50s: Starting with a storage ring

Chapter 472 Going Home Together

There were quite a lot of people at the bank, but there were dedicated staff to help with foreign exchange, so you didn't need to queue with the deposit and withdrawal lines.

After explaining the situation to the staff, he was led into a small room.

The staff checked his certificate, which was issued by the diplomatic building across the street, and without giving him any trouble, they directly exchanged it for 5600 yuan in foreign exchange certificates.

Judging from their habitual manner, it seems that many people in the diplomatic building across the street have exchanged currency here. Come to think of it, most people who frequently travel abroad these days end up in the diplomatic building.

He was relieved. He was afraid that the nail that sticks out will be hammered down. Although the situation was very good now, being too conspicuous would make people hate him.

Sun Zhiwei put the exchanged foreign exchange certificates into a kraft paper envelope, stuffed it into his bag, and left the bank.

It was almost time to get off work, and he needed to pick up Tong Jiajia. Dongsi was about four or five miles away from Beihai Kindergarten, so he had to speed up to get there on time.

Along the way, Sun Zhiwei pedaled his bicycle so fast that it flew through the air, weaving left and right in the motor vehicle lane.

In other words, since there are no strict lane markings now and there are very few cars, cycling won't be as comfortable in a few years.

Five minutes later, Sun Zhiwei rushed to the kindergarten gate.

At this time, there were already people waiting at the door to pick up the children. Many of them came in cars, but there were very few parents. Most of them were nannies and orderly.

Because tomorrow is Sunday, many children are going home for the weekend.

After parking his car in the designated parking space at the entrance, Sun Zhiwei walked towards the gatekeeper. The gatekeeper on duty today did not recognize Sun Zhiwei and politely stopped him from entering.

Sun Zhiwei didn't force his way in; he was just there to pick up his wife, not to take the initiative.

It was time for school to let out, and the sound of children gathering could be heard from inside the gate. Parents waiting to pick up their children moved closer.

Several guards also came out of the door to expand the perimeter. Among them, an old guard, Lao Liu, recognized Sun Zhiwei and quickly greeted him.

"Director Sun, you're back from your business trip. Are you here to pick up Director Tong?"

"Yes, Lao Yang. I'm not in a hurry, I'll be fine in a bit."

"But why haven't I seen Luo Dahai today?"

"Captain Luo applied to go to the Southwest last year, and I heard he has already been promoted to battalion commander for his meritorious service."

No wonder I didn't see Luo Dahai. He's usually at the gate. It turns out he went to fight Annam. It's a pity he didn't run into Luo in the southwest.

"Director Sun, please go inside and sit down to wait. Director Tong always leaves last, so you'll have to wait a while."

Old Yang was right. Someone nearby had already heard what he said and started paying attention to him.

If he keeps standing at the door, someone might come up and talk to him soon.

So, led by Lao Yang, he entered the gate and continued to wait in the guard's reception room.

After Lao Yang escorted him inside and out, some of the parents who knew him started asking the veteran team members for information.

"Hey, Lao Yang, who was that just now? How come he was allowed to go in and wait?"

The first person to inquire was a junior leader from the government office. With luck and the help of his superiors, he was able to get his child into Beihai.

His rank might not even be as high as that of Old Yang. Don't underestimate these old guards; they all came from the battlefield back then.

These days, having them guard the kindergarten gate isn't a demotion; rather, it's seen as a sign of respect and a privileged retirement. It also reflects the kindergarten's emphasis on security, and the leadership has great confidence in the veterans' capabilities.

When Old Yang heard him asking, he figured it wasn't anything confidential, so he told him. "That was Director Sun, the previous director of our Beihai Kindergarten. He was a very capable person. Back then, the children in our kindergarten were safe and sound thanks to him taking charge."

"So why did he quit later?"

"Later, Director Sun was transferred to the diplomatic service, and his wife, who is now Director Tong, took over."

"So it's Principal Tong's wife." The junior leader didn't pay much attention to Sun Zhiwei after receiving the news, but he immediately passed the message on to the other parents.

Only then did everyone realize that the person who had been quietly waiting to the side was actually the previous principal, who is also the current principal's spouse.

Unbeknownst to many, Sun Zhiwei has been away from his position as kindergarten principal for almost ten years, and none of the parents of the new generation of children recognize him anymore.

Sun Zhiwei sat inside, and although there was a wall separating him from the outside, he heard their conversation and couldn't help but chuckle.

It turns out that my highest status here is actually "Director Tong's lover," how interesting.

Actually, it would be simple for him to show off his status and position; he could just arrange for a car from the motor pool to come over.

He should have been provided with a car long ago, but because he is away from the country for long periods of time, and there aren't enough cars available, he hasn't been provided with one.

But whenever he needs a car, he can just call the car service team and a car will be available for him at any time.

After all, there are quite a few mid- to high-level leaders in the diplomatic field like him who frequently travel on business and are not usually in the country. They can't afford to come back without a car.

Therefore, the vehicle squad always has several motorized vehicles specifically for dealing with this situation.

Because diplomatic personnel need to receive foreign guests, the cars they are assigned are mostly imported. The arrival of such a nice car immediately confirms their status.

However, Sun Zhiwei wasn't that bored, and there were quite a few families here with higher status than him, so he didn't want to be scolded for showing off.

As the children were picked up one after another, the gate quickly became deserted.

Old Yang was about to call in and report to Tong Jiajia, but Sun Zhiwei stopped him. He was here today to give Tong Jiajia a surprise; what surprise would there be if he reported to her?

After most of the children had left, the teachers also started to go home. It wasn't until 6:30 that Tong Jiajia came out pushing a Phoenix bicycle.

Sun Zhiwei immediately came out of the guardhouse and stood at the gate waiting.

Tong Jiajia gradually approached the gate, then looked towards it as if sensing something. When she saw Sun Zhiwei, a surge of joy welled up in her heart, and she quickly quickened her pace and walked over.

Why didn't you call me when you got back?

"I wanted to give you a surprise. How was it? Did you get the surprise?"

"Pah, aren't you ashamed? Get out of here."

Sun Zhiwei came over to help her push the bike. As for the old bicycle he rode when he came, he naturally put it into his spatial storage when no one was looking.

The two greeted Old Yang at the door and then rode off on Tong Jiajia's bike.

Sun Zhiwei was riding his bike in front, and Tong Jiajia was sitting on the back seat with her arms around his waist.

Sun Zhiwei told Tong Jiajia about his experiences over the past few months, picking out the parts he could talk about. The January wind stung her face, but Tong Jiajia felt warm inside.

As fewer pedestrians left and started to walk home, the sky began to darken, and the streetlights gradually came on, illuminating their way home.

(End of this chapter)