Qi Taiguo looked at her with an expression like sheâd lost a dear one and couldnât help but laugh, saying, "Youâre someone whoâs made a lot of money, and youâre still worried about this house? I thought you knew already."
"How could I possibly know?" Cheng Su glanced at him and said, "By the time I came, I was already living here, busy with business and everything. Where would I find the time to think about and care if this house is ours? If it werenât for talking with Hualing, I still wouldnât know!"
"Alright."
"Besides, my money was hard-earned. This house, however, is something you deserve. Youâve risked your life for the country, and if you canât even secure a house, then..." Cheng Su couldnât help but jab at him.
Qi Taiguo cleared his throat, and Cheng Su awkwardly stopped talking.
"Only those at the battalion level or above qualify for housing allocation," Qi Taiguo said.
"Then how did Old Zhou get his house before?" Cheng Su asked.
"Oh, his family was awarded it after he completed a major mission. Old Zhou got a first-class merit, and the house was a reward he requested from above," Qi Taiguo replied.
Cheng Su let out an "oh," so thatâs how it was.
"Qi Taiguo, youâve been around for so long, accumulating so many military merits, why havenât you applied for a reward?" Cheng Su asked again.
Qi Taiguo gave an "uh" and said, "I was planning to save up my military merits first..." Seeing Cheng Suâs unfavorable gaze, he quickly added, "But donât worry, this year the unit is building a new house, in the East Wing. Iâll be eligible to get a place too! Iâll try to get us a big house, okay?"
Cheng Su said, "No matter how big, itâs still just seventy or eighty square meters, right?"
"But itâll still be ours," Qi Taiguo said. "And besides, itâs bigger than here. You can remodel it however you like!"
"Donât mention remodeling. When I think about it, how much money did I spend to renovate this house back then?" Cheng Su felt like crying again, "And now I donât even know who ends up benefiting from it."
"Alright, alright, weâve lived here for a few years now, hasnât it been worthwhile? Are you still holding a grudge? Whether itâs a dormitory or our own house, decorating nicely is all for our comfort, right? Or would you rather live in a mess? For someone as generous as you usually are, why are you starting to care about this now?" Qi Taiguo teased her.
Cheng Su shot him a resentful look and said, "What do you know? I always thought this house was ours, and then finding out itâs not, the psychological gap is enormous."
Itâs not that sheâs caught up in trivial details, but this psychological gap was too big. You think something is yours, only to realize you merely have usage rights.
Watching as the families of retired soldiers prepared to leave, Cheng Su thought of herself. If Qi Taiguo were to retire and they had no house, would they be homeless?
Cheng Su shivered at the thought and couldnât imagine such a scene.
"You said there would be housing allocations this year? Really? When?" Cheng Su clutched Qi Taiguoâs arm, asking.
Qi Taiguo said, "The current plan is for the new housing to start construction in May. I think by the end of the year, they should be allocated!"
That sounded about right.
"So how many floors will it have? Higher than this place?" Cheng Su asked.
"They say seven floors at the moment." Qi Taiguo laughed, patting the back of her hand, "Donât worry, youâll have a new house to live in with the kids. The houses there will certainly be newer than here. Iâve heard theyâll even cover the exterior with small ceramic tiles!"
Hearing that, Cheng Su felt a bit of anticipation, clasped her hands together, and said, "I hope we can get the fourth or fifth floor; too high and itâs hot, climbing stairs is tiring, too low and itâs damp."
Qi Taiguo saw her babbling on and couldnât help but smile and shake his head.