Old Fang had long been prepared to pay the bill, but he didn’t expect his son to settle it in advance.
“Didn’t we agree earlier that I would pay?” As the elder and with a much higher income, it was only natural for him to cover the meal when they dined out.
Fang Muyang smiled. “That’s what you said, but we never agreed to it.”
After leaving the restaurant, Fang Muyang asked Fei Ni to accompany him to a furniture store to choose a bed.
“Just pick any one you like.”
“No, you have to come. What if you don’t like the one I choose?”
Fei Ni felt that a bed was just for sleeping, so any sturdy and affordable option would do. Unexpectedly, Fang Muyang disagreed with her choice.
Fei Ni said with a smile, “Didn’t you say you’d buy the one I like? I like this one.”
“You only like it because it’s cheap. But none of the beds here are particularly expensive. Choose the one you like the most—I have the money.” This furniture store didn’t carry any rare or expensive woods; teak was the best they had.
“We have plenty of places where we’ll need money. Don’t spend everything you have as soon as you get it.” The monthly rent would soon become a fixed expense, and Fei Ni felt that Fang Muyang couldn’t work as a waiter forever. His parents had already had their privileges restored, and he had achieved some success with his painting. It was only a matter of time before he went to university. Although there would be subsidies in college, they wouldn’t compare to a salary. Moreover, since he was studying painting, he would need money for paints and canvases, and the subsidies definitely wouldn’t be enough. In any case, it was always good to have some savings.
Fang Muyang smiled and said, “Luckily, I have you to keep an eye on me. How about I give you two-thirds of my manuscript fees from now on?”
“That’s not necessary, but you really should spend within your means.”
In the end, Fang Muyang settled on a teak bed, which was far more expensive than Fei Ni had budgeted for.
Fei Ni said bluntly, “I don’t have enough money with me, and we still need to pick out gifts for your parents.”
“The bed is for both of us to sleep on—how can I let you pay for it alone? Let’s split the cost. There are many benefits to marrying you, and now, when I want to buy a bed, I only have to pay half.”
“Don’t you think this bed is expensive?”
“I actually think it’s cheaper than cabbage. Even if you eat cabbage for every meal, it still costs more than ten cents a day. If this bed is durable, we’ll be sleeping on it for seventy or eighty years. If you divide the cost by thirty thousand days, you’ll find it’s incredibly cheap.”
Fei Ni laughed. “No one calculates things like that.”
“The longer you sleep on it, the more you’ll get your money’s worth. If you really can’t bear to spend the money, just sleep on it a little longer each day.”
His voice was low enough that only Fei Ni could hear, but she still couldn’t help glancing around, afraid he might say something even more inappropriate. “Let’s just buy the one you suggested,” she said.
They split the cost of the bed, since each of them would occupy half of it.
They left their address with the furniture store, which promised to deliver the bed that evening.
Fei Ni couldn’t find suitable gifts at an ordinary store, so Fang Muyang suggested going to the Friendship Store, as he had some foreign exchange certificates on hand. They bought a silk scarf for Teacher Mu, a leather belt for Old Fang, and a silk blouse for Fei Ni, using up all of Fang Muyang’s certificates.
“I already have several blouses. Let’s not buy one this time.”
Fang Muyang smiled. “I’m not the kind of person who forgets his wife as soon as he has his parents back.”Fei Ni knew he would inevitably spend this money, so she said, "Exchange the shirt for canned food instead. I'm craving abalone." Canned food was something everyone could eat, including Fang Muyang.
Fang Muyang said, "The old man also likes this canned food. Let's skip the belt then."
Fei Ni had no choice but to keep the shirt, and Old Fang's belt remained as well.
When Old Fang received the gifts, he felt rather embarrassed. He hadn't prepared any gifts in advance, thinking he would treat his son and daughter-in-law to a meal, but in the end, his son paid for the meal, and they even gave him meeting gifts.
As the elder and being financially better off than them, it was only natural that he should reciprocate with gifts. Before he could decide what to give, Fang Muyang reminded him, "Could you lend me your landscape album for copying?"
Old Fang immediately became wary: "That's not suitable for you. I'll find you an oil painting album to practice with someday."
Fang Muyang thought Shi Tao's landscape album was perfectly fine. "Art is universal."
Hearing his unfilial son say this, Old Fang couldn't find a reason to refuse and deeply regretted not paying the bill earlier. If he had paid, he wouldn't be in such a passive position.
Fang Muyang added, "Don't worry, I'll return it to you."
"It's not that I'm afraid of that." Having said this much, he had to lend it even if it might not be returned in the future.
That night, Fang Muyang and Fei Ni tested whether the bed was sturdy. Their room was separated from his parents' by a living room, and the walls were much thicker than before. Yet Fei Ni remained as quiet as always. The bathroom was on their side, so the elderly couple had to pass through their room to use it.
To suppress her sounds, Fei Ni left many fingernail marks on Fang Muyang's body.
Having just moved into the new room, Fei Ni woke up very early. When she opened her eyes, she saw the red marks on Fang Muyang's shoulders and back. Her fingers traced these marks, and she felt quite embarrassed.
Not long after their marriage, Fang Muyang and Fei Ni had taken turns making breakfast. If they hadn't moved here, it would have been Fei Ni's turn today.
Fei Ni asked Fang Muyang, "What would you like to eat today? Should we make breakfast for your parents too?"
"I'll make it today, so they won't say I'm mistreating you." Fang Muyang continued, "Since my mom and we both have jobs, technically the old man should be responsible for breakfast."
"Don't say that." Fei Ni thought for a moment and said, "Since we're making it anyway, preparing breakfast for two more people doesn't matter." Fei Ni believed that since she and Fang Muyang were staying with his parents, they should take responsibility for making breakfast. Besides, making portions for two or four wasn't much different.
The Fang family's kitchen was spacious, but it didn't have much more cookware than Fei Ni and Fang Muyang's previous home.
Since Old Fang was unemployed and staying home, he was in charge of breakfast. He had subscribed to milk and bought pastries, so he could manage with these in the morning. Occasionally, he would buy food from a nearby breakfast shop.
Because his son and daughter-in-law were coming, Old Fang had specifically ordered an extra pound of milk. When Old Fang went to inspect the kitchen in the morning, he encountered Fang Muyang cooking noodles there.
Meeting his son in the kitchen, Old Fang was quite surprised to see him up so early making breakfast.
Out of consideration for his son and daughter-in-law, Old Fang suggested hiring a housemaid.
"If you're only hiring a housemaid to make breakfast for you, you could give that money to me instead. I guarantee you'll be satisfied with the breakfast I make every day."
OpenNovel