chapter 9 Getting along as husband and wife

After eating and drinking, William Zhan looked through his wallet. There wasn't much cash. He eventually took out a bank card and placed it before Mila Hai.
Mila Hai raised an eyebrow as she looked at him.
"If you need money for shopping or anything else, use this bank card. The password is..."
He found a pen and paper, wrote the password down, and handed it to Mila Hai.
"Starting now, this card's funds are for household expenses. I'll transfer money into it after I receive my salary every month. However, I expect you to keep a record of everything you purchase. I don't mind how much you spend, but I want to know where the money is going."
When they received their marriage certificate, Mila Hai had initially asked him about having separate finances, but he declined. Since they were married, they were a couple and a family. He provided her with some money to spend and didn't mind.
After all, he had so much wealth that he couldn't keep track of it himself. He wasn't sure of his exact net worth. Given his busy work life, he had few places to spend money. Thus, supporting a wife would help him expend some of it.
However, he couldn't be taken advantage of. In his eyes, Mila Hai was like a scheming girl, so he had to be cautious.
As long as she spent her money on their home, he had no objections to how she finished it.
Mila Hai was unhappy with William Zhan's attitude and behavior. She pushed the bank card and the paper with the password back towards him without looking at the password.
"Mr. Zhan, this home is not just yours. I live here too. You bought the house, but when I moved in, I saved on rent. You can't be the only one spending money on this small home. I'll contribute to the funds needed to buy things for our home."
"Unless it's a household item worth more than 2,000 dollars, I'll discuss it with you, and you can contribute a bit."
It wasn't that she couldn't accept his money, but primarily his attitude that upset Mila Hai. It seemed as if she was eyeing his paltry household funds. Additionally, he wanted her to keep accounts, whereas she only kept records of her expenses in the store. She never kept tabs on daily life.
William Zhan was not a fool; on the contrary, he was brilliant. Mila Hai's rejection made him realize that his attitude hurt her self-esteem. After silence, he gently pushed the bank card and the paper with the password towards her again. His tone softened as he said, "I understand the income you can generate from running a store and being your boss. Since you said this home is our home, we both have a share, how could I let you bear all the family expenses alone? Please take it. If you don't want to keep accounts, you don't have to."
"Have you considered buying the car we discussed? Should I help you with the down payment for one? With your income, paying for a car wouldn't be an issue."
He hadn't deliberately investigated her income, but the fact that she could open a bookstore before Guan City Middle School indicated that she was somewhat capable. The money she earned was not negligible. These days, businesses catering to women and children are pretty profitable.
"My home isn't far from my shop, so I can use my battery-powered scooter. Guan City traffic is often congested during rush hours. Riding a two-wheeled vehicle is more convenient than a four-wheeled one."
William Zhan choked on his words.
What she said was true.
He usually commuted outside of peak hours. Occasionally, he had to go out during rush hours for urgent matters, making him question his life choices and wish he could take a private jet everywhere.
"It's more convenient to have a car. On weekends, you could drive and take your sister and nephew for a short weekend trip."
William Zhan remembered that her grandma had mentioned this woman depended on her sister, and the people she cared about the most were her sister and nephew.
"We can discuss it later. We just got married and aren't familiar with each other yet. I feel uncomfortable spending so much money on a car. In fact, I have enough savings to buy a car, but I prioritize buying a house. Only when you have a house can you have a family. I'm not your typical man; men usually prefer to buy cars."
Men and women often had different priorities when buying a house or a car. Women tended to buy a home, while men preferred purchasing a vehicle.
"By the way, my sister wants to meet you, but I told her that you were on a business trip recently. I'll take you to see my sister later."
William Zhan hummed in response.
After their conversation, Mila Hai went to dry the clothes. William Zhan sat in the living room, contemplating reading the newspaper. However, this small family had not subscribed to any newspapers yet so he couldn't find one. He had to use his phone to read the news to pass the time.
"Have you finished washing your clothes?"
After drying the clothes, Mila Hai casually asked the man engrossed in his phone on the sofa.
"I'll handle it myself."
His clothes were sent to the dry cleaners for cleaning.
Mila Hai pursed her lips, stopped talking, and continued with her chores—sweeping and mopping the floor and tidying up the house.
William Zhan observed her moving around the house, doing chores typically done by a housekeeper. He frowned and wanted to say something, but after some thought, he remained silent.
Servants performed these tasks in their families, but many wives did all the housework in regular households.
Fortunately, before they moved in, his housekeeper had arranged for a servant to come and clean the house. The house was still spotless. She swept around and found no debris.
"Except for business trips, I'll come back every night. If I'm on a business trip, I'll inform you in advance."
Mila Hai hummed.
"Hey, Mila Hai! Take this bank card."
William Zhan stood up and approached Mila Hai with his bank card. He handed it to her again and offered an apology, "I admit my tone was not very good earlier. I apologize to you. I'm sorry!"
Mila Hai looked at him momentarily and felt that he was much more sincere this time. She accepted the bank card and put it into her pocket along with the paper and password.
"I'm leaving."
"Alright."
William Zhan stood there and watched Mila Hai leave.
Once the door closed, he let out a sigh of relief.
He didn't seem to be playing the role of a husband very well.
Sitting back on the sofa, William Zhan picked up his phone from the coffee table and called the housekeeper at his old house. After the housekeeper answered, he quietly instructed, "Uncle Yang, once the old matriarch is awake, tell her we will have a gathering at Minyuan Garden this weekend. Bring some guests along. The old matriarch will understand the situation."

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