Chapter 70

As usual, there was a meeting on Monday, something everyone was accustomed to.

After finding a good spot in the meeting room and sitting down, he opened a thick notebook, uncapped a steel pen, opened the lid of a cup full of strong tea, and was ready to pass the time.

Chief Lu spent the whole morning in meetings.

When he returned to the office, he glanced around and asked, “Where’s Man?”

Lu Tianming said, “Of course, she went home.”

Chief Lu said, “Huh.”

Lu Tianming asked, “What’s wrong?”

Chief Lu said, “I’ll tell you in the afternoon.”

After speaking, he glanced at Qiao Wei.

Qiao Wei sat there flipping through past manuscripts, studying diligently.

With her snow-white shirt, slightly lowered head, and hair falling on both sides of her cheeks, her face looked even smaller.

Simple and unadorned, pure and clean.

If it weren’t for the well-behaved child sitting next to her, who bore a striking resemblance to her, who would have thought she was a mother.

Chief Lu nodded.

In the afternoon, Lu Manman arrived at work on time.

This week, Qiao Wei was on duty, so she was a reserve, especially free.

Seeing that Qiao Wei had no problem operating the machine at all, she didn’t follow her into the broadcasting room. Instead, she stayed in the office and played with Yan Xiang.

At first, Yan Xiang found this aunt a bit noisy, not as quiet as the other people in the office.

But soon he grew to like her. The youth and vitality on a person always attracted others, regardless of whether they were adults or children.

Now they were playing together very well.

Chief Lu told Qiao Wei and Lu Manman, “After the broadcast, let’s have a meeting together. I’ll convey the leader’s instructions.”

Qiao Wei said, “Okay.”

Lu Man lazily agreed.

After the broadcast, everyone gathered in the office, pulling chairs around Chief Lu and sitting down.

Chief Lu opened his notebook and conveyed several important points of today’s meeting.

“…The mosquito eradication campaign at the end of the month is the top priority of this season’s work. The Propaganda Department, especially our broadcasting station, must take the lead and do a good job of propaganda. Tomorrow’s study meeting, Chief Xie will definitely give instructions on this task. Everyone should have some idea. Man and Qiao, especially you two, need to brainstorm how to do this broadcast propaganda work well.”

The others didn’t care much.

Lu Tianming was shaking his leg.

Hu Sui was hooking yarn.

It had nothing to do with them; Qiao Wei and Lu Manman were the ones really working at the broadcasting station.

“It would be best if you could come up with a draft tomorrow,” Chief Lu calmly assigned the task.

“Huh?” Lu Manman slouched back in her chair. “Come on…”

It felt like being at home.

Qiao Wei suppressed a smile and nudged her foot.

Lu Manman rolled her eyes at the ceiling, feeling half-dead. Submit something overnight? It was like asking for her life.

Qiao Wei raised her hand. “Manager.”

She said, “You all have a lot of experience, but I don’t have much. I need more practice. Give the newbies a chance. I’ll write this propaganda draft.”

Lu Manman suddenly perked up and sat up straight. “Yes, yes, give the newbies a chance. Weiwei can definitely do it!”

In an instant, Qiao Wei evolved from “Qiao Wei” to “Weiwei.”

Chief Lu was very satisfied. “Okay, it’s up to you. Can you give me a first draft tomorrow morning?”

Qiao Wei readily agreed and added, “Then I’ll hurry to the library to check some materials.”

“Sure, go ahead, go ahead. Time is tight.”

Qiao Wei got up and left, with Yan Xiang following her like a little tail, running to the library.

That place was great, full of books, like a treasure trove for Yan Xiang.

He happily followed her.

The rest of the people thought they were done, and Lu Tianming was about to get up, but Chief Lu flipped a page in his notebook. “There’s one more thing…”

Taking a big breath, Lu Tianming had to sit back down.

“It’s about the ideological and work style issues of civil servants,” Chief Lu read from his meeting notes. “Civil servants are servants of the people. They must remain simple and frugal. Being well-dressed and high-ranking is being an official, not a servant.”

“Think about it, if you’re a high-ranking official, how would ordinary people dare to approach you? They’d be afraid just to look at you from a distance. How would they dare to ask for help when they’re in trouble or complain to you when they’re wronged?”

“Secretary!” Lu Tianming pointed his finger in the air with certainty. “This is Secretary Gao!”

Chief Lu chuckled.

Sure enough, it was the speech of the town’s party secretary, as Lu Tianming guessed.

The party leads the country. At any administrative level, the secretary is the top leader, and the mayor is the second in command.

The mayor’s surname was Xie, one of the three major surnames in the local area. The secretary, however, was not a local, using a term from later generations, they called it an “airdrop.”

From the beginning of the country’s founding until later generations, the country has always been fighting against clan forces and local forces.

If the secretary and the mayor didn’t get along, it was also a common occurrence in officialdom.

Chief Lu continued, “The secretary said, some of the comrades nowadays, regardless of male or female, are influenced by extravagant habits and pursue things that are flashy but not substantial. The most common thing is, both men and women want to wear tweed.”

Chief Lu imitated Secretary Gao’s tone and repeated his original words, “‘What’s good about tweed? Does it make you look like a cadre? Does it make you look like an official?'”

Quite a good imitation.

“Did you hear that, Man? It’s talking about you,” Chief Lu looked up.

Lu Manman rolled her eyes. “I only have three tweed trousers.”

“Three are still too many? Your aunt doesn’t have a single one.”

“That’s because you’re stingy.”

“Shirts aren’t allowed either?” Lu Tianming asked, “I just bought one this year. They can’t possibly forbid us from wearing it, right?”

“‘Forbid’ is not possible,” Chief Lu sneered, “Anyway, the Secretary’s attitude is clear, you guys figure it out yourselves.”

Lu Manman shouted, “So, are we allowed to wear it or not?”

“Stupid,” Lu Tianming laughed at her, “Do you have to wear it to work?”

“…Yes.”

No matter how much power the Secretary has, they can’t dictate what I wear on Sundays.

“Oh, right,” Chief Lu said, “Which female comrade in the town committee wears coarse cloth garments?”

“Huh?” Lu Manman said, “Coarse cloth? Who? Nobody does. Not even my mom. Only my grandma.”

“Secretary Gao mentioned it, praised a female comrade who came to work wearing self-woven fabric, graceful in demeanor, confident in speech, with a simple image, like a true servant of the people… I couldn’t figure out who it was for a while,” Chief Lu wondered.

“…,” Lu Manman said, “If I were to wear coarse cloth, it would somewhat resemble me. But I haven’t worn it.”

“It’s made up,” Lu Tianming said confidently, “You can tell it’s made up at first listen.”

Anyone working in the town committee should at least be a clerk, with a starting salary of 23 yuan. Even if they’re a dual-income family, raising four or five children would be quite easy. The likelihood of wearing coarse cloth is very low; even if they have it at home, it’s mostly for the elderly.

It’s definitely made up. Just evidence fabricated to support an argument.

Hu Sui puckered her lips with knitting yarn.

What’s wrong with coarse cloth? She knows how to weave; the coarse cloth she weaves is durable and long-lasting.

It’s a pity that she didn’t bring a loom over here to weave. Everyone wears industrial cloth.

Fortunately, she learned how to knit here. If she can’t weave cloth, she’ll knit sweaters. Neighbors come to her every day to ask for knitted sweaters.

Knitting sweaters with her salary also brings her happiness.

In the evening, Yan Lei saw Qiao Wei studying hard at her desk.

“What are you writing?” He went over to see, “Mosquito eradication? We discussed this matter in the meeting today too.”

Qiao Wei finished writing, blew on the ink, and handed it to Yan Lei, “Read it and see if it works.”

Yan Lei quickly finished reading, astonished, “Do mosquitoes spread so many diseases?”

“Yes. Mosquitoes and flies, along with rats, are the little experts in spreading diseases in the natural world. Diseases like dengue fever, if severe, can even be fatal,” Qiao Wei asked, “Do you think it’s understandable? This is a draft.”

“Definitely understandable,” Yan Lei said, “You’ve written it very well, I find it very clear.”

“Understanding is all that matters. I’ve thought about it; this kind of popular science stuff should be as simple and understandable as possible. It’s best if both educated and uneducated people can understand, regardless of age, whether old or young, elderly or children. Especially children, they should be exposed to popular science from a young age, so that this knowledge becomes common sense, and they know to pay attention to hygiene. As generations pass, the overall quality of the nation will greatly improve.”

Qiao Wei spoke confidently, although she was talking about work, her expression was relaxed.

There were no discarded drafts on the table, evidently, this article was written effortlessly, without the head-scratching and sighing, crumpling up drafts like others did.

Yan Lei raised an eyebrow, “So, work suits you, huh?”

“I’ve told you before, I’m good at writing.” Qiao Wei kicked off her shoes, placed her snow-white feet on the edge of the chair, and hugged her knees.

Her small chin lifted slightly, with a smile.

Just as described by the town’s leader, she is confident and graceful.

Yan Lei pinched her delicate chin, smiling, “You didn’t say so back then. If you did, you wouldn’t have been assigned to work in the factory…”

He didn’t finish his sentence, seeing Qiao Wei’s expression change slightly, he realized he had misspoken.

Qiao Wei grabbed his hand, coughed, “Let’s not bring up the past, alright? We agreed on that, didn’t we?”

Yan Lei regretted it silently, now their relationship had progressed by leaps and bounds, sweet and tender, almost like newlyweds.

What’s the point of bringing up the past?

It’s all in the past.

He put down Qiao Wei’s manuscript, bent down to “lift” up Qiao Wei who was hugging her legs, and said, “Sleep, sleep.”

“Oh,” Qiao Wei hurriedly wrapped her arms around his neck.

Stretching out her legs, she turned into a princess being carried.

Qiao Wei really liked being carried like a princess by Yan Lei, feeling secure.

When a man’s grip tightens, she understands his thoughts.

With no television and nothing else, the main entertainment for couples in the evening is this.

That’s why every family has so many children.

But when Yan Lei kissed her neck, she still remembered to remind him, “Don’t leave any marks on me, I still have to go to work.”

Yan Lei was speechless, “So you know too.”

Qiao Wei bit her lip, trying to suppress her laughter, but where could she suppress it? She laughed until she curled up.

Yan Lei finally understood, “You did it on purpose!”

She always left marks on his neck, relying on the high collar of his uniform to cover them. Occasionally, if his discipline button wasn’t fastened properly, they would be exposed and seen by others. Old Zhao always wondered why he kept scratching his own neck.

He always thought it was because he couldn’t restrain himself during moments of passion, but now he realized she did it deliberately.

“Seal, do you understand?” Qiao Wei argued confidently, “Official documents need to be sealed to be effective. By putting my seal on you, I’m telling others that you’re mine, and it becomes effective.”

She was really good at arguing.

Yan Lei raised an eyebrow and said, “Then I should seal too.”

Qiao Wei rolled over trying to escape, but Yan Lei pulled her back in one go.

Trying to resist was futile; her wrists were pressed against her head.

On such a hot day, she didn’t want to button up her collar tightly like he did; she could only plead, “Seal somewhere else, seal somewhere else.”

“Fine.” Yan Lei’s rough palm roamed over, found a spot, and said, “I’ll seal it here.”

He lowered his head.

And firmly sealed it.