Father Zhang thought about it and shook his head. "It's not easy for me to decide on the household registration. Let your father-in-law talk to you. You should discuss it with Jiaojiao first and listen to her opinion. Ping'an's household registration should not be registered in the village yet. If it is in the city, he will have food rations and receipts every month. I don't know if there are any benefits to registering Ping'an in the capital. If you are worried, go ask your mother-in-law what the difference is between Ping'an's household registration in the capital and in the county. Okay, it's okay, you can go find your young wife."
Zhang Guoqing figured it didn't matter where his household registration was; when he got into university, he'd definitely be able to move there. He nodded, told his mother, and left.
Entering the west wing, the aroma of chicken soup simmering in the outer room filled the room. Mother and daughter were still chatting. Zhang Guoqing greeted them and sat there, seemingly listening to their conversation, but his mind was already racing.
Zhou Jiao echoed her mother, noticing Zhang Guoqing lost in thought, his face occasionally tinged with confusion. She wondered what had happened, wondering what had happened. She had never seen Zhang Guoqing like this in her entire life. She winked at her mother, and they stopped talking. Zhang Guoqing still hadn't noticed; this time, he was in real trouble.
Lin Lishan asked worriedly, "Xiaowu, have you encountered any problems? Tell Mom and Jiaojiao. Don't be afraid, Mom will help you solve the problem if there is any."
Zhang Guoqing looked at the mother and daughter, both of whom were looking at him worriedly, and said with a smile, "No, I just haven't thought about some things yet, it's nothing serious. Mom, do you live in the army when you work in Beijing, or can you go home and live there? Do you usually have a week off?"
Seeing that he didn't say anything, Lin Lishan didn't ask: "Let me tell you first, where do we live in the capital? It's just west of Chang'an Avenue. There are military compounds of various branches over there.
I joined the Children's Corps at age eight, so I joined D relatively early. Plus, it was the earliest of the Communist Party's art troupes. After liberation, two rooms on the third floor were allocated according to regimental rank. My family was in the army, and we shared a compound with your grandfather. He was a general, so he was allocated a small courtyard in the back, based on his rank, quite far from ours. Our rooms were decorated like they were when I married your father.
So I usually live in the military dormitory. If I want to go home, there are houses in the compound, so I can go home directly every day. Now that I have been promoted to the head of the regiment and have a deputy, I can rest one day a week.
Don't worry about not having enough rooms. When your dad comes back, the house will be reallocated."
Zhang Guoqing nodded, looked at Zhou Jiao, and remained silent again.
"Mom, where did you and Dad live when you just got married? What's the story behind these two courtyard houses? Tell me in detail. I'm confused." Zhou Jiao remembered that she was born in 1940 and didn't understand many things. How did the two of them deal with them at that time?
"At the time, your father was stationed outside the capital, and when we got married, we lived in a room in the army. The wedding was simple, with a few tables of banquet in the cafeteria. When your grandparents found out about our marriage, they sent us a letter with the house deed inside. They said the journey was long and they didn't have much money for the betrothal gifts, so they looked for the house and saw if it was still there, so they considered it as a share for us.
Later, when the opportunity arose, your father disguised himself and went out for several days, even taking me out once. He didn't tell anyone after the deed was completed. After liberation, your father was gone, so I found someone to renew the deed myself. Then, when you were born, he went crazy, saying that Dao Mu Cang had no eyes and secretly changed the name on the property certificate. I usually don't interfere with his affairs; he's smarter than me. Don't worry, didn't I explain everything to you?
Zhou Jiao looked at her depressedly, this silly mother.
Zhang Guoqing covered his mouth and chuckled. He understood Zhou Jiao's meaning and blamed the mother and daughter for not understanding each other. He was also curious. The Japanese hadn't been driven out at that time. How did his powerful father-in-law handle it? And where did that mission go after 17 years from 1940?
Zhang Guoqing cleared his throat. "Mom, can we see you more often after we go to Beijing? Now that you've been promoted, won't you have more free time?"
"You can just live in the compound. We all live together as a family. We have everything there, and we don't have to go out. Mom can go out, but she won't be able to see you every day.
Xiaowu, are you asking if I can live out with you? According to regulations, active military personnel cannot leave the barracks at will, except for the family building and dormitory. Going out requires approval.
Xiaowu, have you seen Xiaofei's aunt? She's the deputy director of the Northern Military Region Art Troupe. People like her can't go to the capital without permission. That day, she and I went out, and she had to report to the troupe leader for permission.
Soldiers don't have freedom. But if I want to move out, I should be able to write an application, right? Once it's approved, I should be able to move out. I don't know. I haven't met anyone living in a compound yet. If someone wants to move out, wouldn't that be completely mad?
You can't live there unless you've reached a certain position. Everyone tries to squeeze in, no one moves out. If someone does move out, it's because something serious has happened and they've been punished."
Zhang Guoqing and Zhou Jiao laughed out loud, they were really happy.
Lin Lishan smiled for a moment and continued, "The army has farms, fisheries, and breeding areas. The living supplies in the compound are richer than outside. Every holiday, they also distribute oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, rice, flour, and meat. There are living quarters, a cafeteria, a service center, an auditorium, a club, a swimming pool, a clinic, a fleet of vehicles, and schools from kindergarten to high school. There is everything. We can also watch internal reference films every week. When our little Ping'an grows up, he can even play basketball and football. No one wants to move out. Without a pass, you can't even enter the compound. With such conditions, if you go home, don't even think about living outside. You will be laughed at. Your aunt is so sad that she wants to cry. She and your uncle-in-law can only live in the military family compound in the suburbs. We had no choice but to buy a small courtyard."
Zhang Guoqing nodded as he listened. He understood the general idea, but not in such detail. He was afraid that the times were different and the requirements were different.
"The relationships in there shouldn't be very good, right? Those with higher positions all live there, so who's close to whom? Everyone else is speculating, are they forming factions? Are they using backdoors? I guess they all know what's going on, and the relationship is tense."
Lin Lishan thought about it for a while with a puzzled look on her face. "I really didn't notice it. After all these years, I haven't lived in the compound for a few days. Come to think of it, it's really possible what you said. Except for men, women are just acquaintances. You see, Fang Jianmei and I are both from the compound and work in the same unit. She used to be nice to me, but Xiaofei and Shengli are close friends. Your aunt has stayed in the compound the longest, but I haven't seen her get close to anyone. Ignore these things and live our own lives."
Zhang Guoqing nodded at this. It wasn't time for him to consider this, so he just casually mentioned it. "Mom, now that we've got our marriage certificate, where should Ping'an's household registration be? Jiaojiao's registered residence is in Beijing, and since we haven't planned on going back for the past two years, should we move our household registration?"
Lin Lishan rubbed her head in a daze. "When your aunt-in-law was getting the marriage certificate, she said that we should move your household registration to Beijing to be with Jiaojiao and the child. The house contract will expire when Jiaojiao turns 18. If she moves out, the empty house will have no household registration. I don't know what the policy will be like in the future."
Or I could move Jiaojiao's household registration to your place in Northeast China, and with Ping An, what if your household registration is not transferred to the capital in the future? I didn't have the energy to think about it so much at the time, so I said we should get a marriage certificate first.
Now that Ping'an has given birth, it's time to register your household registration. If you plan to move to Beijing, you'll need to go through the process as well. You two should discuss whether you'll still rent out the house next year. If not, it's still easy to decide. If so, how long do you plan to keep it? You should talk to Mom about this. While your aunt has power, if your uncle is transferred out of town, she'll definitely be transferred too. Asking for help from others won't be as helpful as your own aunt.
How about we not rent it out next year and just leave it empty? The rent is so low anyway, and I can go back to Beijing occasionally. Or we can just keep renting it to the Women's Federation and not live there anymore. We can live in the big house during the holidays, except for the courtyard. If it's too big and it's an eyesore, I'll buy you a smaller one and put it in Xiaowu's name so no one will know. How do you think?"
Zhang Guoqing and Zhou Jiao laughed out loud, and Zhou Jiao hurried to comfort her, "Mom, don't worry. The house is not important, just be quiet for now. I will definitely go back to Beijing before June next year to take a look, and then we can discuss renting the house. Now the question is whether I should transfer my household registration. Let me give you an example: First, Ping'an and I are both registered in Beijing, and our rations and other supplies are all there, and Xiaowu will go to work here to collect rations. Second, if Xiaowu and Ping'an both move to Beijing, then our rations will all be there, and Xiaowu won't be able to work here. So this is related to Xiaowu's job. Brother, now tell me what you plan to do?"
Zhang Guoqing rubbed his head. "You just asked me what I was thinking about. I was thinking about this. Is it necessary to stay for two years? This involves many issues. I need to think about it carefully. I'll handle the household registration after Dad comes back."
Zhou Jiao asked curiously: "Then tell me what you are thinking about, and I will solve the mystery for you."
Zhang Guoqing nodded. "I originally planned that within three years, we must get into university. There was no way back, so we had to work hard to get in. This time when we went to the provincial capital, my mentality was unstable. I was anxious and wanted to speed up. Especially when I saw you and mom getting along so well, I was even more anxious.
I plan to work hard for a year without going to work, and then take the exam next year. If everything goes well, our family will go to Beijing in the second half of next year, so that you can enter university earlier and reunite with your mother in Beijing earlier.
My original thought was that my parents would return to the Northern Military Region, and we'd be fine staying there for three years. But after looking at the Northern Military Region, I doubt Dad will come back. Plus, your grandfather's situation makes returning a bad idea. Then there's nothing worth remembering here. Besides my parents, what else could have stopped us?
I'm torn between leaving early and leaving late. Reason tells me the child is still young—we're 18. In two years, we'll be 20, Ping An will be two, and he'll be safe going to college. So, there's no rush. Take your time. I've been thinking about this for the past few days. "Jiaojiao, I think I'm being too impatient. I'm a little lost, a little impatient, and I need your guidance."
Lin Lishan looked at them with amusement. The young couple was really funny, comforting and encouraging each other.
Zhou Jiao thought for a moment, then said seriously, "You must first determine your role. These past few days, grandpa has taken you to meet people in high positions. Why are you so anxious? Your unstable mentality means that you have wavered in your own plan. Think rationally about what we should do if we leave grandpa and parents? Remove those external factors, what is the best thing for us to do now? How can you make yourself better and take one step at a time with your feet on the ground? Even if no one is supporting you, you can still go on your own. That is your confidence. There is also the issue of household registration. What is there to think about? All of you should move to the village or the county town. Only by moving here will you have the motivation and will you work hard to get into college. Our family will all go to Beijing. Don't leave your household registration in Beijing. This way out is cut off. You also fought for your own safety. I must pass the exam."
Zhang Guoqing laughed heartily as he listened. "Jiaojiao, I told you I'd discuss this with you. I'm relieved now that I've listened to you. Mom, please wait for two years. I'll definitely bring Jiaojiao and Ping'an to Beijing to find you. We can see each other every day and go shopping together whenever we want."
Lin Lishan nodded with emotion. She immediately understood that Xiaowu had just come in and saw them chatting, and he had been looking at them in deep thought. He probably didn't want to let Jiaojiao down and wanted his family to go to the capital as soon as possible. This child is thoughtful.
Looking at her daughter again, she felt a surge of pride. Her daughter was decisive, much like her father, determined to fight tooth and nail. She also believed they would be reunited in two years. As for the household registration, she would discuss it with her eldest sister-in-law, and if that didn't work out, she would contact the child's father. If even this couldn't be handled, she would continue to struggle.
Zhang Guoqing said to Zhou Jiao seriously, "I'm going to the provincial capital tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow I'll start looking for the principal to discuss our college entrance exams. We'll discuss whether we can take the exams at the end of each semester and not be on campus for the rest. Then, focus on your studies. Once the house is built and we move in next spring, I'll arrange a job. Before the New Year, I'll personally talk to Zhao Dashan about joining the armed forces. Once everything is confirmed, our family will move to the county town."
Zhou Jiao smiled and glanced at him, "Okay, I'll listen to you. You can make the arrangements. Don't worry, you joined the armed forces for connections and to learn management experience."
Zhang Guoqing looked at the time, seeing it was still early, just after four o'clock, and figured it was okay to go on. After Jiaojiao said that, he realized she hadn't planned to leave for Beijing early, so he decided to stick with the original plan. My mother-in-law was leaving tomorrow morning, so he decided to head up the mountain and see if he could hunt a wild boar.
"Then you chat with mom. I'll go out to do something first. If mom asks, just say you don't have to wait for me for dinner." Zhang Guoqing said and left.
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