Chapter 36: A Report Urging Marriage!

Huo Tingzhou's current monthly salary is 141 yuan. He doesn't have to spend money on food and drink in the army. These are all known facts in the book.

In addition, Jiang Si also knew that Huo Tingzhou had been studying at the Second Aviation School of the Air Force for the first three years of his military service.

However, he didn't receive a salary at that time; he could only receive a monthly allowance of 15 yuan.

Unlike other branches of the military, Air Force flight cadets are appointed as platoon-level officers as soon as they graduate from flight school.

Promotion is not based on years of service, but mainly on whether there have been any major meritorious achievements.

Even at current salary levels, over seven years the amount would be at most around 11,000, which is far from the figure on the savings account.

Seeing the curiosity in her eyes, Huo Tingzhou explained.

"Part of this is my salary, and the other part is the welfare allowance for teaching students at other flight schools."

"The rest are rewards from missions I've been on over the past few years."

Most of these missions are top secret, so the rewards for them are higher.

For example, destroying enemy warplanes earns a reward of 3,000 yuan for each one hit.

"No wonder you've only gone back to visit your family twice in the past seven years."

This was money he had risked his life to save, and Jiang Si didn't hesitate to refuse it.

Since we've decided to live a good life together, we can't be too strict about money. If we're married and still each spend our own money, then what's the point of getting married?

Knowing that soldiers have their own beliefs and awareness, Jiang Si understands and supports them.

There's just one thing: "Don't go on missions for money anymore. We have enough money on us to last several lifetimes."

Just the two of us.

One sentence can last for lifetimes.

Huo Tingzhou's gaze softened involuntarily. "Okay, I'll do whatever you say."

The next day, after breakfast, the two went to a nearby state-run photo studio and took some photos together.

In this day and age, photos are not actually required to obtain a marriage certificate.

However, when Grandma Huo called yesterday, she sounded extremely regretful when she heard that she couldn't come to Qiongzhou Island for the wedding.

He said he hadn't seen Jiang Si for several years and missed her terribly.

Then she started talking about Huo Tingzhou, that brat, who hadn't been home for two years and didn't even know if he'd gotten fatter or thinner.

Jiang Si understood Grandma Huo's meaning perfectly well and immediately expressed it over the phone.

They'll definitely take more photos and send them back later, and that's how they managed to appease the person.

Five photos were taken in total, and three copies of each photo were printed.

They kept one copy for themselves, and will send the remaining two copies to their third uncle and grandmother Huo later.

Actually, something really interesting happened while we were taking the photos.

Because Jiang Si takes photos frequently, even a casual pose she strikes looks great on camera.

Moreover, their expressions were natural and lively, requiring no guidance from the photographer.

In contrast, Huo Tingzhou clenched his fists, which were the size of sandbags, throughout the entire photo session.

His whole body was tense, and his expression was serious. Anyone who didn't know better would think he had been kidnapped.

The look in his eyes as he gazed at the camera was so resolute, it was as if he wanted to join the Party!

This really worried the photographer. He had worked in the photo studio for so many years, and this was the first time he had ever encountered such a good-looking customer.

The men are handsome and the women are beautiful!

This would look amazing if it were filmed!

"Comrade, relax, don't be nervous—"

"Remember this, the person sitting next to you is your lover, not your enemy!"

"Come on, both of you look here. Men, watch your expressions and smile."

Huo Tingzhou smiled as his master had instructed.

However, the photographer looked at the smiling girl in the lens, then glanced at the man next to her whose smile looked more like a grimace, and fell silent.

After a long pause, he said, "Comrade, if you really can't laugh, you don't have to... that's fine too."

In the end, Jiang Si came up with a solution.

While the photographer wasn't looking, she reached out and hooked her little finger around Huo Tingzhou's, giving it a gentle shake.

The next second, a smile unconsciously appeared between Huo Tingzhou's eyebrows and eyes.

Upon seeing this, the photographer quickly pressed the shutter button.

"Snap—"

"Snap—Snap—"

And so, what should have been a matter of minutes ended up taking more than two hours to finally get five photos!

In the afternoon, the two strolled around the provincial capital, watched a movie, and went boating in the park for a while.

After running around for two days in a row, Jiang Si was exhausted and returned to the guesthouse early.

When I woke up, it was already dark.

I checked the time, and it was already past 8 p.m.

A short while later, Huo Tingzhou arrived and placed the heated food on the table.

Jiang Si stretched and yawned. Eating and sleeping all day long is not a good thing!

So as soon as she finished eating, she asked, "When are we going back to the family compound?"

"Tomorrow, I've already contacted the military region's transport team."

"Tomorrow morning, I'll go to the department store with them to pick up the goods. We should be able to leave around 10 o'clock."

Upon hearing that she could go back tomorrow, Jiang Si immediately sat up straight.

But soon, another problem came to her mind.

Will there be a place to put these furniture if we take them back?

They bought quite a lot of things this time; it took them most of the day just to load and unload the goods.

As if he had guessed what she was thinking, Huo Tingzhou told her about the phone call He Ping had just made.

"The houses in the family compound have been approved. Tomorrow morning, He Ping will send a few people over to clean them first, and then we can move in as soon as the furniture arrives."

"I've also contacted the barracks department, and they'll send someone over the day after tomorrow to build a small courtyard in front of it."

"So fast?" Jiang Si was surprised for a moment.

He Ping only returned to his unit yesterday morning, and his application for the family compound was approved this afternoon. That's incredibly fast!

Huo Tingzhou touched his nose guiltily; in fact, the approval process wouldn't normally be this quick.

However, after he returned in the afternoon, he made two phone calls to the military unit.

The first person I called was Director Cao of the Political Department of the Division.

Upon learning that Huo Tingzhou had come to urge the marriage report, Director Cao immediately smiled.

"You weren't in a hurry to get engaged after all these years, but now you're suddenly in a rush?"

Huo Tingzhou wasn't embarrassed and readily admitted, "Yes, it's urgent."

The phone bill was unusually expensive, but Director Cao didn't try to fool him.

In the military, besides needing to report for marriage, you also need to report for dating!

Otherwise, if the two of them start dating without really understanding what's going on, and then get stuck at the political background check, wouldn't that be ruining the girl's life?

Therefore, Director Cao already knew a long time ago that Huo Tingzhou's fiancée was the daughter of a capitalist in Shanghai.

Because the two hadn't gotten married before, Director Cao couldn't say certain things directly.

Now that the marriage certificate has been submitted, Director Cao felt compelled to offer a few words of advice.

"You know the situation outside. Although those people can't touch the military and their families, if you get married, it will more or less affect you in the future. Have you considered all of this?"

"Director Cao, I understand everything you're saying."

"Now that I have made this decision, I will bear all the consequences."

"Even if I have to shed this 'skin' (i.e., wear this coat), I'm still going to get married!"

"You little brat, you've come to threaten me, haven't you?"

Director Cao was so angry at his words that he laughed, and finally sighed.

"It's good that you've thought it through. Don't let this cause a fight between you two."

"Let me tell you, military marriage is not child's play. You can't just get married and divorced whenever you want!"