Huo Tingzhou currently earns a monthly salary of 141 yuan. Since his living expenses in the military are covered, this is all disposable income, as mentioned in the book.
Jiang Si also knows that during his first three years in the military, Huo Tingzhou attended the Second Aviation School of the Air Force.
Back then, he didn’t receive a salary—only a monthly allowance of 15 yuan.
Unlike other military branches, Air Force flight cadets automatically become platoon-level officers upon graduation.
Promotions aren’t based on seniority but rather on exceptional achievements in service.
Yet even if calculated at his current salary, seven years of earnings would amount to around 11,000 yuan at most—far less than the sum in his savings account.
Noticing her curiosity, Huo Tingzhou explained,
"Part of this is my salary, and another portion comes from the additional allowances I earned teaching cadets at other aviation schools."
"The rest is rewards from missions I’ve completed over the years."
Most of these missions were top-secret, hence the higher bonuses.
For example, shooting down an enemy aircraft came with a 3,000-yuan reward per kill.
"No wonder you’ve only gone home twice in seven years."
This was money he’d earned risking his life, so Jiang Si didn’t pretend to refuse it.
Since they’d decided to build a life together, pinching pennies separately made no sense—what kind of marriage would that be?
She understood and respected his dedication as a soldier, but she had one condition:
"From now on, don’t take missions just for the money. We have enough to last us several lifetimes."
The way she said "we."
The way she said "several lifetimes."
Huo Tingzhou’s gaze softened imperceptibly. "Alright, I’ll listen to you."
The next day, after breakfast, the two visited a state-owned photo studio nearby to take some pictures together.
In this era, marriage certificates didn’t require photos.
But when they’d called yesterday, Grandma Huo had been heartbroken about not being able to attend their wedding on Qiongzhou Island.
She kept saying how much she missed Jiang Si after not seeing her for years,
and grumbled about that "rascal" Huo Tingzhou, who hadn’t come home in two years—she didn’t even know if he’d gained or lost weight.
Jiang Si immediately picked up on the hint and promised over the phone
they’d send plenty of photos back home, which finally placated her.
They took five photos in total, with three copies printed of each.
They kept one set, while the other two would be mailed to Third Uncle and Grandma Huo.
An amusing incident happened during the shoot.
Jiang Si, accustomed to being photographed, struck effortlessly photogenic poses—her expressions natural and lively, needing no guidance from the photographer.
Huo Tingzhou, however, clenched his fists the entire time,
his body rigid, his expression so solemn it looked like he was being held at gunpoint.
His gaze into the lens burned with the intensity of a man ready to swear allegiance to the Party!
The photographer grew increasingly flustered. In all his years at the studio, he’d never seen such a striking couple—
the man dashing, the woman radiant!
What a waste if the photos didn’t turn out perfectly!
"Comrade, relax, don’t be nervous—
"Remember, the person beside you is your beloved, not the enemy!"
"Come on, both of you, look here. Young man, mind your expression—smile a little."
Huo Tingzhou obeyed the photographer’s request and smiled.
However, the photographer glanced at the girl’s radiant smile in the lens, then at the man beside her whose grin looked more like a grimace, and fell silent.
After a long pause, he finally said, "Comrade, if you really can’t smile, it’s fine… not to."
In the end, Jiang Si came up with a solution.
When the photographer wasn’t looking, she hooked her pinky around Huo Tingzhou’s and gave it a gentle shake.
The next moment, a soft warmth flickered in Huo Tingzhou’s eyes, and his lips curved naturally.
Seizing the moment, the photographer quickly pressed the shutter.
"Click—"
"Click—click—"
What should have taken just a few minutes ended up dragging on for over two hours, resulting in only five barely acceptable photos!
In the afternoon, the two wandered around the provincial capital, caught a movie, and even rowed a boat in the park.
After two straight days of running around, Jiang Si was exhausted and returned to the guesthouse early.
By the time she woke up, it was already dark outside.
A glance at the clock showed it was past eight in the evening.
Soon, Huo Tingzhou arrived, setting out the reheated dishes on the table one by one.
Jiang Si stretched lazily. Eating, sleeping, and repeating—this couldn’t go on forever!
As soon as she finished her meal, she asked, "When are we going back to the family quarters?"
"Tomorrow. I’ve already arranged transport with the military district’s logistics team."
"We’ll head to the department store first thing to pick up the furniture. We should be ready to leave by around 10 a.m."
Hearing they’d return the next day, Jiang Si immediately straightened up.
But then another thought struck her.
Where would they put all this furniture once they got back?
They’d bought quite a lot—loading and unloading alone would take half a day.
As if reading her mind, Huo Tingzhou mentioned the call he’d just received from He Ping.
"The housing application for the family quarters has been approved. He Ping will get a few people to clean it up tomorrow morning. Once the furniture arrives, we can move in directly."
"I’ve also contacted the barracks office—they’ll send someone the day after to build a small courtyard in front."
"So fast?" Jiang Si blinked in surprise.
He Ping had only returned to the base yesterday morning, and by this afternoon, the application was already approved? That was practically rocket speed.
Huo Tingzhou rubbed his nose guiltily. Truthfully, the approval process wasn’t usually this quick.
But earlier that afternoon, he’d made two calls to the base.
The first was to Director Cao of the division’s political department.
When Director Cao learned Huo Tingzhou was calling to hurry along his marriage application, he chuckled.
"After all these years engaged, you’re suddenly in a rush now?"
Huo Tingzhou didn’t bother hiding it. "Yes. I am."
Not one to waste expensive call time, Director Cao got straight to the point.
In the military, not just marriage required reporting—even dating did!
Otherwise, if two people got involved without proper vetting and later hit a snag during political screening, it’d only hurt the girl.
So Director Cao had long known Huo Tingzhou’s fiancée was the daughter of a capitalist family from Shanghai.
Before, since they weren’t married, certain things couldn’t be discussed openly.
At present, the marriage application had already landed on his desk, and Director Cao felt compelled to offer a few words of caution.
"You’re well aware of the situation outside. While those people can’t touch military families, once you marry, there’s bound to be some fallout. Have you considered all that?"
"Director Cao, I understand everything you’re saying."
"But since I’ve made this decision, I’ll bear the consequences, whatever they may be."
"Even if it means stripping off this uniform, I’m going through with this marriage!"
"You little rascal, now you’re threatening me, huh?"
Director Cao couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation before finally sighing.
"As long as you’ve thought it through, just don’t come crying to me later if this causes trouble between you two."
"Let me make one thing clear—a military marriage isn’t child’s play. It’s not something you can jump into or out of on a whim!"
