In the past, the food at the military district cafeteria wasn’t exactly delicious, but it was affordable, so many single soldiers were willing to eat there. Soldiers with families usually cooked at home.
But now.
The cafeteria was not only cheap but also served tasty food, so everyone was willing to eat there or take food home.
Wen Ci walked up to the serving window and saw pork stew with vermicelli. She blinked and said, “I’ll have a serving of pork stew with vermicelli, and a bowl of rice, please.”
After saying this, she handed the money to the box beside the window.
A few years ago, the Northwest Military District still required food and meat coupons for meals, but in recent years, the region had developed rapidly, and those coupons were no longer needed.
Wen Ci found an empty seat and sat down. Before she could take her first bite, Xue Li eagerly sat down across from her, smiling sincerely. “Sister-in-law, Brother Huo asked me to tell you that he might not come home tonight either.”
“Not coming home again?” Wen Ci lowered her eyelids and asked slowly, “Is he on a mission?”
Xue Li nodded.
He couldn’t tell her the specifics of the mission, but he was allowed to let her know that Brother Huo was on a mission and wouldn’t be home. He chuckled and said, “Sister-in-law, if there’s anything you need help with, just let me know!”
“Actually, there is.”
She wanted to know approximately when the bus service would resume. Earlier in the day, the head nurse had reminded her that rehearsals were scheduled for next Friday.
Rehearsals meant they would need to wear their water-sleeve costumes and perform.
The higher-ups were paying close attention to this military art tour. Last year’s tour didn’t include military families, but this year, with the completion of the Northwest Military District’s family quarters, the first batch of families had arrived.
“What is it?”
Wen Ci asked, “Do you know when the bus service will resume?”
“Well…” Xue Li shook his head. His rank wasn’t high enough to know the exact timeline, but it would likely be at least half a month before the buses started running again.
Xue Li glanced around, then leaned closer to the table and lowered his voice. “The military art tour is coming up soon, and performers from other military districts will be arriving. Security is a top priority, so the bus route won’t reopen until after the tour is over.”
Hearing this, Wen Ci’s eyes widened.
Was the situation that serious? It could take a whole month.
“Then how does the cafeteria get its supplies?”
“Whether it’s military families coming in or the cafeteria’s food deliveries, everything is handled by the military vehicle department.”
Wen Ci was about to say something when she noticed Yu Qing at the entrance, looking around as if searching for someone. She stood up and waved to Yu Qing.
A moment later, Yu Qing approached Wen Ci, looking anxious. “Wen Ci, the head nurse just informed me that the Northwest Military District is restricting movement for the time being. What are we going to do about our water-sleeve dance costumes?”
Wen Ci had already learned about this from Xue Li. She tilted her head, thinking about what to do for the performance costumes.
“Can’t we borrow some?”
Xue Li closed his eyes, trying to recall last year’s military art tour. He seemed to remember female soldiers wearing water-sleeve robes. He opened his eyes and said, “They have a set of white water-sleeve robes.”
Wen Ci: “White… white?”
She found it hard to imagine how white water-sleeve robes would look on them…
Wen Ci took a deep breath, hoping the robes had some patterns or embroidery. Otherwise, they might look strange. “I guess we’ll have to borrow the female soldiers’ costumes.”
After saying this, she turned to Yu Qing and asked, “Have you eaten yet? Why don’t you eat here at the cafeteria? The head chef is Sister Zhu Jing, the one I told you about.”
Yu Qing looked embarrassed. “I didn’t bring any money…”
Doctors eat for free at the hospital cafeteria. She usually sends her salary back to her rural hometown, keeping only a small amount of spare money in her dormitory for emergencies.
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