Chapter 30: Renovation of the Courtyard
"Ah? Why can't I collect it?"
Wen Ci didn't understand, but she immediately thought of a solution and said with a smile, "Then come to my house some other day and I'll make it for you, should that be okay?"
Zhang Cheng: "Okay, it seems possible."
They clearly stipulated that family members’ belongings could not be taken.
But family members are allowed to invite them to dinner.
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Wen Ci returned home and looked up at the clock hanging in the living room. It was just past nine o'clock, so he turned on the TV and found that there were no channels.
She couldn't help but sigh.
Even in the end times there are signals to pass the time.
The 1980s were a bit too boring. Walking into Huo Jingyuan's study, there was a blank notebook and a pencil on the table.
Take a pen and paper and sit on the steps at the door of the inner room.
She drew the entire courtyard on paper. The courtyard was currently empty, and Wen Ci wanted to take this opportunity to renovate it.
After all, I'm going to live here for a few years.
She drew a pavilion where people could drink tea and chat in the shelter from the wind and rain. The path leading to the pavilion was paved with gravel, and some vegetables were drawn on the left.
Wen Ci was a student majoring in design in his previous life and was good at sketching. He spent half an hour drawing the effect he wanted.
She planned to build the pavilion herself using wooden boards.
Just need someone to help.
Wen Ci pursed her lips and planned to show the design drawing to Huo Jingyuan and ask him for his advice. This room was their home.
I played around until half past ten, and there was a knock on the door. Xue Li's voice rang out: "Sister-in-law, am I here to bring you food?"
Wen Ci, who was sitting on the sofa, immediately took off when she heard the sound. When she reached the door of the inner room, she remembered to go inside to get the money. She shouted to the door, "Right away, wait for me a moment."
After taking the money, Wen Ci hurried to the door to let Xue Li out. Seeing that he was carrying vegetables and meat in his left and right hands, he said embarrassedly, "Thank you for your hard work, Xue Li."
"It's all right."
Wen Ci asked: "How much is it? I'll give you the money."
"No need, sister-in-law."
Wen Ci frowned, looked at Xue Li with a more serious expression, and said seriously: "No, you must collect the money for today's food."
She saw pig's trotters and pork elbows.
These two are real hard goods. Xue Li's monthly salary is not high. It costs a lot of money to buy these dishes from the kitchen. "Be obedient. How much?"
"Three."
Wen Ci gave him three dollars.
Instant noodles were considered a light luxury item in the 1980s. A pack of instant noodles cost 50 cents, which was enough for an average family’s entire day’s food expenses.
Wen Ci is not the kind of person who spends money like water.
I've just arrived, so I can't let the sisters treat me.
Xue Li asked: "Sister-in-law, do you need my help carrying things?"
Wen Ci quickly refused: "No, you don't have to do your thing, I can do it alone."
As she spoke, she picked up two bags of vegetables from the ground.
"Can it really work?" Xue Li worried.
"Who do you look down on?"
Wen Ci carried the things in both hands and walked for seven or eight minutes to the building where he had met Sister Jing and the others before, and put the things on a stool.
She gasped.
She only knew that Sister Jing lived in this building, but forgot to ask for the specific room number and floor. After thinking for a moment, she shouted, "Sister Jing, I'm here."
As soon as he finished speaking, the door of the first room on the second floor opened. Zhu Jing stood in the corridor and waved to Wen Ci. When she saw the vegetables and meat on the stool, her eyes widened.
She thought Wen Ci would at most buy a piece of meat.
There were so many delicious dishes that Zhu Jing was sweating profusely. She forced a smile and said, "Xiao Ci, please wait for me for a moment."
She returned to the house and found the few dollars left in the house from the drawer. Her husband earned about 30 yuan a month, half of which was used to support his parents in their old age.
Zhu Jing couldn't help but sigh.
When Xiang Qin and the others heard Wen Ci's voice, they came out of the house one after another. After going downstairs, they were stunned when they saw the pig's trotters and pork elbows on the stool.
"Sister Xiaoci, you..."
Wen Ci smiled brightly: "When I treat my sisters to a meal, it must be good~"
Zhu Jing's mouth twitched: "This is too... expensive, isn't it? Otherwise, we can split the cost of this meal among all of us. We can't let you spend so much by yourself."
Wen Ci refused, she took a step back and said seriously: "No, I promised to treat you, so if you are here, I will pick up my things and leave immediately."
Seeing that she couldn't persuade Wen Ci, Zhu Jing said helplessly: "Then let's set up a table and eat downstairs."
Wen Ci said obediently: "Sister Jing, you have worked hard~"
She just provided the investment, but the one who worked really hard was Sister Jing.
The others were not idle either, helping Zhu Jing. Several people crowded together in the public kitchen in the building, chatting and laughing happily.
Zhu Jing joked: "Your man is so respectable that he can get the kitchen to sell so many things to you. How much did you spend on them?"
"Three."
Hearing this, Zhu Jing stopped cutting the meat, looked up at Wen Ci, and raised her eyebrows slightly: "Wow, this time they are so fair and didn't charge me."
The kitchen in the military compound is also staffed by military dependents. They are good cooks and the food is delicious. They are one of the few military dependents who have jobs that require oil.
They usually charge other people a fee when selling vegetables and make a profit from the difference.
In-demand items like pig's trotters and pork elbows will be priced higher.
Wen Ci didn't understand what he meant: "Do I have to pay extra for buying food from the kitchen?"
"More." Xiang Qin complained, "Last time my husband's parents came to visit relatives in the northwest, there was no extra food at home, so I went to find them and spent an extra dollar."
"Can my parents still come to visit relatives in the northwest?"
Wen Ci had never heard of such a rule.
"The Northwest Military Region is different from other military regions, especially ordinary soldiers, who only have marriage leave and annual leave throughout the year, and the annual leave has to be taken in batches.
There are only five days for marriage leave and eight days for annual leave. For soldiers whose homes are far away, if they take the green-skinned train, their entire vacation will be spent on the road.
Therefore, soldiers in the Northwest Military Region can have their immediate family members visit them, and the military region will cover half of the cost of the relatives' berths, but they just need to apply for it."
After listening to Zhu Jing's explanation, Wen Ci's eyes curved.
This regulation of the Northwest Military Region is really good.
Wen Ci said: "I asked Xue Li to buy it."
"No wonder, Captain Xue often travels to Hai City and has a good relationship with the kitchen staff."
Wen Ci suddenly wanted to go to the bathroom, "Sister Jing, where is the bathroom?"
Zhu Jing pointed Wen Ci in a direction.
As soon as Wen Ci left, Hou Li couldn't help but say, "Why haven't I heard my husband say that Captain Xue is married?"
Xiang Qin smiled and said, "Many soldiers won't reveal whether they are married or not."
"That's true."
It was not until twelve o'clock in the afternoon that Zhu Jing finished cooking all the dishes. The other people helped to serve the dishes to the table. The aroma of the big pork elbow filled the air.
The taciturn Miao Ling suddenly said, "I'm going back to my room."
Wen Ci and others were sitting at their seats waiting for her. Two minutes later, Miao Ling came downstairs holding two bottles of soda in each hand and one in her mouth.
Seeing this, Wen Ci hurried over to help bring it to the table.
Miao Ling: "This is the soda left over from last Chinese New Year. The main dishes must be paired with soda."
(End of this chapter)