Chapter 34 Transferred to Kindergarten

"Alright, I've already told your brother everything." Qin's mother said helplessly. The words had already been spoken, and there was no point in her eldest son saying anything more at this point.

Qin's mother was exhausted. She didn't know how her two sons had become like this. They used to have a very good relationship; when did it start, little by little, that their relationship began to drift apart?

"Let's draw up a written agreement," Qin's father said, no longer wanting to hear these people say such things.

Qin's father sat there and glanced up at his eldest son, who felt a little guilty under his gaze. Whether his eldest son was faking it or genuinely thought so, Qin's father didn't care; since those words had already been spoken, then what needed to be divided should be divided properly.

"Your mother and I are still alive, and those things are still with us." Qin's father looked at Qin's eldest son. "Eldest son, we can still move around. We'll use our own food and shelter. If we get sick, we'll use the money we have first, not yours. After we pass away, the house and the remaining things will be yours."

Forget about supporting them; as long as the elderly couple are still able to move around, they don't need their son to support them.

“Dad,” Brother Qin said.

"Or do you want to kick us out now?" Qin's father asked.

"No, no." Brother Qin wouldn't dare to think about kicking his father out. If he did, would he still be able to continue his work?

"Then can we move back first?" Sister-in-law Qin asked.

“No,” Qin’s father said. “It’s fair that you each have one house and your brother each has one house. At this time, you don’t need to live with us.”

When Qin's father spoke, Qin's sister-in-law wanted to say something more, but when she met Qin's brother's cold gaze, she ultimately didn't continue.

In the end, the Qin family members agreed on the division of property. Since Qin's parents lived in a better house, they bought a detached house for Qin Yizhou. Since the family had not given any dowry when Qin Yizhou got married, these items were compensated in this house.

Qin Yizhou hung up the phone and sat there.

"Dad, are you stupid?" Qin Zihang saw his father sitting still and reached out to poke him.

"I'm not stupid," Qin Yizhou said. "Wash your hands and let's go eat together."

"What did Grandpa say?" Qin Zihang asked.

"Just some small things," Qin Yizhou said. He didn't care whether he wanted a house or not, but his parents had already said they would give it to him, so he couldn't say no. His sister-in-law was indeed too greedy, insisting on bringing up the matter of providing for the two elderly people's retirement at this time, even though she had already taken so much from them.

Instead of apologizing, this person wanted to get more.

“Dad, you’re unhappy.” Qin Zihang is very sensitive to emotions.

"The matter is resolved, I'm not upset," Qin Yizhou said. "Let's go eat."

When Song Fenglan got home, it was already past eight o'clock in the evening. Zhang Xiaohu had already gone home, and Qin Zihang was also feeling sleepy.

"Mom, Dad got a call from Grandpa, and he's not happy." Qin Zihang beckoned to Song Fenglan, signaling her to lower her head, and then whispered these words.

Qin Zihang was having a blast playing with Zhang Xiaohu, and he still remembered this incident. Qin Zihang noticed his father sitting there looking a bit silly. "Mom, does Dad miss his dad?"

"Perhaps," Song Fenglan said.

“I don’t miss my dad that much,” Qin Zihang said.

"Don't you miss your dad? Do you miss your mom?" Qin Yizhou walked up to Qin Zihang. His son really dared to say that.

"I miss my mom, but having her is enough," Qin Zihang said. "When my dad wasn't around, my mom and I were doing just fine."

"Aren't you sleepy? Go to sleep first," Qin Yizhou said. "I didn't cook any snacks tonight. If you want something to eat, have some biscuits or fruit? Eat something before you go to sleep?"

"I won't eat it," Qin Zihang said. "And I won't eat candy either, I don't want my teeth to turn black."

Qin Zihang ran to his room by himself. Before he got there, he looked at his mother and said, "Mom, I'll sleep alone."

He was able to sleep alone last night, and he will be able to tonight as well.

“Okay, you can sleep alone.” Song Fenglan nodded.

After Qin Zihang returned to his room and closed the door, Song Fenglan looked at Qin Yizhou.

"Speak, what is it?" Song Fenglan had no expectations of the Qin family.

"My elder brother and sister-in-law are making a fuss about dividing the family property. They want it to be divided clearly." Qin Yizhou was very disappointed in his family. He hadn't gone back to the capital, hadn't been there, the Song family had been exonerated, and some of the dirty things his sister-in-law had done had been discovered. Yet, his sister-in-law and her husband were thinking about dividing the family property.

“If they want to divide it, then divide it!” Song Fenglan said. “What did your parents divide for you?”

"They said they'd buy us a house," Qin Yizhou said.

Houses aren't very expensive these days, and few people are selling them. Most people live in their own homes, so there aren't that many houses available for sale.

Brother Qin and his wife have already moved out of Qin's parents' place, but they want to move back.

“I said yes,” Qin Yizhou said. “According to what they said, we will get a house, and everything else will belong to my eldest brother and sister-in-law. They will be responsible for supporting our parents. They said that since the eldest son and grandson are in their family, according to folk customs, they should support the elderly and inherit the family property.”

“Let them inherit it.” Song Fenglan didn’t argue. “We can still live our lives even without those things.”

"Yes." Qin Yizhou nodded. "That's what I thought too. Mom and Dad said they'd give it to us, so we'll accept it. We don't need to worry about anything else."

Qin Yizhou knew in his heart that his parents were essentially on the side of his elder brother and his wife. His elder brother and his wife were in the capital, while Qin Yizhou was not in the capital and it was uncertain when he would return to the capital.

“Yes,” Song Fenglan said, “We have our own hands, so we don’t need to worry about Zihang not getting anything in the future. If we work hard, we can still leave Zihang a lot of things.”

Song Fenglan had already thought it through. She figured that after two years of reform and opening up, many things would have changed. Then they could buy more gold, and then more houses—they could buy houses in the capital. Property prices in the capital would rise dramatically later, so they could buy houses in better locations and buy several more before the purchase restrictions were lifted.

In the future, whether the son chooses to collect rent without working or to start his own business, it's up to him.

What Song Fenglan and her husband could do was try to earn more family property in a legitimate way, rather than through illegal means.

"I don't feel wronged, I just feel you've been wronged," Qin Yizhou sighed. "When my sister-in-law married into the family, she received a lot of dowry and a wedding banquet, but you..."

"Didn't you give me your savings?" Song Fenglan said. "That's fine. I'm not going to live with your parents forever. As long as you don't expect me to be filial to them, that's fine. To be honest, it's really hard for me to be as filial to your parents as I am to my own. I'll always remember how they treated me. Yes, your sister-in-law has taken a lot of things, but don't your mother and the others feel anything at all?"

It wasn't just once or twice, it was many times. Didn't Qin's mother and those people know Qin's sister-in-law? Didn't they notice anything unusual about her?

Song Fenglan didn't believe that the Qin family was just trying to appease her. Song Fenglan wasn't stupid; she figured it out after a little thought.

“It’s better to divide things this way, sooner rather than later,” Song Fenglan said. “Let’s make everything clear, and let things be as they are. We don’t covet those things, but don’t treat us like fools or try to fool us. At worst, our family can contribute some alimony later, and as for the rest… if you want to take care of your parents, fine, I won’t go.”

Let's be clear from the start: Song Fenglan doesn't have masochism. She's the type to fawn over those who treat her badly. Perhaps those people's attitudes towards her have changed now; they might not despise her as much anymore. But the past can't simply be erased.

“Make it clearer,” Song Fenglan emphasized. “It’s not just your parents who need to make it clear; we need to make it clear to each other as well.”

We can just be roommates, ordinary roommates!

Husband and wife are just that—husband and wife in name only!

At this moment, Song Fenglan had this thought: she hated dealing with those troublesome relationships and didn't want others to always come to her and say, "You are someone's daughter-in-law, and those are your parents-in-law. How can you do this?"

How could this be?

How could this be?

That's just how she is, so what?

Song Fenglan is an independent thinker. Her first thought is whether she and her son are living a good life, rather than compromising herself.

“I’ve had enough of those years.” As Song Fenglan said this, she glanced towards her son’s room to make sure he couldn’t hear her.

“You’re right, we’ll do as you say,” Qin Yizhou said. “Mom and Dad probably anticipated our possible reactions, which is why they wanted to give the rest of the things to my eldest brother. Their thinking is rather old-fashioned; the eldest brother is the eldest brother, and I, the youngest son who is far away, am not important.”

Song Fenglan wanted to say something more, but she sensed Qin Yizhou's distress.

"Forget it, people's hearts are inherently biased, how can we really be completely impartial?" Song Fenglan said. "We are all adults, let's not think about those things. It would be best if we could get it, and if we can't, then so be it."

The next moment, Qin Yizhou embraced Song Fenglan, holding his wife tightly, feeling the warmth emanating from her body.

Song Fenglan did not move, and Qin Yizhou held her.

Song Fenglan thought to herself that at least Qin Yizhou had some brains and could figure it out himself. If Qin Yizhou couldn't figure it out on his own, Song Fenglan would just roll her eyes; she wouldn't want to waste her breath explaining it to him.

After the Song family was exonerated, none of them intended to make things difficult for the Qin family; the problem lay within the Qin family itself. To be precise, the Qin family had been experiencing internal problems for some time, but Qin's parents hadn't paid much attention. Only now, feeling the need to give the Song family an explanation, did they finally reveal the truth.

"From now on, it will be the three of us as a family." Qin Yizhou paused, his voice low, as if he were choking up, but he didn't cry.

“Yes, it’s the three of us,” Song Fenglan said.

That evening, Qin Yizhou and Song Fenglan got even closer together.

Brother Qin and Sister-in-law Qin returned to their own home, where they received a written agreement from their parents. The agreement stated that Qin Yizhou's consent was not required for his parents' property, and his lack of signature or seal did not affect the validity of the agreement. Sister-in-law Qin felt much better after seeing the agreement.

Brother Qin snatched the document from Sister-in-law Qin's hand, intending to tear it up. Sister-in-law Qin noticed his actions and quickly grabbed the document back, placing it in her bosom.

"If you don't think about me, you should at least think about our two children," said Sister-in-law Qin.

“You…” Brother Qin sighed.

"This was done voluntarily by your parents," said Sister-in-law Qin.

"You forced me to do it," Brother Qin said.

"Did I force you to do this?" Sister-in-law Qin said. "Weren't you quite willing too? You really wanted your brother to get those things, but you have nothing? You're the eldest son, you've taken care of them for so many years, and people tend to look down on us from afar. They're already starting to despise us, let alone in the future. If we don't fight for our own interests now, who will?"

Sister-in-law Qin still didn't think she was wrong; she believed that only by being thick-skinned could she get more.

On the first day of the new year, Staff Officer Xu received a transfer order; his superiors wanted to transfer him away.

"This is a unanimous decision by higher-level leaders," Political Commissar Zhao said.

Staff Officer Xu's wife, Shi Guilan, was always causing trouble, and to Comrade Song Fenglan, Shi Guilan was a very dangerous presence. Shi Guilan had a lot of grievances against Song Fenglan, and at the slightest provocation, she would spread rumors.

Although those rumors might make people think Song Fenglan isn't an important person, they're still very hurtful and can be very distressing. It's important to ensure Comrade Song Fenglan is in a cheerful and relaxed mood; we can't let her always be in a bad mood, because a bad mood can easily lead to poor health.

Staff Officer Xu opened his mouth, but ultimately didn't say he wouldn't be transferred elsewhere. Staff Officer Xu glanced at the transfer order; on the surface, it was a lateral transfer, but in reality, it was more like a demotion.

The troops in the southern part of the city are doing well, and they're also carrying out important work. There's also an aircraft research institute here. Staff Officer Xu heard that the institute has made a significant breakthrough. If they continue to stay here, their troops might have even greater prospects.

"Okay," said Staff Officer Xu. "I will obey orders."

"Take these few days to prepare and pack your things," Political Commissar Zhao said.

As for whether Staff Officer Xu should take Old Lady Cao with him, that's not for Political Commissar Zhao to decide. Political Commissar Zhao announced the transfer order to Staff Officer Xu, and this order wasn't something Staff Officer Xu could refuse simply by disagreeing. As a soldier, Staff Officer Xu naturally had to obey orders.

Staff Officer Xu has arrived at his new unit, where there are also family quarters and rooms available. Political Commissar Zhao has already made the arrangements; Staff Officer Xu will have to handle the rest himself.

That day, Staff Officer Xu went home early. Shi Guilan was very surprised to see Staff Officer Xu return.

"Why are you back at this time?" Shi Guilan asked. "Didn't you say you might come back today?"

Will you be back later?

"Something's come up," Staff Officer Xu said. "I've received orders to go to the west."

"What? The West? Which West?" Shi Guilan looked at Staff Officer Xu in disbelief.

“The west, the northwest,” Staff Officer Xu said.

"Can we not go?" Shi Guilan asked. "That place isn't very nice."

Shi Guilan's hometown is near the south of the city; otherwise, if Staff Officer Xu had called Old Lady Cao, she wouldn't have come so quickly. Shi Guilan didn't want to go to the northwest; conditions there were extremely harsh, far worse than in the south.

“Someone has to go through this,” Staff Officer Xu said.

"Is it Song Fenglan's man who's making things difficult for you?" Shi Guilan asked. "She..."

“No,” Staff Officer Xu said. “They don’t have the authority to make such a decision. It was a unanimous decision made by the higher-ups. Don’t doubt others.”

"If it's not them, then who is it?" Shi Guilan asked anxiously.

"Mom, we'll have to trouble you to pack your things. Would you like to come with us?" Staff Officer Xu asked Old Lady Cao.

"Go, I'll go with you." Old Mrs. Cao was going to take care of her two granddaughters. If she didn't take care of them, they would be bullied by Shi Guilan.

Grandma Cao wasn't surprised at all that Staff Officer Xu was being transferred. Shi Guilan had offended quite a few people here; she was the kind of person who rose from humble beginnings to become a phoenix, and she couldn't control herself all at once. She became too arrogant, and the accumulated problems from before led to this consequence.

Song Fenglan's incident can't be called a fuse, but rather a spark. There was already a thick layer of dead leaves in front, and Song Fenglan was on the top layer of dead leaves. Shi Guilan insisted on adding a spark, blowing on firewood and throwing it on, thinking it wouldn't catch fire.

Unlike Shi Guilan, Old Mrs. Cao didn't complain or blame others. It was alright if her son-in-law was transferred to another place. It would be even worse if he were forced to retire from the army and change careers.

No wonder the ancients said that one should marry a virtuous wife; a wife like Shi Guilan is a scourge.

“Auntie,” Shi Guilan said, “do you know how harsh the environment is in the Northwest? Some of our people have come from there and say there’s a lot of sand and dust, lots of pebbles, and the wind cuts your face. In winter, it’s extremely cold, like being in an ice cellar. Can you handle it? The children are still so young. Could you talk to the political commissar and ask him not to transfer there, but to stay here?”

“I’ve already told the political commissar that I will obey the orders from my superiors,” Staff Officer Xu said. “If you don’t want to go, you can go back to your hometown.”

"Where should I go back to?" Shi Guilan asked anxiously. She had only been to Staff Officer Xu's hometown once, and she didn't want to stay there, nor could she go back to her own parents' home.

"Then pack your things and we'll set off in a couple of days," Staff Officer Xu said.

"So fast?" Shi Guilan's eyes widened.

"Let alone in a couple of days, even setting off tonight wouldn't be fast," Staff Officer Xu said. "Speed ​​is of the essence in war."

"..." Shi Guilan bit her lip, still thinking that this matter was somewhat related to Song Fenglan. Shi Guilan wanted to go to Political Commissar Zhao's wife, but she also knew that this kind of thing was not something that Political Commissar Zhao's wife could decide.

"Pack your things," said Old Mrs. Cao. "Pack what you can take with you. For what you can't take, see if your cousin wants it."

Grandma Cao felt it was a waste to leave those things there or throw them away. Some things could be given to relatives instead of strangers.

When Li Hui learned that Staff Officer Xu had been transferred, her heart trembled.

How could that be?

In Li Hui's eyes, Staff Officer Xu was very capable; he was a regimental staff officer, and many people respected him. But now, Staff Officer Xu was to be transferred to the Northwest.

"Cousin." Li Hui opened her mouth, afraid that her man might also be transferred. But she should be okay; she didn't offend people like her cousin did. She usually went to her cousin's place when she came over.

“Your husband hasn’t come back, so he probably hasn’t been transferred,” Shi Guilan said. “My husband has been transferred, so we can’t see each other as often as before. Be careful here. Since your husband’s position is lower, you should be more discreet.”

Shi Guilan now regrets it. She hadn't kept her mouth shut and offended too many people. It wasn't just Song Fenglan's problem; there were others involved. Shi Guilan was reported, pelted with rotten eggs, and suspended from work. She should have restrained herself long ago, but she didn't, until she met Song Fenglan.

“Be careful when you’re with Song Fenglan,” Shi Guilan said. “She’s a very scary woman. Even if she doesn’t come to you, she has ways to torment you. No woman will allow another woman to covet her man. Be careful and avoid appearing in front of her as much as possible. Don’t follow in my footsteps.”

Shi Guilan did hope that Li Hui could avenge her, but if she failed to do so and Li Hui ended up getting hurt, that wouldn't do.

“You need to get pregnant with your cousin’s child as soon as possible. Only when you are pregnant and have a child can you truly control your cousin’s husband,” Shi Guilan said. “A woman without children is not valued. A man’s love will not last long.”

"Does my cousin's husband love you?" Li Hui asked.

"Love?" Shi Guilan clearly understood that Staff Officer Xu did not love her. What Staff Officer Xu needed was someone to give him a son and someone to help him take care of his two daughters. "At my age, I don't think about love anymore. You shouldn't think too much about love either. Love is unreliable."

As Shi Guilan spoke, her eyes reddened, "I want to have children sooner. Only when I have children can I talk about other things."

"Hmm..." Li Hui said, "I thought we'd be able to visit each other more often, but..."

It hasn't been long, and Shi Guilan is moving away.

"I need to pack my things. Go and see if you need anything," Shi Guilan said. "I have a lot of children's clothes over there, all washed clean. You can leave them for your child. Children grow quickly; clothes that fit this month may not fit next month."

"I'll go take a look," Li Hui said.

When Qin Yizhou was in the army, he learned that Staff Officer Xu had been transferred. He thought that this day had finally come. Staff Officer Xu couldn't manage his wife, and considering other issues, transferring him was the most appropriate decision made by the higher-ups.

Of course, Qin Yizhou did not tell his superiors that he wanted to transfer Staff Officer Xu, nor did Song Fenglan; this was a decision made by the military leadership themselves.

The higher-ups also worried that Shi Guilan, being so eloquent, might accidentally reveal something she shouldn't. Don't underestimate these women; they can inadvertently leak secrets.

Song Fenglan was unaware that Staff Officer Xu had been transferred. She was extremely busy, practically running around. Song Fenglan was taken to a military airfield where the previously modified aircraft was to undergo test flights.

The radar-resistant paint has been applied and tested, but we still need to test other areas.

These planes were bought from the north, and some were captured during the war. It's 1976 now, and some of the planes are already quite old.

When the country was founded, there weren't enough planes for the military parade, so they flew the test flight twice. The pilot was a woman; there were more male than female pilots here. This test flight was an opportunity that this female pilot had fought hard for.

Song Fenglan saw the fighter jets take off; she and Professor Su were in the command center.

“She is a female pilot,” Song Fenglan said.

"Yes, she's just as capable as any man," said the leader next to her. "This young lady is very hardworking and diligent; she's a very good child."

This female pilot is in her twenties, unmarried, and childless. It's much harder for a woman to become a pilot than for a man.

"It's pretty good." Song Fenglan herself is a woman, so she wouldn't say anything bad about women.

“There are many outstanding women,” Professor Su said. “Women can hold up half the sky, and they are in no way inferior to men.”

"Yes." Song Fenglan nodded, confirming that it was indeed the case.

That evening, Song Fenglan returned home relatively early. When she arrived, Qin Yizhou had not yet returned, and Madam Su was still in the yard taking care of the children. Qin Zihang and Zhang Xiaohu ran to the yard to dig in the dirt again. The two children were persistent in playing with dirt and had been playing for many days, still finding it very fun.

“Aunt,” Song Fenglan said, “Uncle has just returned. You can go back and keep him company. I’ll take care of Zihang here.”

"Okay." Mrs. Su nodded and went home to take a look.

Song Fenglan watched as her child wiped the sweat from his face with his dirty hands. Oh well, all children are like that. Song Fenglan still took a handkerchief and wiped her son's face. She glanced at Zhang Xiaohu, then got up and went back into the house. She took out two small towels, dampened them, and had Zhang Xiaohu and Qin Zihang wipe their faces as well.

“You’re all going to turn into little mud monkeys,” Song Fenglan said.

“It’s not raining. It’s only when it rains that I turn into a little mud monkey.” Zhang Xiaohu looked up. “My clothes and face are covered in mud, wet mud. When I turn into a little mud monkey, my mom wants to spank me.”

"It's all mud, it's hard to wash," Song Fenglan said. "The mud..."

There are still many bacteria; your mother is doing this for your own good.

"A little dirt won't hurt," Zhang Xiaohu said. "Brother Zihang, don't you think so?"

"Wash it clean, you can't eat the mud," Qin Zihang said. "It'll make you sick."

Qin Zihang said these words in a very serious tone, and his little expression looked extremely cute.

Before Qin Yizhou returned, Song Fenglan took Qin Zihang to the cafeteria to get food, while Zhang Xiaohu went back to the Zhang family home.

Song Fenglan had just returned home with her son and a lunchbox when the plump woman called out to her from across the fence. Then, the plump woman came over from next door; she had dug up a few white sweet potatoes. These white sweet potatoes have different names in different places; they can be stir-fried as a vegetable or eaten as fruit.

"It's tender and sweet," said the plump woman. "I'll give you a few."

"Did you grow these?" Song Fenglan asked.

“It’s planted on a plot of land next door,” said the plump woman. “It’s not just my family; some other families have also cleared land and planted some things. There’s no other way; we don’t have enough to eat, so we have to find something to eat. As long as we don’t sell it, there’s no problem.”

The military understands their situation; if they're not getting enough to eat, they have to be allowed to find their own way.

“But you don’t have time, so you don’t need to plant them,” said the plump woman. “It’s not much if each family plants a little. If they’re planted outside, they’re easy to be stolen. If I had told you, I might not have stopped you from digging them up, but nobody has said anything, and several have been dug up. I was thinking it would be better to just dig them all up than for them to end up in someone else’s stomach.”

The key is just a little something, not much at all.

In the countryside, it's not a big deal to pull up a single garlic clove from someone else's vegetable garden, but if you pull up several, you can't just stand there without saying a word.

The plump woman was heartbroken to see that her crops had been stolen. If she had dug them up herself, her children could have eaten more.

"We can peel them and eat them when we get back. We've all had them, and they taste good," said the plump woman as she headed back.

With a sweet potato in one hand and a lunchbox in the other, Song Fenglan could barely hold Qin Zihang's hand.

Just then, Qin Yizhou returned and quickly helped Song Fenglan carry her things.

"I just got back from getting the food, it's ready to eat," Song Fenglan said. "These white sweet potatoes were brought over by Sister-in-law Pang."

"Okay." Qin Yizhou nodded.

At the dinner table, Qin Yizhou brought up the matter of Staff Officer Xu being transferred.

"He got promoted?" Song Fenglan asked.

"No, it's a lateral transfer," Qin Yizhou said. "To another region, not in the southern part of the city."

"Is this a secret?" Song Fenglan's eyes darted around.

"No," Qin Yizhou said, "I've been transferred to the Northwest. I won't tell you exactly where."

“That’s enough,” Song Fenglan said. “I just saw Sister-in-law Pang, and she didn’t say anything. It seems this matter hasn’t spread yet.”

"What do you want to say?" Qin Yizhou asked, placing some food on Qin Zihang's plate.

“Yes, speak up. Since it’s not a secret, why can’t we say it?” Song Fenglan said. “It’ll be too late if we don’t speak now. When I came here, Shi Guilan was saying so much, and I hadn’t even said anything back. Now that she’s leaving, wouldn’t I be at a disadvantage if I didn’t speak up?”

"Yes, we can't let this go unpunished." Qin Yizhou nodded.

“I’ll talk to Sister-in-law Pang about it,” Song Fenglan said, “but I haven’t told many other people.”

"I reckon you don't need to tell me; quite a few people already know tonight," Qin Yizhou said. "Many people in the military know as well."

"..." Song Fenglan thought about it and realized that there was no fresh news for her to spread; by the time she found out, it was already quite late.

Shi Guilan was tidying up her things at home. She didn't tell anyone that her husband was being transferred, and she told her cousin not to tell anyone yet. Shi Guilan felt it was too embarrassing; if others knew that Staff Officer Xu had been transferred to the Northwest, her family would be laughed at to death.

Just as Qin Yizhou had expected, many people learned that Staff Officer Xu had been transferred.

Zhang Chenghai told Fatty Sister-in-law while he was eating.

"You've been transferred? Really?" the plump woman asked.

"Really." Zhang Chenghai handed the empty bowl to the plump woman, asking her to serve him rice.

"It's good that he's being transferred," said the plump woman. "His wife is no good."

“It’s good that he’s being transferred at this time,” Zhang Chenghai said. “His family… it’s hard to say.”

They have a feeling about some things, but it's hard to say how it will end up.

Shi Guilan was a member of the Revolutionary Committee, and even though she was suspended from her post, she had done a lot of things before.

After dinner, Song Fenglan didn't need to go looking for Fatty Sister-in-law; Fatty Sister-in-law came looking for Song Fenglan instead.

Song Fenglan was enjoying the cool air in the courtyard. There was a breeze, so it was quite refreshing.

"Staff Officer Xu is being transferred to the Northwest," said the plump woman. "My husband just told me."

“My husband said so too,” Song Fenglan said.

Song Fenglan thought about it and realized that it made sense; Staff Officer Xu wasn't irreplaceable.

"Being transferred at this time..." the plump woman sighed, "If it were transferred any later, who knows what would have happened."

"I don't know," Song Fenglan said.

"The child is starting kindergarten in a couple of days," the plump woman said. "Is your husband starting kindergarten too?"

“Yes.” Song Fenglan nodded.

"Isn't it too early?" the plump woman asked. "He's still so young."

"You're not little anymore, you're three years old," Qin Zihang said. "I want to go to kindergarten."

“Hangbao is clearly a good student who loves to learn. Your brother Xiaohu doesn’t like going to school; he prefers to play,” said Aunt Pang.

"There's so much time in a day, you can read or play, it won't interfere with each other." Qin Zihang really didn't think there was any conflict between them.

“When your little tiger brother was in kindergarten, he cried and kept saying he wanted to go home,” said the chubby woman.

"Mom," Zhang Xiaohu quickly called out to his mother, telling her to stop talking.

The news that Staff Officer Xu was to be transferred to the Northwest spread throughout the family compound. Normally, when someone is transferred, no one talks about it. But when Staff Officer Xu was transferred, many people were talking about it.

Actually, this was done intentionally by someone with ulterior motives, to let Staff Officer Xu experience what it feels like to be talked about. Shi Guilan is always creating rumors and making others feel uncomfortable, so she wanted Staff Officer Xu and his wife to experience it too.

Shi Guilan didn't want anyone to know, and neither did Staff Officer Xu; they both wanted to leave quietly.

When others found out, some even came over to ask Shi Guilan if she was leaving.

"I'm leaving. Wherever my man goes, I'll go. He's my lover."

"Building the motherland is the same everywhere."

"Perfect timing, let's go see the motherland and visit more places."

...

When others asked Shi Guilan, she smiled and said those things.

Shi Guilan couldn't let others laugh at her; she had to appear happy.

“Going anywhere is fine, the more places you visit, the more you can broaden your horizons,” Shi Guilan said. “In recent years, others have been transferred, haven’t they? It’s all normal. If you have time, you can also go to the Northwest. Maybe I can introduce you to the local specialties there.”

"The Northwest is too far away, we'll see." Most people don't want to go to the Northwest. It's fine to go for a visit, but if they want to stay there for an extended period, then forget it.

No matter who comes, Shi Guilan always greets them with a smile, says a few words, and then says that she needs to pack her things because there are many things that haven't been packed yet.

“The leaders value him and transferred him there,” Shi Guilan said. “We have to tidy up these things so that other people can move in later. Speaking of which, my cousin moved into the tenement building, and when I moved out, none of my cousins ​​took up this place. I still have plenty of rooms in this apartment.”

Unfortunately, they couldn't let Li Hui and her husband move into this house. The house was going to be taken back by the military and then reassigned to other people.

Previously, some people had said that Shi Guilan's cousins ​​all lived in tenement buildings, and Shi Guilan had heard about it. Shi Guilan initially thought it was because those people lacked the ability to apply for tenement buildings; who could she blame?

Even now, Shi Guilan is angry inside, but she still has to smile on the outside.

"I need to pack my things, so I won't entertain you any longer," Shi Guilan said.

Shi Guilan knew these people were there to see her make a scene, and she couldn't let them see her make a scene; she had to behave herself properly.

When Li Hui came over, she felt heartbroken after hearing what her cousin said.

"Cousin, let me help you pack your things," Li Hui said.

When Shi Guilan's family left by car, no one else from the family compound came to see them off, except for Li Hui and her husband.

"Be careful on the road." Li Hui bought some fruit for her cousin. Before, when her cousin and her husband were around, she could rely on them. Now, her cousin's husband had been transferred, and she would only be able to rely on her own man from now on. Li Hui wished someone could stop her cousin and her husband from leaving.

Li Hui wasn't the only one who thought this way; Shi Guilan thought the same.

As Shi Guilan and her family boarded the train to leave, Shi Guilan wished someone would stop her husband. He was such an important person to her; they should let him stay.

Unfortunately, no!

Shi Guilan could only watch the scenery rushing past the window; they were destined to leave Nancheng.

When Song Fenglan learned of Shi Guilan's departure, she wasn't particularly affected. She and Shi Guilan weren't very close, and they rarely met. Even though Shi Guilan was gone, Song Fenglan hoped there would be fewer negative rumors about her; she didn't want to hear people talking badly about her every time she went out.

Time flew by, and the day for kindergarten to start arrived. Song Fenglan prepared for her son...

With a new schoolbag, she and her husband took Qin Zihang to kindergarten.

Many children, around Qin Zihang's age or a year or two older, attend the kindergarten. Some children have parents who both work, so their parents send them to kindergarten so they can do other things.

The kindergartens here can take care of children, and after school, they can even bring the children to their parents for pickup.

Song Fenglan originally wanted Qin Zihang to stay at the kindergarten a little longer, and that he could eat lunch there. Mrs. Su said it wasn't necessary; she would pick Qin Zihang up at noon and again in the evening. She explained that only children without parents or relatives stayed longer at the kindergarten; those children were lonely, thinking of their parents and families, and longing to go home as soon as possible.

After hearing what Madam Su said, Song Fenglan did not refuse Madam Su's suggestion. She thought it would be much better to ask Madam Su for help later, when the child was older.

"Mom, I'm going to school." Qin Zihang waved to his parents. "Dad, I'm going to school."

Qin Zihang was very happy. His backpack had a little dog on it, along with meat bones for the little dog to eat. He really liked his new backpack.

"Brother Zihang," Zhang Xiaohu jogged over, "I'll go with you."

Aunt Pang was still behind them when Zhang Xiaohu and Qin Zihang went in hand in hand. They had enrolled their child earlier, and today was the official start of school.

"This child, he said he didn't want to go to school this morning. When I told him that his younger brother Zihang also had to go to school, he told me to hurry up and complained that I was too slow," the plump woman sighed. "Did you two come together?"

“It’s Zihang’s first day of school, let’s see him off,” Song Fenglan said. “After that, it won’t just be the two of them coming.”

"That's true, it's the child's first time starting school, so we should pay more attention," said the plump woman.

Song Fenglan has finished making a wool felt doll for Qin Zihang. She plans to put the doll in her son's room when she gets back, as a surprise for him.

"I have to go back; I have to go to work soon," Song Fenglan said.

“Yes, you all have to go to work,” said the plump woman. “I don’t have to go to work, but I have to go back and do laundry. I have a lot of things to do.”

In the capital, Jiang Yufei borrowed money from her mother to enroll her child in school, and her sister-in-law found out about it.

“Mom, if you lend the money to Yufei, she won’t pay it back,” said Sister-in-law Jiang. “Your grandson was clamoring for a new schoolbag yesterday, but I don’t even have the money to buy him one.”