Chapter 83

Secretary Gao read through the document again from start to finish, confirming, “No need for changes, this is good as it is. I don’t see any issues.”

The director had already reviewed it and shared the same opinion.

Secretary Gao said, “Tell the correspondent to send it to the county right away. If Qiao Wei managed to produce the manuscript this quickly, we can’t let the efforts of our young comrades go to waste. Send it now! We should beat Qingshan Town to it!”

“Alright! We’ll make sure to be ahead of them!”

The director took the manuscript to make arrangements.

From Xiahekou Town to Yongming County, riding a bicycle took just over an hour if slow, and around forty minutes if fast.

Checking the time, an hour and a half later, Secretary Gao made a call to Secretary Meng of Yongming County to report the work and mentioned this matter.

Secretary Meng was surprised too, “So fast?”

Secretary Gao replied, “How could we dare to delay following your instructions? Of course, we must respond actively. Comrade Qiao Wei worked overnight to finish the manuscript.”

Secretary Meng said, “It’s good that the young comrades are enthusiastic. But you should also keep an eye on things. We don’t want them to be too young and blindly pursue speed at the expense of quality, neglecting the details.”

“You’re right. I’ll definitely keep an eye on the other young people and not let them rush ahead,” Secretary Gao said. “But although Comrade Qiao Wei is young, she’s actually a steady and reliable comrade. She manages both efficiency and quality.”

“Oh?” Secretary Meng became interested. “Well, then I must take a closer look.”

Secretary Gao checked the time on his watch and said, “Our correspondent set off an hour and a half ago; they should be arriving soon.”

After hanging up the phone, Secretary Meng called his secretary and said, “Go and see if the communication manuscript from Xiahekou Town has arrived.”

The secretary was surprised, “The meeting just finished yesterday.”

How could it have been sent today?

Secretary Meng said, “Just go and check.”

The secretary went off, doubtful, and returned with astonishment, “It has indeed arrived.”

Secretary Meng chuckled, “Young people, full of energy.”

The secretary also chuckled, “That Qiao Wei, right? Just won an award, probably feeling pumped up.”

Secretary Meng was thinking the same thing.

But after reading it, he didn’t think so anymore. Like Secretary Gao, he read it twice before setting it down.

“How is it?” the secretary said, “Still too rushed, isn’t it?”

Secretary Meng shook his head and handed it to him, “You see for yourself.”

The secretary took it with a smile, read it through, and couldn’t stop grinning, “This…”

Secretary Meng tapped his fingers on the table and asked, “When will the Propaganda Department’s manuscript be ready?”

“It’s in progress.”

“No need.” Secretary Meng knew the level of his own county’s Propaganda Department staff very well and made a decision, “Send this one from Xiahekou Town to the city newspaper. She’s the one.”

The secretary asked, “Not waiting for Qingshan Town?”

The calligrapher from Qingshan Town had won the city’s second prize this time; he had some skill, having won the first prize once before.

“No need to wait,” Secretary Gao said. “She won’t be surpassed.”

The secretary admitted, “That’s true.”

In the end, the final draft was from Qiao Wei, the broadcaster from Xiahekou Town.

In this era, the newspaper was possibly the most efficient unit; after all, the news industry was different.

A day later, the city newspaper had already been published and distributed to various counties.

The town level would receive it a day later.

At this time, the communication manuscript from Qingshan Town arrived.

The calligrapher from Qingshan Town personally delivered it by bicycle. He wanted to have a direct exchange with the head of the county propaganda department. If there were any issues with the manuscript, he could make changes on the spot.

To take the lead!

To surpass that woman!

Little did he know, the head of the county propaganda department nodded approvingly after reading the manuscript. “Not bad, keep it for future use,” he said.

The calligrapher from Qingshan Town was puzzled, “Huh?”

The head of the propaganda department informed him, “Comrade Qiao Wei from Xiahekou Town, her manuscript has already been submitted to the city.”

The calligrapher was dumbfounded, “When?”

“Yesterday. It arrived yesterday morning, and the secretary directly instructed to send it to the city. We don’t need to rush with our own, take it easy, and use it next time.”

While they were not in a hurry, the calligrapher from Qingshan Town was impatient, “Why didn’t they wait for me? Why didn’t they compare before using hers directly?”

“Young man, calm down,” the head of the department said, “Winning or losing is common in military matters.”

“This is unfair!” The calligrapher waved his arms, frustrated. “If they had compared the two and chosen hers, I would have accepted it. But they used hers directly without even comparing or seeing mine! I don’t accept it!”

Intellectuals were somewhat neurotic. The department head had a headache.

Everyone looked over.

Some came over to persuade him, to calm things down. But the calligrapher was convinced that this was unfair. He angrily said, “Is there some secret behind this?”

Since he saw that woman the day before yesterday, he felt she wasn’t a decent person.

Decent people didn’t look that good.

Like a fox.

He said so, and the department head felt unfairly accused, defending himself, “It’s not me who approved it, it’s the leader.”

The calligrapher asked angrily, “Which leader?”

“I just told you, the secretary!” 

Hearing that it was the secretary, the calligrapher was momentarily stunned.

A county secretary held immense power, akin to the emperor of the county.

Most people still had some “fear” in their hearts toward officials.

At this moment, someone came in shouting, “The newspaper is here, the newspaper is here!”

The propaganda department had been informed yesterday that the leadership had approved sending Qiao Wei’s communication manuscript from Xiahekou Town. They hadn’t seen that piece; it had just been mentioned, and the communication officer from Xiahekou Town had just brought it over. The head of the department said they would take a look later, but before he finished, the secretary came and took it away.

The department head hadn’t seen it either. Everyone was curious and eagerly waiting to read it in the newspaper.

As soon as they heard the newspaper had arrived, everyone rushed over.

The calligrapher from Qingshan Town was still angry; he walked over quickly and said, “Let me see it first!”

He was full of momentum, as if ready for a fight. Everyone stepped aside, letting him go first.

With an angry face, the calligrapher opened the newspaper, found the article, and started reading.

In just a short while, his expression changed.

From surprise to astonishment.

“How is it written?”

“How does it compare to yours?”

Some onlookers, with malicious intent, instigated, “If it’s not as good as yours, you can’t just back down. Go argue with the leadership! You’re the top calligrapher of Qingshan Town; everyone knows you, you must demand an explanation!”

Others glanced at this person and quietly distanced themselves.

However, this literary-minded calligrapher, who was quite neurotic, wasn’t stirred by their provocations.

On the contrary, his expression was very unpleasant.

Someone scratched their head, “After reading it, how was it written?”

The calligrapher’s face turned red, and suddenly he folded the newspaper and thrust it into the person’s arms, then turned and walked away.

“What a nerve.” Everyone exchanged glances.

“Quick, let’s see what’s written.” Immediately, everyone’s interest returned to the newspaper.

They were all from the propaganda department, all calligraphers. Intellectuals are disdainful of each other, but they all wanted to see what Qiao Wei from Xiahekou Town had written this time.

“Let me read it.”

The person holding the newspaper read it aloud with great emotion.

As he passionately read, the office gradually quieted down.

Gradually, they understood why the calligrapher suddenly fell silent.

“This… is truly beautiful…” someone sighed.

Comrade Qiao Wei’s description of the future was so inspiring.

Her writing was unquestionable, but more powerful than her writing was the emotion overflowing between the lines.

Words not only tell stories but also express human emotions.

She used rich emotions to construct her words, and as they were read aloud, they spread throughout the office, permeating the desks, windowsills, and hearts of the people.

At this moment, everyone understood why the leaders didn’t need to wait for the communication manuscript from Qingshan Town and directly approved this one.

The beautiful future seemed within reach.

Her confident gaze seemed to be visible too.

Her emotions infected everyone; no one didn’t yearn for that beautiful future, and no one didn’t believe in it.

In fact, Qiao Wei didn’t have much ambition.

In her past life, she did. But after experiencing long-term torment from illness, human desires turned into merely hoping not to suffer.

Not suffering was happiness.

Because in the later stages, even morphine couldn’t suppress the pain, and she even wanted to die.

Having lost the ability to care for herself, she couldn’t even seek death; every day she lived under the pitying eyes of others.

In this life, she had almost achieved the life she dreamed of but couldn’t attain in her past life.

Qiao Wei was very satisfied with her current life. A handsome husband, obedient children, a down-to-earth yard, and a job like retirement…

She didn’t have the intention to show off or take credit. However, in the 996 era of the future, being exploited by capital had become a habit, almost engraved in her bones.

It was just a communication manuscript. If given a keyboard, she could churn out three or four of them in one night.

It was the fountain pen that slowed her down.

Compared to her colleagues and peers, Qiao Wei was indeed lagging behind.

That same day, Yan Lei brought her two pairs of autumn and winter pants, a piece of autumn and winter women’s military uniform, and some thick military green fabric for autumn and winter use.

Qiao Wei brought them to the unit today and showed them to Lu Manman, saying, “I plan to make a Lenin suit.”

Lu Manman said, “I want to make one too!”

She even accompanied her to the tailor shop, where they directly took measurements together, and she would return later to get the fabric.

Qiao Wei asked if she needed her to ask Yan Lei to find fabric for her, but the daughter of the director of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative waved her hand and said, “No need.”

There’s nothing my dad can’t get.

In this era, the Supply and Marketing Cooperative was powerful.

The most powerful in the Supply and Marketing Cooperative were the procurement officers. They often went on business trips, sourcing goods from all over, relying on their abilities.

In times of material scarcity, those without skills couldn’t obtain goods.

Lu Manman even started carrying a military shoulder bag now. Qiao Wei checked it and found it to be genuine military equipment. It was indeed not just talk.

Unlike some young people in the county who pursued fashion but couldn’t get authentic items, they could only sew something similar with green fabric. It might look okay from a distance, but up close, it was obviously shoddy.

Qiao Wei went home and urged Yan Lei again to find a partner for Lu Manman.

“I’ve told you what kind of person she wants,” Qiao Wei said. “Good-looking face, chest muscles, abdominal muscles.”

This era was quite conservative; Lu Manman was already a bold girl, but she could only dare to ask for someone good-looking.

She definitely wouldn’t dare to ask for someone with abdominal muscles.

She might not even have seen a man’s abdominal muscles.

It’s okay; Qiao Wei, her sister, would ask on her behalf. It’s not fair to call her sister for nothing; she couldn’t just eat so many snacks for nothing.

The next day, the newspaper arrived.

Once again, Qiao Wei impressed everyone.

Lu Manman read it several times, repeatedly asking, “How can you write so well, how can you write so well.”

Lu Tianming just laughed and said, “Don’t ask, it’s useless to ask. This can’t be learned.”

Writing a decent article can be obtained through learning and training.

But writing with overflowing emotions between the lines, such strong infectious power, that’s talent.

Some people make a living doing just that.

The newspaper arrived in the morning, and the transfer letter from the county came in the afternoon.

Secretary Gao called Qiao Wei into his office and informed her, “You’ve been transferred to the County Party Committee.”

“You can use the No. 26 women’s bike. Starting tomorrow, you’ll be working at the County Party Committee.”

Qiao Wei: “Huh?”