Chapter 442 Pick-up
After Xia Zhizhi finished her picky comments, Wang Zhili went to borrow tools to shovel out the areas that needed shoveling, while Xia Qingqing took out a stack of money and handed it to Xia Zhizhi.
Xia Qingqing and her family had the same idea. As for the wedding gift, it was enough for Xia Zhizhi to have the intention, and she didn't need to pay for it.
Xia Zhizhi shook her head and refused, and told her that her mother had already given it to her and asked her to keep the money. Only then did Xia Qingqing give up.
This business is easy to do. If Xia Zhizhi is a little thick-skinned, she can get several times the money for one item.
In the morning, Wang Zhili and Aju demolished all the places that needed to be demolished. In the afternoon, everyone went to the department store and picked out some furniture in the furniture area.
Furniture also costs money these days, but fortunately it is not difficult for them to get these things.
Thinking that having a kitchen would allow me to cook in the future, I bought some pots, pans, and kettles.
Although Xia Qingqing would not need the west room in the short term, since she was already there, a kang table and kang mat had to be arranged.
Pan Wenjun would prepare other things like bedding, washbasins, kettles, etc., but a military marriage is not like an ordinary wedding, where you would drag your wedding dowry around on the wedding day and just wait for the house to be cleaned up in two days and then have the driver make two trips to deliver it.
Xia Zhizhi and Xia Qingqing were just strolling around and shopping. Wang Zhili was too busy. So many things had to be taken back, and he also had to find someone to buy materials for patching the wall. Even if Ah Ju came back to help him, it would still be very tiring for him.
After the house was cleaned up, Pan Wenjun asked the driver to make two trips to deliver the other things.
Their wedding was to be held at the Xia family's house, but they also had to invite other comrades to have some wedding candy, and those with whom they had a particularly good relationship had to come to their house for a meal and to warm up the new home.
Xia Qingqing thought that she would let everyone eat and drink on the kang when the time came. As for the east room, she had already changed it into the four-piece set that Xia Zhizhi had given her. The things were so good that she could just use them secretly and there was no need to show them off.
Once things are put away, the homely atmosphere emerges.
Xia Qingqing instructed Wang Zhili to hang up the curtains, and then pasted on the unique wedding character that Ah Ju had cut, and the new house was finally decorated.
The two of them had already obtained their marriage certificate, but they had not yet held a wedding banquet and were still living separately.
Xia Qingqing still lived in her previous dormitory and let Wang Zhili stay here at night, lighting the kang in the west room.
On the way back to the dormitory, Xia Zhizhi asked Xia Qingqing: "My third brother will be back tomorrow, do you want to go home?"
Xia Zhuoyue brought his partner back this time, and returned home earlier than in previous years.
It's a big deal for my younger brother to bring his future sister-in-law home. Xia Qingqing nodded: "Zhili and I will go back together tomorrow."
Xia Zhizhi nodded and decided not to go with them. She had to go to the office to take a shower when she got home at night. She was covered in dust from climbing up and down today.
When they got home, Xia Zhizhi immediately said, "Grandma, you guys go to work tomorrow, so ask Comrade Xiao Zhang to come back and take me to the station. I'll go to the station to pick up my third brother and his girlfriend."
Zeng Zelan naturally couldn't help but praise her: "Oh, that's great, which little girl can be as sensible as our Zhizhi."
It was impossible for the adults to take leave to pick her up, but after all, it was the girl's first time to come to the family, so it was appropriate for Xia Zhizhi, as her younger sister, to go.
Of course if she didn't want to go, the elders wouldn't force her, after all it was freezing cold, and her family subconsciously knew that her health wasn't that great, even though she hadn't even caught a cold in all the time since she came back.
Zeng Zelan was also afraid that she would freeze if she waited too long, so she told her, "Your third brother and his family won't arrive until noon, so don't go too early. He knows his family is going to pick him up, so if he doesn't see the car, he will definitely know to wait. It's okay to ask him to wait a while."
If it was the third brother himself, his family would not pick him up and would definitely let him take the bus back by himself.
It's also because he's getting along well with the right people and has made great progress that I'd deliberately go and pick him up.
It's 2,600 to 2,700 kilometers from Xinjiang to Beijing. Trains are slow these days, and they keep starting and stopping, so it takes five or six days to get there. Xia Zhizhi has taken a train herself and knows how powerful it is, so she had to quickly take the person home to rest.
I hurriedly said, "It's okay. I'll put on more clothes, fill two hot water bottles, and sit in the car. They won't freeze me."
Zeng Zelan saw that she had made up her mind, so she stopped trying to persuade her, but just reminded her to wear more clothes.
Nowadays, you have to be thankful if the train arrives on time. There is no such thing as early arrival. Xia Zhizhi set out after lunch and arrived on time. She even carried a bag with her when she went out.
There was nothing else in the bag, just some toiletries like soap and vanishing cream.
The two of them had been sitting on the train for several days and had been smelt of it. It was their first time to visit their husband's family and as a young girl, she would definitely be concerned about her image. After having been through the hassle of a long train ride, she would probably feel a little embarrassed.
If the train was not delayed too late, Xia Zhizhi would ask them if they wanted to go to the bathhouse to take a bath.
Fortunately, the train was only three hours late.
When she heard the train arrive, Xia Zhizhi got off and waited at the exit.
As the capital, Beijing's train stations always have a large flow of people.
Xia Zhizhi didn't want to be squeezed by others, so she stood far away.
Fortunately, she had good eyesight and saw from a distance her third brother Xia Zhuoyue coming over carrying two large bags.
Xia Zhuoyue was followed by a little girl wearing a military uniform and carrying a green luggage bag. When Xia Zhuoyue wrote to her, she said that her future sister-in-law named Tao Tao would [come to claim her].
Tao Tao had a student hairstyle, a small round face, almond eyes, and a delicate nose. She was very cute and looked very energetic. Even after sitting in the car for so many days, her face did not look tired at all. Xia Zhizhi guessed that the girl must have dressed up before getting off the car.
Xia Zhuoyue was afraid that the person would run away, so he couldn't help but turn his head to talk to his partner while carrying two large packages.
I don't know what he said, but Tao Tao pursed his lips to reveal a shy smile, and his eyes curved into crescent shapes.
Xia Zhizhi was dressed brightly and looked energetic. She just stood there. Xia Zhuoyue saw her from a distance without her even waving, and he came straight to her with his partner.
When the two of them approached, Xia Zhizhi came forward and greeted Tao Tao warmly: "Is it Sister Tao Tao? I am Xia Zhizhi. My third brother mentioned you a lot in his letters. I saw that you are even better than what he said in the letter."
It was the first time that Tao Tao met her partner's family and she was somewhat shy. Even though Xia Zhuoyue had told her many times that her family was easy to get along with, it was still a little bit different when she hadn't met them in person.
Fortunately, she is usually cheerful and lively, and Xia Zhizhi is also very kind.
These days, the attitude of a favored sister-in-law can basically represent the attitude of her husband's family.
Seeing Xia Zhizhi's friendly attitude, she felt less worried and replied with a smile, "I'm Tao Tao, I'm older than you, can I follow Comrade Xia Zhuoyue and call you little sister?"