My wife and I are both time travelers.

Chapter 3 Leaving
Days passed by, and a month went by in the blink of an eye.

Lin Ying is now married into the Zhou family, and the Lin family's hardship has finally come to an end. Not only did they receive the thirty yuan dowry to improve their lives, but their in-law, Zhou Furong, also arranged a job for their eldest daughter, Lin Laidi, as a scorekeeper. As a result, the whole family can barely afford to eat their fill.

As for Lin Ying, needless to say, the Zhou family's food was much better than the Lin family's. Although it was impossible to have lavish meals in this era, the Zhou family could easily afford to eat three meals a day. Otherwise, Zhou Furong wouldn't have been able to raise the three Zhou brothers to be tall and strong.

Lin Ying was finally free from the worry of hunger. After a few full meals, her face gradually regained its color, and she slowly grew up. Although she still looked thin and small, compared to her previous appearance of being as frail as a firewood girl that could be blown away by a gust of wind, at least her face had some flesh on it.

As a daughter-in-law of the Zhou family, Lin Ying was perfectly qualified in their eyes. She was not only capable but also intelligent. Moreover, after getting married, Zhou Furong discovered that his son, who used to cause trouble every day, had become sensible. He had not gone out to fight again and would help with chores around the house. He had also become much more stable. Seeing his son's transformation, Zhou Furong was overjoyed and felt that letting his son get married was the best thing he had ever done in his life.

Of course, Zhou Furong had long forgotten that he had strongly opposed his son marrying Lin Ying back then, but he would never admit it now. The facts were right in front of him. As the head of the family, Zhou Furong was naturally the one who made the decisions, and it was the truth that Lin Ying had become his daughter-in-law.

In Zhou Furong's heart, it was good enough that the young couple lived their lives peacefully like this. He hoped to have a grandson next year, and his life would be complete. As for anything else, Zhou Furong didn't think much of it. People in this era didn't have so many expectations; living a peaceful life was the best outcome. What more could one ask for?

Zhou Furong never expected that after a short period of peaceful life, Zhou Jiye would cause trouble again. For some reason, the brat suddenly said that he didn't want to stay at home and planned to take his wife out to explore the world. Zhou Furong originally thought he was going to the county town, but when he asked, he found out that he was going to Shanghai. This left Zhou Furong dumbfounded.

Shanghai! It's the largest and most prosperous city in China. Zhou Furong has never been to Shanghai, let alone the provincial capital. As the village secretary, he has only heard a little about Shanghai from a few educated youths who came from there.

But now the young couple actually wanted to leave their hometown for Shanghai? This was completely beyond Zhou Furong's imagination. He rejected Zhou Jiye's request without hesitation and told his troublesome son firmly, "Want to go to Shanghai? Don't even think about it!"

But Zhou Furong changed his mind again less than half a day after he made his tough statement. The reason was simple: Zhou Jiye had asked his ancestor, Zhou Wangshi, who always doted on her grandson. After Zhou Jiye and Lin Ying had already discussed the matter, she agreed to it without much effort.

Since the ancestor had given the order, Zhou Furong, as the son, had no choice but to comply and reluctantly agreed. Thus, under Zhou Furong's arrangement, Zhou Jiye was finally able to leave his "hometown" with his newlywed wife, Lin Ying, and embark on a journey to Shanghai with their belongings.

On the day of departure, Lin Ying bid farewell to her family. She and her sister and brother hugged each other and cried. Although she had many complaints about life in the Lin family, Lin Ying still had feelings for her sister and brother. After all, she had lived in the Lin family for more than three years and had long felt like family.

Otherwise, when Lin Ying threatened Zhou Jiye, she wouldn't have specifically asked the Zhou family to give the Lin family thirty yuan as a bride price, and she wouldn't have even arranged for Daya to be the scorekeeper. Lin Ying, who had long planned to leave, knew that once she left, the possibility of her returning in the future was very small. She had to make arrangements for her younger siblings in advance, which could be considered a reward for living in the Lin family for the past two years.

As for Zhou Jiye, things weren't much better. Although he hadn't been there long, he deeply felt the love from the entire Zhou family, especially his grandmother, Zhou Wangshi, who held his hand and kept giving him instructions. Looking at the old woman's kind face, Zhou Jiye couldn't help but shed tears. He vowed that once he had established himself in Shanghai, he would definitely bring his grandmother to enjoy a better life.

"Great! Grandma will just wait to enjoy the blessings of my grandson!"

Zhou Wangshi grinned and secretly slipped him a handkerchief pouch, telling him softly that it was for Zhou Jiye's side. When he opened it, he saw that it contained money, the largest denomination being two yuan and the smallest one fen, a thick stack that added up to only a dozen yuan.

Although this amount of money might not seem like much in later generations, it is a considerable sum now. Moreover, Zhou Wangshi, with her bound feet and advanced age, couldn't earn any work points at all. This money was all saved up penny by penny on her daily life, and now it was all given to Zhou Jiye.

"Grandma, I can't take this money. You should keep it." Zhou Jiye quickly pushed the money back.

"Take it!" Zhou Wangshi stuffed it into his hand without allowing him to refuse: "A poor family needs to be rich on the road. Grandma doesn't need to spend money at home. This is your first time going on a long trip, and to a big place like Shanghai. I'd be more at ease if you brought more money with you."

As she spoke, Zhou Wangshi added, "My grandson is a filial son. Grandma is still waiting for you to take him to Shanghai to enjoy a life of luxury, otherwise Grandma will be unhappy!"

Zhou Jiye nodded with tears in his eyes, vowing in his heart that once he made something of himself in Shanghai, he would definitely send money back home, and if he had the chance, he would definitely bring his grandmother over there to enjoy a better life.

With tears in their eyes, the two boarded the commune's donkey cart and left home. Even after the cart had gone quite a distance, as they looked back towards their home, they could still see their loved ones standing there, waving goodbye with reluctance. Seeing this scene, both Zhou Jiye and Lin Ying felt a pang of sadness.

Getting from their village to Shanghai isn't easy. First, you have to go from the commune to the county town, then take a long-distance bus to the provincial capital, and finally take a train to Shanghai.

This was no short journey; it would take a whole day just to get from the village to the county town. Zhou Jiye and Lin Ying, who were traveling far from home for the first time, were initially very excited, but soon they began to complain. The donkey cart was not only slow but also bumpy. There were no paved roads; it was all dirt roads. The ups and downs made them feel like they were about to fall apart.

"Xiao Ling! Put your legs here." On the donkey cart, Lin Ying pointed to the side and said to Zhou Jiye.

"Xiao Ling? This Xiao Ling is me? What do you mean?" Zhou Jiye asked, pointing to himself in confusion.

"what's your name?"

"Zhou Jiye!"

Do you know Yang Jiye?

"I know, isn't he the old General Yang from the Yang Family Generals?"

"You already know, why ask?" Lin Ying pouted. "Old General, don't even think about it. I think getting the nickname 'Little General' is pretty good. What do you think?"

"What do I think?!" Zhou Jiye cursed inwardly. In the two months since he married Lin Ying, he had truly experienced how formidable this girl was. Don't be fooled by Lin Ying's well-behaved act in front of elders and outsiders; she was actually quite a handful.

It's one thing for him to bully me secretly all the time, but now he's even giving me a nickname? "Little Ling"? Why doesn't he just call me Darling?
"What? You're not happy?" Lin Ying asked with a half-smile.

Zhou Jiye forced a smile and nodded repeatedly, "Of course, of course. Xiao Ling it is, Xiao Ling is friendly, friendly, hehehe..." Anyway, it's just a nickname, and it's not like Dog Egg or Stone or anything. Xiao Ling it is. If he didn't go along with this girl and accept it, no one could guarantee what kind of trouble she would cause. A good man doesn't argue with a woman. He is a representative of the new era of men who respect women, so why should he bother with her about this?

"What are you standing there for? Put your legs here." Seeing that Zhou Jiye had accepted Xiao Ling's nickname, Lin Ying pointed to the spot she had just been pointing to with her delicate pinky finger.

"Why are you putting it here?" Zhou Jiye didn't understand, but he subconsciously shifted his body and put his leg over there.

No sooner had he put his leg over than Lin Ying casually moved half of her body onto his lap, and then let out a long sigh of relief after sitting down.

"you……."

"What do you mean, 'you'? You're a grown man, aren't you? Can't you see how much your wife is shaking me? My butt is practically split into four pieces. I'll borrow your legs as a cushion for now."

Lin Ying acted as if it were perfectly normal. Zhou Jiye's thighs were being pressed down by her, which was quite uncomfortable. Besides, they were both riding in a donkey cart. Lin Ying felt the jolting, but did Zhou Jiye feel the same way? He was uncomfortable too! Now, she was comfortable while he was suffering even more, and this little vixen was actually enjoying it. It was really too much!
"I'll beat you up...!" Zhou Jiye's anger flared up, and his fury reached his breaking point.

"Punch? Punch what?" Before he could finish speaking, Lin Ying glared and asked.

"Pound...hehe...I said I'd give you a leg massage..." Zhou Jiye, who had been taken advantage of by Lin Ying several times, immediately changed his tune. As he spoke, he chuckled and started to gently tap Lin Ying's calves with his fists, asking her if it felt good, whether it was too light or too heavy.
Lin Ying smiled broadly, very satisfied with Zhou Jiye's service attitude. She lay comfortably like a landlady, letting the miserable Zhou Jiye give her a "massage".

“The couple has such a great relationship!”

Grandpa Zheng, who was driving the carriage, laughed. He had overheard what they were saying and thought it was just a newlywed couple flirting.

Lin Ying chuckled and told Grandpa Zheng that their relationship was great, and that Zhou Jiye had always doted on her and indulged her since they got married. She then asked Zhou Jiye if that was true.

Zhou Jiye chuckled and agreed repeatedly, his hands moving without stopping, but his heart was filled with bitterness.

They swayed along the way, and by the time they reached the county town it was already evening. After getting off the donkey cart, Lin Ying was fine, but Zhou Jiye's legs were so numb that they didn't feel like his own. He almost fell flat on his face when he landed, and he would have made a fool of himself if Lin Ying hadn't pulled him up.

"There are no buses to the provincial capital today. The earliest bus is at six o'clock tomorrow morning. You'll have to find a place to stay for the night before you can leave tomorrow morning." Grandpa Zheng was from the commune and had been to the county town many times, so he was very familiar with the situation. He pointed to the long-distance bus station not far from where they got off the bus and said to them.

"Thank you, sir. Do you know where I can stay around here?" Lin Ying asked while thanking Grandpa Zheng.

"There's a Red Star Hotel up ahead. It'll cost you two 50 cents a night," Grandpa Zheng pointed in a direction.

Lin Ying asked, "And you, sir? Are you also staying at a hotel?"

Grandpa Zheng shook his head: "How can I afford a hotel! My eldest son works at the county grain station, so I'll just stay at his place for the night."

Lin Ying and Zhou Jiye exchanged a glance, and Lin Ying immediately asked with a smile, "Grandpa, can I discuss something with you?"

"What's the matter?"

"We'd like to spend the night at the grain depot, is that alright with you?"

"What? Not staying at a hotel? Hotels are nice, with hot water and beds. The grain station doesn't have those things," Grandpa Zheng asked, fiddling with his pipe.

"It's just for one night anyway, as long as we can find a place to rest, we don't need to be so particular when we're out and about. What do you think, sir?" Lin Ying said, while giving Zhou Jiye a wink. Zhou Jiye wasn't stupid; he stepped forward, pulled on Grandpa Zheng's hand, and shoved a bag of sheep into his hand.

Grandpa Zheng grinned. He had been asked by Zhou Furong to bring them to the county town, but bringing them there was one thing, and everything else was another. Despite their young age, the young couple were surprisingly capable; they understood his meaning instantly after just a few words of guidance, which pleased Grandpa Zheng greatly.

"Okay!" Grandpa Zheng readily agreed, and told the two of them to get back on the cart. He drove the donkey cart east for two more streets until they arrived at a grain station.

When the door was opened, Grandpa Zheng's eldest son was very happy to see his father, but he was stunned when he saw Zhou Jiye and the others following behind him.

Grandpa Zheng pointed to Zhou Jiye and Lin Ying and gave a brief introduction. Grandpa Zheng's eldest son then smiled. Although the villagers had never met them, they knew who they were and quickly and warmly invited them inside.

It's not harvest time yet, so there's no work at the grain station. Usually, only Brother Zheng and one other person stay on duty.

Upon entering the grain station, they found it to be quite spacious, but mostly empty. Grandpa Zheng and Brother Zheng exchanged a few words, after which Brother Zheng led Zhou Jiye and Lin Ying to a nearby duty room. The duty room was very simple, with a wooden bed at the back. Brother Zheng told them that this duty room belonged to another colleague of his, who was not there today, and that they could rest there.

After thanking Grandpa Zheng and Brother Zheng, Zhou Jiye and Lin Ying temporarily rested at the grain station. Although the conditions were poor, in this era, it didn't really matter where they were. And the key was that it was free to stay there for the night! A hotel room cost 50 cents a night, which was no small amount. They still had a long way to go to Shanghai, so every penny they could save was precious.

(End of this chapter)