Starting a new chapter in life

Chapter 226 Handover

Chen Ping quickly nodded in agreement: "That's right, you don't know, climbing was okay, but coming back was really difficult, it was too rugged. I got tired when I was walking back."

The two children didn't take it seriously, but they didn't continue to criticize. After a while, Zhizhi hesitated and said, "Mom, we've been buying a house, a camera, and a computer lately. Haven't we spent almost all our money?"

Jingyan opened her eyes and smiled at her: "So what if you've finished spending the flowers? So what if you haven't?"

“If we run out of money, that apartment has three bedrooms and a living room, and I can rent out one room. Combined with the rent from Xiaoxiao’s apartment, that will be enough for our living expenses. We won’t need to give our family any more living expenses from now on.”

"If we don't need money at home, we still want living expenses. We won't spend money recklessly; we'll save any extra. I'm worried that I'll need to create independent projects for my internship or graduation, and those things will probably cost a lot to complete." Zhizhi's thoughts were clear.

Jingyan smiled and patted her hand: "Don't worry, just focus on your studies. Your family can afford the tuition and living expenses. We'll support you until you graduate from university. As for after graduation, we'll talk about that then."

"It seems my brothers haven't asked the family for money since graduation, and I don't want to be treated differently." Zhizhi's voice was weak, clearly indicating that she lacked confidence in the future.

Jingyan patted her hand reassuringly: "Your professions are different. With a regular university degree, you can find a job to support yourself after graduation. But we don't understand your line of work; we only know that the income is uncertain and depends entirely on whether you can get work."

So the first few years will definitely be difficult. As for whether things will get better later, it depends on both ability and luck. These are things that cannot be forced, so don't put too much pressure on yourselves. We are buying you houses as a fallback plan.

Zhizhi smiled and said, "Mom, I will definitely study hard and try to get a scholarship. I won't date during college. I will work hard for my future."

Hearing her child's resolute promise, Jing Yan coughed and said, "Actually, there's really no need to avoid dating. If you meet the right person during college, dating a few times is fine. Just make sure you stay on the right track and don't end up heartbroken or hurt."

Zhizhi and Xiaoxiao both looked at Jingyan with surprise. All the parents of their classmates had told them not to date and to focus on their studies. This was the first person to support them dating, which was... quite shocking.

However, given that Jingyan's ideas have always differed from most parents, the two children were briefly surprised but didn't really take it to heart. The way she spent money yesterday really scared them; it was often over a thousand yuan, which sounded like a lot.

The two had discussed it privately and agreed not to buy new clothes for their university years unless absolutely necessary, since their mothers had already given them brand new clothes when they came to school, and they should be able to wear them for four or five years without any problem.

The two children stayed there until after dinner, enjoying a hearty dinner with their mother before heading back to school together. Since it was close by and it wasn't dark yet, they felt safe.

On Monday morning, the two of them were lounging on the bed, reading novels. Jing Yan, who was used to reading, would occasionally get distracted while reading, but Chen Ping, who probably hadn't read any martial arts novels before, was completely engrossed in her reading.

Just as she was engrossed in her book, she heard a knock on the door. Jingyan put down her book, slipped on her hotel slippers, and went to open the door. Sure enough, it was the real estate agent. He stood at the door and smiled, "The paperwork is almost done. The homeowners are all outside the hotel. Shall we go to the housing authority now?"

Jingyan turned to Chen Ping, who was still reading, and said, "Sister Chen, hurry up and put on your shoes, take your documents, and go to the housing management bureau."

Chen Ping had just pulled herself out of the novel and was still a little dazed, but she quickly recovered and got up to put on her shoes. Jing Yan also hurriedly changed her shoes. The real estate agent stood at the door watching the two of them in their chaotic state. He really wanted to say: "Sister, take your time, there's no rush."

The two had already packed their ID cards and bank cards into their bags, so as long as they answered correctly, they could leave quickly with their bags on their backs. After locking the door, they met up with the landlord downstairs. This time, the real estate agent drove them straight to the housing management bureau.

At this time, the civil servants were still very dedicated. The documents were complete, and both the buyer and seller were present. Although the buyer and the person on the property certificate did not match, they were related, so the transaction was not delayed. Soon, the brand-new property certificate was obtained, and of course, the money in the bank card was transferred to the other party's account.

The handling fees and taxes were around 5,000 yuan for Jingyan and less than 4,000 yuan for Chenping. After paying the fees and receiving several receipts, everyone took the real estate agent's car back. When they arrived at the house, they went inside to confirm once again that the existing furniture would not be moved.

Having obtained the keys from the original homeowner, the transaction was considered complete. The subsequent matter of transferring the household registration out of the house would then need to be handled by the seller. Jingyan didn't have any household registration to bring in, so there was no rush to urge them. Following up afterward was the agent's job; having taken the money, they had to make sure things went smoothly.

After confirming with the landlord, the original owner left. Jingyan pulled the real estate agent aside and talked about wanting to rent out room 302. Her requirement was that the tenants be simple to ensure the children's safety. After all, living in a room facing each other could lead to a lot of trouble if someone was a troublemaker.

The agent readily agreed, of course. He'd closed two deals that day and even added another rental listing. He was very happy with this, took a spare key, and then left beaming.

Now that everyone else had left, the two of them discussed it and decided to find a locksmith and key duplicator outside the community to replace the lock on room 301, prioritizing safety.

With all that done, the two began a thorough cleaning of the apartment. The place they were going to rent out had already been cleaned, but it was just dusty; the tenants would be responsible for cleaning it themselves.

The most urgent task is to clean up the place I'm going to live in, prepare bedding, and buy new kitchenware and tableware. Looking at it this way, there are quite a few things that need to be added.

Oh, and I also need to let my family know about this new address. We'll send the remaining dozen or so boxes of clothes for the kids here. Since both of them are here, we can move them in and put them away properly, so the kids don't have to do the work again.

By the time they finished cleaning, the sun was about to set. The two of them were exhausted and hungry. They locked the door, dragged their tired bodies back to the hotel, washed up, ate a bowl of noodles in the restaurant to fill their stomachs, and then went upstairs to rest.

It's been a long time since I've done housework for so long at once, and I really can't handle it all at once.

The hotel room was only booked for the morning of the 7th, so after breakfast, the two of them didn't waste any time. They packed their things, dragged their suitcases to the front desk to check out, received a deposit of 200 yuan, and went straight back to room 301.

Fortunately, the cleaning was finished yesterday, and today's main task was shopping. We bought pots and pans for the kitchen, curtains, blankets and bedding for the bedroom, as well as toiletries, slippers, water cups, and so on. After three or four trips, we finally got most of the items we needed.

After making the bed in the bedroom, we grabbed a bowl of noodles at a random little restaurant outside and that was enough to get through the day. The two of us slept in separate rooms this time. We had originally planned to use the study as a walk-in closet, but we haven't found a suitable person to renovate it yet, so we'll use it as a study for now. As for the walk-in closet, we'll think about that later.

In four days, the two of them didn't have time to go out for a stroll. They tidied up each room and added some decorations, creating a slightly cozy home. Looking at the home they had decorated themselves, they felt a sense of satisfaction.

When the two kids came home on Friday night, they were very happy to see the newly renovated house. It finally felt like a home again. We cooked our meals at home. I must say, the neighborhood is very well-developed, with shopping malls and farmers' markets, so it's convenient to buy anything.

The two kids sleep in the study at night. It's hot in the summer, and it's not cold sleeping on the floor since it's all wooden floorboards.

On Saturday and Sunday, Zhizhi finally had her camera with her. How could she cool off her excitement after a week of taking photos? So, the four of them went to watch the flag-raising ceremony together.

At the moment the national flag was raised, Jing Yan, who originally thought she was not patriotic, was deeply moved by the solemn national anthem and her eyes welled up with tears. Perhaps this is the sentiment in the bones of the Chinese people.

Zhizhi captured this scene with her camera. After the crowd dispersed, the group lingered in the square, watching the honor guards take away the old national flag. Jingyan asked with some confusion, "Does the national flag have to be replaced with a new one every day? What happens to the old one? They can't just throw it away, can they?"

An elderly man who was taking a stroll overheard this and kindly helped explain: "These flags that have been taken off the flag are usually kept and collected in peacetime. Some flags are given as special national souvenirs to friendly organizations and international friends at home and abroad, or used for special commemorative events."

However, most people are unaware of another purpose of the national flag: when the remains of martyrs are brought back, the flag is placed over their urns, symbolizing their return home. The old man finished explaining this last purpose with deep sorrow in his voice.

Zhizhi asked curiously, "Grandpa, how do you know so much? Are you a soldier too?"

The old man shook his head: "I am not, but my eldest son participated in the Korean War. Although he never came back, I believe that if he were to return one day, he would be wearing a national flag. He is my pride, and he would certainly be worthy of that military uniform."

At this moment, even Zhizhi, who was usually the most carefree, fell silent. It was the old man who reacted first: "Hey, don't be sad. I don't feel sad. I'm over eighty years old. I've come to terms with it all over the years. Our country is so good now. It's stable, peaceful, and prosperous. You young people must cherish the days we have now. They're hard-won."

After speaking, the old man slowly walked away, carrying the birdcage. Looking at his retreating figure, it was truly unimaginable that he was a martyr's family member. There was no sorrow, only unwavering resolve. Perhaps this is the ingrained persistence and patriotism of the older generation.

At that moment, Zhizhi made up her mind that if she became a director in the future, she would definitely bring the story of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea to the screen again. At that time, she would like to tell the story of those most lovable and respectable ordinary soldiers who used their lives to defend the country and deserve to be remembered for eternity.

After watching the flag-raising ceremony and calming down, the group went to the Forbidden City. As expected of the imperial city in its heyday, it was indeed very solemn. The vermilion walls looked solemn, dignified, and noble to them now, but what did the people who lived here feel about these palace walls back then?

Zhizhi was the busiest person on the trip, wanting to take pictures of everything she saw. Jingyan, on the other hand, didn't really feel anything about the place, only that it was huge and there were so many houses, one inside the other. Even with her terrible sense of direction, she was almost dizzy from all the wandering around.

After a day's visit, although she hadn't seen everything, she had seen about 70-80% of it. After leaving, Jingyan sighed and said, "I'm never coming here again. There's nothing to see except for the houses and walls. I'd rather stay home and read novels."

Xiao Xiao was amused by her: "Aunt Zhang, this is the imperial palace. Not to mention anything else, the architecture itself has great research value. The annual maintenance cost is quite high."

“We don’t have anyone in our family who’s an archaeologist or an architect, so it’s not really of any use to us.” Jing Yan genuinely didn’t think it looked good.

"But if we ever get a script for an ancient court drama in the future, then this place will be worth studying. The etiquette, the way we walk and sit are all very particular," Xiaoxiao continued to explain.

Chen Ping and Jing Yan then realized that the two children hadn't just come out for a casual trip; they had a specific purpose.

On the way home, we found a restaurant and had a good meal. Jingyan sighed, "It seems like since we moved into our own house, we've been eating two meals a day almost like it's become the norm. We always miss lunch."

Chen Ping chuckled: "It's because we always seem to have so much to do that we miss meals. But we're not hungry anyway. We haven't bought any new appliances yet. Should we go and get them all?"

Jingyan looked at the two children: "Do you want a TV? A fan? A refrigerator?"

Zhizhi and Xiaoxiao exchanged a glance and nodded: "We want them."

Well, since the child wanted it, the parents had to fulfill it. So on Sunday, the group went to an electronics store, bought all the appliances they needed, and had them delivered to their door that afternoon.

As soon as the TV was installed, the two kids practically crawled into it. Before, they watched TV dramas just for the excitement and plot, but now it's different. Although they haven't learned anything yet, they pay more attention to the details when they watch them.

Seeing how serious the two kids were, Jingyan and the others didn't disturb them. They went to the market to buy groceries and went home to cook. After dinner, the two kids didn't want to go back to the dormitory. They originally planned to go straight to class on Monday morning, but thinking about the dormitory check that night, they went back anyway.

On Monday morning, the computer was delivered. The installer helped install it at the desk in the master bedroom. Since there's a TV in the living room, it wouldn't be appropriate to put the computer there. Although Zhizhi will be living in the master bedroom from now on, the two kids haven't really defined their living space, so no one has paid much attention to this.