Chapter 68 : Interview

“I think there were signs of this a long time ago. The two of them never tried to hide it. Whenever Su Jinchuan had some free time, he would go to the elementary school. Anyone with eyes could see it, right? Last time, when another teacher asked about it, Xu Qiao just nodded and admitted it. It’s so much better to be open about it, unlike some people who still hide their relationships like they’re doing something shameful.”

When Liang Qingqing heard the first part, she nodded in agreement. But when she heard the latter part, she broke into a cold sweat, feeling so embarrassed that she wanted to find a hole to hide in. If she weren’t sure that Qin Zhen didn’t know about her and Fan Yanxing, she’d almost think that Qin Zhen was deliberately making a veiled jab at her.

“Ha ha ha.”

Liang Qingqing laughed awkwardly a couple of times, without adding anything further. She instinctively glanced at Fan Yanxing, only to see him looking back at her. Their gazes met in mid-air, and she saw that his eyes were filled with grievance, as if he was accusing her of not giving him a straightforward status.

She wanted to be open about it too, but she had her reasons.

First, Fan Yanxing was still living at their house and she was running for the announcer position. If any rumors started spreading, it could have a bad effect. Second, just thinking about the conversation she had with Ma Xiuzhi last time gave Liang Qingqing a headache. If Ma Xiuzhi found out that she was secretly involved with Fan Yanxing, who knew how angry and disappointed she might be.

The later she revealed it to Ma Xiuzhi, the better.

“So, is Su Jinchuan here for the announcer interview too, or is he applying for the technical position?” Liang Qingqing quickly changed the subject with a calm demeanor, while giving Fan Yanxing a reassuring glance. He nonchalantly shifted his gaze away, like he was obediently going down the steps.

Seeing this, Liang Qingqing let out a sigh of relief, though she didn’t expect Fan Yanxing to be holding back something big though that’s another story.

“I don’t know either.” Qin Zhen shook her head.

In the book, the section about Su Jinchuan’s career development is only briefly mentioned, probably due to sensitive content that the author dared not elaborate on. Liang Qingqing was quite puzzled, but she’d rather Su Jinchuan be applying for the announcer position rather than the technical position.

Liang Shuqiang was already nervous enough, and if he were to compete against Su Jinchuan, it would undoubtedly be against a strong opponent. If his confidence were to take a hit, it would be better if he could handle it well. If not, and he were to fall into despair…

But on the other hand, it was undoubtedly a great opportunity for growth. Life is unpredictable, and it can’t always be smooth sailing. Growing from such experiences could be considered a gain.

As the gong sounded, the scene instantly quieted down. The candidates lined up neatly according to the instructions. Liang Qingqing and Liang Shuqiang said goodbye to their family and Fan Yanxing and joined the line.

Perhaps the more you fear something, the more likely it is to happen. Liang Qingqing saw that not long after Liang Shuqiang joined the line, Su Jinchuan followed closely behind, just three people away from him.

Liang Qingqing took a deep breath, called out to Liang Shuqiang and, suppressing her anxiety and panic, put on an extremely gentle smile to encourage him, “Big Brother, good luck!”

Hearing this, Liang Shuqinag’s tense expression relaxed a bit. He smiled back at Liang Qingqing and said, “You too, good luck!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the person in charge on the steps started calling people in. Due to the large number of candidates, they were grouped in fives and entered together to take turns for the interview. This meant that not only the interviewers would see their performance, but also people from the same village.

Realizing this, some people inevitably began to feel anxious, fearing that if they performed poorly, it would be passed around and make them the subject of ridicule.

But no matter how much they worried, the process continued as scheduled, orderly and smoothly.

People waited outside, straining their necks to peek inside, but saw nothing. The door was tightly closed, and they could only vaguely hear voices from inside. This only added to the unspoken tension in the atmosphere, enveloping the space like the dark of night.

Some people were using the last moments to recite their lines repeatedly.

On this day, Liang Qingqing’s mindset was unusually calm. Whether she practiced the script for one day or more didn’t make a difference, so she quietly stood in line, occasionally clearing her throat.

“Liang Qingqing even dares to participate in the announcer selection. Isn’t she afraid of embarrassing herself?”

With the familiar provocative tone and voice, it was obvious who it was. Turning her head, Liang Qingqing indeed spotted Ding Aija among the five people in this row.

Ding Aija was wearing a white shirt that had faded from washing, her hair pinned up neatly. She looked both serious and formal, clearly putting a lot of importance on this announcer selection. This was the only white shirt she had brought with her when she went to the countryside.

Liang Qingqing just took a glance and then looked away.

How unlucky. With so many people signing up, how did she end up in the same group as Ding Aija? That woman’s mouth would probably keep running until their team’s interview was over.

Seeing that she didn’t get a response, Ding Aija stomped her foot in frustration. Biting her lip, she sneered, “I’m looking forward to seeing you cry and run home later. Country people don’t know how to write scripts probably don’t even recognize a few obscure characters.”

“Barbarians who only know how to use their fists thinking they can be announcers—what a joke.”

“I really don’t know where you got the courage to sign up.”

Ding Aija had wised up this time, knowing that the Liang family was waiting from a distance. She didn’t dare speak too loudly and only muttered quietly. However, the irritating part was that while others might not hear her clearly, Liang Qingqing was only one person away, so every word of Ding Aija’s complaints was clearly audible to her.

Liang Qingqing rubbed her ears and directly ignored Ding Aija’s remarks. She didn’t want to ruin this important day over someone insignificant. Besides, with so many people around, she wasn’t the only “country person” who had signed up. Surely, someone would stand up for her.

Sure enough, the next moment, someone pushed Ding Aija from behind. She nearly fell to the ground, and since the village had muddy ground, if she fell her white shirt would surely get dirty.

Ding Aija’s eyes widened, ready to curse, but when she met the gaze of the person who had pushed her, half of her anger faded. She bit her lip, unable to voice her frustration.

“What are you cursing about? Just because you’re from the city, you think you’re so great? The interview hasn’t even started, and you’re already cursing people here,” the person said, her voice still audible. Everyone around turned to look.

“You’re a country person now too, aren’t you? Without country people, could city folks afford to eat? Cursing while holding a bowl of rice, you’re really shameless. Also, there are so many people here practicing, and you’re disturbing everyone. Do you know that?”

Liang Qingqing looked over and saw that the speaker had ear-length short hair and a clean white shirt, clearly a new one. She had a refined appearance, and it was obvious that her family was well-off. Liang Qingqing racked her memory and soon recalled who she was.

Zhou Lilan, the youngest daughter of the village party secretary, Zhou Yongkang, only 17 years old, had just graduated from high school. She was known for her excellent academic performance and was a rare talent in the village. The Zhou family was proud of her. However, her poor performance in the graduation exams had cost her a chance to enter the Workers’, Peasants’, and Soldiers’ University, and she had stayed in her room crying for half a month before coming out.

It was said that her family was looking for ways to get her a job in the city or secure a recommendation for her to continue her studies at the Workers’, Peasants’, and Soldiers’ University. How did she end up here for the announcer interview?

Liang Qingqing didn’t have much interaction with her and wouldn’t have greeted her if they met on the road. Zhou Lilan stepping up now was surprising but not unexpected. Ding Aija’s words had indirectly touched a sore spot for Zhou Lilan.

“I didn’t mean it that way, and I wasn’t talking about you,” Ding Aija clearly recalled the issue, looking at Zhou Lilan with a mix of grievance and fear, trying to explain. But Zhou Lilan had no intention of wasting any more precious time on her and gave her a stern glare.

“Regardless of what you mean, shut your mouth and stop talking!”

As soon as these words were spoken, Ding Aija felt even more aggrieved. However, she kept her mouth tightly shut, not daring to say another word. She didn’t want to offend Zhou Lilan, her older siblings in the house were not easy to deal with and her father was an official. If she fell out with Zhou Lilan, it would be like falling out with herself.

Thinking of this, Ding Aija turned her head and shot a resentful glare at Liang Qingqing. It was all her fault if it weren’t for her, she wouldn’t have said those things and wouldn’t have gotten into trouble with Zhou Lilan.

Liang Qingqing had no time to pay attention to Ding Aija because the first batch of interviewees had finished. The door was opened from the inside, and five people walked out. Some had red eyes, some were dejected, and others remained expressionless. From their expressions, it was possible to guess who performed well and who made mistakes.

Without giving anyone a moment to relax, the second batch of interviewees was called in.

This scene made those who hadn’t started their interviews yet anxious. The questions from the interviewers varied in difficulty, and the results would only be announced after all interviews were completed.

Whether it was Zhou Lilan’s words or the impact of the first batch’s performance, Ding Aija finally quieted down, no longer causing trouble.

As time passed, the sun rose. Fortunately, Liang Qingqing’s spot was shaded by trees, so it wasn’t too sunny. The row of people in front of her had already been called in, and it was soon their turn.

Her heartbeat raced uncontrollably, thumping faster and faster.

“Alright, you can come in now.”

Liang Qingqing took a step forward and finally walked through the door that had opened and closed many times.

The room was neither large nor small. Any extra clutter had been cleared out beforehand, leaving only a long table and a few wooden chairs. Several interviewers, all dressed in neat, uniform white shirts, sat in the chairs, smiling at them.

“Please have the first candidate step forward and start with a self-introduction.”

The first candidate was indeed Ding Aija. She stood up straight and smiled as she walked to the center of the room. Throughout the process, she performed fairly well. Except for stumbling a bit when asked to read a newspaper article aloud, the rest of her performance was decent and error-free.

So, when she stepped back, she deliberately glanced at Liang Qingqing with a touch of smugness. However, Liang Qingqing kept her gaze straight ahead and didn’t pay any attention to her. Ding Aija felt embarrassed and pouted in frustration.

She was eager to see how Liang Qingqing would perform. If Liang Qingqing stumbled and couldn’t read the script smoothly, it would be quite laughable.

Ding Aija couldn’t help but smile at the thought of that scene.