Chapter 231

Minister Zheng considered that private car transactions were currently not allowed, so he asked Lu Weiguo, “Does your car have an affiliated unit?”

“We are planning to affiliate it with the school,” Lu Weiguo replied.

Minister Zheng nodded, indicating that it was acceptable, but he was unaware that Lu Weiguo’s wife could drive.

Since the car was being sold from their side, they had to take responsibility for it.

“Captain Lu, I can sell you the car, but since your wife will be driving it, can you bring her over for a test? We need to ensure the safety of both your wife and other road users.”

Lu Weiguo agreed without hesitation. They had an automotive unit in their camp, and the personnel there were regularly trained in driving, with ample facilities for testing.

He was also confident in his wife’s driving skills.

After confirming that the camp could purchase the car, Lu Weiguo asked, “How much will the car cost?”

“The current price for a 212 Jeep is around thirty thousand yuan. For the ones being phased out, you can get one for about eight hundred yuan,” Minister Zheng replied.

Minister Zheng didn’t worry about Lu Weiguo’s family being unable to afford the car or feeling reluctant to spend the money, as he had heard that Lu Weiguo’s wife was very capable of earning money.

Just one of her books sold for several thousand yuan.

Lu Weiguo knew the price was quite reasonable, so he agreed without bargaining. He said to Minister Zheng, “I have no issues with the price. Let’s not settle for eight hundred; I’ll offer one thousand. Please help me pick a slightly better one since my wife will be using it for a long time.”

Minister Zheng assured him, “For someone from our camp, we’ll make sure you get the best one.”

With that, the matter was settled.

Minister Zheng asked, “When do you plan to pick up the car?”

Lu Weiguo thought for a moment and said, “In three days. I still need to coordinate some affiliation issues with the school.”

He remembered his wife mentioning that Principal Sun would be visiting soon, which would happen within the next couple of days.

“Alright, once everything is decided, come find me,” Minister Zheng said.

Lu Weiguo agreed and then took his leave.

A couple of days later, Principal Sun visited again.

Shi Tingyu didn’t beat around the bush and said directly, “Principal Sun, I’ve thought it over. I can teach at the academy, but there’s something I need your help with.”

Principal Sun was overjoyed. “That’s wonderful news! Whatever you need, just let me know.”

Shi Tingyu explained the car purchase and concluded, “I want to affiliate my car with the school and sign a contract for it.”

Without hesitation, Principal Sun agreed, finding it a trivial matter compared to what he had expected.

Their school also had cars, so affiliation was easily managed.

Signing the contract was also not an issue.

Being a busy person, Principal Sun acted swiftly. He took out an employment contract and handed it to Shi Tingyu to sign.

With her signature, she officially became a teacher at their school.

While Shi Tingyu was signing, Principal Sun explained her salary and benefits. “Your salary will be one hundred and six yuan per month. Including various allowances and subsidies, it totals about one hundred and twenty yuan per month.”

Shi Tingyu had no objections regarding the salary.

After signing, she handed one copy back to Principal Sun.

Principal Sun then asked, “Teacher Shi, do you need a dormitory if you’ll be commuting daily between the school and the family quarters?”

Considering her young son, Shi Tingyu replied, “If possible, I would like a small dormitory room so my child can rest there at noon.”

Principal Sun understood and assured her, “Alright, I’ll make sure one is reserved for you.”

He also informed her of the teacher’s start date, “Students will start school in late February, and teachers should report on February 15th.”

Shi Tingyu acknowledged this information.

With everything settled, Principal Sun took his leave, giving a toy he had bought specifically for the child as he departed.

Shi Tingyu was surprised by Principal Sun’s fondness for children.

That evening, when Lu Weiguo returned home, Shi Tingyu showed him her copy of the employment contract.

Lu Weiguo carefully read it, his gaze softening. “My wife is truly amazing.”

Although Shi Tingyu usually considered herself low-key, she couldn’t help but feel a bit proud in the face of Lu Weiguo’s unreserved praise.

Sometimes, she thought it was a good thing he wasn’t always giving such compliments; otherwise, she might get lost in all the admiration.

With the school’s agreement to affiliate the car, Lu Weiguo and Shi Tingyu proceeded with the car purchase.

Minister Zheng, respecting Lu Weiguo’s formidable reputation, had the automotive unit select the best among the phased-out cars.

They even had the car thoroughly inspected and replaced any severely worn-out parts.

After the overhaul, the automotive unit’s instructor patted the car and assured them, “Rest assured, this car will be good for another five or six years.”

Not all phased-out Jeeps were unfit for use. Some simply couldn’t handle rough terrain or meet mission standards, but they were still fine for regular driving.

Minister Zheng asked Lu Weiguo, “When will your wife come to test the car? I need to make arrangements on my end.”

“Anytime is fine,” Lu Weiguo replied.

He had already discussed it with his wife.

“Then let’s do it tomorrow. We’ll have Old Shen oversee it,” Minister Zheng said.

Old Shen referred to the head of the automotive unit, Captain Shen.

Captain Shen smiled and said, “Don’t worry, leave it to me.”

Despite these assurances, Lu Weiguo came to check on the situation that day.

Shi Tingyu examined the automotive unit’s training ground, where a row of jeeps and military trucks were parked against the wall.

On the training ground, there were two horizontal boards for tire tracks.

There was also a small artificial slope and a mud pit.

These were the areas where the automotive unit usually conducted their training.

At that moment, someone from the automotive unit was teaching soldiers how to drive. A row of soldiers stood attentively, listening carefully.

Knowing that Shi Tingyu was there for the test, the instructor temporarily paused the training and let the new recruits watch Shi Tingyu’s test. This would help them gain experience and humble their overconfidence.

From what Captain Lu had mentioned, his wife was quite skilled at driving.

Captain Shen greeted Lu Weiguo and his wife, leading them to the car.

“Sister-in-law, you’ll need to drive the car out, pass the horizontal boards, go through the mud pit, climb the slope, and then circle back to park the car in its original position to pass the test,” he explained.

Shi Tingyu listened, then opened the car door and stepped onto the footrest to sit in the driver’s seat.

She fastened her seatbelt, started the engine, shifted gears, and pressed the accelerator—all in one smooth motion.

The car steadily drove out of the parking area and approached the horizontal boards. She adjusted the car’s position and calmly drove onto the boards.

The new recruits watched in amazement, their eyes fixed on the car wheels.

To be honest, it was their first time seeing a woman drive, and she drove so smoothly and steadily.

The instructor watched Shi Tingyu’s performance with a smile, thinking to himself, “As Captain Lu said, Teacher Shi’s driving skills are indeed impressive.”