she had managed to win a round.

"Be careful on the road... Does Fang know how to drive?"

"Yes, don’t worry."

Since Qin Guanglin had drunk alcohol that night, he couldn’t drive. He Fang had to take him to the hotel and then drive back by herself.

Stepping out from the warm house into the chilly winter night, the cold wind greeted them head-on, whistling as it found its way into their collars and sleeves and onto their bodies. Both of them shivered simultaneously and quickly huddled, hustling into the car.

The chilly breeze sobered them up quite a bit. The residual effect of the alcohol on Qin Guanglin was also blown away. He buckled up in the passenger seat and sighed, "So... your family has accepted me, right?"

"They’ve accepted you long ago. You’re so handsome, so tall, so..."

"Alright, alright, you’re always interrupting. I mean, by this time next year, can I sleep in your room openly?"

"No, you cannot."

He Fang slightly opened her mouth and shook her head with a prolonged voice. Seeing Qin Guanglin look a bit disappointed, she laughed, started the car, and slowly reversed, saying, "To sleep in my room openly, you’d have to marry me officially, lift me into our home in a big red bridal sedan, and then you can stay in my room when you come over for the New Year."

"There aren’t any big red bridal sedans anymore... Would a car do?" Qin Guanglin patted the seat and continued, "If that’s not okay, I could paint this car red, pick you up from your place, and ride solo for thousands of miles to bring you to Luo City—that would count as having lifted you in a big red bridal sedan."

"What about the procession?"

"How can there be a procession from so far away..."

"Hmph."

The car skimmed through the night streets of He City, the two joking along the way, and soon arrived at the hotel entrance. Qin Guanglin, wrapped in his down jacket, got out of the car and flicked his head at He Fang, "Come sit for a while?"

"Are we really just going to sit?"

"Yeah, we can sit."

"Hurry up and sleep, we have to get up early tomorrow." He Fang gave him a look and closed the car door, shutting out the cold wind and Qin Guanglin.

"Then be careful on the road."

Qin Guanglin said a word of caution, not sure if she heard him, stamping his feet and hurrying into the hotel lobby. He turned to watch He Fang drive away from the hotel before touching the room card and going upstairs.

This damn place in He City, it’s even colder than Luo City.

...

"Ouch—so hot... I bet the next time we meet, that kid Qin Guanglin will be talking about marriage."

He Shan sat at the edge of the bed, wincing and washing his feet in hot water, while speaking to Zhao Qing who was on the bed.

"Definitely, didn’t you hear Fang talking about getting married once they buy the house?"

"Is that so? I remember her saying buying a house this year and getting married next year?"

Zhao Qing thought about it and couldn’t recall exactly what was said, shaking her head, "Anyway, it’s all the same, look at them now, is there any difference whether they get married or not?"

"Of course, there is a difference. Bride price, dowry and such, we need to discuss these with dad. Don’t want it to be a mess at the last minute, just like when we got married..." Whenever He Shan brought up the bride price, he still felt somewhat annoyed, even after seven or eight years.

"Why bring that up again? I was heavily pregnant then, couldn’t you bear some grievances?"

Zhao Qing liked it even less when he mentioned that.

"It’s not about bearing grievances... See, it’s like a thorn, it bothers you when it’s mentioned, right? Now that Fang is about to get married, we definitely want to avoid it if possible."

He Shan had already adjusted to the temperature of the water, submerged his feet at the bottom of the basin, and gradually leaned back to lie on the bed, moving his head to rest on Zhao Qing’s knees, squinting his eyes up at the ceiling light, contemplating the matter.

After a moment of contemplation, Zhao Qing spoke, "Better to discuss it with Fang; she surely understands better... If only my parents had been willing to discuss with me, there wouldn’t have been so many issues."

"She’s biased, discussing it with her, I bet she’d happily give herself away too swiftly."

"Alright, I’m off to sleep." Zhao Qing yawned, adjusted her position on the bed, and closed her eyes, "You all discuss however you like, I’m just an outsider anyway."

He Shan had to prop up his head as she moved and waited until she settled down before laying his head back down, saying, "Since when did you become an outsider?"

"You said it yourself, being biased, I was always biased towards your home."

"..."

"That’s not the same."

"How is it not the same?"

"Now, we’re one family."

"Once Fang marries over, she and Qin Guanglin will be one family."

"..."

It took He Shan a while to get his head around that; now this side was her parental home.

He felt a hollow feeling for a while and then turned his head, "No, wait, how did we circle to this? We were talking about the bride price."

"Do you want what’s best for her or not?" Zhao Qing asked, eyes still closed.

"Of course, the best."

"Then why the discussion? Just tell Fang about the customs here in He City, and then let her decide for herself. Anyway, we’ll have to give it back to her later; dad can help her keep half here, in case Qin Guanglin turns out to be a jerk and she has to come back—she won’t be without some funds. The other half, she can take back for the couple to start their life or keep it as her private money; why should it concern you?"

"..."

After contemplating for a while, He Shan begrudgingly said, "If he dares turn into a jerk, I’ll make sure he leaves the house naked and get every penny for Fang."

"Okay, okay, you’re tough, come wash up and come sleep." Zhao Qing had no patience for his grumblings.

Sister-in-law Syndrome. Needs treatment.

"Wait..." He Shan suddenly sat up, suspiciously poking at her blanket, "About what we got when we married, is half of that your private money?"

"Guess?"

"..."