Chapter 47 Dongfeng Base
They were delayed on the way, and by the time they arrived at the base, the sun had already completely set.
Four large characters stand at the entrance: Dongfeng Base.
After more than ten years of construction, the base is now fully functional and large in scale, accommodating more than 10,000 officers and soldiers, technical personnel and their families, and is a comprehensive aerospace city and missile test base.
The Dongfeng base covers an extremely large area and is mainly divided into five areas: the launch site, the technical area, the computing center, the comprehensive test site, and the living support area. The first four areas are military restricted areas, and unauthorized personnel are not allowed to approach them.
The family compound is located in the living security area and has very complete supporting facilities. It has its own school, from preschool to middle school, as well as a hospital, auditorium, military service center, post office, etc. In a sense, it is a small town with complete functions but isolated from the world.
It took more than ten minutes to drive from the main gate to our final destination.
The jeep stopped in front of one of the houses in a row of red brick bungalows; they had been assigned a small three-room house with a yard.
"Xiaoxiao, put your clothes on before you get off the bus."
Zhou Yue picked up his coat, pulled open the sleeves on both sides so his daughter could put her arms inside, and looked at his wife, gesturing for her to put on her coat before getting out of the car.
After the sun sets, the temperature drops rapidly. You might not feel it much while sitting in the car, but the wind outside will definitely be cold.
Cheng Cheng said "oh" and obediently put on her coat.
I opened the door and got out of the car. It was indeed quite cool outside; the temperature dropped so quickly!
She looked up at the red brick bungalow and said, "Xiaoxiao, this will be our home from now on."
"Let's go in and take a look."
Cheng Cheng took the little guy's hand and pushed open the courtyard gate to go inside.
The house isn't very big, but it's definitely big enough for their family of three.
To the left is the bedroom/study, with a large bed and a desk. To the right is an empty room that can be Xiaoxiao's room later. In the middle is the main house, which serves as both a living room and a dining room, with a small side room next to it, which is probably the kitchen.
Zhou Yue carried the luggage and walked behind, his gaze falling on his wife's face. A hint of worry appeared in his eyes, and he asked his wife in a low voice if she was satisfied with their accommodation.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, they will be living here for the next few years.
At this moment, Zhou Yue felt a sense of urgency. If he could get a promotion, he could then buy his family a bigger house.
"I'm satisfied, this place is great!"
It's about the same size as their courtyard in Xiangnan County, and it's enough for the three of them.
Moreover, the house seemed to have been cleaned and furnished with all the necessary items, such as pots and pans, so the family could simply move in with their belongings.
From this perspective, the logistics department of the base did an exceptionally good job in providing support, which shows that the base leadership values Zhou Yue, or in other words, they value technical talent.
The arrangements were so thorough and well-organized that someone must have given prior notice.
Zheng Jinbu helped bring all the luggage from the car inside, grinning with a bright white smile, "Engineer Zhou, sister-in-law, do you see where the house needs repair? I'll tell the logistics department and have them arrange it."
Cheng Cheng shook her head and said with a smile, "You've prepared very thoughtfully, there's nothing that needs to be changed."
"Alright, sisters-in-law, you can stay here for now. If you need anything, just let me know. The boss said that we must make sure you have a comfortable and worry-free stay."
To resolve Zhou Gong's worries and all his troubles in life, Zheng Jinbu didn't say the last sentence, but the meaning was already clear.
After a quick rest and putting things away, Zheng Jinbu estimated that it might be quite late and immediately said, "Engineer Zhou, I'll go to the cafeteria to get you some food."
"No need, you should go back and eat and rest first," Zhou Yue said.
“That won’t do!” Zheng Jinbu was quite stubborn. He stood up straight and said, word by word, “The commander said that I should supervise your meals on time. As long as I am by Engineer Zhou’s side, I must complete the task assigned to me by the commander.”
Upon hearing this, Cheng Cheng glanced at Zhou Yue, wondering if the man had experienced a health problem before.
Otherwise, why would Xiao Zheng say such a thing?
Zhou Yue caught his wife's gaze and, somewhat hesitant to look at her, reminded Xiao Zheng to return the car first.
Zheng Jinbu nodded, but stubbornly refused to move unless he saw Engineer Zhou go to the cafeteria for lunch, showing a strong sense of obstinacy.
Zhou Yue had no choice but to say, "Your sister-in-law and I will go to the cafeteria for lunch in a little while."
Cheng Cheng found it amusing. Xiao Zheng seemed a bit inflexible, but there were advantages to being inflexible; at least he would complete the task with unwavering determination.
For example, right now, I don't know if it's because of this reason, that's why Zhou Yue's leader arranged for him to be Zhou Yue's bodyguard.
She said, "Don't worry, Xiao Zheng, you'll definitely complete your task! I'll make sure you supervise him to eat on time."
Hearing his sister-in-law's words, Zheng Jinbu finally backed down and stopped being stubborn. With his sister-in-law as his ally, he left with peace of mind.
Before leaving, Cheng Cheng told the other person, "Come over for dinner when the house is all set up. I'll make you some braised tofu and see if it's authentic."
Zheng Jinbu is from Shandong Province, and braised tofu is a local dish. The young man smiled sincerely and left happily.
Zhou Yue proactively changed the subject, saying, "I'll go light the stove and boil some water."
Cheng Cheng called out to the man, "Come back and get promoted. Let's go to the cafeteria for lunch first."
We might have to borrow some fire from a neighbor to light the stove; we can do it after we finish eating.
On the way to the canteen, Zhou Yue introduced the layout of the residential area to his wife and daughter, such as where the canteen was, where the supply and marketing cooperative was, where the hospital was, and so on.
Then Cheng Cheng noticed that when Zhou Yue felt guilty, he seemed to talk more than usual, and he would subtly and actively guide the conversation.
Cheng Cheng raised an eyebrow, not expecting Zhou Yue to be this kind of person!
She looks much cuter than her usual serious and earnest self!
Alright, let's let him off the hook for now. She can ask Comrade Zheng next time.
Along the way, every so often you can see sixteen large characters written in red on the walls: "Serious and conscientious, thorough and meticulous, reliable and safe, and foolproof."
There was also one on the wall of the canteen. Seeing his wife staring at it, Zhou Yue took the initiative to explain to her: "This is a message left by the Premier during his fifth visit to the base, which he left with great earnestness."
Our earnest expectations for them are also our message and encouragement to them.
I see, Cheng Cheng was filled with respect!
When the family of three arrived at the cafeteria, it was already late and past mealtime.
"Let's go eat beef noodles." Cheng Cheng saw a chef making noodles at a window over there.
Zhou Yue had no objection. Xiao Lingxiao listened to her mother; she had never eaten ramen before.
"Master, we'd like two large bowls of ramen." Cheng Cheng glanced at the small blackboard beside her and said, "And one bowl of thin ramen. Zhou Yue, which kind do you want?"
As soon as she finished speaking, she heard the head chef inside look at them with a smile, "Engineer Zhou, are these your wife and daughter?"
Zhou Yue nodded, the two of them clearly quite familiar with each other. "Master Zhu, give me a bowl of thin noodles."
Master Zhu skillfully kneaded the dough, "Alright!"
Zhou Yue introduced to his wife and daughter, "This is Master Zhu Tian. Master Zhu's noodle-making skills are excellent. You'll see when you try it later."
"Master Zhu, this is my wife, Comrade Cheng Cheng, and my daughter, Xiao Xiao."
As Zhu Tian skillfully pulled the noodles, he chuckled, "No wonder I hadn't seen Engineer Zhou eating ramen for a while. I heard he took a family leave and went back home. No wonder!"
Does Zhou Yue come here often to eat ramen?
Cheng Cheng turned to look at the man, wondering if it was the same situation as today—having missed the mealtime and only having ramen left in the cafeteria, since it was freshly made.
It has to be said, Cheng Cheng is right.
Soon, two bowls of ramen were freshly cooked, topped with tempting scallions and a few thin slices of beef. Cheng Cheng asked Chef Zhu for an extra bowl.
She ordered a large bowl of ramen, a very generous portion. She scooped noodles from one bowl to another, and then gave all the beef from the bowl to Xiaoxiao. "Is this enough? Can you finish it?"
That's enough!
Little Lingxiao nodded her head; she'll try her best to finish eating!
Seeing his wife's actions, Zhou Yue placed three slices of beef from his bowl into hers, met her gaze, and smiled gently.
Cheng Cheng glanced at the man, then smiled faintly. "Then I won't be polite!"
Holding her chopsticks, she stirred the noodles. She wanted the thinnest ramen, as thin as hair, soft and boneless. She picked up a piece of beef and a strand of ramen with her chopsticks, and gently blew on them a few times.
I took a bite, and the ramen was chewy and elastic; my eyes lit up.
"Mom, the ramen is delicious!"
The little girl's eyes narrowed into crescent shapes, and besides two small dimples at the corners of her mouth, there was also a scallion stuck to her lips.
Zhou Yue chuckled, raised his hand to wipe the scallions from the corner of his daughter's mouth, and reminded her, "Eat slowly, blow on it to cool it down before you eat, be careful it's hot."
"I understand, Dad."
Zhu Tian looked out the window and, lo and behold, something strange happened! He saw a different kind of smile on Zhou Gong's face.
I usually see Engineer Zhou coming to the canteen alone, but this time he went back to pick up his wife and daughter. Engineer Zhou is still the same Engineer Zhou, but it just feels different.
He shouted, "Comrade Cheng, if you don't have enough noodles, we can give you extra noodles for free."
"good!"
Cheng Cheng responded.
What a simple and unpretentious bowl of ramen! What they want is a big bowl. For just 0.21 yuan plus 3 liang of grain coupons, they can get a steaming bowl of beef ramen that's as big as a giant bowl.
And you can even get free noodles, it's such a great deal!
Although there are no more state-run restaurants, eating at the canteen is still pretty good; Chef Zhu's cooking skills are top-notch!
It was so delicious that the whole family of three finished the soup.
On the way back, Xiao Lingxiao held his parents' hands, swaying and skipping along, showing no signs of discomfort in the unfamiliar environment, but rather appearing very happy.
Cheng Cheng gently reminded her daughter, "Be careful not to let the ramen you just ate pop out!"
"No, Mom!"
She's not a three-year-old anymore; she's a three-and-a-half-year-old now, and she can make her own judgments.
"Mom, shall we have ramen again tomorrow?"
Someone was peeking inside from the doorway. Hearing the noise behind them, the person turned around to look.
The man was tall and imposing, the woman was beautiful and radiant, and the little girl in the middle was lively and adorable. A hint of amazement flashed in Toya's eyes. Were they the new neighbors?
She's so beautiful!
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Author's note: Goodnight, see you tomorrow~
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