The child had stayed in the space all the way. After getting off the train, Zheng Long found a secluded spot to hold the child in his arms, to avoid being recognized by fellow passengers, he lingered inside the train station for a while until most people from the same train had left, before he finally carried the child out.
The reason he did this was that Zheng Kai was waiting for him at the exit. So when he went out, the father and son were reunited, and Zheng Kai’s tears nearly spilled.
He already knew about his injury and military discharge. The reason for the tears was from feeling heartache. Zheng Long, however, didn’t show much emotion.
"Don’t worry, it’s all over now. Discharging is good; I can take good care of little sister. From now on, our family will rely on you."
These words invigorated Zheng Kai, "Dad, rest assured, I will definitely take good care of you and help with little sister."
"Good kid, these days have been quite taxing for you. You’ve really had a hard time."
"It’s not hard. What’s there to be hard about? Compared to what you’ve been through, my journey was already very easy. Give me little sister, I will hold her for you. We still need to take the bus later on. From here to where we live isn’t close; we have to take at least three different buses. How are you feeling? If it’s too much, we can call a taxi."
"No, no need for a taxi. What a waste of money. Let’s take the bus."
Along the way, Zheng Kai told him about the ordeal of finding a house.
"That family’s son went to study at a university in Beijing and stayed there after graduating. After stabilizing, they plan to move their parents over as well since they don’t have many relatives back in the rural area here, so they don’t plan to come back. That’s how I got a great deal. We’ll register our household here and talk to our superiors about our situation. Maybe we can even get some land allocated!"
Get land? That would indeed be great, thought Zheng Long. If they had land to cultivate, it would be as if they were natives of Chongqing.
At this moment, his meritorious service might come in handy. He would not ask for any compensation, but if it could be tied to land allocation, he would make use of this privilege.
In 1980, spending two hundred yuan to buy a farmhouse with a blue brick and tile structure was actually not cheap, but compared to future housing prices, it felt like a bargain. Updates are released by novelFɪre.net
Moreover, to be able to register in the rural area here was an excellent policy, especially since he was a military veteran, and his son was a reservist. When they applied for household registration, they were given priority. Before the officials went on holiday for the New Year, all necessary procedures had been completed.
Looking at the freshly issued household registration book, both father and son were very happy. Most importantly, land reform was ongoing. They had hit a good time and could have the land that was originally allocated to the former owner distributed to them instead. Although it was only two acres of land and two small vegetable plots, for Zheng Long, it was more than satisfying.
The new house was a large courtyard with a main house of three rooms: a living room in the center with bedrooms on both sides. On the exterior, there were two side rooms on each wing. However, on the east side, one room was a kitchen and the other a storeroom, with two bedrooms on the west side. In the corner were spaces for chickens and pigs, and there were plots for personal cultivation in the yard, in front, and behind the house. The toilet was in the backyard, kept very clean, and many pieces of furniture had not been taken, left behind for them. This structure suited the older generation’s habits.
Zheng Long and his family spent this New Year’s tidying up their new home. Although the previous owner had left large items such as beds, wardrobes, and tables, finer details like curtains and wall painting were needed. To better welcome the New Year, they had only thoroughly cleaned the house before the festival. After the sixth day of the New Year, they would be able to start renovating their entire home.