Starting a new chapter in life

Chapter 183 He Ci'en's Dormitory

When He Ci'en wrote back about this, it surprised his family. They were surprised that he would allow others to enter his territory. His family was relieved that he was no longer a lone wolf.

For the past few years, Jingyan had been trying to get her uncle and aunt to visit Ci'en in Beijing, but her uncle had refused, preferring to stay home with his three young children. His two sons hadn't returned from the Northwest in recent years either, though they had written quite a few letters, so it wasn't as if they hadn't heard from him at all.

Time flies. He Ci'en didn't go home for winter break during her senior year of college; she only called home during the Chinese New Year. Oh, and after He Chaoli was admitted to high school in 1988, Jing Yan installed a telephone at home and another at the shop.

The store is convenient for communicating with the outside world. Companies and institutions that need to have a meal, team building, or hold a banquet in advance can call to arrange the time and specifications. This way, people don't have to go out, which is simple and convenient.

As for home, He Ci'en is so far away, and it's quite inconvenient to have to call He Zhijun at the shipyard if there's anything. So it's better to install a phone at home too, so we can just call home directly. Anyway, Grandma is home every day, so we won't have trouble finding her.

In the blink of an eye, He Ci'en graduated from university. His family was waiting for news of his job assignment. They originally thought he would return to the Shanghai Institute of Technology, but they didn't expect him to stay at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology in Beijing. Although it was far from home, it was a unit that many people wanted to get into but couldn't. This made his family extremely happy.

Jingyan's biggest concern was whether the unit had dormitories, how many people shared a room, and whether housing would be allocated... Of course, it would be best if she could be assigned a wife, otherwise, with He Ci'en's taciturn nature and her immortal-like temperament, it would be up to fate to see when she could bring someone back on her own, which was too unreliable.

Upon hearing this, He Ci'en on the other end of the phone blushed deeply and stammered, "Auntie, this isn't urgent. I'll focus on establishing myself at my workplace first before considering personal matters. We haven't discussed housing, but there are dormitories available. I've been assigned a double room, and the conditions are quite good."

Jingyan couldn't sit still any longer. She handed the phone to her grandmother so they could talk to Ci'en, while she pulled He Zhijun aside and said, "Zhijun, why don't we go to Beijing to see Ci'en? If he doesn't get housing, he'll have to stay in a dormitory, and it's really inconvenient for two people to share a room."

"Let's go check it out this time. If it really doesn't work out, we can always buy a place for Ci'en over there. Anyway, I have some money on hand, so we can consider it an investment."

He Zhijun... "Jingyan, Ci'en is just a nephew, not our son. I estimate that even when our son grows up, you might not be so generous and attentive. Aren't you being too good to Ci'en?"

Jingyan was a little confused: "Why is there a problem? Houses will become more and more valuable in the future. It is not encouraged to buy and sell houses now. Otherwise, I would have asked my brother to buy a few houses in Shanghai and wait for them to appreciate. Ci'en may not be living comfortably there. Since buying a house can improve his comfort and is also a form of investment, why wouldn't I do it?"

Although he's my nephew, this kid is the star of our family's academic success. No one, not even our children or my uncle's children, can compare to him in studies, so naturally I pay more attention to him. What do you mean by that? If I could just take him and make him my son, I'd absolutely agree.”

He Zhijun… “You really think highly of me. Although my elder brother and sister-in-law don’t pay much attention to Ci’en, she’s still their biological daughter. You make it sound so easy for you to bring her over. Since you think it’s an investment, I can only accompany you on this trip. I’ve saved up some vacation days over the years. How long will it take?”

"Tentatively for one month?" Jing Yan asked tentatively.

He Zhijun did the math and nodded: "Okay, I'll ask the factory for leave tomorrow. We're currently finishing up a project, and we don't have a clear direction for the next one yet. I'm not busy right now, so going out for a while shouldn't be a problem."

Jingyan stepped forward and hugged him: "Zhijun, you are so good to me."

He Zhijun rubbed her head: "I'm not afraid of anything else, but I'm afraid that you've become too ambitious. Recently, several of my colleagues in the factory have been having family conflicts and have been neglecting their work. I heard that their wives are getting divorced and their homes are not peaceful."

Jingyan frowned: "There's always a reason for divorce. It doesn't happen suddenly and suddenly there's a lot of commotion."

He Zhijun sighed and shook his head: "Those people aren't from my department. I only heard some gossip, and I don't know the specifics. But right now, people in the factory are restless, and I'm afraid you'll find me boring and busy. Jingyan, if you have any complaints about me, just tell me directly, and I'll try my best to change. Can we not get a divorce?"

Jingyan tilted her head and looked at him, then smiled: "Of course, as long as you don't betray me or abandon our marriage, we can live together until we grow old. But if you have a change of heart, Zhijun, either don't let me know, or... I will never just make do with life. Anyway, I can live just fine without you."

He Zhijun solemnly promised: "I will never have any other thoughts, and I will only be loyal to you for the rest of my life."

Jingyan stepped forward and hugged him, burying her face in his shoulder, her movements dependent. He Zhijun wrapped his arms around her tightly, oblivious to the clarity in her eyes. She never believed in promises; she only knew that money and career had to be in her own hands.

No matter what the future holds, as long as she can live her life well, that's enough. She can rely on a man, or she can abandon him without hesitation; it all depends on the man's own choice.

Traveling as a couple is indeed much simpler than traveling as a family. Grandma knew what Jingyan was planning, and since she was home, the couple didn't need to bring much money; they only took two thousand yuan.

However, they've started using the fourth set of RMB banknotes now, with the largest denomination being 100 yuan. Carrying 2,000 yuan isn't much. If they need money over there, they can just call back, and Grandma will take the family's savings book to the post office to send them money.

Upon arriving in Beijing, the couple went straight to Fengtai District. They found a guesthouse first, as there were no hotels nearby. Fortunately, they were both young, so the accommodations were acceptable. After dropping off their luggage...

After wandering around the research institute area, Jing Yan sadly discovered that it was truly remote, probably in the suburbs, and there were armed police officers standing guard at the entrance, which looked very imposing.

There were no residential communities within three or four kilometers of the research institute, so the couple had to look outwards. Finally, they found a community about seven or eight kilometers away from the research institute. The houses were built three or four years ago and the conditions were good, but the distance... Jingyan was not satisfied.

“It takes at least half an hour to cycle here from the research institute, and it could take forty or fifty minutes if you go a little slower. The child is already tired after a long day at work, and it’s not appropriate for the journey to take so long,” Jing Yan said to He Zhijun, shaking her head.

He Zhijun asked, "How about we get Ci'en a motorcycle? Those things are fast, and we can get there in a quarter of an hour at most."

Jingyan pondered for a moment: "Let's go find Ci'en first and see where his dormitory is and what the accommodation conditions are like. Our hotel is a bit far from here, so let's find a car first, so we don't end up stranded here because we can't find a car."

He Zhijun also felt they needed to prepare in advance, so the two of them left the residential area to look for a vehicle nearby. Surprisingly, while other vehicles might be hard to find these days, there were still quite a few pedicabs available.

They were all unemployed, idle men with plenty of strength. All they needed was a long bench nailed to a passenger vehicle on their tricycle. Some of them would even add a rain canopy and cover the bench with a soft cushion, making it even more comfortable to use.

The couple found a kind-looking man, gave him the address of the research institute, and explained that he needed to wait for them there because they would need to take him to the guesthouse after they met their family.

The driver quoted a price of ten yuan, including a ride to the guesthouse. Although it was a bit expensive, it was getting late, and convenience and safety were the most important things. He Zhijun readily agreed, and the driver also readily let the two of them get on the tricycle. With a quick pedal stroke, the tricycle started moving, and the speed... well, it was quite fast.

Upon arriving at the research institute, He Zhijun explained his purpose to the gatekeeper, who then made a phone call inside. Shortly after, He Ci'en rushed out, still catching her breath when she saw the two of them.

"Auntie, Uncle, what brings you here?" He Ci'en was overjoyed.

Jingyan stepped forward, grabbed his arm, and looked him over again: "You kid, you look like you've lost a lot of weight since you came back last year. Are you too busy with work? How's the company cafeteria? Are you used to the food? And what about the accommodation? How are you getting along with your roommates?"

He Ci'en smiled and nodded: "Auntie, working is more tiring than going to school. It's mainly because I'm just starting out and I haven't figured out many things yet, so it's more tiring. It will be better once I get used to it."

My colleagues are all easy to get along with, and my roommate isn't very talkative either; we get along fairly well. As for the accommodations… I'll register with the security guard at the gate, and you can come with me to see for yourselves. It'll be more intuitive than me describing it.”

He Zhijun and Jing Yan nodded, watching He Ci'en go to register. He Zhijun went to the driver and spoke to him, handing him five yuan: "This is the portion you brought us over. Please wait here for us for a moment."

"We'll go check on the children's dormitory first and come out as soon as possible. Then you can take us to the guesthouse, otherwise it will get dark soon, and it's too far for the two of us to walk."

The driver, having received some money, felt relieved and nodded repeatedly: "You guys go in, it's alright. Even if I go home early, I'll just be going home anyway. I won't get any work at this hour anyway. Waiting here a bit won't hurt."

"Don't worry, you've come all this way to see the child, so we want to make sure you're well taken care of. Even if it gets dark, it's fine. I'm a local; I can walk around these places with my eyes closed and not get lost. Don't worry."

After thanking He Ci'en repeatedly, the couple followed her to the research institute's accommodation area, where they had already registered: "Our accommodation and offices are two separate areas, otherwise it wouldn't have been so easy for us to bring our family members in."

However, the unit also has regulations that visiting family members cannot stay for more than two hours. After all, the research institute is considered a classified unit, and security is a top priority.

He Zhijun nodded in understanding. After entering the accommodation area, there were several dormitory buildings. He Ci'en pointed to one on the side: "This building is the dormitory for this year's newcomers. It is less than a quarter full. The rest are said to be reserved for newcomers next year and the year after."

"Are all these buildings assigned based on years of service?" He Zhijun asked, puzzled.

He Ci'en nodded: "I heard from other colleagues that newcomers at the same time are all assigned to the same dormitory building so that everyone can spend more time together. Of course, men and women live in separate buildings, but there are very few female colleagues in the research institute. There is only one building at the very back, and it seems that it is not full."

Jingyan sighed: "Yes, the male-to-female ratio is seriously imbalanced. Ci'en, you didn't even solve your personal problem in college, and now you've entered a research institute that's like a monastery. Are you planning to stay single forever?"

He Ci'en looked a little awkward and retorted in a low voice, "None of us in the same cohort have partners, it's not just me."

Jingyan looked at him in surprise: "Not bad, you know how to talk back now. That's much better than before. Before, even if you disagreed with our ideas, you wouldn't say anything. At most, you would just listen without doing anything. It seems that starting work has really changed you."

I'm just asking about your personal life. Marriage is a lifelong commitment, so you should find someone with similar interests and things to talk about. Don't just get married for the sake of getting married; if things turn out chaotic after marriage, it will affect your work performance.

He Ci'en nodded quickly: "I knew it, Auntie is the most open-minded elder."

Jingyan laughed and said to him, "You always know how to coax me."

He Zhijun also joked with a smile: "Indeed, among these children, your aunt really likes you the most, even An'an comes second."

He Ci'en's dormitory was on the second floor, to the right of the stairwell. Upon entering, the room was indeed quite large, with two single beds on the east and west sides, and the window facing south, receiving good sunlight. Two desks were placed side by side under the window, each with a desk lamp.

There is a small room on the left side of the entrance, which is where they wash their faces and take showers. However, there is no toilet there. The toilet is located at the end of each floor, which is convenient.

There were two large wardrobes on the right side of the entrance, one for each of them, and they weren't locked. It seemed that the two of them had a good relationship, as they didn't even install locks. "Which one is your bed?" Jingyan asked.

“That’s my bed on the left,” He Ci’en replied.

The sheets were neatly laid out, a pillowcase was on the pillow, and the quilt was folded up straight. Jingyan went over and touched the mattress underneath, then tugged at the quilt. "Ci'en, the cotton in this quilt is a bit stiff. Isn't it too heavy and not soft enough?"

He Ci'en thought for a moment and shook her head: "I don't feel it, Auntie. I air out my bedding every two or three months, so it's not damp."

"Besides visiting you, your uncle and I were also thinking of buying an apartment near your workplace so you wouldn't have to live with anyone else and could have your own space..."

"Auntie," He Ci'en interrupted Jing Yan, "I'm living quite well here, I don't need to buy another house. The school apartment was indeed very convenient for me, but it was a six-person room back then. Now my room here is spacious enough for two people."

The research institute might build a residential area for families in the future, and I should be eligible for housing then. You work hard to earn money, so save it for An'an and Zhizhi's schooling, buying a house, and getting married.