Starting a new chapter in life

Chapter 133 Treasure 2: He Anzhi

Jing Yan laughed and said, "Children all start growing from this size. You were this small and tender when you were little too."

Ho Chiu-lai's eyes widened: "Really?"

Jingyan nodded affirmatively, and An'an, not to be outdone, climbed onto the kang (a heated brick bed) and stretched out his finger to poke his sister's face. Unexpectedly, as soon as his finger was outstretched, it was grabbed by the baby. He tried to pull his hand away, but it was still held tightly. "Mom, my sister is so strong, she can grab my finger."

Jingyan turned her head to look at him: "Yes, be careful not to hurt your sister. She's still too young and her bones are fragile."

With a new little sister, the two children have something to do. After school, Ho Chiu-lai rushes home, and when his friends invite him to play, he refuses without hesitation: "I'm not going. I need to go home to see my sister. I haven't seen her all day, and she must miss me."

My friend... you're talking like nobody doesn't have a little sister, but thinking about it, it seems like most of the kids around here are boys, and there are really very few little girls. Sigh~ I'm so envious, especially of little sisters like these, they want to see one too.

They asked to see their younger sister, but Ho Chiu-lai refused decisively: "No, Auntie said that my sister is still too young. I have to be very careful when touching her. If you all come, you will hurt her."

He Zhijun, who was returning home, overheard this. For a moment, he didn't know how to tell the silly child. There was something wrong with his words. He couldn't hurt the little sister by touching her, but the child's bones were too soft to be touched forcefully. Oh well, there was no use in saying this now. He just needed to know not to bring the child home to pet the little sister.

After arriving home, He Zhijun told Jingyan what he had overheard on the way, which amused Jingyan. "Doesn't this child know that there's a grammatical error in what he said? Luckily, Erbao is still young, otherwise, if he said something like 'touching his sister,' he could easily end up in the police station."

However, the most urgent thing now is to name the second child. After searching for a long time, we finally settled on the name He Anzhi. Jin An, Anzhi, the two of us who are terrible at naming decided on the child's name just like that. The second child's nickname is Zhizhi.

With the arrival of a younger child, An'an felt like the older brother and actually became much more sensible. He would often squat on the kang (a heated brick bed) and watch over his younger sister. Sometimes, he would end up lying down next to his sister and fall asleep.

Jingyan saw him like this several times and was really worried, so she told her grandmother. Her grandmother was very open-minded: "It's okay. It's good that he knows how to protect his sister. It's good to train a child to be responsible from a young age. He won't have to worry about finding a wife when he grows up."

Jingyan...

During the National Day holiday, He Jiaoxu and his wife took a bus to visit their granddaughter. He Jiaoxu told He Zhijun that in order to allow him to go home every day to take care of the child, he could drive the bus until he graduated. As for the ownership of the bus after graduation, they would discuss that later.

He Zhicheng and his wife didn't come this time because the state-run restaurant is busiest during this period, so she couldn't take a day off. He Zhicheng wanted to stay home and be a good husband, so he didn't come. Fortunately, He Chaoli is easygoing and content with his sister; he's a complete sister-lover.

Jingyan was a little worried. These two children doted on their youngest sister so much; wouldn't her daughter become arrogant and domineering when she grew up? She voiced her concerns, but Cui Hongru instead advised her:

“Children who grow up in love will not go astray. Our family is not a wealthy or powerful one, so our child will not grow up to be bad.”

This was the first time Jingyan had ever heard such a statement, but thinking about it, she could understand it. There's always a saying in later generations: behind every bratty child is a bratty parent backing them up. Well, she didn't think she was bratty at all, so her child wouldn't go astray.

During the National Day holiday, He Zhijun indeed kept his word and actually went to get a tubal ligation. The couple lay side by side, creating a rather unusual harmony. Fortunately, his injury healed quickly; he was able to get out of bed in less than three days and was almost fully recovered in five days, so it didn't interfere with his schooling.

Jingyan said she was in a double postpartum period, but in fact, after completing her full-month postpartum period, she recovered very well and didn't need any special care afterwards. Taking care of three children at home is not easy, but He Chaoli is not only very worry-free, but he can also take care of An'an.

Therefore, even though she only had a month of postpartum confinement, she couldn't start the braised meat business until the end of November. This time, the daily volume was small, only fifty catties of raw meat per day, and once it was sold out, that was it.

It's probably true that scarcity drives up prices. Because of the limited quantity, people's desire to buy has been stimulated, and the products are almost sold out in half a day, which makes things much easier for the family.

Sister Wang is very insightful. She wasn't upset about losing money because her family stopped making braised meat. Even now that they've started again, she's not particularly happy. She's very easygoing. Perhaps it's this kind of easygoing nature that allows her to turn a bad hand into a good one.

Zhizhi is an easy baby to take care of. She doesn't cry much since birth. When she's hungry, she sucks her fingers. When she's wet or soiled, she whimpers. In short, she doesn't cry or fuss. Even though she's three months old, the neighbors can't hear any noise from the newborn. I guess she's not disturbing the neighbors.

Life was peaceful and settled, and the year 1980 passed uneventfully. He Zhijun was also facing the issue of job placement after graduation. The value of the first batch of college graduates was beyond doubt, so it was easy to find a job. He Zhijun's school was a good school, and many companies were eager to hire its graduates.

He Zhijun has been very busy lately, choosing his preferred employer from the jobs recommended by the school. His major was still relatively new at the time, with a wide range of applications and many suitable job opportunities.

Moreover, he was recruited from the military, so his political background check was fine. After careful consideration, he finally chose Jiangnan Shipyard, which was under the Ministry of Shipbuilding Industry.

When he returned home and told everyone the news, his grandmother was delighted. Jingyan, who didn't understand these things, could only ask, "Shipyard? You're going to manufacture ships? Is this considered a classified unit?"

He Zhijun shook his head: "It's not a classified unit. Its main business is building and repairing various ships and processing large steel structures. It's also a specialized shipyard that builds various engineering vessels."

"We can build warships for the nation, and we can also build fishing boats for the people. I'm mainly responsible for the propulsion system, which is just one part of the whole."

Jing Yan nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly thought of something: "What about the salary and benefits?"

He Zhijun chuckled: "My stipend during my school years was 56 yuan a month, but when I joined the shipyard, it was 78 yuan. Although it was only a 22 yuan increase, my rank was promoted two levels, and I became a full company commander."

"Didn't you leave the military? How come you still have the same military rank when you go back to work?" Jing Yan asked, puzzled.

“Although I work at a shipyard, I am under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Shipbuilding Industry, which is a state-owned unit with a military background. So I am actually still a soldier, but I only do technical production work. The nature of my work is safe, so don’t worry,” He Zhijun reassured her.

Jing Yan frowned, thinking of those spy dramas from later years, and instructed, "I don't understand your work, but I know that there are still bad elements within our country."

If your work is related to the military, it means you'll have access to classified documents and materials. If you ever come into contact with those documents, you must be extremely careful about their security, as well as your own safety.

He Zhijun exclaimed as if he had discovered a new continent, "Jing Yan, you know about these things?"

Jing Yan shook her head and said honestly, "I don't know, but my older brother told me that when working in a government department, a lot of confidential information is targeted by bad elements, so he is very careful and meticulous in his work. I think if you are all working for the country, you should be similar. Just a friendly reminder."

He Zhijun didn't suspect anything, but he felt her idea was quite unusual. Her explanation cleared up his doubts, and he promised to be careful. And so, He Zhijun informed her that she would graduate in July and start work in August.

His workplace was even further from home, and it was inconvenient to go home every day even by car. Therefore, He Zhijun started living in the dormitory again, returning home once a week on the weekend.

Since the jeep was no longer needed, He Jiaoxu sent He Zhicheng to drive it back to Yangzhou. The three children at home had gotten used to having their father (uncle) around every day, and suddenly not seeing him made them depressed for a few days. Fortunately, the children forgot quickly and returned to their happy baby state a few days later.

He Zhijun works on an independent island, which houses a shipyard and a military factory. Since all the employees work on the island, the facilities are also well-equipped. Therefore, the staff dormitories and family quarters on the island are newly built, as well as a kindergarten, primary school, and junior high school. The teachers are all elites transferred from the military.

After his work got back on track, he came back and mentioned this to Jingyan. Jingyan knew without much thought that he wanted his family to live there. He Zhijun's idea was that his professional title allowed him to apply for a two-bedroom apartment, which was fine except for being a little small.

Jingyan didn't really want to live apart from her husband. Putting aside the relationship between husband and wife, the child also needed his father's company. However, if they moved there, there would only be two rooms, and the area would be no more than 60 square meters. There wouldn't be enough room for everyone in the family. She couldn't just leave her grandmother here.

"What are the houses like over there? Please wait a bit before applying for housing allocation. Is there a hospital on the island? Grandma is getting old, and if we move there, we must take her with us. If the medical resources are insufficient, then we won't go there yet." Jingyan said very seriously.

He Zhijun understood Jing Yan's concerns: "A military hospital has been built there. I heard that the doctors there are very skilled. After all, whether it's a military factory or a shipyard, many of the R&D personnel are national treasures. The country values ​​their health, so the medical staff they've coordinated are all very good."

"What about housing? Your professional title allows you to apply for housing allocation, but a two-bedroom apartment is too small for us. Are there any larger apartments available?" Jingyan was very insistent on this.

He Zhijun thought for a moment, then scratched his head: "I know there's a military family compound behind the family quarters. It's still under construction. I passed by there once, and it seemed like they were all detached houses."

I've inquired; each building is three stories high, and supposedly even has a basement. However, those kinds of houses are reserved for high-ranking officials; my rank is too low to qualify.

"Then go back and find out if you're not eligible to apply for housing in that area. Can we buy it ourselves? And how much would it cost?"

"You have a housing quota, so we can upgrade it ourselves with our own money. But if we pay for it ourselves, the house will be ours and won't belong to the public anymore. You need to find out all of this clearly," Jing Yan instructed.

He Zhijun's eyes widened: "You have quite the ambition. That house is huge, the first floor alone is over 100 square meters, four floors in total, and there's a big yard. Can we afford it?"

"That depends on how you plan to sell the house. If you're selling it as a 300-400 square meter property, we should be fine. We have 24,000 yuan in our savings account."

If there's a shortage, it probably won't be by much. Once I get there, if I can open a shop nearby selling braised food and barbecue, I should be able to save up some money quickly.

"But you need to find out first how many employees there are. I think it'll be hard to make money with just two or three thousand people. If there are tens of thousands, then it's a small city, and the food industry there definitely has a bright future." Jing Yan took out her family's savings book and showed it to He Zhijun.

He Zhijun was completely shocked: "You earned all of this from selling braised meat?"

Jingyan shook her head: "It's not just braised meat, it's also your salary. This is all the money our family has."

"My salary is so low, and we still have daily expenses. I'm not even sure if my little bit of money will be enough for everyone's needs, let alone saving any. Sigh, what kind of husband am I?"

"Don't worry, honey. When I get back, I'll inquire about that military compound. After all, I have a military rank, so I'm somehow connected to the military."

He Zhijun, who was originally hesitant and conflicted, decided to swallow his pride and ask around after looking at the bankbook. His wife had already worked very hard, and he couldn't let her live in such a cramped environment.

Jing Yan didn't have high hopes. The military compound was supposed to be housing for high-ranking military officials, so security would be extremely tight. He Zhijun's rank was too low.

Forget about applying for a spot, she probably wouldn't even be able to get in to take a look. She's starting to regret it now. She shouldn't have blurted out that she wanted that kind of house. If Zhijun's application is rejected, how embarrassing would that be? He's only been working here for a short time.

He Zhijun went out, and his grandmother came over when she saw Jingyan looking worried: "Jingyan, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

Jingyan recounted her earlier slip of the tongue about wanting to buy the military family housing on the island, feeling a little uneasy: "Grandma, what if Zhijun's application doesn't go through? Will it affect his confidence?"

Actually, it's already quite remarkable that he's achieved so much at his age. How could I have been so thoughtless? In other people's families, someone like him would be a god. I've always been too casual with him, and if he suffers another setback in this matter..."

Grandma looked at her worried face and gently patted her: "You have to believe that the men in our family are not weak. Even if he doesn't get the application this time, he won't doubt himself. Give him more trust and don't worry."