Chapter 41: The Newspaper

Lin Qiao had indeed written a letter to the leaders’ public mailbox, and she had sent a similar letter to the Ministry of Education. However, reporting issues was something many people across the country did daily. Only some letters received a response, and most didn’t even reach the leaders. She only wanted the higher-ups to see it and was prepared to send another letter if the first one didn’t work.

Unexpectedly, Xu Li asked about it. Lin Qiao nodded. “I wrote one around mid-last month.”

Xu Li repeated this to the person on the other end of the line. As she listened, wrinkles at the corners of her eyes turned into a smile. “Of course, our second child is lucky… Yes, good things are worth the wait, I think so too…”

Seeing her smile like that, even Old Mr. Ji became curious, though he tried to hide it. “What did they call you about?” He was always like this; sometimes, the second son was a bit like him.

Xu Li hadn’t intended to explain. Seeing Ye Minshu still there, she paused. “Good news.”

The more she said it was good news, the more uncomfortable Ye Minshu felt. She also suspected Xu Li’s earlier comment about the second son’s luck had a hidden meaning.

And writing to the leaders’ mailbox…

Intuition told Ye Minshu that the next words wouldn’t be something she wanted to hear. Sure enough, Xu Li sat back on the sofa, smiling. “Qiao Qiao is in the newspaper.”

“Qiao Qiao is in the newspaper?” Grandpa Ji couldn’t hide his surprise and instinctively looked at Lin Qiao.

Xu Li nodded, unable to stop smiling. “Isn’t Yang Wan at the post office? They will start distributing tomorrow’s newspapers this afternoon and sending them to various newsstands. Someone sent an early copy to her office, and she saw Qiao Qiao’s name and asked if it was her.”

This still didn’t get to the point, so Old Mr. Ji directly asked Lin Qiao, “What did you write?”

Since it was already in the newspaper, Lin Qiao had nothing to hide. “I suggested setting up experimental classes for students. Based on my own experience, I found that doing experiments can enhance students’ learning enthusiasm and hands-on abilities. But since the school doesn’t have a laboratory, I thought of suggesting it to the higher-ups.”

Old Mr. Ji didn’t fully understand this aspect but still nodded.

Xu Li, however, did understand. “The newspaper said that at the recently concluded meeting, the leaders praised Qiao Qiao by name, saying her suggestion was excellent and should be taken seriously. They also mentioned that our country needs grassroots comrades who are practical and have ideas.”

Getting into the newspaper was already enough to make a name for herself, but being praised by the leaders in a speech was beyond expectations.

Old Mr. Ji’s expression finally broke into a full smile, his face wrinkling with joy. “Not bad, she’s good material for work.”

“More than that, Yang Wan praised Qiao Qiao over the phone, saying I have a keen eye for talent.”

Ji Duo, the most outstanding of the Ji family’s next generation, married a girl from the countryside. People didn’t say anything to their faces, but who knows what they said behind their backs—especially those who spread gossip, always saying sour grapes.

Xu Li was good-tempered, but Lin Qiao’s success made her feel vindicated and happy. She couldn’t help but hold Lin Qiao’s hand. “Our Qiao Qiao is really promising.”

“That’s because you guided me well, Mom.” Seeing the elder happy, Lin Qiao naturally praised her.

Xu Li’s smile grew even wider, and she glared at her son. “Look how well Qiao Qiao speaks, and then look at you.”

A mother-in-law siding with her daughter-in-law and scolding her son was ultimately to make the daughter-in-law happy, hoping the couple would live well. Ever since Lin Qiao came into the picture, Ji Duo had gotten used to being criticized by his mother every few days.

Just after the Ji family finished eating, Aunt Zhang came over with fruit after cleaning up the dishes and couldn’t help but share in Lin Qiao’s joy.

Ye Minshu felt every laugh and word was unbearably grating.

Xu Li’s “keen eye for talent” implied that Ye Minshu had no such eye, mistaking pearls for fish eyes. Ji Duo being “lucky” suggested that her Xiao Ze was unlucky to lose a long-standing engagement. And how could a country girl like Lin Qiao have so much insight, even knowing how to write to the leaders?

It must have been Xu Li’s idea! Yes, Xu Li, the renowned excellent teacher from Yandu, must have helped her to shut people up.

Don’t think she didn’t know what people were saying outside. The family claimed to keep a low profile, not to attract attention, and didn’t make a big deal out of the wedding to avoid being laughed at. Even she had been subtly mocked, with people saying the Ji family couldn’t find decent daughters-in-law.

Thinking this way made Ye Minshu feel a bit better, but she still couldn’t stand the family happily praising the younger daughter-in-law.

She smiled, “Since Dad wants me to go back and I’ve delivered the things, I won’t stay longer.”

The higher they praise, the harder they fall. Let them praise her; it won’t be her embarrassment if she fails.

Ye Minshu, being a former dancer, had good posture and left with her back straight, looking quite elegant.

Unfortunately, no one at home appreciated it. Ji Duo even reminded her, “Sister-in-law, remember to read the newspaper tomorrow.”

That was a real jab, and Ye Minshu stiffened.

Xu Li, however, smiled even more, pleased that her son was clearly defending his wife. It seemed the couple’s relationship was fine, just a bit of minor friction.

Ye Minshu seemed like the discordant element in this harmonious family. Once she left, everyone felt more at ease.

Xu Li immediately asked Lin Qiao about the contents of her letter. Lin Qiao recounted what she could remember, and occasionally, Ji Duo would help fill in details. Though he used concise language, it was clear he had a good memory. No wonder he remembered Lin Qiao’s birthday from just a brief glance at their marriage certificate. But his memory was too good; he always brought up old issues and was a bit petty.

That night, the couple slept at the old house. After washing up, they each began silently reciting calming mantras.

Lin Qiao repeated, “Form is emptiness, emptiness is form” and “No condom, momentary pleasure, pregnancy, crematorium” countless times but couldn’t help herself. “Why don’t you call Sister Yan?”

“Mm.” Ji Duo’s response was just one word, and it was unclear if he meant he heard or agreed.

Lin Qiao turned over, propped herself on her elbow, and looked at him. “How do other couples manage?”

“Other couples already have two kids by now.” Ji Duo finally opened his eyes.

But as he did, he saw the neckline of Lin Qiao’s sleeveless shirt up close, and further away, her waist and raised legs under her dress…

Seeing where his gaze landed, Lin Qiao knew exactly what he was thinking. Unfortunately, the clothes she wore to bed were quite snug, especially in the summer, leaving no extra fabric for him to grab. So, Lin Qiao confidently wiggled her toes and raised an eyebrow at him.

The next second, he pulled the blanket over her, wrapping her tightly from head to toe. “Sleep.”

Lin Qiao: “…”

When the newspaper was published the next day, people at Ye Minshu’s workplace noticed it. Since Lin Qiao’s workplace was mentioned, many who knew the details connected it to the Ji family and came to ask her about it. Some were purely curious, but most were there to watch the drama.

After all, Ye Minshu usually appeared gentle and easygoing, but deep down, she had an attitude of ‘I’m talking to you because I think highly of you.’ With a sister-in-law from a rural background suddenly in the family, even though she didn’t say anything at work, her silence spoke volumes.

She often mentioned her husband, son, and the highly regarded Song Jing, bringing them up occasionally. Now that Lin Qiao had made such a big splash, people naturally, under the guise of curiosity or congratulations, gave her a hard time.

By the end of the day, Ye Minshu’s face was stiff from forced smiles, but she couldn’t openly show any discord with her sister-in-law.

Otherwise, it would be a joke, and she, who always prided herself on being virtuous, would be criticized for not being a good sister-in-law and unable to get along with her family.

Fortunately, the newspaper was only published for a day, and people would forget about it after a while.

Ye Minshu consoled herself, not realizing the impact would be far-reaching. Within a few days, the Ministry of Education held a meeting about it.

The country needed talent, and everyone knew that. Otherwise, when the college entrance exam was reinstated, they wouldn’t have allowed people from all walks of life to apply. Allowing those with practical skills to apply was to quickly integrate them into research and production. Lin Qiao’s suggestion hit the mark.

At the end of the month, when the college entrance exam results were released and admissions began, universities should have been busy. Principal Zeng, a high school principal, should have just waited for the students’ results. Instead, he was pulled into a meeting to discuss whether and how to build the laboratory.

Returning from the meeting, he saw Vice Principal Qi adding names to the honor wall, displaying simple black-and-white photos and the student’s admission.

After finishing, Vice Principal Qi adjusted his glasses. His scholarly, thin appearance hadn’t changed much in over a decade, except for the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.

Principal Zeng unconsciously stopped and looked at the growing honor wall. “Xiao Qi, do you think I’m getting old?”

Vice Principal Qi had seen the newspaper and heard about the recent meetings. “You’re not old, just scared.”

When Principal Zeng first became principal, he was full of vigor. He even took students to the countryside to teach literacy. He wanted them to hear the old stories from the villagers and understand how hard it was to have the life they had today and how lucky they were to be able to study in a classroom. At that time, he was still a person with ideas and passion. After ten years of being sent down, he returned with only caution and indifference.

Principal Zeng was silent for a while, lost in thought, and finally said, “You still have a good eye. Comrade Lin Qiao is quite good.”

---

“You have a good eye, casually finding a wife who can bring you so much face.” Over on Ji Duo’s side, Old Zhou said the same thing when he ran into him in the corridor. But as soon as he finished speaking, he saw Ji Duo’s gaze shift over. What did he say wrong?

Old Zhou was still pondering when Ji Duo said, “It wasn’t a casual choice.”

Old Zhou: “…”

Really? You looked so serious just to say that?

Old Zhou realized that Ji Duo wasn’t someone you could casually chat with, so he got straight to the point. “Did your wife finish reading the books I lent you last time?”

Sure enough, Ji Duo was more suited to this kind of conversation. “Do you need them back?”

“Someone else wants to borrow them. You don’t have to return them all, just a few that she’s finished.”

“Okay.” Ji Duo replied concisely and then went into his office.

It wasn’t just Old Zhou. Those who had attended Ji Duo and Lin Qiao’s wedding, especially those who had been roped into helping, couldn’t resist bringing it up when they saw him.

In the evening, Ji Duo ran into Ji Ze, who was waiting outside the military camp. Ji Ze was also beaming. “Uncle!”

Why was he waiting so late? Surely not to talk about this?

Ji Duo checked his watch, his brow furrowing, but his nephew had already run over. “Uncle, I’m here to settle the first week’s accounts.”

So it wasn’t that. He moved aside, signaling his nephew to follow him to a quiet spot.

Once they stopped, Ji Ze immediately pulled out a wad of money from his pocket. “This is Auntie’s share for the past few days.” Then he handed over two sheets of paper. “These are the accounts for the past few days, including material costs, labor costs, losses, and income. I’ve detailed everything.” He had changed out of his military uniform into very ordinary, even slightly worn clothes, but his eyes were bright and full of spirit.

Noticing Ji Duo looking at his clothes, he smiled and said, “I bought these from a roadside bicycle repairman. Can’t sell things looking too proper.”

This showed he was serious about his business, and Ji Duo nodded approvingly.

Encouraged, Ji Ze eagerly recounted his experiences over the past few days.

Selling something new that people had never heard of wasn’t easy, so on the first day, he only took a 50-pound bucket with him. He chose a residential area with many female workers, as liquid soap’s main customers were women. Dual-income families were often more willing to spend money, and the densely populated apartment complex provided a sufficient market.

At first, Ji Ze felt awkward calling out to sell, and no one responded. But his determination soon overcame his embarrassment. Many people came to see what was new, but few asked about the price, and even fewer bought anything.

“I paid a bit to connect a hose from a nearby house so anyone who asked could try it on the spot. I emphasized that it was good for washing hair. That day, I sold over 20 pounds, and by the third day, it increased to 60 pounds.”

Ji Ze’s face lit up as he spoke. “In the past three days, I’ve been selling 100 pounds a day, and it’s still not enough. I’m already planning to hire another person.”

He had clearly thought it through. “And for making soap, if sales continue like this, I’ll need to make more soon, and I can’t handle it all myself. Also, since we’ve established a foothold here, we shouldn’t give up this advantage. Instead of starting from scratch elsewhere, we should use this residential area as a center and try selling to nearby neighborhoods. There are plenty of people there too…”

He spoke enthusiastically, like a student reporting his school performance to his parents, but he no longer had that perpetual lack of motivation.

Ji Duo’s gaze stayed on his nephew’s face until he finished speaking. Then he opened the accounts and looked them over. “Did you only account for the materials sold in the past few days?”

Since he was involved, he needed to understand the basics, in case Lin Qiao asked.

Ji Ze scratched his head. “I was worried that if sales were bad at first, we wouldn’t be able to split the profits. So, I only counted what was sold.”

Since he wanted to use this to practice business, he took annual leave, so it was impossible to do only a few days’ worth of work. But if he included all the raw materials, he not only didn’t make a profit these days but also lost quite a bit. He couldn’t not report the accounts to Lin Qiao, right?

Ji Duo understood and folded the accounts, putting them and the money into his pocket.

Looking up, he saw his nephew still looking at him with bright eyes as if he wanted to hear praise.

Just a bit of success, and he can’t keep his cool? Ji Duo instinctively wanted to put on a stern face but paused, remembering his nephew’s complaints about pressure and lack of recognition. Finally, he nodded. “You have a bit of business acumen.”

Ji Ze’s expression lit up as if he had just drunk a bucket of ice water on a hot day. He even started praising Lin Qiao’s recipe. “That’s because Auntie’s formula is good.”

Realizing the awkwardness of mentioning Lin Qiao, he glanced at his uncle.

Ji Duo’s expression remained unchanged, not seeming to mind the comment. Ji Ze sighed in relief and quickly changed the subject. “Uncle, you’re so dedicated, working late even though you’re newly married. No wonder they say you’re a great soldier, brave, capable, and hardworking.”

Unexpectedly, this flattery made Ji Duo’s expression freeze. “Anything else?”

Clearly, he was being dismissed. Ji Ze was taken aback, not knowing what he had done wrong, and quickly left.

Ji Duo wasn’t intentionally trying to work late; there was just a lot to do today. He didn’t rush home to avoid the need to use the desk. As for why he didn’t want to use the desk…

Anyway, his nephew’s business had a great start, and he was a bit too proud, always bringing up the wrong topics.

When Ji Duo got home, Lin Qiao was already upstairs reading. He walked over and placed the accounts and money beside her.

Lin Qiao finished the question she was working on before opening it. She immediately knew what it was. “Your… friend’s share?”

It was quite a bit, with eight large bills. She asked, “How many days is this for?”

“A week.”

Eighty yuan in a week, which was more than two months of her salary, and she was only getting 30%. Business really was more profitable. And this was just the first week. Liquid soap had a good market and would only earn more in the future.

Lin Qiao picked up the accounts and quickly noticed what Ji Duo had seen. “In the future, report to me once a month. This way is too troublesome.”

“Half a month,” Ji Ze was still thinking about starting a factory, and Ji Duo was worried he wouldn’t stick with it.

Lin Qiao didn’t mind. “Half a month is fine.” She put the money into a small savings box, then took out a few bills to keep with her.

She wanted to buy some clothes for Liu Yulan and the children.

Liu Yulan had never wronged her. Despite being tight on money herself, she secretly gave Lin Qiao money to help her prepare for her wedding. When Lin Qiao visited her hometown a few days ago, she noticed that the Yang family’s children were wearing patched-up old clothes, especially the third girl, who looked at her with envy.

In Yandu, ready-made clothes were available without coupons. They were made of synthetic materials, which were more durable than cotton. Buying two sets in a larger size for each person would last at least two years. If they outgrew them, they could be given to someone else. Synthetic materials were popular because they were durable and didn’t wear out easily, making them great gifts.

Lin Qiao thought for a moment and asked Ji Duo, “Do we have any old clothes we don’t wear? I’d like to send some to my mom for Uncle Yang to wear while working. Rural work is hard on clothes.”

Being in the military, Ji Duo rarely wore anything other than his uniform, but he said, “I’ll ask my friends and colleagues.”

There were always people with family not in the military. He had seen people pack up old clothes to send to their relatives in the countryside.

“Thank you for helping.” Lin Qiao smiled at him. “See, I’m coming to you whenever I need something, aren’t I?”

Indeed, it was true, but Ji Duo felt their problems weren’t just about that, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint what exactly.

Lin Qiao only mentioned it casually, telling him not to fuss over useless things. If he kept harping on it, it would only annoy people.

She lowered her head to continue her work, but Ji Duo asked about Old Zhou’s handwritten books, “Which ones have you finished?”

She hadn’t finished any of them. To be precise, she hadn’t even started any…

But if Lin Qiao showed that, she wouldn’t be Lin Qiao. She quickly diverted the topic, “Did Old Zhou ask for them back? You can take them all.”

Even though she acted normal, Ji Duo still frowned at her. He hadn’t seen her reading them. Could she have been reading them at home during the summer break? Surely she didn’t dislike them all and only liked reading “The Heart of a Girl”?

Ji Duo’s gaze deepened, and he didn’t speak for a while. Lin Qiao noticed his silence and looked up at him.

Between adults, some things didn’t need to be said directly. Their eyes met for less than two seconds before Lin Qiao blinked, “Shall we try again?”

Ji Duo didn’t say yes, but he didn’t say no either. “You read first.”

Lin Qiao managed to stay calm and read for another half hour before they drew the curtains and prepared to turn off the lights.

This time, to avoid any interruptions, Ji Duo took one out and checked it first.

Then there was no “then.”

The next day, Ji Duo went to work, and the first thing he did was check the mailroom for his package.

On Ji Yan’s side, he had called on his birthday to ask. Ji Yan said it had been sent and was on the way, laughing at him in the process.

After several days, Ji Duo finally received Ji Yan’s international mail. He was about to take it home in the evening when he ran into Ji Ze.

Compared to his previous confidence, his nephew now had visible anger and anxiety in his eyes. As soon as he saw Ji Duo, he ran over. “Uncle, the new person I hired ran away.”

“The one responsible for making soap?” Ji Duo guessed almost instantly.

Ji Ze nodded. “I hadn’t even paid him yet, and he didn’t come back. Some of the raw materials for making soap are also missing.”

Not wanting his wages clearly meant there was a bigger benefit. Ji Duo had already figured it out but remained calm. “Your aunt told you to handle that yourself. You didn’t give it to him, right?”

“No, I didn’t let anyone touch that. I always took it myself and handled it.” But he was still worried. “I see that without it, it seems it can still be made. The amount used isn’t much. Is Auntie’s method reliable?”

Concern breeds confusion. It was his first time doing business, and he couldn’t help but feel uncertain.

Ji Duo was about to say he’d go back and ask when Ji Ze said, “Why don’t I go back with you, and you ask Auntie? I’ll say… I’ll say…”

Noticing the package in Ji Duo’s hand, he continued, “I’ll say I’m helping you deliver something.” He took it directly.