Sweet slice-of-life love story: Wife, Let's love again
Chapter 322 - 315: The Messenger of Love and Peace

Chapter 322: Chapter 315: The Messenger of Love and Peace

Life is like a road, and after reaching a certain age, you’ll find your friends overtaking one by one, leaving you behind.

Some already have kids, some just got married, and some are still single.

From the full-moon party in November to the end of the year, Qin Guanglin had attended two classmates’ weddings. It was a good thing that he and He Fang had agreed to marry next year; otherwise, he would have been frantic.

"Phew... why do people get married?" Chen Rui asked as he walked down the street beside Qin Guanglin. The recently fallen snow crunched underfoot, and he wrapped his collar tighter, exhaling a misty breath.

Winter in Luo City was mostly covered in snow, with new snow falling before the old had melted. Aside from the roads being cleared by snowplows, only the paths frequently walked would have a clear way through.

Qin Guanglin was wrapped up in a thick scarf, hand-knitted by He Fang, intensely warm. His hands were stuffed in his pockets as he strolled leisurely alongside, puzzled, "Isn’t that the normal thing to do? If you don’t get married, how do you have kids? And without kids, how does human civilization continue?"

"Just let it all go to ruin."

"I’m starting to think you have anti-human tendencies. If everything goes to ruin, who’s going to read your comics?"

"If humanity is gone, comics won’t mean squat, you’re the anti-human one."

Chen Rui was already heading into the bank as he spoke. Pushing open the thick glass door, a wave of warmth hit him, making him shiver comfortably.

The end of the year was coming; it was time for year-end bonuses to be given out. He and Qin Guanglin had come out to withdraw money.

"Can mine just be deposited directly into my bank account?" Qin Guanglin really didn’t want to follow Chen Rui to withdraw money now and then carry the cash to the bank to deposit it the next day. It would be such a hassle.

Chen Rui took a number and sat down with Qin Guanglin, replying, "Don’t be looking for special treatment, okay? There’s something satisfying about touching cash."

"Just depositing it directly would be satisfying for everyone."

"You just don’t get it. Having cash looks impressive; it’s impactful. Plus, there are quite a few married folks at the company now. Let them bring a bag full of cash home to show their wives, doesn’t it look better? Even the singles feel different holding cash than just seeing numbers on a phone."

"All flash and no substance."

Qin Guanglin, speechless, shook his head, "You don’t even want to get married, and yet you’re always worried about those who are."

"Spreading love and peace," Chen Rui grinned, "I’ll take it easy, but of course, I’ll think a bit more for you guys, for the continuation of human civilization."

"Thanks a lot."

...

...

That evening, carrying a bag full of money home, Qin Guanglin flopped onto the sofa like a boss, tossing the plastic bag onto the table.

"What?" He Fang poked her head out with a spatula in hand.

"Have a look, open it and see."

"Tsk..."

He Fang peeked inside and returned to the kitchen, "I thought it was something. Your nutty boss gave out cash bonuses again?"

"Hey, aren’t you happy to see the money?"

Qin Guanglin sat up, pulling out a stack and flipping through it with a rustle, "Didn’t you used to love touching it? Perfect timing, with year’s end upon us. Get your fill of the sound... listen to that rustling, how nice it is."

A man feels most triumphant at home when... pah, when he brings money home.

Everything costs money, after all.

"I’m not depositing this. One of these days, I’ll get a safe for the house. Stack the cash up like this, and let’s see if I can save up a hundred thousand or so by next year. Then, when it comes time to give the dowry at your house, I’ll slap the table with cash—bam! And I’ll have bought you back."

Qin Guanglin sat alone in the living room, tossing the money around on the table, talking to himself, oblivious to whether there was a reply from the kitchen, just happily playing on his own like a simpleton.

At this point, he had just about everything he needed. That sense of urgency had all but vanished, and now all that was left was to get married, have kids, and save up a dowry for when the child was ready to be born. For now, he could afford to relax a little.

"Wash your hands already, aren’t they dirty?" He Fang brought out the dishes and saw that he was still playing, letting out a disdainful "tsk."

"Coming, coming... You’re going back the day after tomorrow, right?"

Qin Guanglin moved over to wash his hands while he asked.

"Hmm, didn’t we just talk about it yesterday?"

"Cherish this New Year’s, because after this one, next year you’ll have to spend it here with me." He chuckled foolishly, his mood getting increasingly better as the New Year approached. The Wuxu Year was almost upon them; it had felt like three years was a long time when he first started dating He Fang, but now, in the blink of an eye, it had arrived.

He was going to join the ranks of the married, this very year.

"Look at you, all smug."

He Fang rolled her eyes, set the tableware, and turned her head to look outside the balcony window, where the community was already festooned with lights, small colorful flags hung, and on both sides of the road, long red cords were strung with multicolored fluorescent lights.

Unknowingly, three years had passed.

In the grand scope of a lifetime, three years were just a fleeting moment, but these three years had been the most transformative.

Graduation, work, meeting, marriage; everything had piled up in these few years.

"Do you have any New Year’s wishes?" Qin Guanglin, after haphazardly drying his hands, came to sit and asked, "The powerful Teacher Qin might try to fulfill one for you."

"None."

"How can a person not have any wishes? Come on, tell me."

"What about you? Do you have any wishes?" He Fang asked back.

"Me? I..." Qin Guanglin looked up, pondering.

The wedding had been set, so that couldn’t be a wish; children would naturally come after marriage, so it wasn’t really a matter of wishing or not; beyond that, he didn’t seem to have anything else he particularly wanted.

Lazy to the point of having hardly any wishes...

He Fang waited a moment and saw that he couldn’t come up with anything, and said, "See, you don’t have one either."

"I do, well... I hope my comic sells big." Qin Guanglin finally thought of one.

If it sold well, not only would he be financially secure, but he could also raise his fame a notch, and Xiao Yu could get a cut too. It was a win-win all around.

Then he could sit proudly at his father-in-law’s home, and whenever friends and family visited, he could introduce himself: This is the famous comic artist Mr. Qin—

Oh, that would have some clout!

"I can’t help you with that, go make a wish to the Kitchen God​."

He Fang shrugged, then paused and laughed, "I’ve got a wish now."

"What wish?"

"I hope your comic doesn’t sell at all." She playfully shook her head at Qin Guanglin, "Then your company goes bankrupt, and you come crawling back for me to support you."

"Keep dreaming; wait till I sell a hundred thousand."

"Pssh, I haven’t even reached a hundred thousand per volume yet; you’re the one dreaming."

"I’ll definitely exceed you... Mmm, the chicken wings tonight are really flavorful, delicious."

Qin Guanglin nibbled on the chicken wings, spat the bones to the side, and said, "Hey, after the New Year... on the sixth or seventh when I come to your place to pay a visit, what should I bring? I brought so much last summer, wouldn’t it be bad if this time was shabby?"

"Just haul a pig hindquarter over."

"..."

That pig hindquarter was not going to make the trip.