Chapter 34: Selection Confirmed

Friday Morning, Logistics Office Meeting Room

Four people sat around the round table: Deputy Director Fu, Director Wang, Section Chief Chen, and Meng Yufei.

Section Chief Chen placed the registration book on the table and said, “All the applicants are listed here.”

Deputy Director Fu took the registration book, flipped through it, and said, “Let’s start with the childcare worker position. Section Chief Chen, please read out the names of those who applied, and then we’ll discuss who is the most suitable candidate.”

He then turned to Wang Cuilan beside him and asked, “Director Wang, does this arrangement work for you?”

Wang Cuilan nodded. “Yes, no problem.”

Deputy Director Fu then asked Meng Yufei, “Director Meng, what do you think?”

Meng Yufei naturally had no objections and nodded. “I think this is a good approach.”

Satisfied, Deputy Director Fu nodded. “Alright, then let’s begin. Section Chief Chen, go ahead and read the list.”

Section Chief Chen nodded, picked up the registration book, and read aloud:

“Zhao Chunhua, family member of 3rd Regiment’s Captain Zheng, 35 years old, graduated from an adult literacy class.

Qian Zhaodi, family member of 4th Regiment’s Captain Cheng, 32 years old, illiterate.

Zhang Fenglai, family member of 3rd Regiment’s Commander Ma, 37 years old, graduated from an adult literacy class.

…”

Section Chief Chen read through the entire list in one go, his mouth going dry. He swallowed and said, “There are a total of fifteen applicants for the childcare worker position, and I’ve read all their names.”

Meng Yufei poured him a glass of water. Section Chief Chen accepted it and nodded in thanks.

Deputy Director Fu said, “Good work,” then turned to Wang Cuilan. “Director Wang, since you work closely with the family members, you’re more familiar with them. Based on the names Section Chief Chen just read, who do you think is suitable for the childcare worker role?”

Wang Cuilan thought for a moment before saying, “Hmm, first, I need to eliminate one person. Zhao Chunhua won’t do—she’s very unkempt! Her children’s sleeves are covered in snot all year round. Someone like that definitely shouldn’t be taking care of kids in a kindergarten!”

Section Chief Chen agreed, “Yes, yes, I’ve seen her a few times. She really isn’t very clean.”

Wang Cuilan continued, “I think Yin Guixiang is a good candidate. She’s the wife of Commander Xue from 4th Regiment. She’s hardworking and tidy. I’ve been to her home, and it’s always neat and organized. The only problem is her troublesome mother-in-law, who moved in with her recently. That old woman causes trouble for her every day. In just a few months, she’s already gone to the Women’s Federation multiple times to complain. We’ve been considering sending her mother-in-law back home—this constant arguing and drama isn’t sustainable. But Yin Guixiang has three small children, and she’s struggling to manage them alone.

Given her situation, I strongly recommend her for the childcare worker position. Having a job will allow her to step out of the house, reducing conflicts with her mother-in-law while also solving the issue of childcare.”

After hearing Wang Cuilan’s reasoning, Deputy Director Fu said, “For family members facing difficulties, we should definitely provide more support. Director Wang, do you have any other recommendations?”

Wang Cuilan shook her head. “No, this is the only particularly special case.”

Deputy Director Fu then turned to Meng Yufei. “Director Meng, do you have any recommendations?”

Hearing her opinion being sought, Meng Yufei thought for a moment and decided to advocate for Mrs. Zhang.

She said, “I’m new to the residential compound and don’t know most of the families well. However, among the names Section Chief Chen read, Zhang Fenglai, the wife of 3rd Regiment’s Commander Ma, is my neighbor. She’s warm-hearted and very capable. I’d like to recommend her.”

Since she had encouraged Mrs. Zhang to apply, and they had a good relationship, it was only right to support her when needed.

Section Chief Chen nodded after hearing Meng Yufei’s words and said, “I know Zhang Fenglai too. She’s an honest and hardworking person. Her courtyard is always kept very tidy.”

Wang Cuilan added, “Yes, every time I pass by her house, I see her neatly arranged vegetable garden and rows of pickled vegetable jars. You can tell she knows how to manage a household well.”

Meng Yufei smiled at Section Chief Chen and Director Wang, expressing her gratitude for their support.

She thought to herself: It was expected that Director Wang would back me up, but I didn’t expect Section Chief Chen to go along with it too. Looks like Sister-in-law Zhang is a sure thing this time.

Deputy Director Fu said, “It seems that both of them are quite suitable. Does anyone else have other recommendations?”

Seeing everyone shake their heads, Deputy Director Fu said, “Then we’ll tentatively select these two for the childcare worker positions. Section Chief Chen, please record their names.”

Section Chief Chen nodded, “Alright,” and opened his notebook, writing down the names Yin Guixiang and Zhang Fenglai under the childcare worker position.

Deputy Director Fu continued, “Alright, next is the teacher position.”

Once again, Section Chief Chen read through the list of applicants. The kindergarten was looking to hire three teachers, but there were as many as twenty-five applicants.

Among them, seventeen had only primary school education, six had junior high school education, and two had high school education.

After reading all the names, Deputy Director Fu spoke first, “Even though it’s just a kindergarten, we’re still hiring teachers, so academic qualifications should be the main selection criterion. What do you all think?”

Wang Cuilan nodded. “Yes, I agree.”

Meng Yufei and Section Chief Chen also nodded in agreement.

Deputy Director Fu asked, “Who are the two high school graduates?”

Section Chief Chen replied, “One is Tang Jiayi, the wife of Commander Song from 4th Regiment. She’s 26 years old and was a primary school math teacher before following her husband here. The other is Wei Shufang, the wife of Commander Han from 5th Regiment. She’s 35 years old and was a textile factory worker before relocating.”

Hearing Wei Shufang’s name, Meng Yufei’s eyes flickered slightly. I didn’t expect her to apply too. I didn’t see her yesterday morning—she must have signed up in the afternoon.

Deputy Director Fu turned to Wang Cuilan, “Director Wang, do you know about these two women? What are they like?”

Wang Cuilan thought for a moment and said, “Tang Jiayi has been here for two years. Even though she has a high school education, there haven’t been many job opportunities for her, which is a pity. She’s a quiet person and gets along well with the other family members. I think she’d be a good fit for the kindergarten.”

“As for Wei Shufang, she also gets along fine with others, and there aren’t any major issues with her personality. However, I’ve recently heard that she’s having conflicts with her stepdaughter.”

Deputy Director Fu said, “Every family has its own struggles, and outsiders may not fully understand the details of their issues. As long as her overall character is fine, that’s what matters.”

Section Chief Chen immediately followed up, “That makes sense, Director. Even a fair judge would struggle to settle family disputes. It’s not our place to interfere in others’ household matters. As far as I know, Wei Shufang doesn’t have any other problems.” She turned to Director Wang. “What do you think?”

Wang Cuilan nodded. “Yes, I haven’t heard of her having any conflicts with the other family members.”

Meng Yufei glanced at Section Chief Chen. Looks like she’s in favor of Wei Shufang becoming a teacher.

Deputy Director Fu said, “Since that’s the case, let’s put both of their names down.” He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then continued, “As for the third teacher, we’ll choose from the junior high school graduates. Do you have any recommendations?”

Section Chief Chen flipped through the registration book and said, “Hmm, Liu Qiujun has a junior high school education, but no work experience. Then there’s Li Shuini, who also has a junior high education and worked as a substitute primary school teacher for a month. However, she was dismissed after receiving complaints from parents.”

Wang Cuilan thought for a moment and added, “I remember Hong Xiaoyuan—I think she also has a junior high education.”

Deputy Director Fu listened to the names but didn’t comment immediately. Instead, he asked, “Didn’t I hear a name earlier—Zhou Wenqian? She previously worked in the military’s arts troupe, right?”

Hearing the name mentioned by Deputy Director Fu, Section Chief Chen quickly lowered her head to check the registration book. She found Zhou Wenqian’s information and said, “Yes, she is the wife of Battalion Commander Zhao from 1st Regiment. She’s 24 years old and served in a military arts troupe for five years.”

Deputy Director Fu then turned to Meng Yufei and asked, “Director Meng, do you have any suitable candidates in mind?”

Meng Yufei shook her head with a smile. “As I mentioned earlier, I’m still not very familiar with the family members in the residential compound. I only recommended Sister-in-law Zhang because she’s my neighbor.”

Deputy Director Fu continued, “Then, based on the candidates we just discussed, who do you think is the most suitable for this teaching position?”

Thinking about the three candidates mentioned earlier, Meng Yufei was most familiar with Zhou Wenqian. Besides, it seemed like the director also favored her.

So, she said, “I’ve met Zhou Wenqian, Battalion Commander Zhao’s wife, a couple of times. She seems like a nice person. Plus, since she used to be in a military arts troupe, she’s skilled in singing and dancing, which makes her a great fit for a kindergarten teacher.”

Deputy Director Fu nodded in agreement. “That’s certainly an advantage.”

Section Chief Chen added, “And she’s the youngest among the candidates. Teaching kindergarteners requires a lot of energy, so having someone young and energetic is a plus.”

Deputy Director Fu turned to Wang Cuilan. “Director Wang, what do you think?”

Wang Cuilan said, “Since everyone thinks she’s the best choice, let’s go with her.”

Section Chief Chen then wrote down the names Tang Jiayi, Wei Shufang, and Zhou Wenqian under the teacher positions.

With that settled, the discussion moved on to the kindergarten principal position.

The day before, Wang Cuilan had already spoken privately with Deputy Director Fu and recommended Auntie Tian for the role. They both agreed she was the most suitable candidate.

In order to persuade Auntie Tian to take the position, Wang Cuilan even brought along Doctor Huang to help. Doctor Huang had known Auntie Tian for many years, and they shared a close friendship.

In the end, with Doctor Huang’s assistance, Wang Cuilan successfully convinced Auntie Tian to accept the kindergarten principal position.

Section Chief Chen looked at the registration book and announced, “There are two applicants for the principal position…”

Hearing this, Wang Cuilan, who had been holding her teacup, paused in surprise. Two people? Who else applied? She couldn’t recall anyone else in the residential compound being suited for the position.

Curious, she asked, “Who are the two candidates?”

Section Chief Chen read out, “One is Tian Ruizhi, 40 years old, the wife of Chief of Staff Qi. Before the liberation, she was a teacher at a girls’ school. After the liberation, she served as the principal of Jingzhou Public Elementary School. A few years ago, she moved to our island with her husband and has been a literacy class teacher in the family compound.”

“The other candidate is Qi Huiying, 24 years old, the wife of Deputy Commander Chen from 2nd Regiment. She has a high school education and previously worked as a factory worker at Qiongzhou Garment Factory.”

After hearing the names, Wang Cuilan glanced at Deputy Director Fu, waiting for his input. But he didn’t say anything and simply took a sip of tea.

So, Wang Cuilan asked, “Did Qi Huiying apply for the wrong position?”

Although she had a high school diploma, she was young and inexperienced, with no relevant work background.

If she had applied for a teacher position, her education level would have made her a reasonable candidate.

But for the principal role…

Section Chief Chen said, “No mistake. She specifically went to the director’s office yesterday to recommend herself for the principal position.”

Thinking back to yesterday’s scene, Section Chief Chen was still fuming. She had never met someone as oblivious as Qi Huiying.

Section Chief Chen added, “I even reminded her that the kindergarten principal position had high requirements and suggested she apply for a different role—being a teacher is a great job too. But she insisted on applying and even said that becoming a kindergarten teacher would be a waste of her education! So, I had no choice but to register her.”

Hearing this, Wang Cuilan frowned. “Comrade Qi Huiying has always been a bit arrogant. What kind of statement is that? What’s wrong with being a kindergarten teacher?”

She turned to Deputy Director Fu and said, “I firmly support appointing Auntie Tian as the principal. She has the most suitable qualifications and work experience.”

Section Chief Chen agreed. “Yes, I think so too.”

Their stance was clear. Seeing this, Meng Yufei also nodded. “I agree. From a parent’s perspective, hearing about Tian Ruizhi’s experience makes me really hope she takes on the role of kindergarten principal.”

Deputy Director Fu put down his teacup and said, “Since we’re all in agreement, we’ll provisionally appoint Comrade Tian Ruizhi as the kindergarten principal.”

Section Chief Chen nodded and quickly wrote Tian Ruizhi’s name under the principal position.

With the selection finalized, Deputy Director Fu began assigning tasks. “Section Chief Chen, make sure to post the list on the residential compound’s announcement board, and try to get the paperwork done this week. We’ll have them start work next week. Also, get those two front rooms cleaned up as soon as possible—we need to set up the kindergarten quickly.”

Section Chief Chen nodded. “Understood.”

Deputy Director Fu continued, “Didn’t we plan to put up a fence around the kindergarten? I’ll have the General Affairs Section contact the local commune today. They’ll bring the materials over tomorrow, and the fencing should be done in a day. Director Meng, make sure to settle the payment with the commune afterward.”

Meng Yufei responded, “Got it.”

The final list of kindergarten staff was as:

Two childcare workers: Yin Guixiang, Zhang Fenglai.

Three teachers: Tang Jiayi, Wei Shufang, Zhou Wenqian.

Principal: Tian Ruizhi.

Section Chief Chen worked quickly and managed to post the list on the announcement board before the morning shift ended.

Before long, a crowd gathered around the board.

“Quick, take a look! What does it say?”

“It’s the hiring announcement for the kindergarten! Didn’t they mention it over the loudspeaker the other night? I didn’t expect them to finalize the candidates this morning.”

“Ah, I was thinking of applying for the childcare worker position, but I got held up by something at home yesterday… Tsk tsk…”

“Oh, please, what ‘important thing’? Weren’t you just chatting away at Commander Cao’s house?”

“…Ahem, just read me the names, will you?”

“Haven’t you attended the literacy class before? Why can’t you read it yourself?”

“My eyesight isn’t good. The text is too small to see clearly!”

—

After reading the notice, the onlookers began discussing the names on the list.

“Oh, so the childcare workers are Yin Guixiang and Zhang Fenglai. Yin Guixiang really has it tough—her mother-in-law moved in, supposedly to help take care of the kids, but every time I pass by their house, I hear her ordering the two little girls around to do the laundry and clean the house.”

“I remember her daughters—aren’t they only five years old?”

“Exactly! Old Xue looks strong and sturdy, but who would’ve thought she’d make a five-year-old do housework? I even heard she made a fuss at the Women’s Federation the other day because she wasn’t getting enough meat to eat!”

“Tsk tsk… Poor Guixiang. At least now that she has a job at the kindergarten, she can bring her kids with her, and maybe life at home will be a little easier.”

“Yeah, luckily my mother-in-law didn’t come with us when we relocated with the military, or she wouldn’t be much better than Guixiang’s.”

Yin Guixiang had been living in the family compound for years and got along well with everyone. Many sympathized with her for having such a difficult mother-in-law.

“Who is this Zhang Fenglai? I don’t recall anyone by that name in the compound.”

“Oh, that’s Sister-in-law Zhang!”

“Oh, her! She’s a hardworking and honest person—she’s a great choice for looking after kids at the kindergarten.”

“Yeah, her children are all well-behaved and tidy. Every time they see me, they greet me politely.”

Mrs. Zhang was known as a quiet but kind-hearted woman in the family compound. She usually stayed home tending to her vegetable garden, occasionally chatting with neighbors. She had a good reputation, so no one objected to her becoming a childcare worker.

—

After work, Meng Yufei walked out of the cafeteria, holding Xia Qinqin’s hand in her left and a lunchbox in her right. At the entrance, she ran into Qi Huiying, who had come to get her meal.

Meng Yufei had no intention of greeting her and acted as if she hadn’t seen her, walking right past.

“Hey!”

To her surprise, Qi Huiying called out to her. “When is the kindergarten list coming out?”

Meng Yufei turned her head and replied indifferently, “The list is already posted on the announcement board. What, didn’t anyone tell you when you walked past just now?”

The path from the residential area to the cafeteria went right past the announcement board. When Qi Huiying arrived earlier, she had seen a crowd gathered around it, chattering away as if they had never seen anything interesting before. She had felt nothing but disdain and walked past without a second glance.

Since arriving here, Qi Huiying had looked down on everything and everyone, and as a result, no one wanted to associate with her. Just now, the people at the board had all silently ignored her presence, not bothering to call her over to check the list.

Hearing Meng Yufei’s question, Qi Huiying choked for a moment before retorting, “Why didn’t you inform everyone directly? Just posting it on the announcement board—what if someone didn’t notice?”

Meng Yufei smiled. “The Personnel Department will, of course, notify the selected candidates. But as for those who didn’t get chosen… I don’t think there’s any need to notify them one by one, is there?”

With that, she turned and walked away, holding Xia Qinqin’s hand.

Xia Qinqin glanced back at Qi Huiying and whispered, “Mom, I don’t like that lady.”

Meng Yufei looked down at her daughter and said softly, “Mom doesn’t like her either.”

Thinking about how Qi Huiying was still a suspect in trying to frame her daughter, Meng Yufei seriously instructed, “Qinqin, if you ever run into that auntie again, don’t talk to her. If she bullies you, you must remember to come to Mom and Dad for help.”

“Mm-hmm, got it.” Xia Qinqin nodded vigorously. Her mother’s words filled her with a deep sense of security.

After the mother and daughter left, Qi Huiying remained standing there, muttering to herself, “What does she mean by that? Could it be… she’s saying I wasn’t selected?!”

Impossible!

Wearing high heels, Qi Huiying stormed over to the announcement board. A group of people was gathered there, discussing the three teachers on the list.

“Tang Jiayi and Wei Shufang both have high school diplomas—they’re definitely qualified to be kindergarten teachers.”

“Huh? Who’s this Zhou Wenqian?”

“She’s the wife of Battalion Commander Zhao from the 1st Regiment. She just moved here last year. Hardly ever seen her outside. The last time I saw her was during the New Year’s celebrations. She’s quite pretty, but really skinny.”

“The first two have high school diplomas, but it looks like she only has a middle school education.”

“How many people in our family compound even have a high school diploma?”

“True. A middle school education is enough to be an elementary school teacher back in my hometown.”

As Qi Huiying listened to the lively discussion, she grew impatient seeing the crowd just standing there. She reached out and forcefully pushed her way through to the front to look at the posted notice.

“Hey! What’s wrong with you?”

“Why are you shoving people? If you want to see, wait your turn!”

Ignoring the complaints, Qi Huiying widened her eyes and stared at the Principal section on the notice. Written clearly in large characters was the name Tian Ruizhi—not hers!

In disbelief, Qi Huiying rubbed her eyes and stared at the name as if she could burn a hole through the paper. A few seconds later, she couldn’t help but blurt out in frustration, “Who is this Tian Ruizhi, and why was she chosen as principal?!”

Hearing this, someone nearby rolled their eyes at her and said, “Sister Tian used to be the teacher for our literacy class here in the family compound. She’s the one who handed me my literacy class graduation certificate.”

Others chimed in: “That’s right, Sister Tian takes teaching very seriously. Even now, when I see her, I instinctively take a detour!”

“I heard she used to be an elementary school teacher in Jingzhou City. That’s a big city—if she was a principal there, she must be truly capable.”

“Exactly! To be honest, having her as a kindergarten principal is almost overqualified…”

Listening to everyone praise Tian Ruizhi, Qi Huiying turned red with anger and stomped off home.

“What’s wrong with her?”

“Who knows? She’s always been weird.”

“Who is she anyway? Why is she acting like that?”

“You don’t know? She’s Qi Huiying, the wife of Deputy Regimental Commander Chen from the 2nd Regiment. I saw her at the Logistics Department yesterday—looks like she applied too but didn’t get selected.”

“Oh, so that’s Qi Huiying… Good thing she wasn’t chosen.”

“Exactly! If someone like her became a kindergarten teacher, I’d be worried. I was planning to send both my little ones there.”