Chapter 90 Moving to a New Home
When Xie Wei returned on Wednesday, he gave Lin Qingqing a set of keys.
Lin Qingqing had been so busy these past few days that she was completely bewildered. When she first saw the key, she didn't know what it was for and asked, "What's this?"
"The keys to the new house," Xie Wei said.
"You got the key so quickly?"
Xie Wei nodded: "The previous tenants moved out yesterday, and they gave me the keys today. Would you like to see the new house?"
"Want to go after dinner?" Lin Qingqing asked with a slight smile, fiddling with the keys in her hand.
"Can."
After finishing their meal, Lin Qingqing tied her scarf, put on her hat, and walked out with Xie Wei. Just as they stepped outside, they bumped into Yu Xiuhong, who was strolling out with a bowl of rice in her hand. Seeing them, Yu Xiuhong asked, "Where are you two going so late at night?"
Lin Qingqing didn't hide anything and said, "Someone in the detached house changed jobs and moved away. Xie Wei submitted an application to change houses, which has been approved and he has received the keys. We were thinking of going over tonight to take a look."
Yu Xiuhong had heard Chen Aiguo mention this matter before, and because he was transferred to the position of deputy regimental commander, she had asked him a few more questions. Later, she heard that he was transferred to another corps and had nothing to do with Chen Aiguo, so she didn't pay much attention. Little did she know that this matter had nothing to do with their family, but it did have a significant connection with the Xie family.
Yu Xiuhong couldn't help but ask, "Are you sure you're moving there?"
"The applications have all been approved," Lin Qingqing said. "But we won't be moving in tonight; we'll probably have to wait until we're resting."
Yu Xiuhong's tone was tinged with sarcasm: "That's great, it'll be more spacious there."
Of course it's spacious! That's a detached house over there!
Who wouldn't want to live in their own detached house? Row houses are not only cramped, but having several households living together can easily lead to conflicts. Just like her and her neighbor Yang Li, they have conflicts but still have to see each other every day, which is incredibly awkward.
Actually, when she first moved in, she had considered living in a detached house and even had Chen Aiguo submit an application. But while the detached house was advertised as open to anyone, rank was always taken into account during the allocation process. Among those who applied were regimental commanders, deputy regimental commanders, and battalion commanders, so the regimental commanders were definitely given priority.
So Chen Aiguo applied for more than half a year, but the residents of the detached houses came and went, and the quota never fell to them.
Thinking of this, Yu Xiuhong couldn't help but sigh at Lin Qingqing's good fortune. She was able to follow her husband to the army as soon as she got married, and within half a year, she was able to live in a detached house.
Lin Qingqing was unaware of Yu Xiuhong's thoughts. After saying goodbye, she went out with Xie Wei.
...
The detached house is located on the east side of the residential compound. Because fewer people live there, it's not as lively as the residential compound at night. But it's just past dinnertime, so most of the houses have their lights on, and you can occasionally hear sounds coming from inside.
After walking for about five or six minutes, Xie Wei stopped outside a courtyard and said to Lin Qingqing, "This is it." He then pointed to the surroundings and told Lin Qingqing which house was which.
As soon as she finished speaking, Sister Fu from the left came out carrying a foot basin to pour water. She glanced at the two of them coming out and said, "Hey, what are you doing here..." As a neighbor, Sister Fu naturally knew that the family next door had moved away due to a change of careers. Before she could finish speaking, she laughed and asked, "Are you the ones moving in?"
"Mm," Xie Wei replied.
Lin Qingqing greeted her with a smile and asked, "Are you getting ready to sleep?"
“Yes,” Sister Fu said, holding a foot basin, “I couldn’t believe it when I saw you two when I came out. I thought I had mistaken you for someone else, but it really is you.”
"We came here today to see if there's anything we need to tidy up and arrange. We plan to move here after a few days of rest," Lin Qingqing said.
Sister Fu came out and asked, "When are you moving?"
"Estimated for Sunday."
Sister Fu had to work on Sunday, so she asked, "How many people are moving this? Do you need any help?"
"I already arranged for him to come and help me move things. There aren't any big items, so it should be done in a day," Xie Wei replied.
"Alright, just let me know if there's anything I can help with, don't be shy." As soon as Sister Fu finished speaking, she sneezed from the cold.
Seeing that she was still wearing slippers, Lin Qingqing smiled and said, "Big sister, please go inside first, don't catch a cold."
Sister Fu smiled sheepishly, "Then I'll go in first. You guys too, finish watching it as soon as possible and go back to rest."
Lin Qingqing smiled and agreed. After watching Sister Fu hunch back and go back, she and Xie Wei walked into the courtyard together.
Actually, in terms of size, the courtyard of the detached house is not as big as that of the row house, but the row house houses four families, while the detached house houses one family, which makes a big difference. The previous residents were obviously very thoughtful, as they had set up a grape trellis in the courtyard, with a stone table and two stone benches underneath. Even though it's winter now and the grapevines on the trellis are withered, it would still look quite charming in the summer.
There's also a loquat tree in the yard, but it's probably only been planted for less than two years, and it's only a little over a meter tall. Besides that, there are probably some flowers and plants growing in the corner near the moon gate, but you can't see anything in winter.
While Lin Qingqing was observing the yard, Xie Wei had already used his key to open the front door of the new house and turned on the lights inside.
Lin Qingqing followed the light into the house and saw the layout inside.
Upon entering, there's a hallway with a front entrance. On one side, there are shelves for shoes and bags. To the right of the entrance are the kitchen and bathroom, while to the left are the dining room and living room. The dining room isn't large, containing a round table, five or six chairs, and a low red lacquered cabinet in the corner by the window.
Opposite the entrance to the restaurant, there's a door leading to a small room with two single beds. Next to the room is a passageway, leading to another small room with a bed and a desk. To the right of the restaurant, there's another door leading to the living room, which is slightly larger than the dining room. It contains two sofas and a coffee table. Along the wall near the entrance, there's a tall cabinet with glass doors at the bottom and wooden doors at the top, presumably for storing books.
Behind the cabinet, there's another door on the wall, leading to the master bedroom. The master bedroom is larger than the other two rooms, with a 1.5-meter-wide wire bed, a large wardrobe against the wall at the far end, and a dressing table by the window.
Upon seeing the dressing table, Lin Qingqing was somewhat surprised: "Is this furniture provided by the military?"
"These were left behind by Deputy Regiment Commander Hao. It's not just this dressing table, but also the extra sofa outside and the cabinets in the dining room. They're all furniture they've bought themselves over the years. Since his home is far away, he couldn't take it all with him, so he left it to us," Xie Wei explained.
Lin Qingqing paused: "Give it away for free?"
"I owe him a favor," Xie Wei said.
Xie Wei originally planned to buy it with money, but Deputy Regiment Commander Hao, who had risen to such a level, was certainly not someone who cared about that little bit of money. After all, giving money was risky, and the transaction would be a clean break with no one owing anyone anything.
Although Deputy Regiment Commander Hao is being transferred back to civilian life and his hometown is far away, he may not have the chance to see these comrades again. But Xie Wei is a young regimental commander, and his future is definitely bright. It's easy to make money off him, but it's not so easy to gain his favor.
Besides, these pieces of furniture couldn't be taken away, and giving them away would be troublesome. After thinking it over, Deputy Regiment Commander Hao decided to leave all the furniture to Xie Wei.
Lin Qingqing wasn't pleased with herself after hearing this, and asked, "Is this appropriate?"
"Deputy Regiment Commander Hao is an honest man," Xie Wei said. Moreover, if Deputy Regiment Commander Hao really came to him in the future, he wouldn't just help him without asking any questions.
Lin Qingqing nodded and said, "As long as you know what I mean."
After looking at the master bedroom, Lin Qingqing went to the kitchen before leaving. There was a small coal stove and a dozen or so leftover honeycomb briquettes. In addition, there were some porcelain bowls in the cupboard.
Porcelain bowls are fragile, and even if you take them with you, they might break from bumps and knocks on the way, so Deputy Regiment Commander Hao didn't take them with him when he moved.
...
As soon as they returned to Building 18, Yu Xiuhong came out as soon as she heard the noise. She was wrapped in a thick cotton-padded coat and asked, "Have you finished looking at the houses? How were they? I heard the houses over there are quite big."
Although both the detached houses and the row houses were in the family compound, and the men were all soldiers, there wasn't much interaction between the two sides. Firstly, they were far apart, and they might only see each other a few times a month. Secondly, the two sides were of different ranks, and the quality of their relationship depended on the individual. Chen Aiguo might go to the detached house for a meal, but Yu Xiuhong had never been invited.
Therefore, although Yu Xiuhong knew roughly what the detached house looked like, she did not know how many rooms were inside or what the furnishings were.
"You're still awake?" Lin Qingqing asked in surprise.
“It’s still early!” Yu Xiuhong said, having just been watching her son do his homework. She then asked, “What did you think of the house?”
"It's fine." Lin Qingqing opened the door but didn't rush inside. She stood in the yard talking to Yu Xiuhong.
Yu Xiuhong asked, "I heard that the houses over there are bigger and have more rooms, is that true?"
"The house is a bit bigger, but it only has one more room than this one. The living room and dining room are both big, and the yard is also quite large," Lin Qingqing said.
There were fewer rooms than Yu Xiuhong had imagined, but three rooms were enough, especially since the yard was large enough to grow a lot of vegetables.
Yu Xiuhong said enviously, "You're so lucky. I don't even know if I'll ever have the chance to move over there." This wasn't just an expectation of living in a big house, but also an expectation of her husband getting a promotion.
The longer you live next to the Xie family, the more you can feel the difference.
The simplest thing is salary. Chen Aiguo's monthly salary plus allowance is around 130 yuan, occasionally a little higher, around 140 yuan. Xie Wei's monthly salary is at least 200 yuan, sometimes as much as 230 or 240 yuan. Then there are various subsidies, which differ between regimental commanders and battalion commanders. Look at the Xie family, the couple's combined rations allow them to eat meat at least once a week, and they also buy fish or chicken from time to time.
Furthermore, when the Xie family moved in, they brought bicycles and electric fans, which Xie Wei bought without batting an eye. Why? Of course, because even the most expensive electric fan was only worth a month's salary for him.
As for her, she had wanted to buy a bicycle ever since she joined the army, but she hadn't been able to bring herself to do it. A bicycle would cost more than a month's salary for Chen Aiguo. As for an electric fan, Yu Xiuhong wouldn't even dare to dream of it—it was too expensive!
Then there are the people she associates with. She works at the vegetable market, and every time she runs into Commander Ding's wife, she has to force a smile, but the wife is always impatient and doesn't bother to talk to her. As for Lin Qingqing, even though she looks young and is inexperienced, Commander Ding has to treat her very politely when he comes to the Xie family's house for dinner.
Then there's Sister Fu from the cafeteria, with her fiery temper. It's common for her to yell at anyone who displeases her, but she's always all smiles and friendly when she sees Lin Qingqing. I heard she even gave Lin Qingqing a tiger-skin egg last time. Why? They say it's because they get along well, but Yu Xiuhong doesn't believe that. With so many people in the family compound, isn't there anyone else who gets along with Sister Fu? It must be based on the rank of the men.
This brings us back to the topic of men's future prospects. Hao, the deputy regimental commander who transferred from the detached house, only rose to the rank of deputy regimental commander in his late thirties. As he got older, it became difficult to get promoted, and after several years, he eventually transferred back home.
If Chen Aiguo doesn't get promoted to deputy regimental commander this year, even if he does get promoted in a few years, he'll probably end up like Deputy Regimental Commander Hao, eventually having to retire and go back to civilian life.
Yu Xiuhong used to think that there was nothing wrong with being transferred back to civilian work, but now she is starting to feel resentful.
Lin Qingqing understood the implication in Yu Xiuhong's words and vaguely replied, "There will always be a chance."
Yu Xiuhong smiled and said, "Thank you for your kind words. By the way, is the house over there clean? When are you moving in?"
"We plan to move on Sunday," Lin Qingqing said.
After hearing this, Yu Xiuhong said, "I happened to be off that day too, I'll come over and help you clean."
Lin Qingqing felt bad about troubling her and said, "I guess the person just moved out, the house is all cleaned up quite well. We'll just move our things in and give it a quick tidy up."
"That definitely requires manpower, so it's settled then." After saying that, Yu Xiuhong, without waiting for Lin Qingqing's reply, said that it was cold and she was going back to her room to sleep.
Lin Qingqing smiled helplessly and went inside.
Xie Wei came out of the kitchen after washing the dishes and asked as she entered, "What have you been talking about for so long?"
"Sister Yu asked me how the house was doing, and said she would come over to help on Sunday," Lin Qingqing said.
Xie Wei paused, his hand still holding his sleeve, and asked, "Was she off that day?"
"They said it was a rest day," Lin Qingqing said.
"How about we go to the state-run restaurant for a meal that day, and she can bring Jianbang and his family along?" You can't ask someone for help without feeding them, but we're moving that day, and we probably won't have time to cook at home, so we can only go to the state-run restaurant.
When Lin Qingqing heard that she was invited to dinner, her first thought was whether she had enough money at home. Thinking that she could probably order a few meat dishes, she nodded and said, "Okay."
...
Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and soon it was time to move.
Because Lin Qingqing had been packing her things whenever she had free time after get off work these past few days, by Sunday, it only took Lin Qingqing and Yu Xiuhong less than an hour to pack everything up.
When they started packing, Xie Wei began moving things to the new house. However, because the things were too small and scattered, he couldn't carry much at once, so even when Jiang Feng and his wife arrived, they hadn't moved much.
However, Jiang Feng and his wife borrowed a small trailer from their neighbor, which allowed them to transport more items at once. They arrived and, within half an hour, all the goods were delivered.
Finally, Lin Qingqing checked each room again to make sure she hadn't left anything behind or taken anything extra before locking the door and heading outside.
Just as she stepped out of the moon gate, Xie Wei came through the neighboring courtyard. He took the things from her hands and asked, "Is there anything else you haven't taken?"
"No, I've checked," Lin Qingqing said.
Xie Wei hummed in agreement, then turned and walked with Lin Qingqing through the other people's yards along the same route. Every now and then, they would run into people who were home, who would ask, "Commander Xie, are you moving?"
"Hmm," Xie Wei responded, sometimes stopping to exchange a few pleasantries with people.
Walking and stopping like this, eight or nine minutes later, the two entered the courtyard of their new home. Jiang Peng was jumping around in the yard, but when he saw them come in, he stopped and called out, "Uncle and Aunt."
Lin Qingqing smiled and replied, "Why are you playing here all by yourself?"
Hearing the noise, Shen Yufen came out of the house and said, "It's still a bit messy inside, so let him play outside." She also told Jiang Peng not to run around.
Jiang Peng responded in a clear, crisp voice.
Yu Xiuhong was wiping the cabinet in the hallway by the door with a rag when she heard their conversation. She said, "Your child is so well-behaved. My brat is never home. He goes out and I can't even call him!"
"They're seven or eight years old," Shen Yufen said.
“Yes, he’s at that age where everyone hates him,” Yu Xiuhong complained. “I just hope he can mature soon, come back and help me with some chores, and know how to care for me.”
Shen Yufen said, "Children grow up very quickly."
“That’s true. Sometimes when I think about it, I feel like time has flown by. It seems like just yesterday he couldn’t even walk, and now he can already annoy me,” Yu Xiuhong said with emotion, then asked Shen Yufen if she wanted to have a second child.
“There is such a plan,” Shen Yufen said.
Although the country has begun to advocate for fewer and better births, and even large cities have implemented family planning policies, most people still believe that the more children the better. Shen Yufen and Jiang Feng, a married couple, only have one child, and of course they want to have a daughter to complete their family.
"If you're planning to do this, you should start preparing as soon as possible," Yu Xiuhong said.
Shen Yufen nodded and then asked, "Why doesn't Sister Yu want another child?"
Yu Xiuhong waved her hand and said, "I want one too, but I haven't been able to get pregnant yet. I'm getting old, and it's dangerous to have another one. Let's just leave it at that. One is enough for me. If I have another one, oh my god, it'll be too much for me to live with."
Yu Xiuhong's words were amusing, and Lin Qingqing and Shen Yufen both laughed.
After the laughter subsided, everyone got busy, some wiping cabinets, others arranging things. By midnight, the house was basically tidied up, but things still needed to be organized.
But there's no rush. We can settle in and tidy up at our own pace after we move in.
After finishing their work, Xie Wei suggested that they go to a state-run restaurant for dinner.
"Oh, you're being too kind. We didn't do any work, how could we let you spend so much money? It's like I came here to help because I'm greedy for food," Yu Xiuhong said. "Alright, I'm going back as soon as you're done. Don't be shy, I'll just cook some noodles at home, it's all the same."
Yu Xiuhong came over specifically to help, and Lin Qingqing couldn't let her go back on an empty stomach, so she quickly grabbed her and said, "I already arranged with the state-run restaurant this morning to order food for seven people. If you don't go, the food will go to waste."
"You're being too kind. If I had known you were going to treat us, I...I...I wouldn't have known whether I should have come to help," Yu Xiuhong said helplessly.
“Go ahead,” Lin Qingqing said.
"Okay, let's go!" Yu Xiuhong had never eaten at a state-run restaurant before in her life. Thinking about it made her a little excited. She rolled up her sleeves and asked, "Will it be okay if I go to a state-run restaurant like this?"
“What’s wrong with that? State-run restaurants don’t care what you wear,” Lin Qingqing said.
Yu Xiuhong nodded and said, "Then I'll head out like this. By the way, I'm going to eat at a state-run restaurant. What about Jianbang?"
"Let's take it together," Lin Qingqing said.
"Wouldn't this be inappropriate? I have a family to support," Yu Xiuhong said hesitantly.
Shen Yufen laughed: "We are the ones with families."
Yu Xiuhong thought to herself, "You two are taking care of one child, and what can Jiang Peng, a child, possibly eat?" But Chen Jianbang was at the age where he had a big appetite, and she was taking care of him alone... Yu Xiuhong said, "I'd rather give him money to eat in the cafeteria."
"No way!" Lin Qingqing immediately said, "We can't finish the food ordered for seven people even if Jianbang doesn't come. Besides, if Jianbang finds out we're going to eat something nice without him, the child will be so sad."
"He still has the nerve to be sad? He hasn't even touched his winter break homework since the holiday started!" Yu Xiuhong said irritably. "Perfect, Teacher Shen, you'd better give him a good talking to later."
Shen Yufen said awkwardly, "I'm not his teacher either." She teaches fifth and sixth grade, while Chen Jianbang is only in second grade.
“Not now, but later,” Yu Xiuhong said nonchalantly. “I know my son. He’s a bully at home, but he cowers when he sees a teacher. Even if you’re not his teacher, you’ve met him at school, so he’ll definitely listen to you.”
Having no other choice, Shen Yufen said, "Alright, I'll talk to him about it later."
Having said that, Yu Xiuhong stopped insisting that her son eat at the cafeteria. However, Chen Jianbang wasn't home, so she had to go find someone. Before leaving, she said, "You guys go ahead, I'll come over as soon as I find someone."
“You absolutely must come,” Lin Qingqing said.
Yu Xiuhong scoffed and said, "You invited me to dinner, do you think I'd run away?" Then she started shouting Chen Jianbang's name at the top of her lungs, calling it all the way back.
After Yu Xiuhong left, Lin Qingqing locked the door of her house and walked with everyone towards the state-run restaurant.
...
Upon arriving at the state-run restaurant, Lin Qingqing took out all the tickets she had and discussed with Xie Wei what dishes to order. She also frequently asked Jiang Feng and his wife what they wanted to eat and what they didn't want to eat.
Shen Yufen shook her head and said, "There's nothing I don't eat." Her gaze couldn't help but fall on Lin Qingqing's hands, but she refrained from asking any questions.
After ordering and sitting down at the table, Shen Yufen, who happened to be sitting diagonally opposite Lin Qingqing, couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Didn't you say you booked a table this morning?"
Lin Qingqing pointed at the cashier with a cold face at the front desk and asked, "Do you think a state-run restaurant would allow me to make a reservation in advance?"
Shen Yufen wasn't unfamiliar with state-run restaurants; she had been puzzled when Lin Qingqing said those things earlier, and now she finally understood, but was still somewhat confused: "Then why did you say that just now?"
"If I hadn't said that, would Sister Yu have come with us?" Lin Qingqing said with a smile.
Shen Yufen suddenly realized: "So that's how it is."
"When Sister Yu comes over later, don't tell her everything," Lin Qingqing said.
Shen Yufen knew exactly what Lin Qingqing meant, and nodded, saying, "I definitely won't say anything."
Jiang Feng was talking to Xie Wei when he saw the two of them huddled together whispering to each other, and couldn't help but ask, "What are you two talking about?"
Just as Shen Yufen was about to speak, Lin Qingqing tugged at her sleeve and looked up towards the door. Yu Xiuhong had brought her son over, and fearing that Lin Qingqing would hear her, Shen Yufen quickly said, "I didn't say anything."
"So mysterious," Jiang Feng muttered, then asked Xie Wei, "Aren't you going to ask?"
Unlike Jiang Feng, Xie Wei was too excited to pay attention to their conversation. He overheard a bit and, although he didn't quite understand, he could guess what they were talking about. So he calmly said, "Women have their own topics."
Jiang Feng: "..."
So here's the question: what kinds of conversations between women shouldn't be known to her husband?
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