Chapter 8 Chapter 8...
Chapter Eight
The XX Military Region has been stationed here for a long time, so the houses in the family compound are divided into two types. One type was built when the army first came here. At that time, it was inconvenient to transport supplies, so the houses were old-style adobe houses.
The new family housing is an apartment building, bright and clean, needless to say, it's hygienic. Moreover, living in an apartment building means you don't have to burn earthen stoves anymore, you can use coal stoves, which is so convenient. Who wouldn't want to live in a new house? Given a choice, most people would choose an apartment building over an adobe house.
The disadvantages of adobe houses are that they look old now, and the ground is not paved, so they are not as clean and hygienic as apartment buildings. The advantages are that they are spacious, built in the style of rural courtyards, with a gatehouse in the front that can be used as a warehouse for storing firewood, land in the middle that can be used to grow vegetables, and although the living area in the back is not large, it has two bedrooms, a living room and a kang (heated brick bed), which is very suitable for the climate in the north.
Guan Kangde has been here for a long time, so the Guan family lives in the old mud-brick house. Currently, only Guan Kangde and Xiang Jinghe live there, as the Guan family's children have all gotten married and moved out.
Yao Anhui looked around and saw that the Guan family's yard did not have any vegetables planted. Half of the yard was a vegetable garden with seedlings of eggplant, peppers, cucumbers, pumpkins and the like, while the other side of the yard was paved. There was also a chicken coop near the gatehouse.
It's clear that Xiang Jinghe is a very clean person; the ground is spotless, and there isn't a single weed in the vegetable garden. It looks like a well-maintained little vegetable garden.
"Sister-in-law, should I carry all the luggage to the main room?" Lu Yuanqing, who had been obediently carrying the luggage, spoke up. Yao Anhui then realized that he had been following behind her. She thought he had left long ago like Jiao Jingming and Wu Chengan.
"Yes, just put it in the main room. Thank you so much, Xiao Lu, you've worked hard today." Xiang Jinghe greeted her with a smile, "Sit down and have some water."
Xiang Jinghe was about to pour some water when Lu Yuanqing ran off in a flash, saying, "I won't drink the water, sister-in-law, I'm going back first."
"This little road is still so polite." Xiang Jinghe muttered, then turned to Yao Anhui and said, "Knowing you were coming, I already prepared the room in advance. Anhui, do you see if there's anything that needs to be changed?"
Yao Anhui glanced around but got a general idea of the situation. You can tell whether you've paid attention or not just by looking. Xiang Jinghe was also genuinely thoughtful: "Auntie has prepared everything well. Thank you for your trouble."
"No need to thank me. You've been on the train for days. Xiaohui, would you like to rest first? Or wash up first? Or eat something first? I've prepared the food, you can eat anytime."
"Auntie, can I take a shower first? I haven't showered for days on the train and I feel itchy all over." Yao Anhui had never felt so dirty before.
"Of course, there's a bathroom and hot water at home. I'll take you there to have a look," Xiang Jinghe said, then waited patiently.
"Okay, thank you, Aunt Xiang." Yao Anhui quickly grabbed a change of clothes and followed Xiang Jinghe to the bathroom.
As Xiang Jinghe walked, she introduced to Yao Anhui, "There is also a bathhouse in the family compound. Most people go to the bathhouse to take a bath, but I am from the south and am not used to it, so I built a bathroom at home. I thought you probably wouldn't be used to it either, Xiaohui."
“That’s true. I remember that when my dad was still in the army, we also had a bathroom.” Yao Anhui recalled the original owner’s childhood memories.
“That’s true, I learned this from your mother.” As they talked, they quickly led Yao Anhui to the kitchen.
"We're here. It's just ahead. You can put your clothes on that little table in the bathroom." Xiang Jinghe pointed to a small cubicle next to the kitchen. The cubicle was empty except for a small table.
"Okay." Xiang Jinghe put the clothes away and returned to the kitchen, where she saw Xiang Jinghe scooping water from the stove.
This is a small kitchen with an earthen stove similar to the one in the original owner's hometown. There is an iron pot and an aluminum pot on it. Xiang Jinghe is scooping hot water from the aluminum pot. Next to it is a large water vat, which is also filled with water.
"Aunt Xiang, let me do it." Yao Anhui quickly stepped forward and took the water ladle from Xiang Jinghe's hand. She had no intention of letting her elders serve her.
Xiang Jinghe didn't insist much and let go: "Alright, once the hot water is ready, you can mix it with cold water yourself and then take it to the bathroom."
"Okay, thank you for your help, Auntie."
"Don't be so polite with Auntie. I'll go out first. Come and eat as soon as you're done washing up. You must be tired from your journey. Take a rest after you finish eating."
Yao Anhui really didn't intend to be too polite with Xiang Jinghe. She was the kind of person who would repay kindness three times over. Since she had already received the favor from Guan Kangde and Xiang Jinghe, she would find a way to repay it later. It wasn't that she didn't have the ability to do so.
Yao Anhui took a quick shower. She was really hungry and tired. She hadn't rested well for the past few days on the train, and a hot shower made her feel even more lethargic. So she decided to finish her meal quickly and lie down for a while.
Yao Anhui wasn't the type to be overly polite, and Xiang Jinghe was also straightforward, so there was no need for any unnecessary formalities. Yao Anhui quickly finished her meal and went to her room to rest.
The room was clearly well-maintained and spotless. The bedding on the kang (heated brick bed) looked brand new, washed and dried, and smelled of sunshine. Even the mat underneath the bedding was new. It was clear that Xiang Jinghe's attention to detail exceeded Yao Anhui's expectations.
Yao Anhui was quite satisfied with this, since she would be staying here for a while. If Xiang Jinghe was difficult to get along with, Yao Anhui would have to find a job and move out, instead of being able to take it slowly like this.
Yao Anhui didn't sleep for very long. After all, if she slept too much in the afternoon, she wouldn't be able to sleep at night. In addition, she was new to the place and even though she was physically tired, she was still thinking about things. She woke up after sleeping for a little over an hour.
…………
After waking up, Yao Anhui didn't get out of bed, but lay there thinking about what to do next.
She definitely wants to get married. In both her past and present lives, she has always wanted a home of her own and a child of her own. She is already 20 years old now. In her past life, if she hadn't gotten married, she would have been called an old maid. In this world, she is of marriageable age.
Yao Anhui is capable and resourceful. Her requirements for a man are that he has his own career, whether good or bad, and whether he is ambitious or not. He must be loyal to the family and not want to be controlled by her. As for other things, she doesn't care at all, because if it doesn't work out, she will just find another one.
Of course, the most important thing is to make her find me pleasing to the eye.
So far, Lu Yuanqing is the only person Yao Anhui finds pleasing to the eye.
On the way, Yao Anhui had already tricked Lu Yuanqing into revealing that he was an orphan, a battalion commander, and earned 99 yuan a month. Considering that 100 jin of rice cost 14.3 yuan, 99 yuan was already considered a high salary.
Also, Lu Yuanqing is quite good-looking. He's not as refined as Jiao Jingming, but he still stands out in a crowd. His skin is also quite good, not dark at all, so their child should be quite good-looking.
Yao Anhui felt that they shouldn't drag things out too much, and should ask Lu Yuanqing if he wanted to start a relationship.
A note from the author:
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I wonder if relying on metaphysics still works these days?
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