Chapter 56: Moving into the Army Compound

After more than an hour, they finally arrived at the army station.

Su Yue had been observing carefully along the way. She discovered that Han Aiguo’s army station was indeed remote. There was only a single trail leading from Wenxiang, where they had gotten off the bus, and along the route lay just one small village. The closer they got to the station, the fewer people they saw. By the time they arrived, Su Yue looked around and realized that apart from the surrounding mountains and rivers, there wasn’t a single village in sight. The place felt utterly cut off from the world.

She couldn’t help but worry about her future life here. Wouldn’t it be terribly inconvenient to buy even the simplest things?

As though sensing her concerns, Zhuzhu spoke up cheerfully, “Sister-in-law, our place is a bit remote, but for the convenience of family members, the army has arranged a shuttle bus. It runs between the camp and the commune twice a day; once in the morning and once in the evening, so that family members can go shopping. Some sisters-in-law even work in the commune, so they take the shuttle every day.”

Su Yue’s eyes brightened immediately. A shuttle bus! That was wonderful. At least she wouldn’t need to trek out on foot whenever she needed something.

Zhuzhu drove them directly to the family quarters. The building was a plain five-story structure, its surface coated with cement. Though it wasn’t particularly attractive, in this era it was considered very good. Each floor housed two families, with uniform red wooden doors and staircases separating the units.

On the first floor was a small cement courtyard strung with ropes, covered in drying quilts and clothes. Judging by the amount hanging there, quite a number of families lived in the building.

Zhuzhu helped Han Aiguo carry their luggage up to the third floor. Stopping at a door on the left, he took a key from his pocket and handed it over. “Company Commander, this is the house assigned to your family. Here’s the key. The commander asked that you tidy it up first before reporting back to work.”

Han Aiguo nodded. “Thank you.”

Zhuzhu scratched his head sheepishly. “Company Commander, if you need to buy something from town or move heavy things, just ask the brothers. We’re happy to help carry the load.”

Han Aiguo smiled and patted his shoulder. “I won’t be polite, then.”

He unlocked the door, and Su Yue peeked inside. The home had a simple layout of two rooms and one living room. The walls were plastered white, making the space bright, but it was completely bare, not even a bench to sit on.

Su Yue had originally intended to invite Zhuzhu in for tea, but seeing the state of the house, she could only smile apologetically. “Zhuzhu, we haven’t bought anything yet, not even hot water to serve you. We’ll treat you to a meal after we’ve settled in properly.”

Hosting a meal was a way of celebrating a new home.

Zhuzhu grinned honestly. “Alright, sister-in-law, I’ll look forward to that. If you need anything before then, just call me.”

Su Yue couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Soldiers really were such straightforward, genuine people. It was so easy and comfortable to get along with them. No wonder Han Aiguo loved the army so much.

After checking that everything was fine, Zhuzhu headed back to report to his unit.

Han Aiguo looked around the empty rooms. With nowhere to sit, nothing to drink, and nothing to do inside, he said, “I’ll go borrow a truck from logistics. Let’s head to town and buy what we need so you can cook tonight.”

Su Yue bit her lip, a little worried. “But where do we even buy furniture? We’ll need a bed, a wardrobe, a table… Can we even get those?” In this era, unlike later generations, one couldn’t simply walk into a store and buy furniture.

Han Aiguo smiled. “Do you remember that small village we passed on the way?”

Su Yue nodded. “Yes, Xiaowang Village. Why?”

“There’s an old carpenter there; his craftsmanship is excellent. Most of the soldiers’ families here have him make their furniture.”

Su Yue’s eyes widened in surprise. “Then we can ask him to make ours too?”

Han Aiguo chuckled. “I already thought of that. Months ago, I sent a telegram to the camp and asked Zhuzhu to place an order with him. By now it should be finished and waiting for us.”

Su Yue froze for a moment, then leapt onto him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and planted a big kiss on his cheek. “Comrade Han Aiguo, you’re amazing! You’ve prepared everything already.”

Startled, Han Aiguo glanced quickly at the wide-open door. Thankfully, no one was passing by, otherwise he would have died of embarrassment. He gave her bottom a light pat and murmured, “The door isn’t closed. What if someone sees?”

Su Yue only grinned mischievously, bit his nose, and teased, “And what if they do?”

Han Aiguo pursed his lips and pressed two hard kisses on her mouth. “Even if the door’s wide open, you can still sit on my shoulders if you like.”

Su Yue giggled softly.

After their playful banter, the two went to the logistics department. Upon hearing that Han Aiguo wanted to fetch furniture, they happily lent him a large military supply truck.

Su Yue was stunned when she saw it. “Can you even drive this?” she blurted out.

But to her amazement, Han Aiguo climbed into the driver’s seat and handled the massive vehicle with practiced ease.

Her eyes widened. “Comrade Han Aiguo, you can drive a truck?”

He nodded, eyes fixed on the road. “After being in the army for so many years, I’ve learned to drive all sorts of vehicles. When I first enlisted, I worked in logistics. That’s where I learned to drive trucks for supply runs.”

“Then… can you drive ordinary cars too?”

“Of course. They’re all similar.”

Su Yue blinked at him. “What else can you drive?”

Han Aiguo thought for a moment. “Do tanks count?”

Su Yue gaped at him in awe. “Comrade Han Aiguo, you’re too versatile. Please accept my knees.”

(Translator’s Note: “Please accept my knees” is a Chinese idiom meaning deep admiration, as if saying, ‘I bow to your greatness.’)

Han Aiguo laughed and reached over to ruffle her hair. “There you go again with words I don’t understand.”

Su Yue just chuckled in delight.

Two hours later, they arrived at Wenxiang’s supply and marketing cooperative. Su Yue had saved up plenty of ration tickets before leaving, and Old Lady Han had also pressed all her tickets into Su Yue’s hands, along with a thousand yuan. The old lady insisted they’d need money for everything here, no matter how Su Yue reassured her.

So now, Su Yue wasted no time. She bought everything they needed; from rice, oil, and salt to daily necessities. She even managed to get a stove at a good price, since the local homes didn’t have earthen stoves like the villages did. Cooking and boiling water would rely on this stove.

On the way back, they passed through Xiaowang Village. Han Aiguo steered the truck straight to the carpenter’s house. The children of the village gathered around the large green military truck, their faces full of curiosity. Some reached out to touch it, whispering in awe.

Han Aiguo paid them no mind and led Su Yue into the yard. It was crammed with timber and finished furniture, leaving only a narrow footpath through the middle.

“Carpenter Wang, are you here?” Han Aiguo called out.

“Here, here!” came the reply. A man of about fifty emerged from the house, a wood plane still in hand, clearly interrupted from his work.

“You here to pick up furniture?” he asked.

Han Aiguo nodded. “Yes. I’m Han Aiguo. Months ago, I asked you to make a batch for me. Is it finished? I’m here to take it back.”

Recognition dawned on the carpenter’s face. “Ah, right! You’re with the army, aren’t you? A young soldier came by to place the order. It’s all ready. You can load it up right away.”

He pointed to a neat row of furniture stacked to the left of the yard. “That whole row there is yours.”

Su Yue glanced at the furniture and found there was quite a lot of it.

The old carpenter listed it out: “Two beds, two bedside tables, a dining table, eight chairs, a writing desk, two wardrobes, a cabinet, and a large bathtub.”

Han Aiguo nodded. “Yes, thank you, Carpenter Wang. How much does it cost?”

Carpenter Wang explained the price of each piece, and the two of them began to count out the money.

Meanwhile, Su Yue’s eyes wandered over the other furniture in the yard. She quickly noticed that everything looked almost the same; limited in variety and style. None of it resembled the furniture she truly wanted.

This military family building was her and Han Aiguo’s very first home together, a place that finally belonged to them alone. She wanted to decorate it warmly, beautifully with something that felt like home. In her heart, she dreamed of furnishing it in a modern, twenty-first-century style.

For example, the living room shouldn’t only have a few stiff wooden chairs. At the very least, there should be a sofa and a coffee table. But could a carpenter here even make that?

Su Yue asked curiously, “Master, can you make a sofa?”

Carpenter Wang was surprised. A sofa? That was something only wealthy families in the city used. Ordinary households never bought them as they were too expensive and too impractical. In all his years as a carpenter here, not a single person had ever asked him to make one.

Still, that didn’t mean he had never seen one.

A good craftsman had to keep up with the times. He’d come across sofas before, mostly in the city.

“I have seen one,” he admitted. “It’s basically a set of wooden benches; one long, two short and with cotton padding on top. It’s not difficult to make, though it requires quite a bit of wood, so it’ll be expensive. Do you really want one?”

Su Yue realized from his description that he meant the old-style Chinese daybed sofa. It wasn’t the same as the sponge sofas she was used to in modern times, but still, it would be wonderful to have one in this era. Sponge sofas wouldn’t even appear until years later.

“That would be perfect,” she said with a smile. “If you can make it, Carpenter Wang, then please build us a set of sofa and coffee table together.”

Carpenter Wang was intrigued. He had never built a sofa before, but if he crafted one now and others saw it, maybe more people would order one. Wouldn’t that be another innovation in his craft?

“Alright,” he agreed. “Since you want it, I’ll push my other work back. I’ll finish yours first. Come pick it up in five days.”

“Thank you so much, Carpenter Wang.”

—

Back at the family building, Han Aiguo called a few young soldiers over to help. Together, they carried the heavy furniture into the house.

The commotion must have been noticeable, because the door next to theirs suddenly opened ans stepped out a very fashionable-looking woman in her mid-twenties. She had permed curls, wore a coat with a bright red scarf tied around her neck, and high-heeled leather shoes clicked against the floor as she moved. She looked at them curiously.

Su Yue guessed she must be the neighbor next door. Since they would be living side by side, it was best to build a good relationship early. She smiled warmly and greeted, “Hello, sister. We just moved in today. My name is Su Yue.”

The woman’s eyes swept over Su Yue and lingered on her clothing. Everything Su Yue wore was new, in a fashionable style, and nothing like the plain clothes of ordinary rural women.

She smiled faintly. “Hello, Comrade Su Yue. My name is Fang Xiaoli. May I ask, who is your husband?”

Su Yue returned the smile. “My husband is Han Aiguo.”

Fang Xiaoli paused, remembering something. She vaguely recalled her husband mentioning last year that there was a battalion commander surnamed Han who had gone home after his leg was injured and disabled.

She asked with a polite smile, “I think I’ve heard my husband mention it. Is your husband the same Han Aiguo who was injured before?”

But hadn’t his leg been useless? And wasn’t he supposed to be from the countryside? Why did his wife look nothing like a rural woman? Could it be a different Han Aiguo than the one she thought of?

Su Yue nodded. “Yes, but his leg is healed now.”

So it really was that Han Aiguo.

Fang Xiaoli kept her smile, though her tone cooled slightly. “Sister, you’re very beautiful. Company Commander Han is lucky to have married you. How did you two meet?”

Su Yue replied casually, “We’re from the same village.”

That surprised Fang Xiaoli as she had assumed Su Yue was from the city.

“That’s nice,” Fang Xiaoli said flatly. Then, with no further warmth, she made an excuse. “I still need to prepare dinner, so I’ll head back first. You two get settled.”

She turned, entered her apartment, and shut the door with a loud bang.

Su Yue frowned slightly. The neighbor had seemed friendly enough at first, but her attitude suddenly turned cold. Was she imagining it? They had only just met; there was no reason for hostility. Perhaps the woman simply had a difficult personality.

Not dwelling on it, Su Yue turned back inside to continue tidying up.

The little soldiers worked quickly, moving all the furniture into place without needing much direction. Once finished, they prepared to leave.

Seeing this, Su Yue hurried to her luggage, took out the candies she had brought, and handed each soldier a generous handful. “Thank you all for your hard work. There isn’t much at home yet, but please take this candy. I hope you don’t mind.”

Some of the soldiers were barely teenagers, their faces still soft with youth. Their ears turned red with embarrassment. One stammered, “Sister-in-law, you don’t need to! Keep it for yourself.”

Candy was precious in these times and people only brought it out during joyous occasions or when entertaining honored guests. For Su Yue to hand it out so freely made the young men feel almost guilty.

But Su Yue insisted, pressing the sweets into their hands. “Take it. We have plenty at home. Once our kitchen is set up, I’ll invite you all for dinner.”

Han Aiguo added firmly, “Don’t be polite with your sister-in-law. Take it.”

Reluctantly, the young soldiers accepted. Their hearts warmed. This sister-in-law wasn’t just kind; she was generous. They had helped other families move before, but at most they’d been offered a glass of water, sometimes not even that. Nobody had ever treated them this sincerely.

Smiling, they left with candies in hand.

Su Yue and Han Aiguo continued unpacking together, putting things in order. While they worked, Su Yue asked curiously, “Who lives next door? I just talked to the sister, but she didn’t mention who her husband is.”

Han Aiguo nodded knowingly. “That’s the home of Group Commander Feng Junwei; my direct superior. Once we finish settling in, we should pay a visit. After all, we’ll be neighbors.”

So it was her husband’s commanding officer. That explained a lot.

Su Yue thought for a moment. “Tomorrow I’ll make some snacks and bring them over as a greeting gift.”

Even if Fang Xiaoli wasn’t very warm, it was still right to exchange greetings as new neighbors.

By the time they finished unpacking, it was already past eight in the evening. After such a long, busy day, both of them were exhausted. Su Yue quickly made a simple meal of fried noodles, and they sat together at the table for their very first dinner in this new home. The food was plain, but the warmth of the moment made it special.

This was their home.

While eating, Han Aiguo said, “Tomorrow I’ll return to the army and resume my duties. You’ll be home alone. If you feel bored, you can go downstairs and chat with the other sisters-in-law.”

Su Yue imagined a group of women sitting together, knitting sweaters, sewing soles, patching clothes, gossiping. It felt a little strange as she had never joined such gatherings before.

Smiling, she replied, “Once I get to know them better, I’ll invite them over for tea. For now, I’ve got plenty to do; cleaning the house, pickling vegetables and bacon, making snacks. And aren’t we going to host your comrades in a few days? We’ll need something to serve them.”

“Alright,” Han Aiguo said. “I’ll decide who to invite and let you know.”

Su Yue thought for a moment. “In a few days, when we pick up the sofa from the carpenter, let’s also go to the supply cooperative to buy whatever else we need, plus some meat. Then we can invite your comrades that same day and make it lively.”

Han Aiguo nodded. “As long as you don’t get bored. If you need to shop before then, you can take the shuttle bus. It stops at the gate of our building every morning at six.”

Translator’s Note:- 

Company (100–200 soldiers) → commanded by a Company Commander (Captain)

Battalion (500–1,000 soldiers) → commanded by a Battalion Commander (Major/Lt. Colonel)

Regiment (2,000–3,000 soldiers) → commanded by a Regiment Commander (Colonel)

Brigade (3,000–5,000 soldiers) → commanded by a Brigade Commander (Colonel/Brigadier General)

Division (10,000–15,000 soldiers) → commanded by a Major General