Chapter 174: Chapter 174: Change-of-Address Fee
"So, where did you say you were transferred?"
"The Hangzhou West Lake Sanatorium."
Group Leader Li: "..."
The perks of the Hangzhou West Lake Sanatorium were well-known among officers at the Group Leader rank. They were all practically begging for a demotion if it meant being transferred there as a detachment leader.
"And you’re angry about *this*?" Group Leader Li was exasperated.
After a pause, he continued, "Were you transferred over to be the detachment leader or just a guard?"
"Detachment Leader."
"Damn."
"Huh?" Jiang Chen, who had been fuming, was taken aback by Group Leader Li’s reaction. He tilted his head and asked, "Is being the detachment leader at the sanatorium some kind of cushy job?"
"Piss off."
With that, Group Leader Li turned and left, spitting on the ground. He muttered, "Damn it. Complaining about a position this good... It’s really different when your dad’s a minister. No point even being jealous."
He was almost forty-five this year.
It had been an incredibly difficult climb for him to reach Group Leader, yet Jiang Chen wasn’t even thirty. At this rate, he’d probably make Group Leader before he turned thirty-five.
His life was just one smooth ride.
Jiang Chen heard every word Group Leader Li said and mumbled to himself, ’Could it be that being the detachment leader at the sanatorium is actually a great job?’
He thought about all the nonsense he had just spouted in the office.
’Should I go back and apologize to Dad?’
But then again, ’Wouldn’t going back now make me look spineless?’
’Whatever,’ he thought. ’I’ll head to Hangzhou and check it out first.’
_
By West Lake, they soon arrived before a traditional courtyard house. There were several other similar homes in the vicinity. Wen Ci tugged on Huo Jingyuan’s sleeve and whispered,
"When we see them, should I just call them Grandpa and Grandma right away?"
"What else?"
Wen Ci was about to explain when Huo Jingyuan broke into a grin. "What, are you refusing to call them Grandpa and Grandma until you get the customary gift money?"
"No! Don’t be ridiculous."
Wen Ci and Huo Jingyuan hadn’t held a wedding reception yet, where that customary gift is normally presented in front of friends and family.
After they got out of the car, Wen Ci saw an elderly woman with a dignified bearing, dressed in an elegant qipao, standing at the entrance of the courtyard house.
"Is that Grandma?"
"Yeah."
Before Wen Ci could get any closer, an elderly gentleman leaning on a cane came to stand beside the woman. His voice, gentle and refined, rang out. "What’s all the fuss, old dear? It’s not like the children weren’t coming home."
Just then, the elderly woman spotted Huo Jingyuan and Wen Ci, her face breaking into a radiant smile. "They’re here! My dear grandson and granddaughter-in-law are back."
Huo Jingyuan took Wen Ci’s hand, led her over to his grandparents, and said with a smile, "Grandpa, Grandma, I’ve brought my wife home to see you. This is Ah Ci."
Before he even finished speaking, the two elders pulled several thick red envelopes from their bags. "Even though you’ve been married for a few months," they said, smiling warmly, "this is our first time meeting. As your elders, we must still give you the welcoming gift."
"Oh no, you don’t have to," Wen Ci refused repeatedly.
"This is the welcoming gift."
Wen Ci’s eyes curved into happy crescents. "Grandpa, Grandma, you don’t need to give me a welcoming gift."
"This isn’t just the welcoming gift from us two old folks. It’s also from Ah Yuan’s parents. They work for a classified organization."
"Er..."
Wen Ci was completely overwhelmed.
Huo Jingyuan reached out, took the four red envelopes, and stuffed them into his own pocket. "Ah Ci is just being shy. Allow me to accept them on her behalf."
After some more pleasantries, they invited Wen Ci inside. The courtyard house was divided into a front reception hall, a main hall, and a rear courtyard, with the central atrium featuring a rockery and a pond.
Wen Ci was utterly flabbergasted.
’The Huo family really was in another league, like a pay-to-win whale who’d been around since the server launched,’ she thought, amazed. ’Their family’s foundation is just so incredibly deep. And this is West Lake in the 1980s!’
[P.S. Please vote with your recommendation and monthly tickets! Thanks, everyone, for your support! Mwah, mwah.]
Comments