Under the arrangement of their families, the two quickly went to the local civil affairs bureau and registered their marriage!
They both posted on social media to announce their wedding to the world.
Chen Shuangshuang: “As my legal husband, be more sensible in the future!” (With a photo of their marriage certificate)[mfn]photo 1[/mfn]
Zhang Dai: “As my legal wife, be more sensible in the future!” (With a photo of their marriage certificate)
The news shocked their friends, who started liking and commenting under their posts.
“Whaaat, am I seeing things?”
“Congratulations, you two lovebirds! Finally tied the knot!”
“Wow, childhood sweethearts finally together, didn’t see that coming!”
“Can’t believe these two street fighters[mfn]photo 2 – reference to a video game [/mfn] actually got married!”
……
Due to work-related issues, the two of them had to return to City A together.
After the prenatal check-up at the hospital, Zhang Dai dropped her off at her rental apartment. Concerned, he reminded her: “If anything comes up, remember to call me!”
“Got it! I’m not a three-year-old. Now leave, you’re annoying me!” Chen Shuangshuang closed the door on him mercilessly.
Sigh~ It was really hard for him! He stood at the door for a while, then left dejectedly.
Chen Shuangshuang lay on her bed, touching her belly and staring at the ceiling, feeling empty. She murmured, “Baby, I’m feeling so unsure right now!”
She couldn’t undergo a chest X-ray for her employment physical exam, so she needed to communicate her situation with HR, reassuring them that it wouldn’t affect her ability to work.
HR initially seemed understanding, but the next day they called to say that due to business line adjustments, the position was canceled, and they were rescinding the offer. They asked her to sign the relevant electronic documents and offered one month’s salary as compensation.
Indeed, society is this harsh and cruel! She could sue the company for employment discrimination, but she was too tired to waste time on something with no guaranteed outcome. Even if she won, what would she gain? Wasting so much time and energy and ruining her relationship with the company would mean she wouldn’t be able to join them anyway. It was better to be practical and take the money! Ordinary people couldn’t afford such battles!
Without a job and with an extra child to raise, she felt that her future was bleak!
The next day, Zhang Dai rushed over after work. Seeing the takeout boxes on the table, he couldn’t help but lecture her: “You’re pregnant now, can you please be more mindful of your diet and not eat these unhealthy takeout meals?”
In the past, she would have snapped back at him. But now, she just sat there quietly, unmoving, like a wilted, dehydrated cabbage.
Worried, he gently asked, “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing, I just lost my job again! The offer was canceled!” She spoke flatly, as if it wasn’t a big deal, but her demeanor showed that she was feeling deeply despondent and terrible.
Zhang Dai patted her back, trying to comfort her: “You’re so capable! You’ll definitely find a better company soon!”
A surge of anger welled up inside her, and she screamed, “What’s the use of being capable! What company would hire a pregnant woman! Even after giving birth, they worry that the woman will split her attention between work and family. Why can’t men become stay-at-home dads and compromise for the family? Why is it automatically assumed that women will do this? Can’t women focus on their careers? You men just don’t get it! You don’t have these concerns at all! Because societal norms implicitly accept these rules, making it extremely difficult for women to advance in their careers!”
After her outburst, she realized she might have overreacted and buried her face in her arms, silently calming herself.
She knew it wasn’t Zhang Dai’s fault, but society’s. She shouldn’t have unfairly vented her anger on him. Although she had mentally prepared herself, she couldn’t accept that the job offer was rescinded because of her pregnancy!
Zhang Dai didn’t know what to say to comfort her. He had heard about the workplace difficulties married women faced, but now that it was happening to Chen Shuangshuang, he felt sorry for her, but could do nothing.
“Sorry! I shouldn’t have vented my negative emotions on you!” She took a deep breath, regaining her composure and spirit: “Luckily, I didn’t join that lousy company, and I got to exclude the wrong option in advance while earning a month’s salary!”
He finally breathed a sigh of relief and quickly agreed, “Yes, yes, that crappy company lost a great employee who is both beautiful and smart! What a huge loss!”
After cursing the company together, Chen Shuangshuang felt relieved, and they could calmly discuss the next steps.
“The medical and educational resources back home are average. For the sake of the child’s future, my parents suggest buying a house in City A and transferring our household registration here. It’ll also be convenient for our work! Let’s go house hunting this weekend!” Zhang Dai sent her the relevant real estate links.
Chen Shuangshuang carefully browsed through them and couldn’t help but complain when she saw the prices of the luxury villas: “It feels like I couldn’t afford a villa even in ten lifetimes!”
Pointing to one of the better properties, Zhang Dai said, “This development is already completed, so there’s no risk of it being abandoned. There are primary and secondary schools nearby, and it’s close to the subway, making commuting convenient. We just need a few months for simple renovations, to buy some furniture and appliances before moving in!”
Following his direction, Chen Shuangshuang looked at the size and price of the property and decisively dismissed it: “A normal, practical house is fine. Buying something so expensive is a waste of money!”
Zhang Dai pointed to a slightly cheaper development: “How about this one? It’s near a wetland park, has a great environment, and is close to the hospital, making prenatal check-ups convenient!”
She gave him a disdainful look, suspecting he might have lost his mind: “What’s the use of a property being near a river or a park? They are just trying to lure in gullible buyers!”
Zhang Dai quietly withdrew his foolish finger and continued searching.
After reviewing all the information, they identified three potential properties as backup options and planned to visit them over the weekend to make a decision.
On Saturday and Sunday, they toured several properties with the sales manager. They recorded videos of each one, noting the pros and cons for comparison so they could carefully select one of them later.
After comprehensive consideration, they made their final choice, paid in full, and signed the contract, efficiently completing a significant task and finally breathing a sigh of relief.
Walking home under the dim streetlights, the cool breeze gently rustling the fallen leaves, they walked side by side, maintaining a silent understanding.
Feeling an inexplicable awkwardness, Chen Shuangshuang broke the silence to start a conversation: “I’ve seen many online complaints about couples arguing over buying a house after marriage. If our families weren’t well-off and our parents weren’t open-minded, we could have easily had countless arguments as well!”
Zhang Dai agreed, “Yes, I’ve seen that too. Even well-off families get tangled up over whose name goes on the house. For families that aren’t as well-off, emptying their savings can lead to resentment if the family support isn’t enough. Sensible couples take out loans together and struggle with mortgage payments, often quarreling over trivial matters.”
Hearing this, Chen Shuangshuang couldn’t help but sigh, “Exactly! They’re supposed to spend their lives together, yet they quarrel over such things! I can’t understand these people! Suddenly, I feel quite lucky.”
Zhang Dai smiled, a bit embarrassed, and said, “Marrying such an outstanding man like me is indeed quite lucky!”
Chen Shuangshuang rolled her eyes at him. Why does this guy always love to praise himself!
She retorted, “Your narcissism is acting up. Remember to take your meds!”
Diary entry:
May everything go smoothly for you, and may all your wishes come true!
— Zhang Dai
photo 1- this kind of photo style
photo 2
TLs note: Are you enjoying this novel? Do let me know!
