Chapter 48: Director Zhao becomes more courageous with each setback.

Things did not go as planned.  

Director Zhao had celebrated too soon.  

The brigade took the lead in mobilizing the villagers to repair their houses, which should have been a good thing, yet only a few families responded.  

Among those unwilling to participate, some had recently repaired their homes and didn’t need it. Others either didn’t want to spend a single penny, only wanted to take advantage without contributing labor, felt it was unnecessary, or simply liked going against the grain.  

The brigade warned that with the rainy season approaching, leaks would be likely.  

They responded, “It’s like this every year, no big deal.”  

The brigade said it would help reduce losses.  

They laughed, “We’re already dirt poor. What’s left to lose?”  

The brigade reasoned that there was no downside, just a bit of hard work.  

They retorted, “We’re already exhausted from daily labor. Why work for nothing?”  

…  

Some villagers simply followed the crowd—if everyone was repairing, they would too; if few participated, they wouldn’t bother either.  

In the brigade office, Deputy Team Leader Xu held the list of the few willing to repair their homes, wearing an expression of “I knew this would happen.” He spoke with deliberate emphasis, educating Zhao Ke, “Having enthusiasm as a young person is good, but you also need to understand the villagers and the situation in the village. See? You rushed in without knowing anything, and now all your effort was wasted.”  

Zhao Ke had nothing to say.  

She had indeed taken things for granted.  

But she wasn’t the type to give up easily just because she hit a setback.  

So, she didn’t understand the villagers or the village situation, huh?  

Zhao Ke, instead of checking individual files only when she needed something from a villager, directly pulled out the entire village’s records and studied them carefully.  

Still too one-sided?  

When she got home, she grabbed a new notebook, uncapped her pen, and wrote “Visit Records” on the first page.  

Comrade Yu Xiulan could do home visits—so could she. She would go door to door and learn the situation firsthand.  

But before that, Zhao Ke first went to Zhao Yunyun’s house and asked, “Have you finished drawing the map?”  

Zhao Yunyun looked up with lifeless eyes. “Jie, can I just call you Jie now? It’s only been two days, and you’re already breathing down my neck?”  

“It’s fine if it’s not done yet. I’m planning to do some visits. Want to come?”  

Zhao Yunyun shook her head like a rattling drum. “No, no, absolutely not.”  

Since she refused, Zhao Ke didn’t force her, but she reminded her, “Then take my map seriously and get it done soon.”  

Zhao Yunyun: “…”  

Just a second ago, she said, “It’s fine.” Now she’s rushing her again. No one changes faces faster than Zhao Ke.  

“Yunyun Jie?”  

Zhao Yunyun couldn’t help but burst into laughter, her tone turning unbearably sweet. “Alright, alright, you really are impossible.”  

Even Zhao Ke, who had started the sweet talk, found it unbearable. She shuddered at the goosebumps and made a quick exit.  

Zhao Yunyun didn’t want to go visiting, and other village girls were too shy to face older women—they lacked confidence from the start.  

Zhao Ke was frustrated. Why were there so few thick-skinned girls like her?  

Should she ask Comrade Yu Xiulan to come along and do visits together?  

But thinking from the villagers’ perspective—if she and her mother showed up at their doorstep together… wouldn’t they feel like their fishpond was about to be bombed?  

That wouldn’t work either.  

Zhao Ke strolled aimlessly around the village, eventually wandering to the educated youth compound.  

“You’re all here?”  

With a smile on her face, Zhao Ke stepped through the courtyard gate.

That tone, that posture—she was just one step away from clasping her hands behind her back.  

In the courtyard, the educated youths were having a meal, the men at one table and the women at another.  

“Director Zhao!” Zhuang Lan exclaimed in surprise. She quickly put down her bowl and chopsticks, got up, and picked up the stool she had been sitting on, offering it to Zhao Ke. “Director Zhao, have a seat.”  

Zhao Ke waved her hand. “No need, go ahead and eat. I came at the wrong time and interrupted your meal.”  

“Not at all, not at all.” Zhuang Lan glanced back at the two dishes of greens on the table. “Uh…”  

She hesitated to ask if Zhao Ke had eaten.  

Zhao Ke noticed and smiled. “I’ve already eaten. You should sit. I just came to chat. If I’m bothering your meal, I can leave and come back later.”  

“You’re not bothering us at all,” Zhuang Lan said enthusiastically, repeatedly urging her to sit.  

Fang Jing kept her head slightly lowered, her gaze full of disdain.  

Most of the educated youths weren’t familiar with Zhao Ke. Apart from Zhuang Lan and Fu Hang, the others had barely spoken to her.  

Fu Hang, whenever he was in front of Zhao Ke, became tongue-tied. He simply nodded in greeting when she entered and deliberately avoided looking at her.  

Zhao Ke, on the other hand, took the initiative to start a conversation and asked Fu Hang, “Fu Zhiqing, when are you moving?”  

“Tomorrow,” Fu Hang replied.  

“Perfect timing—it’s the start of a new month, a fresh beginning. Congratulations.”  

Fu Hang nodded and thanked her.  

Then, Zhao Ke turned to Zhuang Lan and the other two female educated youths, smiling. “Actually, I came to ask if any of you ladies would be interested in becoming literacy class teachers for the women in our Zhao Village production team.”  

Zhuang Lan was a true enthusiast. She immediately nodded. “I’m interested!”  

Su Limei hesitated.  

She found the villagers rough and difficult to get along with.  

Fang Jing lifted her head and, in a voice filled with difficulty and apology, declined, “Director Zhao, my health isn’t great. After a full day’s work, I can barely stand when I get back. I’m afraid I won’t be able to help.”  

Zhao Ke said, “That’s fine. No pressure.”  

Su Limei hesitated for a long time before asking, “Um, Director Zhao, do we get work points for teaching literacy?”  

As soon as she said this, the other educated youths gave her strange looks.  

Zhuang Lan tugged at her hand and quickly explained to Zhao Ke, “Director Zhao, Limei didn’t mean anything by it.”  

Su Limei pouted and spoke in a delicate voice, “I was just asking a reasonable question. I didn’t say anything wrong.”  

Zhuang Lan’s expression grew more awkward.  

When the newspapers and official documents encouraged educated youths to go to the countryside, they all promoted actively helping farmers learn, but they never mentioned receiving compensation.  

Zhao Ke didn’t mind. “It is a reasonable question. No problem. Feel free to ask anything, and I’ll answer as best as I can.”  

“See? Even Director Zhao doesn’t mind,” Su Limei huffed at Zhuang Lan, then turned to Zhao Ke with a complaint. “I earn too few work points from labor. I’m afraid I won’t have enough to eat. If teaching literacy earns work points, I could overcome some difficulties.”  

Wanting the horse to run while refusing to feed it—definitely unreasonable.  

Zhao Ke, of course, understood. However, she said, “I won’t be vague with you. I’ll be straightforward—our brigade is still struggling, and literacy education is a tough, long-term task. At the moment, we might not be able to allocate work points for it, but I’ll try my best to apply for them.”  

Su Limei immediately lost interest.  

Zhuang Lan, not wanting to appear unenthusiastic, quickly spoke up, drawing attention to herself. “Director Zhao, I’m willing to do it!”  

A true protagonist indeed.  

Zhao Ke genuinely admired her, and her appreciation was evident. “Before the literacy class starts, we need to visit and encourage the women to join. Would you like to come along for the visits?”  

“Can I?” Zhuang Lan was thrilled. “I’d love to!”

Zhao Ke eagerly reached out her hand. “Welcome, welcome.”

Zhuang Lan grasped Zhao Ke’s hand with both of hers and gave it a firm shake.

With a smile on her face, Zhao Ke let her shake it, making no move to pull away.

Letting go was out of the question—once she agreed, there was no backing out.

Fu Hang didn’t like the sight of their hands stuck together. He took the initiative and said, “Director Zhao, if there’s anything I can do to help the brigade, I’d be happy to contribute as well.”

Zhuang Lan’s grip on Zhao Ke’s hand tightened slightly, a hint of wariness in her gaze as she looked at this unexpected competitor.

Fu Hang gave her a faint glance before turning to Zhao Ke. “I have quite a few acquaintances in various industries. If you need anything, I can write to them and ask them to send over some materials.”

Zhao Ke was open to all offers. “On behalf of the commune members, I thank you, Fu Zhiqing.”

Fu Hang responded coolly, “No need to be so polite. Since we’ll be living close by from now on, if you ever need help, you can come directly to me or Lin Zhiqing.”

Caught off guard by the sudden mention, Lin Haiyang quickly chimed in, “That’s right, that’s right. Educated youth were sent to the countryside to help the farmers—it’s our duty. From now on, Fu Hang and I are your neighbors, Director Zhao. Feel free to come find us anytime.”

That was exactly what Zhao Ke wanted to hear, so she naturally agreed.

Zhuang Lan bit her lip, seething with frustration, but her teammates weren’t proactive enough, and she simply couldn’t match their capabilities.

All she could do was try to shift the focus. She turned to Zhao Ke and asked, “Director Zhao, when do we start? I’d like to prepare in advance.”

Zhao Ke turned her attention back to Zhuang Lan. “The sooner, the better. If you’re free, come to the brigade office early tomorrow morning. Is that okay?”

“Of course!”

Zhao Ke gave her a slight smile. “Alright then, I’ll be waiting for you tomorrow. I won’t disturb you all any further today.”

Zhuang Lan’s goal was to become the most valued educated youth in Zhao Ke’s eyes, and she had no intention of letting Fu Hang or Lin Haiyang steal the spotlight. She immediately said, “I’ll walk you out.”

After seeing Zhao Ke off, she returned to find herself locking eyes with Fu Hang. Their gazes were equally indifferent.

A few seconds later, they both looked away.

—

The next morning, Zhao Ke stepped out of her house, still half-asleep and yawning, only to see her new neighbors, Fu Zhiqing and Lin Zhiqing, tidying up their yard.

Fu Hang spotted her first and greeted her.

Then, Lin Haiyang, all sunny enthusiasm, waved at her. “Good morning, Director Zhao!”

Zhao Ke: “…”

Her braid hung loosely over her shoulder, her bangs sticking up messily—hardly the image of a proper women’s director.

“Morning.” She raised a hand to press down her unruly bangs and made small talk. “You two are up early.”

Fu Hang was just about to reply when Lin Haiyang beat him to it, his voice brimming with energy. “Even though we already sorted things out a few days ago, moving in still means there’s a lot to organize. Of course, the earlier, the better!”

Zhao Ke nodded. “I’ll let you get back to it. I’m off to wash up.”

Lin Haiyang responded instantly, “Got it!”

Fu Hang pressed his lips together, suddenly regretting having Lin Haiyang as his housemate.

Oblivious, Lin Haiyang turned to him and asked, “Didn’t you prepare a gift for our new neighbor? When are you going to give it to her?”

“It’s for our neighbors across the way. You take it over for me.”

“Alright.”

Lin Haiyang grabbed a comic book and headed across the courtyard.

When Zhao Ke came back out, Fu Hang called out to her and passed a brand-new notebook through the fence between their houses.

“This is…”

Zhao Ke hesitated, not reaching for it.

Fu Hang spoke with deliberate casualness. “I prepared gifts for all our new neighbors. Lin Zhiqing just took one over to the house across from us.”

Catching a glimpse of Lin Haiyang returning empty-handed from Wang Yinghui’s house, Zhao Ke finally accepted the notebook.

Just then, Lin Haiyang’s loud voice rang out. “Director Zhao, Fu Hang is turning eighteen the day after tomorrow! I’ll buy a few eggs and boil them for him.”

Fu Hang frowned slightly. “It’s not a big deal. No need to make a fuss.”

Though his words were directed at Lin Haiyang, his gaze toward Zhao Ke held a hint of quiet anticipation.

Zhao Ke, meanwhile, had two immediate thoughts upon hearing this.

First: Fu Zhiqing was actually two months younger than her? She never would’ve guessed.

Second: He gave her a notebook after becoming her neighbor, and now she knew his birthday was coming up. Considering she’d be relying on him for extra work in the future, not returning the favor would really be unreasonable.