Li Chengze also stopped running from that point onward.

For Su Xiangwan, everything was fine except for one thing: it was difficult.

Song Qingshan had gone to the battlefield, and the reservoir could not directly pay her salary.

There were no remittance options for the soldiers at the front.

During this time, Su Xiangwan had been struggling.

However, the difficult times didn’t last long.

Just as Su Xiangwan was worrying about surviving with only eight yuan in allowances per month, a notice came from the village, appointing her as the village cultural publicity officer.

Now, Su Xiangwan had a salary of 18 yuan per month, plus the eight yuan in allowances.

Moreover, Zhao Guodong was also reassigned to the village, directly becoming the village Party Secretary.

They were still partners.

Now, what mattered most was the revolutionary line.

The revolutionary factions in the provincial capital had become more intense.

Especially Li Shizhang. Even though he had died, he was now being criticized again.

Fortunately, Qingshui County was relatively quiet and remote, and those people hadn’t stirred trouble in the county town yet.

Moreover, when Song Qingshan left, he specifically told the military to ensure that Liu Xiangqian delivered fertilizer to Xiaosong Village on time.

The village’s harvest had always been good, so there was never a shortage of food in Xiaosong Village.

At first, Su Xiangwan thought Song Qingshan would return by the time of the New Year.

But to her surprise, the war at Zhenbao Island didn’t end until April of the following year.

Of course, she only learned from the newspapers that at least several hundred people had died. Moreover, from then on, the two countries would enter a very tense standoff.

However, fortunately, in April, Song Qingshan sent a telegram saying he would be returning soon and told her to wait at home.

When Su Xiangwan saw the date on the letter and did some quick calculations, she realized that Song Qingshan would be back tomorrow.

“Chengze, remember to feed the chickens when you wake up in the morning,” Su Xiangwan said, with a slight creak as she prepared to go to work, and knocked on the door of the three children.

Lü Dan and Gou Dan were now in the second half of their first grade, and every weekend they would wake up at 6 AM and play wildly, refusing to go to bed until after midnight.

However, when it came to school, they absolutely refused to get up.

Li Chengze was older, so Su Xiangwan entrusted him with the chickens and ducks.

This child was diligent. As soon as Su Xiangwan spoke, he got up immediately, still half-asleep, and began to put on his pants.

Since Song Qingshan was not around, Su Xiangwan now drove his tractor to work at the township.

This evening, she had just finished work and was coming out of the township government when two unfamiliar people ran toward her, reaching out to grab her.

“Comrade Zhao, Comrade Zhao, what are you still doing here?” Su Xiangwan shouted loudly and immediately ran toward the township office.

The two people heard someone behind them and got scared, turning to flee.

Zhao Guodong came out: “What’s wrong, Xiao Su?”

“Nothing,” Su Xiangwan replied, still feeling shaken.

It was clear that the people who had been watching Li Chengze had now turned their attention to her.

“Good news,” Zhao Guodong said, “We can go to the county town together. I originally planned to get you into the Standing Committee, but it seems unlikely. You’ll have to work in the Women’s Federation first, is that okay?”

“Woman’s Federation, what does that mean?”

“It means the Qingshui County Women’s Federation wants to assign you as the director.” Zhao Guodong didn’t mention how much effort he had put into making this happen.

He also specifically added: “Someone has checked your file, and it seems that someone wants to make trouble for you, so you need to be careful, especially with the municipal Public Security Bureau.”

No need to say more. The day Su Xiangwan had sent Gu Nan (or Su Xiaonan) to Haixi County for labor reform, she knew that many people would cause trouble for her.

But so what?

Her children had grown up, and it was a good opportunity to work in the county town. Why not take it?

She was already fed up with the open-air toilets, the lack of water and electricity, and the constant use of oil lamps and fetching water from labor reform sites.

She had to secure a position at the Women’s Federation and move into the city, becoming a city person.

“Alright, let’s go, but what position will I have?” Su Xiangwan asked.

Zhao Guodong seemed a bit embarrassed: “One of the six standing members of the county committee.” This person had indeed been promoted and had become the deputy county mayor!

Su Xiangwan thought to herself that her reminder back then might just help cultivate a real cadre who would work for the country and the people!

Beijing, Nanyuan Airport.

With flowers and red scarves, a group of Young Pioneers were singing the national anthem, welcoming the soldiers returning from Zhenbao Island.

Song Qingshan still had many tasks at the reservoir. After meeting with the leaders at the airport, he had to head back to the reservoir immediately.

However, before he left, he had to meet with Hou Qingyue.

“Did Gu Shizhang say you had Gu Nan sent to Haixi for labor reform? Is that true?” Hou Qingyue asked, following behind him.

After a quick meeting, Song Qingshan had to rush to handle a transfer.

“Yes, that happened, but it was because Gu Nan made a mistake. Even in her own diary, she shouldn’t have smeared the leader. Is Gu Shizhang upset?”

“Li Yifan is about to be transferred to your county. She says Gu Nan wrote to her, claiming that your family was behind the incident,” Hou Qingyue continued.

Li Yifan’s husband, Gu Bei, was Song Qingshan’s comrade and currently worked at the provincial military district. Li Yifan herself was a very distinguished individual. She had worked in Tibet and recently transferred to the mainland. With her level, she was likely to rise to provincial or even central positions in the future.

How would it feel to have a wife who had angered the county’s top leader?

Though it was unclear what Song Qingshan was thinking, Hou Qingyue was both anxious and concerned. However, Song Qingshan remained unusually calm.

“By the way, my family asked for a certain type of bird. Did you buy it for me?” Song Qingshan suddenly remembered something else.

Hou Qingyue gave Song Qingshan a glare and helplessly said, “I bought it, but I was worried it wouldn’t be enough for her face, so I bought five bottles. You can take them all back with you.”

Five bottles! Song Qingshan was immediately overjoyed: “It’s not about the size of her face. I’m just happy you bought five bottles. Come on, let me give you the money.”

“No need for money. Just tell your wife that health is more important than anything. Tell her to eat more vegetables, understand?” After all, Hou Qingyue was an intellectual and didn’t want to say outright that Song Qingshan’s wife was overweight, so he gently advised her.

Song Qingshan, however, disagreed: “Why eat vegetables when there’s meat? I like my wife a little bit chubby.”

Hou Qingyue looked at his slim figure and wondered, “After being classmates with him for years, is it because I’m not fat enough that he doesn’t even look at me?”

That thought was quite frustrating.

After landing in the provincial capital, Chen Aidan, driving a jeep, was already waiting at the airport. Of course, in the more than six months that Song Qingshan had been away, Chen Aidan had handled nearly all the party and government work. Now that Song Qingshan was back, there were many reports to be made.

The two of them drove for an hour and a half, finally arriving at the command center in Qingshui County.

“Dad, Dad!” To his surprise, it was Gou Dan who came running out from the dormitory to greet him.

Song Qingshan picked up his son, tossed him a little, and was about to turn to look for his daughter when he saw Su Xiangwan also coming out of the dormitory.

“It’s been over half a year. The kids have grown a lot,” Song Qingshan said, looking around, likely trying to spot Li Chengze.

Su Xiangwan said, “Don’t bother looking. Your little wild boar is in Xiao Song Village.He refuses to come into the city.”

In fact, it would be fine for Li Chengze to wander around the county town, as his household registration had been transferred to Song Qingshan’s family.

If anyone checked, his name was officially Song Chengze.

But that child refused to come, so Su Xiangwan had to keep him at home, treating him like an old farmer.

Song Qingshan rubbed his hands together, “How’s it been? Must have been tough on you these past six months.”

Su Xiangwan extended her hand, “Tough, you could say that. But what about the money? Now that you’re back, you must be able to collect your salary. Hurry up and give it to me.”

She had struggled for eight months, barely leaving the house except for work to avoid spending money.

If she didn’t collect all the money now and didn’t get it from Song Qingshan, she would probably end up giving some to the old lady.

Su Xiangwan understood Song Qingshan’s need to give some money to the old lady, but she didn’t like how he secretly stashed it away.

Even when she bought a wild boar, she had to quietly give some to the old house. If she didn’t keep a close eye on the money, it always ended up going to the old house.

Song Qingshan slapped his forehead, suddenly remembering that during his mission, the team’s salary hadn’t been collected.

He quickly jumped up and went to the logistics office to get his salary.

“Eight months, and it’s only 700 yuan?” Su Xiangwan asked, surprised.

Song Qingshan didn’t speak, but Gou Dan quickly added, “I saw him when he went to collect the salary, Mom. It’s just 700 yuan.”

After studying for a year, Gou Dan now felt that his knowledge was unprecedentedly vast.

Su Xiangwan extended her hand, waiting.

Song Qingshan opened his bag and gave each of his sons a chocolate that seemed to be from Russia.

He shooed them out before pulling out 500 yuan and handing it to Su Xiangwan. “Here, this is your reward for the special achievement. It’s all yours.”

If Su Xiangwan hadn’t come to the dormitory today to catch him off guard, she probably wouldn’t have gotten the full 500 yuan.

She calculated quickly and was stunned. “Song Qingshan, we have special achievements and first-class merits in the army, but no rewards are given for merit alone. What kind of unit are you in to get such a high bonus?”

Song Qingshan, caught off guard, suddenly leaned toward Su Xiangwan, causing her to jump in surprise. She quickly held the money tightly.

“Have you ever heard of the advance road-opening unit?” he said, pointing to his own nose. “We did great work by finding over 30 mines, which could have killed hundreds of soldiers, in a strategic area. We cleared the mines in just five minutes, saving a lot of operational time.”

So, not only could he blow up mines, but he could also clear them?

And he did it with his nose?

Wasn’t he afraid of blowing his face off?

Su Xiangwan couldn’t help but admire him a little. “I didn’t know you had this skill. Did you not get blown up by the mines?”

Song Qingshan leaned in, licking his lips. Actually, he really wanted to kiss his wife’s lips, which were even more fragrant than buns. But since it was broad daylight, was it appropriate for a man to do such a thing?

As part of the road-opening unit, they were truly the ones who led the soldiers, clearing mines and opening the road with their own bodies. Not only did it require bravery, but also a keen sense of smell. If their noses weren’t sharp, they might have already been chatting with Marx and Lenin by now.