novellhall Chapter 205 Taking Wenrou to the Beijing Military Region Compound
Chapter 205 Taking Wenrou to the Beijing Military Region Compound
Huo Yanchuan reached out and hugged Wenrou without even turning on the light. As soon as he touched her, he said, "Wife, you've lost weight."
Although Wenrou was thin before, she still had curves in the right places.
Now even the parts that Huo Yanchuan had painstakingly recovered have become much thinner, and his waist is so thin it looks like it would break if pinched.
Huo Yanchuan held his wife in his arms, his heart filled with tenderness.
"Running a transport business is tiring, but you'll get used to it. Let me tell you, I made a fortune this time..." Wenrou couldn't help but share her success with Huo Yanchuan with a happy expression.
Before she could finish speaking, Huo Yanchuan silenced her with a kiss.
He wasn't interested in how much money Wenrou earned; he only felt sorry for how much hardship and exhaustion she had endured on this trip.
For more than two months, Huo Yanchuan hasn't missed a single day.
At that moment, he held her tightly, smelling her familiar scent, and finally felt a little more at ease.
Wenrou missed him too. Originally, this trip would have taken more than a week to deliver the goods, but in order to save time and see her family sooner, she compressed the travel time and completed the task a week ahead of schedule.
She had originally planned to call Huo Yanchuan to tell him the good news, but she didn't expect him to be away from the army.
What was even more unexpected was that he was also in Beijing at this time?
The two hugged for more than half an hour before finally separating.
"You still haven't told me how you ended up here?" Wenrou turned on the light and looked at Huo Yanchuan's familiar face with a look of surprise and delight.
"I originally came to Beijing to take care of some business and came back to visit the old man. When I passed by the guesthouse, I saw the transport team's truck and knew that you were staying here. Xiao Lin told me that you were staying in this room."
Huo Yanchuan was wearing a military uniform at the time, and was probably on his way to the military compound. He probably saw their transport team's vehicle and turned back to find her.
"We're going to the military compound tonight. Grandpa's waiting for me to have dinner there. We'll go over together in a bit," Huo Yanchuan said.
Wenrou had finally come all the way to Beijing, so he wanted to take her to see the place where he used to live.
Grandpa had been talking about bringing Wenrou and the children back all the time, and now he finally had the chance.
Upon hearing that they were going to the military compound, Wenrou hesitated, "Is it too late to go now?"
Huo Yanchuan nodded. "There's still time. There's one more person you definitely want to see."
"Who is it?" Wenrou asked, even more curious after hearing Huo Yanchuan's question.
Huo Yanchuan kept everyone in suspense, saying, "You'll find out when you get there."
"Then wait for me to take a shower and change my clothes." Wenrou was wearing her work clothes, which wasn't appropriate to see people like that, but luckily she had some clean clothes in her bag.
She showered quickly, changed her clothes afterward, and came out.
After explaining the next steps to Wenrou and Xiaolin, she followed Huo Yanchuan to the military compound.
The military compound in Beijing is home to the families of retired cadres like Grandpa Huo, and this is Wenrou's first time visiting.
Unlike the Gobi Desert, the military compounds here are all high-walled and red-brick, and the houses are all multi-story buildings. From a distance, they look solemn and dignified.
The security was extremely tight, with guard posts at the main gate and armed guards standing at the entrance. Anyone who wanted to enter had to be strictly vetted. Even someone like Huo Yanchuan, who grew up in the military compound, couldn't get in without proper identification.
Although the Huo family also owns a house, the old man still prefers to live in the military compound, where his old comrades-in-arms live. He can play chess with them and not be too lonely.
After being checked, Wenrou and Huo Yanchuan finally managed to get in.
The small white buildings inside are all two-story detached houses, which can generally only be lived in by military-level officers. The small red buildings are for division-level and regimental-level officers, and they are three-bedroom, one-living-room houses with a yard.
Ordinary officers usually live in tenement buildings, either in single rooms or shared rooms, with shared kitchens and bathrooms.
Huo Yanchuan led Wenrou to the small white building at the back, where the old man lived.
The old man usually lives alone and is taken care of by a caregiver.
Just as Huo Yanchuan and Wenrou reached the door, the nanny Wu Ma's voice came from inside.
"Xiao Chuan is back. The old man has been waiting for you for a long time. He has reheated the food again and again. Come on in."
After Huo Yanchuan entered, he politely called out, "Aunt Wu."
Wu Ma has lived with the old man here for a long time, and she knows his lifestyle better than the Huo family. She is also an elder who watched Huo Yanchuan grow up.
At that moment, she also noticed Wenrou, and was immediately taken aback, asking, "And who is this?"
Huo Yanchuan introduced her, saying, "She is my lover, and she is gentle."
"Oh, it's Comrade Wen. Please come in quickly, the old man is almost asleep waiting."
Aunt Wu warmly welcomed Wenrou inside, and then went to the kitchen to heat up their food.
The old man was in his study at the time, and came out when he heard the noise.
Seeing Wenrou, a look of joy appeared on his face.
"Xiaorou is back too. Didn't the two children come with you?"
The old man was naturally happy to see his granddaughter-in-law, but he also wanted to see his great-granddaughter.
"They're still at home. We'll bring them over next time we have the chance," she said gently.
Although the old man looked a little disappointed, he was also happy to see his gentle demeanor.
"Okay, I'm already very happy that you can come back. Since you've come all this way, stay home for a few more days."
As the old man spoke, he leaned on his cane and prepared to go downstairs. Seeing this, Wenrou stepped forward and helped the old man down the stairs.
"You haven't eaten yet, have you, Xiao Wu..." The old man called out to the kitchen again, seeing that it was already this late.
"Here it is. I've heated up the food, I'll bring it over right away." Aunt Wu said as she came out of the kitchen carrying a plate.
With a smile on her face, she placed the plate in front of Huo Yanchuan and the old man.
"These are Xiaochuan's favorite dishes since he was a child. The old man told me to buy them early this morning, saying that you were coming back today. You child, you've been gone for so long without ever coming home to visit."
Wu Ma was speaking to Huo Yanchuan. As an elder, she had treated Huo Yanchuan as her own son all these years.
After she finished speaking, she looked at Wenrou and said apologetically, "I'm so sorry. I didn't know that Comrade Wenrou was coming back with me this time, and I didn't prepare your favorite dishes in advance. I'll prepare them for you next time you come back."
Although that's what she said, there was no hint of apology in her tone; in fact, she acted as if she were the lady of the house.
Huo Yanchuan and the old man were both grown men, not as perceptive as women, and didn't understand any subtleties. They couldn't grasp the hidden meaning in Wu Ma's words at all.
However, as a woman herself, Wenrou immediately understood the meaning behind Wu Ma's words.
She smiled and politely said, "Then thank you, Aunt Wu."
"Why are you being so polite with me? I've watched Xiaochuan grow up since she was a child. You're her wife, so we're family. Just let me know if you need anything in the future."
With a smile on her face, Wu Ma looked at Huo Yanchuan with doting eyes, as if she were looking at her own grandson.
At this moment, the old man asked Wu Ma, "Has Sister Lin not eaten yet? Is she getting used to staying here these past few days? Go and call her again, and tell her that Xiao Rou has arrived."
Upon hearing the old man's words, Wu Ma's expression changed slightly.
She responded with a smile and went upstairs to call for someone.
Wenrou looked at the old man after hearing this, and then looked up at the upstairs with a curious expression, wondering who they were talking about and what it had to do with her.
Soon, Aunt Wu led the people down the stairs.
Upon seeing her, Wenrou looked shocked. "Little Aunt, what are you doing here?"
It's been over a year since she left her hometown, and she hasn't seen her aunt. I never expected to see her here.
"Xiao Rou." Seeing Wen Rou, Auntie was also very happy and hurried over.
"Are you feeling alright?" She remembered that her aunt had some difficulty walking and asked her about it the last time she went home. The aunt said it was an old problem.
I was surprised to see her coming downstairs just now; her legs looked much better than before.
"Thanks to Xiaochuan, I thought my leg was going to stay like this for the rest of my life. I didn't expect the doctors in this big city to be so good. My leg is much better now."
Speaking of this, the aunt looked at Huo Yanchuan with gratitude in her eyes.
Upon hearing this, Wenrou turned her head and subconsciously looked at Huo Yanchuan, only to hear him explain with a smile: "As I told you last time, my aunt's husband is the old squad leader that Grandpa has been looking for. After Grandpa had someone bring her to Beijing, I contacted a doctor in Beijing to perform surgery on her, and she has been recuperating here ever since."
Huo Yanchuan had originally wanted to tell her about this last time, but Wenrou was too busy and he hadn't found the time.
This is perfect timing, since she's in Beijing now, so we can arrange for them to meet.
"Sister-in-law, the children are all back, and there's no one to worry about back home. Just settle down here and relax. With Xiaorou here, you'll have company." The old man said at this moment.
During this time, my aunt kept saying she wanted to go back. My grandfather was worried that she would be bullied by her nephews again if she went back, so he thought he would let her stay and recuperate.
Now that Wenrou has helped persuade him, he can save himself a lot of trouble.
Although that's how the old man addressed her, his aunt was actually seven or eight years younger than him, and he only called her that out of respect for his old sergeant.
He owed his old squad leader, Lin, a life, and had been searching for his wife and daughter all these years, wanting to repay him and help him take care of his wife and daughter.
He never expected that fate would be so unfair. After learning about Squad Leader Lin's situation, he rushed over and only to find out that Lin's daughter had died several years ago, leaving his wife alone, who was constantly bullied by her nephews.
She is all alone and has no one to rely on. It must have been very difficult for her to live in an old house for so many years.
Back then, the old man stayed in the town for more than a month before he finally managed to persuade his aunt to go to Beijing for treatment with him.
During the months she stayed here, not only did her leg ailment improve, but her overall spirits also seemed much better than before.
The old man even considered buying her a house in Beijing so she could live there and he could take care of her if anything happened.
But my aunt absolutely refused; she still thought about going back to her hometown every day.
Now that Wenrou has arrived, the old man is also thinking of asking her to help persuade them.
The aunt was also somewhat moved when she heard the old man's words.
Seeing this, Wenrou also spoke up, "Little Aunt, why don't you stay here? I'll come and keep you company with the children after I've finished dealing with things at home."
Wenrou had originally planned to move to Beijing with the children after she finished dealing with things there, and open a transportation team there.
Huo Yanchuan had said long ago that he wanted to take her and the children back to Beijing, and now that dream can finally come true.
Hearing Wenrou say that, the young aunt considered it carefully for a moment, and finally called out to Old Master Huo, "Huo Bingyi."
Huo Yanchuan, who was standing to the side, was also taken aback when he heard her call the old man by his name.
Not only her, but even Wu Ma's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.
Before the old man could speak, she reminded him somewhat disapprovingly, "Comrade Wen Shuzhen, the old man is a military region leader. No one in the entire military region dares to address him by his name directly. How could you..."
"It's alright, sister-in-law, call me whatever you want." Before Wu Ma could finish speaking, the old man interrupted her.
He then looked at his aunt and asked, "Sister-in-law, what do you want me to do?"
Wen Shuzhen glanced at Wu Ma standing to the side. Having lived most of her life, she could naturally tell what kind of person Wu Ma was.
She ignored Wu Ma and continued speaking to Old Master Huo: "Have someone find me a house tomorrow, something quiet will do."
The old man had wanted to help her buy a house for a long time, but she had refused no matter what she said before. Unexpectedly, Wenrou was there today and persuaded her with just a few words.
Hearing that Wen Shuzhen actually wanted the old man to help her buy a house, Wu Ma's face grew even uglier.
She has taken care of the old man here for so many years, and knows his temperament. She has never seen him have such a good temper with anyone.
Wen Shuzhen was the first person to dare to call the old man by his full name.
Not only that, the old man almost always granted her every request. She had never received such treatment in all the years she had served him, which infuriated her.
"Setting up a house must have cost a lot of money, sir..."
Wu Ma was about to stop her when she heard Wenrou say from the side, "How much? I'll pay."
Wenrou could also see that Wu Ma was trying her best to stop the old man from helping his aunt buy a house. It's just a house, how much money could it cost? She would pay for it for her aunt.
Upon hearing this, Wu Ma's eyes flashed with disdain. She thought to herself, "What money could a woman like her have? Isn't her money Xiao Chuan's money, and isn't that the Huo family's money?"
Upon seeing this, Wen Shuzhen immediately said, "I will pay for my own house; I don't want anyone else's money."