Chapter 203 I Can't Move My Eyes Away
The troops were not too far from the town, and the commander's jeep drove on the road for about ten minutes to reach the town.
Duan Yanzhi knew that his young wife came to the town to register her child for kindergarten, so he asked the driver and guard Xiao Li to send the mother and child to the primary school gate and watched Wang Ziru lead the child into the primary school.
"Let's go to the guesthouse!" Duan Yan lazily leaned back in the back seat, his hands stroking his chicken-feather-like hair.
Maybe what the young wife said is right. He is the commander of Kun District. Even when he goes on business trips, he should pay a little attention to his image.
The guard was stunned and looked at the watch on his right hand: "Commander, should we go to the restaurant and say hello to Master Jiu at this time?"
"Are you deaf? I said we were going to the guesthouse."
The guard's face was tense. Seeing that the commander didn't seem to be joking, he said, "Aren't we going to the hotel to meet Master Jiu? Besides, it's broad daylight now, and it's not even night yet. What are we doing going to the guesthouse so early?"
"Why are you talking nonsense when I told you to go to the guesthouse?" Duan Yanzhi closed his eyes. No wonder he was a month younger than his uncle, but was rejected by women for being ugly. It seemed that the guards around him were not well chosen.
"Take me to the guesthouse. I haven't changed my clothes for a few days. The weather is hot. I need to take a shower and change into clean clothes."
The guard uttered "Oh" slowly and glanced at the commander cautiously in the rearview mirror.
He was very puzzled. He had been following Commander Duan for several years. According to his observation, Commander Duan was completely different from Master Jiu. He never paid much attention to his personal appearance. So why did he suddenly go to the guesthouse to take a shower and change clothes in broad daylight?
Duan Yanzhi stroked the short stubble on his face, which he found quite disgusting.
Coming to his senses, he quickly searched the car for his razor and soap and stuffed them into his suitcase. When the jeep arrived at the town's guesthouse, he got off the car carrying his suitcase, walked a few steps, and then turned back and said, "You should also take a shower and change your clothes. They all stink."
The guard stood beside the car, shivering. He quickly sniffed his clothes and fanned away the sweaty smell with his palm in disgust. "It stinks. No wonder the commander wants to take a shower."
Zhenshang No. 1 Primary School, kindergarten registration office.
Wang Ziru brought her child to a kindergarten located in a primary school.
After explaining my purpose to the teacher, I went to the principal's office and took out various procedures issued by the troops from the cotton bag in my hand.
"So you are the relatives of the troops?!"
The director is a middle-aged woman in her thirties with short hair, a sturdy build and a very sweet smile.
"My last name is Tang, you can just call me Teacher Tang." Teacher Tang said with a smile, while handling the registration procedures, she asked Bao Er, "Have you been to kindergarten before?"
"We just came from our hometown. At that time, our child was still young and we didn't send him to kindergarten. Moreover, the kindergartens in our area seemed to wait until the child was five years old before accepting him."
"It doesn't matter! Kids nowadays are smart, you parents don't have to worry."
Teacher Tang wrote Baoer's name on the list, looked up, and smiled as he looked at the child in front of him. The child was dressed neatly, wearing a new Dacron shirt, silk socks, and fashionable leather shoes. "Zhai Baogeng, right?"
In those days, not many families could afford to wear silk socks and fashionable leather shoes.
Last week, there were still many children in their kindergarten wearing nylon socks and rubber shoes.
Wang Ziru quickly pushed the child in front of her, "Bao'er, say hello to Teacher Tang."
"Hello, Teacher Tang." Baoer was in a good mood and said in a childish voice.
"So good! Tell Teacher Tang how many numbers you can count?" Teacher Tang reached out, held the child's hand and asked.
Baoer has never learned to count at home. At most, he just learned a few words from his mother.
The little boy looked at his mother anxiously.
Wang Ziru smiled and explained, "When I was in my hometown, I didn't teach my child much, so he probably didn't know how to count."
"Well, children learn to count very quickly, so don't worry, just take your time. From now on, your troops will have cars to pick up the children every morning and evening. Of course, you can do it yourself, but you need to register to avoid any omissions when our teachers are too busy."
Since the army has cars to pick up the children, she doesn't have to run to town every day.
So I registered for the 'centralized pick-up' method.
"You can start sending your children to kindergarten tomorrow. In the first two days, they are too young and may not be used to being away from their mothers. I suggest that you parents come and accompany your children. Usually, children are shy in the first week, but after a few days, they will get familiar with other children and will not need their mothers to accompany them anymore."
"Then I'll come with the car that takes the kids home in the morning?"
"Well, let go gradually and let the child adapt to the unfamiliar environment."
Wang Ziru promised to personally send the child to kindergarten the next day, otherwise the child and the teacher would not know each other, and what if the child was lost?
Since the kindergarten had only one month left before summer vacation, Wang Ziru paid 50 cents in tuition, registered, and took her child to the window outside the classroom to see what was going on inside.
There were about thirty children in the classroom, singing under the guidance of the teacher.
"Mom, there are so many children inside."
"Tomorrow morning, Mommy will send you to kindergarten! After you go back, Mommy will teach you how to count."
When the mother and son came out of school, Wang Ziru thought about sewing a small schoolbag for the child.
Wang Ziru was not very familiar with the town. After asking around, she learned that there were three tailors in the town.
So he went to a tailor on the street and asked how many steps it took to sew a small schoolbag.
The seamstress wearing glasses looked up at the mother and son and recognized their foreign accents. "It won't take many steps to make a child's schoolbag. You can take a look at the small pieces of fabric I have here. If you're in a hurry, I can sew a small schoolbag for you."
The seamstress was operating a sewing machine. After a while, she stopped and took out a stack of small pieces of various floral fabrics from the bamboo basket under the chopping board.
"Sure, can you do it today?"
"You want it today? That's fine, I'll make it for you first, but if you rush, I won't have time to make clothes for others. Give me 50 cents in total."
Wang Ziru selected various floral fabrics, thinking that 50 cents was not expensive.
Give it to your child for use first, and when you have the chance to move to a big city in the future, buy him a small faux leather schoolbag.
Both parties agreed to go to the tailor shop to pick up the schoolbag early the next morning.
When the mother and son came out of the tailor shop, Baoer said assertively, "Mom, we need to buy pencils and pencil sharpeners. Also, a pencil case."
"You bought a pencil case when you were in kindergarten?" Wang Ziru smiled.
"Brother Zhuzi has a pencil case!"
"Okay, mom will buy it for you." How could she not buy such a gas tank?
It was not a market day in the town, and there were few pedestrians and villagers selling agricultural products on the street. The mother and son were very eye-catching walking between the shops.
I walked around half of the town and bought some stationery for school, including pencils and pencil cases.
Wang Ziru also bought three more picture books for the child.
It was almost noon, and Wang Ziru was standing outside the supply and marketing cooperative with her child, wondering where to meet Commander Duan.
A jeep drove over slowly, and the person sitting in the car was not Commander Duan, but... Han Suijing.
"Have you finished buying things?" Han Suijing asked with his elegant and resolute face leaning out of the car window.
Wang Ziru opened her lips slightly and was stunned for a moment.
She looked up at the man sitting in the car with some surprise. He was wearing a summer military shirt with his cuffs loosely rolled up.
Seeing that she didn't react.
Han Suijing immediately explained: "Commander Duan said that he would treat you to lunch at the state-owned hotel on the corner of the street."
Wang Ziru followed the direction Han Suijing pointed and nodded slightly, "Oh, then we can just walk over there."
The meaning is obvious, keep a safe distance from him.
Han Suijing stared at his ex-fiancée standing outside the supply and marketing cooperative, with some emotions surging in his eyes, but he finally closed his eyes, then opened them again, and calmly looked away, "Let's go now."
The rear window of the jeep slowly rose up, and it drove slowly toward the state-owned hotel in front.
Five minutes later, Wang Ziru arrived at the state-owned hotel with her child.
Han Suijing had already gotten off the car and was waiting in the lobby at the entrance.
The state-owned hotel was not very spacious, with two tables of guests. One table of guests was wearing factory uniforms, and they must be cadres from a nearby factory.
"Come upstairs with me."
Wang Ziru was still looking around the hotel, and she followed Han Suijing upstairs mechanically.
The three of them went up the stairs and entered a quiet dining area with several square tables. However, only Commander Duan and his uncle were sitting at a round table by the window.
It looked like they were waiting.
"Have you registered?" Duan Yanzhi turned around and saw the mother and son coming upstairs. Looking back, he saw a strong arm lazily resting on the back of a chair.
Wang Ziru nodded slightly, "I will send the child to kindergarten tomorrow."
As she approached, she nodded respectfully, "Mr. Duan, how are you?"
Duan Sui-li was as dazzling as the clear moon and gentle breeze. Even though he was sitting in a simple state-owned hotel, he still looked noble and extraordinary.
He didn't expect Wang Ziru to be so polite. She made a gesture of invitation and said in a deep and gentle voice: "Sit down and talk."
Wang Ziru looked at the chairs around the round table and sat down next to Duan Suili. The child sat between her and Han Suijing. She raised her eyes and found that the rough man opposite her had changed his clothes and washed his hair. His thick black hair was still wet and his beard was shaved.
Seeing Commander Duan's carefully trimmed face, Wang Ziru's mouth curled up for some reason. She wanted to laugh, but she didn't dare to do so in front of Duan Suili.
Duan Yanzhi also noticed that his young wife was looking at him with a hint of interest on her face. He immediately pretended to complain, "Ahem..., it took you so long to register!"
"After registration, I have to go to the tailor shop to sew a schoolbag for the child, and buy a pencil case, pencils and other things." Wang Ziru blinked.
The man sitting on the other side brought two cups of tea to the mother and son.
Wang Ziru looked at Commander Duan's rolling Adam's apple and his casual but magnetic voice. She couldn't take her eyes away for some reason. She quickly picked up the enamel pot, blew on it and handed it to the child, "The weather is getting hotter and hotter. Have some tea."
The three men sitting at the round table all looked at the only child.
Duan Suili asked with a faint look in his eyes, "How old are you?"
"He just turned four! By the way, his birthday is coming up in these few days." Wang Ziru caressed the child's little head lovingly.
For some reason, Commander Duan always stared at her, making her tense and afraid to move.
"Tell them to serve the food. The child must be hungry." Duan Suili said in a gentle voice.