The Delicate Darling with Her Rough Man

When Gu Jiaojiao finished reading, she found Leng Yuan looking at her with an I-knew-it expression. She couldn’t resist walking over and pinching his cheek.

”My husband is just so wonderful.”

In this era, it was incredibly rare for an editor to be chasing someone for a manuscript. It just went to show how brilliant her husband’s writing was.

She had read his work before.

Even with her own worldly experience, she had to admit that Leng Yuan’s writing was exceptional.

It was deeply moving and gave people strength.

In this particular social climate, many people were just living numbly, unable to see any hope.

But Leng Yuan’s work was able to give his readers that very hope and strength. Reading it felt like parting the clouds to see the first light of dawn.

She finally understood now why some people chose to abandon the sword for the pen.

The power of words, though intangible, could influence far more people.

This payment was for three articles. Leng Yuan’s work was paid by the character, at a rate of one fen each. The articles varied in length, but the three of them totaled around six thousand characters. The remittance slip was for sixty-two yuan, and it also came with some rare ration tickets.

Gu Jiaojiao couldn’t help but give her husband a thumbs-up.

”Honey, you’re incredible. I really hit the jackpot with you.”

Back then, a steel mill worker only made twenty-eight yuan a month, yet her husband could earn over sixty just by writing a few articles. If anyone else found out, Leng Yuan would instantly become a hot commodity.

’We absolutely have to keep a low profile.’

Gu Jiaojiao felt that her husband’s decision not to let others know he submitted articles showed great foresight.

Although the brigade leader and Chen JianShe knew he submitted articles and got paid for them, they didn’t know the exact amount. And it was a good thing they didn’t.

’Since ancient times, wealth has always been a temptation.’

’It wasn’t that she thought *they* would get greedy,’ she mused. ’The problem was that if they accidentally let it slip, *other* people would.’

That’s just how the world worked. The only way to be completely safe was not to tell a soul, because most plans were ruined simply by too many people knowing.

Even telling a single person was an unnecessary risk; if that person decided to cause trouble, it was all over.

Gu Jiaojiao remembered a girl from her dorm. After starting university, the girl felt bad that her parents were working so hard, so she got a part-time job. Her parents didn’t know at first. But then, after getting her first paycheck, the girl couldn’t resist showing off a little to them.

And just like that, her parents stopped giving her an allowance. Not only that, but once they knew she was earning a decent amount each month, her family started asking *her* for money.

After she graduated, her parents demanded that she buy her younger brother a house.

Gu Jiaojiao had warned her at the time, but the girl just thought Gu Jiaojiao was being selfish. Her parents had it so hard, selling everything they owned just to send her to college. How could they possibly be after her little bit of money?!

The girl hadn’t told anyone about her part-time job. Gu Jiaojiao only found out because she happened to run into her at a hotel her family owned, so she asked the manager to look out for the girl.

When she had given her the warning, the girl had insisted she’d only told her immediate family.

’But when your own family decides to take advantage of you, they don’t hold back.’

After that, Gu Jiaojiao had skipped ahead in her studies, earned a double master’s degree, and gone on to start her own brand and company.

She only heard about the girl’s parents demanding she buy a house from a classmate later on, and she hadn’t paid it much mind at the time.

Keeping some money for yourself wasn’t selfish; it was ensuring you always had a way out.

’Never test human nature.’

Seeing that the water was boiling, Gu Jiaojiao scooped the eggs out of the pot.

Pork belly was the best for this braised pork dish. A cut with three parts fat and seven parts lean was ideal—it was the most delicious part of the pig.

She put the thick slices of meat into the wok, searing the skin side until it was wrinkled and browned like a tiger’s stripes. The hard-boiled eggs went in next, fried until they developed the same pattern, followed by a quick fry for the chili peppers.

Sweet Girl and Xiao Yang were outside practicing their writing. When the aroma wafted out, their two pairs of little eyes couldn’t help but turn toward the kitchen.

Even though they ate meat every day, they still couldn’t resist the temptation of that wonderful smell.

Besides, Gu Jiaojiao’s cooking was even better than a chef’s at a state-run restaurant.

It smelled so good!