As soon as we got home that evening, my wife hurried off to take a shower. Seizing the opportunity, I called my father back and told him my wife had agreed.
To my surprise, my father didn't show the excitement I had imagined. Instead, he acted as if it was all within his expectations, calmly instructing me to pick someone up from the station after work the next day before hanging up.
I couldn't help but smile. Despite his indifferent facade, the old man was probably over the moon inside. This would definitely give him something to boast about in the village. I knew him too well—his pride was his life.
After my wife finished her shower, I took a quick rinse myself. When I returned to the bedroom, I found her rummaging through drawers and cabinets.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Just a moment, honey," she replied, still busy.
About ten minutes later, she handed me a stack of cards with a smile. "Honey, these are all my bank cards and credit cards. I'm handing them all over to you. From now on, you'll be in charge of our family finances. You decide how we spend."
Without waiting for me to reach out, she stuffed the cards into my hand. "The password for all of them is your birthday."
"My birthday?" I was taken aback.
My wife nodded, pouting slightly. "Well, someone insisted on financial independence to protect his fragile, glass-like pride. But in my heart, what's mine is yours, so I've always used your birthday as the password."
I was deeply moved by her gesture. My wife had always been quietly devoted, expecting nothing in return. For six years, she had prepared breakfast for me every day without fail, never letting me lift a finger for household chores, and never complaining. Even her bank card passwords were my birthday. With a wife like this, what more could I possibly regret in this life?
I gently picked her up, carefully laid her on the bed, and gazed into her eyes with deep affection before leaning down to kiss her lips.
This time, we didn't say a word, silently feeling the intense love radiating from each other's warm bodies. In that moment, silence spoke louder than words...
The next day after work, I first picked up my wife, then drove to the station to fetch Liao Wen.
This was my wife's request. After agreeing the night before to give up financial independence, she had been as happy as a child and insisted on coming along to welcome our guest and fulfill her duties as a hostess.
Perhaps she felt that Liao Wen was the reason for my change, and she wanted to express her gratitude in this way.
"Honey, you should get a better car," my wife suggested.
This time, I didn't refuse and nodded in agreement. My wife immediately became overjoyed, chattering nonstop the whole way.
Seeing her happy expression, I smiled. Perhaps these six-plus years of financial independence had truly made my wife feel a distance between us. Now that the barrier was gone, our bond had unknowingly deepened even more.
Maybe I should have done this long ago. As long as my wife is happy, what does it matter if others say I'm living off her? Pride is far less important than her happiness.
When we arrived at the station, Liao Wen had been waiting for quite some time.
Liao Wen is five years younger than me, having just turned twenty-five this year and recently graduated with a master's degree. He matured early as a child, preferring not to play with kids his own age and instead always following me around.
He has a very shy personality—so shy that it borders on awkwardness—and he's the type who only knows how to study, a true bookworm. Because of this, he often got bullied. I've never been able to stand such things, so I frequently stood up for him while growing up.
Later, when I went off to university and left the village, we gradually lost touch.
I suspect the reason he's struggling to find a job is directly related to his shy and reserved nature. Otherwise, how could someone with a master's degree fall to the point of asking others to arrange work for him?
"Brother, sister-in-law," Liao Wen greeted us with just these simple words, then stood there grinning foolishly.
He was still as shy as ever. As they say, it's easier to move mountains than to change one's nature—a person's character truly is difficult to alter through external factors.
The last time I saw him was at my wedding with my wife. I remember he had just been accepted into university back then and hadn't seen much of the world. When he first laid eyes on my beautiful and stylish wife, he was utterly stunned. Throughout the entire wedding, he stared at her in a daze, even forgetting to eat at the banquet. Because of this, the gossiping women in the village laughed at him for a long time.
Six years had passed, and he had changed dramatically. I couldn't help but study him carefully. He was no longer that rustic country boy—now he was neatly groomed, with a clean-cut appearance, a short hairstyle with a bit of fringe covering his forehead, and a pair of black-framed glasses that gave off a strong scholarly vibe, which actually suited his shy personality quite well.
His facial features were mostly the same as when he was young—not particularly sharp, but giving off a very comfortable feeling. You couldn't call him handsome, but he was pleasant to look at—the kind who grows on you the more you see him.
"Don't just stand there, get in the car. Your sister-in-law wants to treat you to a big meal," I said with a smile, then opened the trunk and started loading his luggage.
"Brother, let me do it," Liao Wen said, looking embarrassed as he hurried over to help.
"No need, you and your sister-in-law get in the car. With your frail physique, carrying all this luggage must have worn you out," I chuckled.
He did have quite a lot of luggage—two suitcases and two large bags. I really don't know how he managed to bring it all by himself.
"Let your brother handle it, you get in the car first," my wife said with a smile, pulling him into the vehicle.
After loading the luggage, I drove to a well-known Chinese restaurant to treat him—my wife's idea. This was, after all, the first time someone from my hometown had come to visit, and she was especially happy about it.
Liao Wen had always seemed quite reserved, barely speaking a few words. Even my usually reserved wife couldn't stand it anymore and took the initiative to strike up a conversation, gently guiding him to talk.
Liao Wen was already quite restrained, and speaking with my wife made him even more nervous, to the point where he would even stutter when talking.
I watched from the side without joining in. After all, he was about to enter the workforce, and it wouldn't do for him to stay like this forever. Letting my wife guide him a bit would be good for him. Besides, he was soon going to become my wife's colleague, so they would inevitably have to interact. It was good for them to communicate in advance.
My wife chatted about some academic matters, but seeing Liao Wen grow increasingly nervous, she glanced at me and shifted the topic to everyday life. Only then did Liao Wen gradually relax, and he began to speak a bit more.
"Have you got a girlfriend?" my wife asked, having run out of topics.
Unexpectedly, this question made Liao Wen tense up again. He stammered, "N-no, not yet, sister-in-law."
I couldn't stand it any longer and couldn't help but speak up, "Liao Wen, this won't do. If you're this nervous just talking to your sister-in-law, how are you going to fit into the workplace? How are you going to interact with clients?"
"I-I'll change, I'll try my best to change," Liao Wen nodded nervously.
Just as I was about to say a few more words, my wife quietly nudged me with her foot and then said to Liao Wen, "It's okay, take your time. There are plenty of beautiful women in our company. I'll introduce you to a girlfriend later."
"Th-thank you, sister-in-law, thank you," Liao Wen said, his face flushed.
I was so annoyed that I didn't even want to talk to him anymore. Now I understood why he couldn't find a job or a girlfriend.
--------------------------
Hey guys To read Ahead go to my patreon
patreon.com/Satya69
Now join my telegram channel for a chance to get a free membership every month.Check patreon recent post for more information.
This book has 105 chapters in my patreon and many other exciting stories for you to enjoy.