Courtyard House: A Veteran Returns Home and Becomes a Father

The next morning, Su Mo got up, supporting his back.

Last night, Su Mo begged for mercy in every way, but he still couldn't stop Xia Wanqing, who had been lonely for five years, from doing it again and again...

Su Mo, lying there, was almost rolling his eyes back. He was drinking spiritual spring water from the kettle while...

Finally, Xia Wanqing saw that Su Mo was about to roll his eyes, so she let him off the hook.

"Tonight, I'll ask the clerk for tiger penis wine."

After five years of war, this was the first time he had slept so "peacefully".

With his warm and beautiful wife beside him, and his daughter's even breathing coming from the next room, this sense of security was more effective than any magic pill.

Xia Wanqing also woke up, resting her head on his arm, her beautiful eyes sparkling as she looked at him, as if she couldn't get enough of looking at him.

"What are you looking at? Don't you recognize me?" Su Mo gently stroked her nose and asked with a smile.

"I just wanted to see more of him since we knew each other." Xia Wanqing snuggled closer to him, her voice soft and sweet. "It feels like a dream."

"This isn't a dream." Su Mo hugged her tighter. "It will be like this every day from now on."

"Sure, at least the same number of times as last night," Xia Wanqing said mischievously.

Su Mo instantly broke out in a cold sweat, recalling how he almost died the last time.

He said, trembling, "You, you, you, let's sleep in separate rooms!"

"Look how scared you are! I was just kidding." Xia Wanqing immediately burst into laughter.

"Wife, take it easy. I'm afraid next time, I won't just roll my eyes, I'll spit out my liquor. Then you won't have a man left," Su Mo pleaded.

After a short while of tenderness, Niannian called out "Mommy" from next door.

Xia Wanqing blushed as she got up to take care of her daughter. Su Mo also got dressed and washed up, and the family sat around the table to eat breakfast.

Breakfast consisted of congee with pickled vegetables made by my teacher's wife, along with a leftover chicken leg from last night, which unsurprisingly ended up in Niannian's bowl.

"Dad, eat!"

The little guy took a bite, then held up the greasy chicken leg, trying to put it into Su Mo's mouth.

"Nian Nian, eat. Daddy isn't hungry." Su Mo felt a warm glow in his heart, feeling that this was even more delicious than the finest delicacies.

After finishing his meal, Su Mo took out the brand-new property deed and the letter of introduction from the police station.

"I need to go to the neighborhood committee today to register our household registration in the new courtyard, and also add Niannian's name to the register," Su Mo said to Xia Wanqing.

He wasn't there when the child was born; the household registration only listed Xia Wanqing and her daughter Niannian, with their master, Su Zhenbang, listed as the head of the household. Now that he's back, it's his turn to be the head of the household.

"Shall I go with you?" Xia Wanqing asked, somewhat worried.

"No need, you still have to go to work." Su Mo shook her head. "I can handle this little thing myself."

He went there today not just to register his household registration.

Furthermore, it is necessary to declare sovereignty.

Su Mo is back. From now on, anyone in South Tongluo Lane who dares to point fingers at his wife and daughter will have to think twice before they dare to do so.

After saying goodbye to his family, Su Mo changed into a plain gray old cadre uniform, deliberately not wearing a military uniform. His face was pale and sickly, and the slight dragging of his right leg when he walked was just right.

It perfectly embodies the image of a veteran who is "retired due to injury and physically weak".

The Jiaodaokou Subdistrict Office is not far from my home; it only takes about ten minutes to walk there.

-

In the 1950s, the neighborhood office was just a large courtyard house with a sign hanging on it.

The courtyard was bustling with people, mostly neighbors coming to apply for grain ration books and collect coupons. The air was thick with the smell of paper, ink, and sweat.

I originally wanted to meet Director Wang, nicknamed "King of the Gai," today, but after inquiring around, I found out that Director Wang was in a meeting.

It's a pity we won't be able to see Director Wang today.

Su Mo walked straight to the innermost "Household Registration Section".

In the small room, there were only two tables. A plump woman in her forties with permed hair was working on an abacus, too lazy to even lift her eyelids.

There's a sign on the table: Wang Xiulian. (Not Director Wang, an NPC)

Su Mo understood; this person must be in charge of household registration.

Damn it, they act all high and mighty with just this little bit of power.

Su Mo mentally complained, but outwardly he politely tapped the table.

"Hello, comrade, I would like to register my household registration."

Wang Xiulian finally raised her head and looked Su Mo up and down with her triangular eyes.

Seeing his plain clothes, pale face, and sickly appearance, I immediately felt a hint of disdain in my eyes.

"Register your household registration? Where is it from? Where's the letter of introduction?" Her voice was high-pitched and impatient.

"I just returned from military service. This is my discharge certificate and the house deed assigned by the organization."

Su Mo handed over all the materials, including the letter of introduction for the job as a gatekeeper at the police station.

He deliberately put away the most important documents, including his major general rank certificate and benefits documents.

There's no need to use your trump card to deal with this kind of brat.

Wang Xiulian picked up the discharge certificate and examined it over and over. Then she picked up the house deed, a hint of jealousy flashing in her eyes.

"No. 95, South Tongluo Lane, east wing? A detached house, huh? The organization really treats you soldiers well." She said sourly.

She then tossed the documents onto the table, leaned back in her chair, and said slowly, "These alone aren't enough. If you want to register your household, where's your spouse? Where are your children? You need a marriage certificate and your children's birth certificates."

"They're all here."

Su Mo then took out his marriage certificate with Xia Wanqing and Nian Nian's birth certificate from his cloth bag.

Wang Xiulian was speechless, but her face still showed her reluctance.

She slowly took out her household registration book, picked up her pen, dipped it in ink, and began registering.

"Name."

"Su Mo".

"age."

"28".

……

After a series of questions, Wang Xiulian's brows furrowed even more.

"That's not right." She tapped the table with the tip of her pen. "Your marriage certificate is from 1950, and the child was born in 1951. Where have you been for the past five years? Now you suddenly appear wanting to be the head of the household. Who knows if you're even the child's biological father?"

That's a pretty harsh question.

Several neighbors waiting to handle their business nearby looked over, their eyes full of gossip.

Su Mo's face darkened.

He didn't get angry; he just looked at Wang Xiulian quietly, his eyes calm yet unfathomable.

That's the look in the eyes of someone who has emerged from a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood.

It had no murderous intent, yet it was more chilling than any murderous intent.

Wang Xiulian felt uneasy under his gaze and instinctively avoided his eyes, but still stubbornly insisted, "What are you looking at? I'm just following the rules! You haven't been seen for five years, who knows what you've been doing outside? You can't just claim someone as your father!"

"Oh?" Su Mo finally spoke, his voice low but sharp as ice, "You mean you doubt the military's certificate is fake? Or you doubt my wife's innocence?"

"I didn't say that!" Wang Xiulian immediately denied, but her voice was a little weak. "I'm just following the rules. You need to have proof that this child is yours."

"Proof?" Su Mo smiled.

He slowly took out another document from his cloth bag and gently placed it on the table.

"This document is a backup of my file when I enlisted in the army. It contains my family relationship registration form. My mentor is the vice president of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, and my wife is also a doctor at Peking Union Medical College Hospital."

"If you don't believe me, you can go to Peking Union Medical College Hospital to investigate. Or..."

Su Mo paused, leaned forward slightly, and lowered his voice, which carried an undeniable penetrating power.

"You can also call the Municipal Bureau directly to verify. They handled my file transfer. Do you need their phone number? I can give it to you."

Municipal Bureau!

Vice President of Peking Union Medical College Hospital!

When these two titles were bestowed upon her, Wang Xiulian's face turned pale instantly.

She's just a lowly clerk in the neighborhood office, usually only good at bullying ordinary people. What rank is the vice president of Peking Union Medical College Hospital? And what kind of place is the Municipal Bureau? She can't afford to offend them!

She looked at Su Mo again. Although he was dressed plainly, his calm demeanor and the eyes that made her afraid to look directly at him told her that this person was definitely not someone she could easily manipulate.

"No...no need!" Wang Xiulian was sweating profusely, her arrogance instantly replaced by a fawning smile. "Oh dear, look at my memory! Comrade, look at me, I'm just too serious. I'm so sorry, so sorry!"

As she spoke, she deftly picked up a pen and quickly began registering information in the household registration book.

"Comrade Su Mo, right? A hero who defends our country, a role model for us to learn from! Don't worry, I'll get it done for you right away!"

That attitude was faster than turning the pages of a book.

The onlookers in the neighborhood also understood what was going on.

This is a tough nut to crack; we've kicked a hornet's nest.

In less than ten minutes, a brand-new, red household registration booklet, still smelling of ink, was handed to Su Mo.

Head of household: Su Mo.

Wife: Xia Wanqing.

Eldest daughter: Su Nian.

The relationship section is written clearly and plainly.

"Comrade Su Mo, please take this." Wang Xiulian presented the household registration booklet with both hands, her back almost bent at a ninety-degree angle. "If you need anything in the future, just come to me directly, and I guarantee I'll take care of it perfectly!"

"Thank you. By the way, I'd like to renovate the house, what should I do?"

"Comrade Su, don't worry, I'll give you a certificate. Take it to Yimao Hutong (purely fictional) and find Master Lei. He'll help you. He's the captain of the engineering team under our street office."

Su Mo gave a faint thank you, took the household registration book and certificate, grabbed the key to the east courtyard, and turned to leave.

Throughout the entire process, he didn't utter a single harsh word, nor did he raise his voice even once.

But the pressure this put on Wang Xiulian was even greater than being verbally abused.

Only after Su Mo's figure disappeared through the door did Wang Xiulian breathe a sigh of relief, slumping into a chair with her back soaked with cold sweat.

She picked up the large tea mug on the table, took a big gulp of water, and was still feeling lingering fear.

Thankfully, I adapted quickly.

Otherwise, this situation might not have been able to be resolved.

Su Mo held her household registration booklet and walked towards Yimao Hutong.