Chapter 100: Really Can’t Afford It

Lu Chuan was still trying to gently persuade her, hoping to coax her to stay by his side. “We’re in the provincial capital now. There’s no rush, we can take things slow.”

Fang Yuan replied, “Stop messing around and focus on your studies.”

Alright then, Lu Chuan understood—when it came to choosing between him and money, Fang Yuan always put money first.

Fang Yuan still wasn’t completely at ease. “You really won’t fool around, right?”

Lu Chuan knew he couldn’t be careless when it came to Fang Yuan. Whether she came to the provincial capital or not, trust between husband and wife was essential. He had to reassure her.

Lu Chuan said, “I won’t. Besides, there’s no one better looking than you. In my eyes, you’re the prettiest.”

He had to add that last part, or else Fang Yuan would start overthinking.

Fang Yuan pointed at a girl up ahead in a red dress with a high ponytail. “Isn’t she prettier than me?”

Lu Chuan glanced over. “She looks like a ghost—scary.”

Fang Yuan instinctively looked at Lu Chuan, then pointed to another girl nearby who had a scholarly air about her. “What about her?”

Lu Chuan replied, “She looks like she’s at a funeral. Bad luck.”

Fang Yuan was convinced. “Maybe I should take you to the hospital to get your eyes checked.” Clearly, it wasn’t the others who had a problem, but Lu Chuan’s eyesight.

Fang Yuan never compared her looks to others—if she compared anything, it was earning money.

Lu Chuan had never met such a clear-headed girl before. Wasn’t she even a little proud? “My eyes are perfectly fine.”

Fang Yuan found it odd, and felt something was off. “In your mind, what kind of woman is pretty? Don’t say me.”

To reassure her, Lu Chuan didn’t even blink as he answered, “Our moms. Both of our moms are beautiful—hardworking and down-to-earth. Your mom is also wise.”

Fang Yuan nodded. That was a safe answer, so she added, “I at least graduated from junior high, so I know about teacher-student relationships. Don’t go falling for a female teacher—that’s against the rules.”

Lu Chuan turned away, not wanting to deal with her anymore. If he liked someone as old as a grandma, would she call the police and report him as a pervert?

Why was it so hard to give her a sense of security? Fang Yuan followed behind Lu Chuan, perfectly at ease. She wasn’t so easy to coax.

But the girls on this university campus really were different.

What reassured Fang Yuan was that these were all students, with high aspirations. Who would go after a married man, especially one from the countryside?

Anyone with a bit of sense wouldn’t do something so foolish. Fang Yuan trusted in the wisdom of educated people.

Lu Chuan took Fang Yuan to see his dorm. Aside from one classmate who’d come early from a remote area, no one else had arrived yet—Lu Chuan was among the first.

After putting down his luggage, Fang Yuan picked a lower bunk by the window with a radiator for Lu Chuan. She didn’t bother with the rest.

She let Lu Chuan make his own bed and organize his things.

As Fang Yuan put it, a lower bunk made it easier to wash your feet—no need to ask anyone for help. Plus, you don’t have to move your bowl when eating or close the door when sleeping. It was the perfect spot.

Lu Chuan loved hearing Fang Yuan give him these tips. “How do you know all this?”

Fang Yuan was especially proud. “I couldn’t keep up with my dad when it came to studying, but he taught us all these little life tricks. There are five kids above me, so by the time it got to me, it was all experience.”

That really was experience. The classmate who’d arrived first immediately switched his own bedding to the spot Fang Yuan had described as ideal.

He asked Lu Chuan, “Is she your relative?”

Lu Chuan introduced her properly. “This is Fang Yuan, my wife. We’re married, with a marriage certificate and all.”

Fang Yuan wasn’t embarrassed or shy at all. She nodded openly, acknowledging Lu Chuan’s introduction. He’d done well.

In those days, it was rare for students to be married, and even rarer for them to admit it so openly and introduce their spouse so seriously.

The classmate reached out his hand. “So, should I call you sister-in-law?”

Lu Chuan said, “I started school late, so I’m older. ‘Sister-in-law’ is fine.”

The classmate was a bit embarrassed—where he was from, there were no schools, so he’d only started studying in his teens. He was probably older than Lu Chuan.

Plus, Fang Yuan looked so young, it felt odd to call her ‘sister-in-law.’

Fang Yuan said generously, “From now on, you and Lu Chuan are classmates. When you introduce him to others, don’t forget to mention he’s married. I’ll bring you some meat sauce next time—my mom makes it.”

The classmate was stunned, and looked at Lu Chuan, stammering, “Fang Yuan, right? Are you joking?” So this marriage must be unstable, and the wife doesn’t trust him?

Fang Yuan replied seriously, “I’m not joking.”

Lu Chuan chimed in with a smile, “You’re even willing to give away Mom’s homemade meat sauce? Save it for me when I introduce myself.”

Then he said to Fang Yuan, “Come visit me at school more often on Sundays. That way, no one needs to introduce me—everyone will know I’m married when they see you.”

Fang Yuan didn’t want to come. “Forget it, that’s too much trouble.”

The bus ride was too crowded—she really didn’t want to come.

The classmate, watching the couple banter, could tell they had a good relationship and were comfortable joking around. “For meat sauce, I’ll take care of it.”

Fang Yuan was satisfied. “Even if it’s for the meat sauce, you seem like a good person.”

Lu Chuan didn’t mind Fang Yuan’s bluntness—she just saw things differently. With a wife like her at home, he could rest easy.

But seeing the new classmate chatting so much with Fang Yuan, Lu Chuan wasn’t too happy. “Let’s go. I’ll take you to see the construction sites around here.”

Fang Yuan immediately ignored everyone else—her mind was all on the construction sites. “Let’s go.” She was all business.

Lu Chuan thought to himself, he really didn’t need to worry about Fang Yuan being lured away by someone else. Her mind wasn’t on people—it was on money.

The classmate left in the dorm felt like he’d just dreamed the whole thing. In the blink of an eye, everyone was gone.

By the time they left the school, it was already getting late. Lu Chuan had originally planned to take Fang Yuan out for dinner and a stroll around the provincial capital.

But Fang Yuan was all about the construction sites.

Even at school, apart from glancing at a few girls, Fang Yuan’s real attention was on the school buildings.

She wasn’t amazed by how tall the buildings were, or how prosperous the provincial capital was. What amazed her was how much money such big projects must cost, and how much they could earn if they got a piece of it.

Lu Chuan looked at Fang Yuan and suddenly realized that even though he was in college, he still couldn’t keep up with her way of thinking. That’s where the gap came from.

He took Fang Yuan to a construction site nearby and said seriously, “See? We don’t have any of this equipment, let alone the skills. Even if we had a project like this, we couldn’t handle it.”

Of course, the main thing was that they didn’t have the qualifications to bid for such projects.

He continued, “I’ve looked into it. Projects like this are all government-owned. If you want to contract one as an individual, you need a lot of things—qualifications and such. I haven’t figured it all out yet.”

Fang Yuan looked at the big crane, her eyes even more passionate than when she looked at Lu Chuan. “Is this something individuals can buy? You can rent it out, too.”

Lu Chuan felt a headache coming on. If Fang Yuan wanted to buy a crane, there was no way he could make it happen—not even with his mother-in-law’s support.

Lu Chuan said, “Don’t even think about it. That’s really not something we can afford.”"

"Chapter 101: On Her Mind