Chapter 2099: Beverage
The soldiers didn't lay a hand on the women, or even look at them inappropriately.
The feeling they gave off was completely different from the soldiers who had conducted the previous inspections.
"There is no problem with my identity."
Since you brought these people, you need to sign here.
This means that you have vouched for all these people, and you will bear the consequences no matter what happens in Haikui Town.
Once you enter Haikui Town, you must obtain a temporary residence permit within three days. If you do not have a temporary residence permit after three days, you will be expelled from Haikui Town.
"You will also bear joint liability, understand?" The soldier who was checking the documents handed them back to the man, reminding him.
"I know, I know."
"Once I get into town, I'll take them to get things done immediately." The man nodded repeatedly.
When I last came here, I decided that I would bring my sister, wife, and children to settle down here.
He had already inquired about everything in this regard.
He knows every step of the process and everything that needs to be paid attention to.
The soldiers let them pass.
The carriage continued forward.
The girl watched with curiosity as the town drew closer.
The town has no city walls or similar structures.
However, it is obvious that the houses on the outskirts of the town are simpler, while the houses closer to the center are taller and better.
"We'll go directly to the service hall to process your temporary residence permits."
You need to remember the entire process for applying for a temporary residence permit.
Before you obtain residency status in Haikui Town, you will need to come here every month to apply for a temporary residence permit.
Without temporary residents, it's impossible to survive in Haikui Town, and it's very difficult to find work.
The man was speaking from the front.
Soon, the car was parked in a parking space at the entrance of the service hall.
The man, accompanied by his sister, wife, and children, entered the clean and bright service hall.
First, I told them what I needed to do at a window, and then I received a small receipt.
The receipt lists the services they need to complete, where to complete the service, their queue number, and so on.
"Window 408, this way."
The man led the way.
The girl followed behind, looking at the hall in front of her.
I looked at the impeccably clean room with curiosity.
It was cleaner and tidier than any building she had ever seen before, and the layout was also very simple.
Although it doesn't feel luxurious, it gives people a sense of security.
Soon, they heard a woman in uniform behind window 408 call out their number.
"Come on, it's our turn."
The man walked up with his sister, wife, and children, and handed them his note.
Then take out all your identification documents.
I need to apply for a temporary residence permit.
"Ours all." The man's own temporary residence permits had also arrived, so they could all be processed together now.
The staff member glanced at it.
Then he said, "The first temporary residence permit is free, and subsequent ones are also free."
However, if the temporary residence permit is lost, a fee will be charged for its replacement.
Now, one by one, you are all here.
"I need you to register your personal information here, and then you'll need to have your photos taken here."
Behind the work area, there is a small room for taking photos.
Do I need to take photos?
The girl was somewhat surprised.
Although she had seen photos taken by others, taking photos is still a relatively expensive thing nowadays, and she generally doesn't take photos unless it's a wedding or an important occasion.
Unexpectedly, I was able to have my photo taken for free for the first time while getting my documents processed here.
Then comes the application process.
Most of the processing went relatively smoothly.
It just takes a while to get the photos.
In the end, the four of them obtained their temporary residence permits.
You can see a black and white photo in the upper left corner of the first page of the temporary residence permit.
You can roughly see their appearance.
"This is what taking a photo is like."
"It's a pity I didn't wear any nice clothes today." The girl looked at her first photograph with some regret.
"Alright, now let's go to our accommodation."
"Last time I came here, I already had my eye on a nice spot," the man said excitedly.
They then left the service hall.
They arrived at the entrance of a residential area by horse-drawn carriage.
At the entrance of this residential complex, you can see rows of rental signs, and next to it is a small storefront that specializes in renting out apartments in this complex.
Rental services in Xingfu Community.
The man walked in, and the salesperson inside immediately came to greet him.
"Hello, I've been here before."
The apartment I saw last time, it probably hasn't been rented out yet.
“I remember you, sir.”
I've reserved your apartment for you.
"So, are we going to sign a contract today?"
"Yes, let's sign the contract today."
"Okay, I'll go prepare the contract now."
Are you planning to apply for a three-month, six-month, or one-year pass?
"If you sign up for a year now, we'll give you an extra month free."
After thinking for a moment, the man said, "I'll apply for a three-month one first."
"A three-month subscription is fine too, but there's no discount for a three-month subscription."
Come back to me when you've gotten used to life here and want to renew your subscription.
Also, you know about the requirement of paying three months' rent upfront and one month's deposit, right?
"Um."
"Let's start processing the formalities now."
The girl watched as her brother skillfully handled various transactions with the salesperson.
She looked around curiously, then at the street outside.
Convenience store...barbershop...breakfast shop...canteen...flower shop...clothing store...
There were soldiers standing at the entrance of the residential compound.
People would occasionally walk out of the residential area.
"Neighborhood" is a word she learned from her brother.
Residential area, or simply neighborhood.
"alright.
Here are the keys and the contract.
You now have the right to use this house for the next three months.
If you wish to renew your lease later, I suggest you let me know in advance during the last two weeks.
Otherwise, this room might be released to other tenants later. The salesperson said enthusiastically, "Would you like me to take you into the community?"
"It's alright, I still remember the way."
I'll go in first then.
We'll talk again when we have time.
"Okay, take care."
Holding the bunch of keys, the man excitedly led his sister, wife, and children into the residential compound.
The girl looked around the neighborhood.
The buildings stood there, each one almost identical, about six stories high.
"Ours is the eleventh building, unit 502."
It is a bit too tall.
"But we're young now, and living on higher ground gives us a better view." The man parked his carriage.
I walked to the entrance of a building and went upstairs while holding onto the handrail.
The girl looked at the black ground with curiosity and walked up the steps one by one.
Before I knew it, I had reached the fifth floor.
I have to say, I'm a little tired.
But all of them wore expressions of excitement.
The man took out the bunch of keys and opened the door.
The door opened.
Inside, a clean and tidy room appeared.
"I rented a simply furnished suite."
Basic furniture is provided.
"We just need to buy some daily necessities later." The man pointed into the room.
The first thing you see when you enter the room is the living room.
A table is placed in the middle of the living room, surrounded by wooden benches.
On the right are the dining room and kitchen, and the kitchen has a rather odd layout.
"Is this gas?" the wife asked in surprise, pointing at the gas stove.
She had only ever seen this kind of stove in the homes of wealthy families.
"Yes, it uses a natural gas pipeline."
It's that iron pipe on the outside.
Natural gas can be delivered directly to every household; you only need to turn on this switch when you cook.
"It's very convenient," the man explained.
Actually, he had only heard some nobles mention these things before, but a month ago he saw them with his own eyes in this neighborhood.
And every household can use it.
"I rented a three-bedroom, one-living-room apartment."
The children will have one room, you, my sister, will have one room, and my husband and I will have one room, which is just right.
It's a bit small.
"But the living environment here is good, and it's enough for us for now," the man said, embracing his wife.
The girl looked at her own room, even though it was the smallest of the three rooms.
But it's much better than the house I used to live in.
She looked at the sliding glass window in her room, which, once opened, revealed the view outside and the identical houses across the street.
From her vantage point, she could even see a glimpse of the ocean.
This place is really beautiful, very nice.
"Alright, before we head out to buy groceries."
"We need to hold a family meeting first." The man clapped his hands.
Everyone gathered around the restaurant tables.
"Although I sold our previous house and some other things, I have some money in hand."
But this money is only enough for us to live here for at most a year.
We want to live here long-term.
We need to have jobs.
I've already made the arrangements.
I will continue to work in the trade industry for Haikui Town.
Little sister, you're not young anymore. I didn't want you to go out to work before because I was worried about your safety.
But it's different here.
You can read and write.
I will try to find you a teaching job.
Honey, you don't need to work for now. Just take care of the kids and our lives.
Next, you need to adapt to life here as soon as possible.
Feel free to ask me any questions.
When I go out to run trade and transportation businesses in the future, I may not be able to stay by your side.
"So you need to prepare yourselves for life," the man said with a serious expression.
"Um."
After finalizing the plans for our future life.
The man then took his sister, wife, and children on their first shopping trip in Haikui Town.
It mainly involves buying some daily necessities.
"So big?" The wife was completely bewildered when she saw the huge supermarket in front of her and the dazzling array of goods.
All kinds of ingredients, spices, and daily necessities are available.
And they were all very clean.
The price is also quite favorable.
You can see many women pushing shopping carts and strolling around the supermarket, casually picking up various items.
Then walk to a gate and make the payment there.
Everything was so orderly and well-organized.
“I told you, you’d love to live here,” the man said confidently.
Soon, they had many bags and packages in their hands.
Although carrying these things was a bit tiring, everyone had smiles on their faces.
"It'll be a bit late to start the fire when we get back today."
And the place hasn't been cleaned yet.
Let's eat out today.
"I'll take you to a restaurant!" the man said, pointing to a canteen next door.
"Eating out?"
The girl heard these were some new and interesting words.
Since arriving in this city, she has often heard new words coming out of her brother's mouth.
Step into this canteen.
You can see that many of the dishes here are displayed behind a glass window, with something underneath seemingly heating them.
Because these things are still warm.
"I want this one, this one."
Give me one of these too.
See if there's anything you'd like to eat.
This is our first meal, please don't be shy.
The two children ordered some dishes, and the girl also ordered a dish.
Then they took their trays and sat down at a table.
"I'll go get you some food." The man went and brought back six bowls of rice and some utensils.
The tableware was somewhat unusual; it consisted of two wooden sticks.
"By the way, the tableware used here is also a bit different."
It does resemble the Eastern Continent somewhat.
"Take your time to get used to it. If you can't, I'll get you spoons and forks." The man picked up the chopsticks with practiced ease.
At first, the girl and the others were a little unaccustomed to it, but they gradually figured out some techniques.
"By the way, this drink tastes pretty good."
Adding some ice makes it even more delicious.
"I just don't know what the recipe is. If we could sell it, we could probably make a lot of money." The man brought over a few bottles of dark, unappetizing beverage.
Upon seeing the dark-colored beverage, the girls were hesitant to drink it.
The man drank it straight away and even showed an expression of enjoyment.
They've only just begun to try.
When you take the first sip, it feels like something is jumping around in your mouth, and it's also sweet.
When this taste spreads in your mouth.
The girl's eyes lit up.
This tastes really good; you'll like it from the very first bite.
When they finished eating, they touched their noticeably fuller bellies and walked out of the canteen.
It was already dark outside, but the streetlights on both sides of the road were on.
It illuminated the streets as if it were daytime.
The light was so bright that walking through it completely eliminated the tension that comes with darkness.
You should know that in the city where they originally lived, these women dared not walk outside after dark.
Otherwise, it's unimaginable what might happen.
But now, they can see quite a few people here.
There were even more people than during the day.
At a park factory site that I passed by during the day, I could hear the sound of musical instruments and see people dancing inside.
This is the first day.
The feeling that Haikui Town gave her was beyond her imagination.
This city... is so special.