Zhao Qinglan thought she didn't have much furniture to move, and that there wouldn't be too much stuff, but when she started packing, she realized there was a lot of stuff.
Their family has a considerable amount of clothes for all four seasons, various electrical appliances, and other odds and ends.
She was surprised at how much stuff she could fit in her house.
Regardless of how many years Li Huai had been in the troupe, the amount of money Zhao Qinglan had contributed to the troupe since the start of the military-civilian cooperation was enough to make the troupe treat her differently.
Although they had a lot of stuff, Sun Shengli specially arranged for them to use a military truck once.
No matter how much stuff they have, the military truck can fit it all.
Because Li Huai needed to go there early to start his new job, he went to the provincial capital before Zhao Qinglan had finished packing her things.
As for Zhao Qinglan, although they wouldn't be living too far apart in the future, they wouldn't be living together anymore. So Wu Mei called on the military wives in the family area who had a good relationship with her to specially arrange a farewell banquet for Zhao Qinglan.
Naturally, the majority of these are military spouses working in joint military-civilian units.
Zhao Qinglan's shop has benefited not only the group but also them greatly, so how could they not be grateful to Zhao Qinglan?
When Zhao Qinglan initially wanted to register the military-civilian joint venture under the military's name, she certainly had her own selfish motives. At the very least, she couldn't bring herself to open a store of this size on her own under such circumstances.
However, almost all of her employees are military dependents, and she was also trying to help them, so she could bear this gratitude.
After having a farewell dinner in the family quarters, she took her children and boarded a military truck loaded with luggage the next day, heading to her new home in the provincial capital.
After Li Huai arrived in the provincial capital, he did call home to say that the houses had been allocated and they were waiting for them to come over.
As for what the house looks like, Li Huai gave a brief description.
The houses in the family quarters of the provincial capital were newly built.
Based on Li Huai's rank, he was assigned a two-bedroom apartment.
To be honest, Zhao Qinglan was somewhat disappointed when she heard that it was a two-bedroom apartment.
But they also know that these are the conditions they have now, and they are already better off than many others.
The provincial military region does have even bigger buildings, but Li Huai's current rank isn't high enough for that.
Of course, this building also has its advantages, namely that it has its own kitchen and bathroom.
But if she had a choice, Zhao Qinglan would still prefer a house with a yard.
It's already June, and the weather outside is quite warm.
Zhao Qinglan sat in the driver's cab of the military truck, while Erwa and his two siblings sat in the back. However, the three children had ridden in the back of military trucks before when they went to the city, so they were used to it and did not feel uncomfortable. On the contrary, they thought it was more spacious and fun.
As for Da Wa, he's still in school, and Zhao Qingju has already moved to Zhao Qinglan's courtyard in the city.
After a long, swaying journey, Zhao Qinglan even managed to doze off for a bit before they finally arrived in the provincial capital.
The family compound of the provincial military region is much better than theirs; at least it's not remote, it's located on the outskirts of the city.
After the soldiers on guard verified their identities, they opened the gate and let them in.
Li Huai had received the news and rushed over. He arrived at the building where their family was going to live in a jeep with a military truck.
New people have moved into this residential area, and quite a few family members are watching and having a good time.
Zhao Qinglan was also very good at interpersonal relationships. As soon as she got out of the car, she gave candy to the children, which made a very good first impression on the children's parents.
The family quarters here are quite different from what Zhao Qinglan and the others used to live in the regiment. Back then, Li Huai's position was among the top.
But here, division-level officers are a dime a dozen, so Li Huai, a regimental-level officer, is really nothing special.
However, when everyone saw the appliances being unloaded from the military truck, they looked at Zhao Qinglan's family with new respect.
If we're talking about things like televisions, refrigerators, and electric fans, it's not like no one in the residential area has them.
But Zhao Qinglan's family has almost every kind of appliance, including a washing machine, which is quite impressive and shows that they are quite wealthy.
Because there are still not many people who do business in this area, especially military families, they don't even think about it and assume that Zhao Qinglan's family has a strong background and resources.
Since no one came after her to ask, Zhao Qinglan was happy to let the misunderstanding happen.
She used to be the wife of the deputy commander in the troupe, and she had a very good relationship with the commander's wife, Wu Mei. There were not many family members in the family area who could suppress her, although she never abused her power.
In the family quarters of the provincial capital, there are many people of higher rank than her husband, Li Huai. Even if she's not afraid of being bullied, she still needs to keep a low profile to avoid unnecessary trouble.
If it can make people misunderstand without reason, and yet not dare to easily provoke them, then that would be the best.
After the items on the military truck were unloaded, Zhao Qinglan invited the soldiers who brought them there and the people who had helped unload the items to come to her house to rest for a while and have some water.
She also quietly asked her husband if there was a suitable place near the station if they wanted to invite these soldiers to dinner.
After all, they had just moved in and hadn't even unpacked their things yet, so it wasn't realistic for them to start cooking right away.
In the two days since Li Huai arrived, he's been so busy with his onboarding and getting familiar with his new job that he doesn't really know anything about these things.
Having no other choice, Zhao Qinglan turned to a kind-hearted military spouse for advice, and the spouse kindly gave her some guidance.
It turns out that the mess hall of this unit is much larger than the one in their previous regiment. It also has a guesthouse for entertaining guests from outside. There is a window in the mess hall that is responsible for receiving guests from the guesthouse and selling some food.
If Zhao Qinglan really wanted to treat the soldiers who helped her to a meal, she could just go there and buy some dishes.
After receiving the guidance, Zhao Qinglan thanked the kind military wife and allowed her husband to lead several soldiers into the house to sit down while she went to buy food.
After all that fuss, she and the children were quite hungry.
Li Huai didn't let her go. He was, after all, a regimental commander and had his own orderly. He gave the orderly a few instructions and had Zhao Qinglan give the orderly some money. The orderly then ran off.
The young soldiers who were treated so politely were all very embarrassed.
Especially those who helped move things. They had done many small things for the military families before, but at most they would just get a sip of hot water. This was the first time they had been properly invited to stay for a meal.
Actually, if everything at home wasn't still unpacked, Zhao Qinglan would have liked to cook for them herself.
Li Huai's orderly was quick on his feet, and returned with several dishes and some steamed buns a dozen minutes later.
The metal lunchboxes he used to carry his food were all lent to him by the cafeteria.
While waiting for the attendant to return, Zhao Qinglan took out some dishes she had made herself from her luggage, washed the plates, and put them on the table.
The young soldiers enjoyed a delicious meal at their home before leaving together.
As soon as everyone left, Zhao Qinglan took the children and quickly tidied up the house, while Li Huai also informed his superiors beforehand and did not go to the military camp.
By the time they had completely tidied up the house, Zhao Qinglan felt utterly exhausted.
But looking at the brand-new and tidy new home, I feel a great sense of accomplishment.
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