Zhao Qinglan and Wu Mei had arranged to go to the city together a day in advance.

I originally wanted to invite Wei Hong, but she had to go to the military primary school to report for duty and didn't have time.

Knowing that she was going to the city, the three children in the family got excited and each wanted to go with her.

Xiao Duo is easy to talk to; when facing her own mother, she immediately comes up and acts cute.

"Mom, I want to go too, please take me." She looked longingly at me.

Her daughter was so well-behaved and rarely made requests, so Zhao Qinglan agreed without hesitation. "Okay, I'll take you there."

Upon hearing that Xiaoduo could go to the city, the older and younger children were extremely envious.

"I want to go too! I want to go too!" Erwa quickly rushed over to express his opinion.

As soon as Zhao Qinglan looked at him, he suddenly had an idea and shouted, "Mom, take me with you too!"

This kid is really adaptable and has a bright future ahead of him.

“Okay, I’ll take you with me.” Zhao Qinglan smiled.

The eldest son really wanted to go, but seeing that his younger brother had to call out "Mom" to get the chance to go to the city, he became resentful.

If I ask, I'll feel embarrassed; if I don't ask, I might not be able to go. It's a real dilemma.

Seeing his conflicted little face, Zhao Qinglan deliberately teased him.

"Big brother doesn't want to go? If you don't want to go, then stay and watch the house."

"Me." The eldest child looked miserable and couldn't speak.

That woman is despicable! She definitely did it on purpose!

Erwa looked at his brother with sympathy, and after Zhao Qinglan left to busy herself, he squeezed over.

"Brother, you should call her too. It'll be so much fun in the city!" His little face lit up.

Everyone knows going to the city is fun, look at my silly little brother!

Unfortunately, the woman had already said it, so he was even more embarrassed to bow his head to her.

The thought of her younger brother and sister Xiaoduo going to the city tomorrow, leaving her all alone to watch over them, shattered Da Wa's heart, and she couldn't sleep well that night.

They were going into the city tomorrow, and as soon as they lay down that night, Zhao Qinglan started chatting with Li Huai.

Is there anything you'd like to buy?

"Me? No, you can buy whatever you think is best for you and the kids."

"Alright, I'll see what I can do then. By the way, I'll take Da Wa and the others with me tomorrow, otherwise I won't feel comfortable leaving any of them at home."

"You're taking care of three people by yourself? Can you manage?" Li Huai asked, worried for her.

After all, the oldest of these three children is not even seven years old.

"And there's Sister-in-law Wu Mei too. All three of them are quite obedient, so don't worry. We'll leave early tomorrow morning, so you can have lunch in the cafeteria."

"Don't worry about me, I'm a grown man now," Li Huai laughed. "By the way, any news about your sister?"

"Not yet. Judging by the days, the letter should have arrived. I've done everything I could. I'll just wait for news," she sighed.

Lying there like that, simply chatting about everyday things, was a very warm and happy thing for both of them.

Thinking about going to the city, Zhao Qinglan got up early and boiled a few eggs and cooked some rice porridge.

Wake up all three children and have breakfast together.

Li Huai had training today, so he left early in the morning.

Erwa and Xiaoduo ate heartily, but Dawa had no appetite for the eggs.

The thought of not being able to go into the city and having to stay behind to look after the house made him feel extremely depressed.

He would steal glances at Zhao Qinglan every now and then, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

Zhao Qinglan pretended not to notice Da Wa's unusual behavior.

This child's stubbornness needs to be addressed. He's just a kid, why is he so concerned about saving face? We can't keep making adults guess what he's thinking.

Even after finishing the meal, without waiting for Zhao Qinglan to speak, Da Wa became increasingly dejected.

He's never been to the city more than a few times in his life.

After clearing away the dishes, Zhao Qinglan began checking what they needed to bring into the city, while urging the children to put on their coats quickly.

Seeing the eldest child sitting there looking unhappy, she laughed.

"What are you still sitting there for? Hurry up and get dressed."

The eldest child was stunned for a moment before realizing that the person was talking to him.

Pointing to himself with a surprised look, he asked, "Can I go too?"

"When did I say you couldn't go? If you want to go, get dressed now."

Upon hearing the promise, Da Wa ran away at an unprecedented speed.

Leading her three little ones, Zhao Qinglan went next door.

Wu Mei had just finished getting ready and came out with her son and daughter.

The children in the family quarters who attend junior and senior high school ride in military trucks from the army to go to school in the city every day.

Zhao Qinglan and her group also need to take this bus to get into the city; otherwise, it would be very troublesome.

Two adults and six children arrived at the meeting place quickly.

First come, first served; it was freezing cold outside the station early in the morning.

Zhao Qinglan and the others waited for a short while before everyone arrived.

In the past, there were only twenty or thirty children going to school in the city. The children were not adults, and the military truck could fit them all in the back.

But as soon as the allowance was issued, there were more than just Zhao Qinglan and Wu Mei coming to the city; there were at least ten or eight of them. Add to that the three children, Da Wa and his two kids, and the carriage immediately became a bit crowded.

Fortunately, it's winter, so it's warmer to squeeze in. Besides, at least they have a car to ride in. For the villagers who don't have a car, going to the city in the dead of winter is a real ordeal.

Seeing that Zhao Qinglan had to bring three children with her when she went to the city, other military wives felt that she didn't find it troublesome at all.

However, now everyone knows how formidable Zhao Qinglan is, so even if they harbor resentment, few dare to speak out.

It can be said that Zhao Qinglan's use of Qian Hongxia to establish her authority was quite effective; at least in the family quarters, no one dared to provoke her easily.

The car swayed and rocked so much that Zhao Qinglan almost threw up, but they finally arrived.

The children who were dropped off at school were taken to the school gate before Zhao Qinglan and the others were put down.

The cooks who accompanied the soldiers into the city to make purchases told the wives that they would still be gathering at the same spot where they were getting off the bus more than an hour later, urging everyone to hurry up.

Zhao Qinglan felt alive again as soon as she got out of the car.

On the way, not only did the swaying of the car make her dizzy, but the chattering of dozens of children also gave her a headache.

"Qinglan, hurry, let's get to the supply and marketing cooperative right away," Wu Mei said energetically.

Stepping onto the city ground, the three children were filled with excitement.

Time was of the essence, and they really needed to act quickly, so Zhao Qinglan hurriedly told the three children to leave.

Other military wives shared the same goal as Zhao Qinglan and her husband.

After walking for about seven or eight minutes, they arrived at the supply and marketing cooperative. As soon as they entered, they each went to the counter they wanted to go to.

Almost every counter was packed with people, except for the counters selling more expensive items where there were fewer people.

Instructing her three children to hold hands and wander around the supply and marketing cooperative without running around, Zhao Qinglan also joined the rush to buy!

This was an era when supply was less than demand. Everything required ration coupons, and even with coupons, you might not be able to buy anything. So, people had to fight tooth and nail to get their hands on things.

Zhao Qinglan's instinct to steal, which had been dormant in her bones for decades, was suddenly awakened!

At the same time, Wu Mei's phone rang, and after a short silence, it would ring again, as if something extremely urgent had happened.