Chapter 72
After Qiao Wei finished speaking, she suddenly remembered something and looked back at Yan Xiang.
If she went to the county town tomorrow, she would have to entrust Yan Xiang to Sister Yang again. It was embarrassing to keep bothering her.
Station Chief Lu understood immediately and said, “It’s fine. Just bring Yan Xiang over tomorrow as usual. Hu Sui, I’ll have to trouble you to watch over Xiangxiang tomorrow.”
Hu Sui was a wallflower at the Broadcasting Station; there was usually no need for her. Suddenly having a purpose, she was delighted and patted her chest in assurance, “Leave it to me, you can go without worry.”
Lu Tianming also said, “Xiangxiang is so well-behaved. It’s fine to leave him in the office; we’ll take him to lunch at noon.”
Yan Xiang knew how to use the restroom by himself; he didn’t need adults to help with his bathroom needs. As long as they took him to eat at noon, it would be fine.
Lu Manman also added, “It’s no problem, we’ll play with him.”
Qiao Wei smiled and said, “Then I’ll have to trouble you all.”
That evening, she told Yan Lei, “I’m going to the county health center for a meeting with the Station Chief and the others tomorrow.”
Although it was just going to the county, business trips were relatively rare at this time. They usually fell to capable people, or at the very least, a core staff member.
Yan Lei could see that Qiao Wei was like a fish in water at the Town Committee.
Qiao Wei continued, “Xiangxiang will be in the office, and Sister Hu, Tianming, and Manman will help keep an eye on him.”
Yan Lei didn’t think much of it. In this era, children ran around everywhere and were raised freely; adults didn’t really supervise them. Leaving a child in the office while adults went to take care of business was quite common.
He only asked, “How are you getting there?”
The Town Committee didn’t have a car; he knew this from having dealt with them before.
“We have bicycles, four of them, and one is specifically a ladies’ model.”
“Do you know how to ride a bicycle?”
Qiao Wei searched her memories. There was no memory of bicycles in the original owner’s mind. She probably hadn’t touched one much.
She said, “I tried it out at work; there’s no big issue.”
Flawless.
Yan Lei reminded her, “Bring a mesh net.”
“Of course.”
In fact, Yongming County was only ten li away from Xiahekou Town.
Taking the bus wouldn’t take much time either. Some people, to save money, would even walk there on foot.
But that bus came from far away, passing through many villages and towns along the way, so it was hard to keep track of the time. Just as Station Chief Lu and the others said, sometimes you might not even see one for three or four hours.
Last time Qiao Wei waited only half an hour, which was pure luck.
Therefore, it wasn’t that convenient for people in town to go to the county. If they went, they had to buy something to bring back; they couldn’t return empty-handed.
On Friday, she woke Yan Xiang up early.
She had already talked to the child beforehand: Mom was going on a business trip, and he would be in the office with Uncle Lu, Auntie Hu, and Auntie Lu.
Qiao Wei asked him if that was okay. Yan Xiang said, “I’m a man now, of course it’s okay.”
Yan Xiang had been going to work with Qiao Wei at the office, so he was already familiar with the environment.
He knew exactly where the restroom was, where the Library was, and where the Cafeteria was.
Qiao Wei was quite at ease with Yan Xiang.
With an ordinary child, if you told them, “That’s dangerous, don’t touch it,” you could say it a hundred times, and they would agree a hundred times, but the moment you turned around, they would forget instantly and go touch it anyway.
Yan Xiang was different. As long as you explained the reasons, principles, and consequences to him, once he understood, he would be like an adult, knowing what should and shouldn’t be done.
He was especially worry-free.
The mother and son arrived at the Town Committee Residential Compound early.
It was very early, and there were few people around. The Cafeteria served breakfast, but most people ate at home; only a few people came to the office to eat breakfast, so they arrived early.
Hu Sui arrived quite early. It was rare for her to be entrusted with an important task at the Broadcasting Station, so she was very enthusiastic.
It was quite reassuring.
Qiao Wei and Yan Xiang had breakfast at the Cafeteria, and then she entrusted Yan Xiang to her.
She followed Station Chief Lu to the warehouse.
They had made arrangements yesterday, and the application slip had been submitted. The warehouse keeper had already pushed out all four bicycles.
Section Chief Xie and Section Chief Li hadn’t arrived yet, so Qiao Wei got on one and rode it for a bit to test it out.
It was an old-fashioned bicycle; the frame was heavy, the structure was simple, and there were no auxiliary devices like gear shifters. It felt a bit heavy to ride.
Station Chief Lu said to the warehouse keeper, “Please oil it up a bit.”
The warehouse keeper took an oil can and oiled the chain and the axles. Qiao Wei got back on: “Much better.”
Section Chief Xie and Section Chief Li arrived as well.
The three men each had an identical old-fashioned black square briefcase.
They all hung their bags on the handlebars.
Qiao Wei was dressed the same as yesterday: a white shirt and green army trousers.
In reality, she was wearing a freshly changed clean set today, but because it was an identical white shirt and green army trousers, no one noticed she had changed.
She was also wearing Liberation shoes. She carried a green army satchel and a military canteen.
With this gear, she could easily handle a ten-kilometer cross-country run.
Section Chief Xie even praised her: “Xiao Qiao, your spirit is excellent. Clean and simple is the most beautiful state for female comrades. Isn’t this much better than those frilly dresses?”
The day Station Chief Lu was conveying the spirit of the meeting, everyone thought he had finished, so Qiao Wei went to check some materials. She hadn’t expected that Station Chief Lu had another part, which she hadn’t heard.
But once Section Chief Xie said this, she immediately realized it.
Once that thing started, women’s clothing would begin to become de-feminized. Was there already a trend for this?
Qiao Wei said, “Wearing trousers is more convenient for work than wearing a skirt.”
The three leaders were all very moved.
You have to understand that in the eyes of leaders, there was actually no distinction between men and women; everyone was just a workhorse. Leaders just wanted you to work hard.
A female comrade who was proactive and diligent was the ideal subordinate in the eyes of a leader.
This was the convenience of foresight.
If this were a male-oriented novel, the transmigrated protagonist would undoubtedly use their foresight for political opportunism, rising rapidly through the ranks. By the end of the story, they would likely be in a high position of power, holding wealth, and surrounded by beauties.
But Qiao Wei didn’t have that kind of ambition.
Having been tortured by illness for years, she had grown indifferent to money and career.
Of course, if she had money, power, and a career, she wouldn’t refuse them. But in her values after rebirth, the most important thing was to live well and enjoy life.
Even her dilapidated home had to be painted clean and white.
There should be a comfortable lounge chair under the eaves.
Clothing should be loose and comfortable.
A stable sex life.
A cute child.
No need to rush; everything should be slow and steady—that was the pace she wanted.
Ahem, it’s just that the pace of this era was a bit too slow, which ended up making her pace seem quite fast. People were used to the “iron rice bowl” and stable wages, lacking any motivation, which made her appear quite capable.
Qiao Wei secured her bag on the back seat of the bicycle. She wrapped the strap around the seat a few times and tightened it so it wouldn’t fall off.
She hung her military canteen on the handlebars, wrapping the strap around a few times so it wouldn’t swing too much.
Just like that, three men and one woman on four bicycles set off.
It was actually quite a spectacle.
Because there weren’t many bicycles in town.
You could count the ones Qiao Wei had seen on one hand.
The four of them rode side by side, blocking the road. But it didn’t matter; there were neither people nor cars on the road.
Once they left the town, the view suddenly opened up.
Qiao Wei had traveled this road before; she had taken this route when she went to the county by bus last time. Back then, sitting in the bus and looking out the window, she thought it was quite beautiful.
Now, riding a bike along this road, the experience was completely upgraded.
The North China Plain connected earth and sky, boundless and vast.
There were neither people nor cars on the road.
On both sides of the road were straight, towering poplar trees. Outside the road were farmlands, and Qiao Wei really didn’t know what those lush green crops were.
It was just beautiful.
The morning light shone through the gaps between every poplar tree, slanted and in streaks.
The Tyndall effect appeared, and the light took on a shape.
As the bicycles rode past, they passed through layer after layer.
This scene seemed to have appeared in her childhood dreams.
Qiao Wei took a deep breath.
In mid-August, the heat was still hard to shake off during the day, but mornings and evenings were starting to get slightly cool. The morning breeze hit her face, filled with the scent of soil and plants.
“Leaders, I’m going to ride a bit faster~”
Qiao Wei was so happy her cheeks turned red.
She had once cycled ten li in a famous scenic area, but she had never been this happy.
After all, the scenic area was full of cyclists and tourists.
How could it compare to now, where it felt as if there was no one else in the world?
She rode swiftly.
Station Chief Lu shouted from behind, “Take it… easy~”
Ahead came Qiao Wei’s laughter, crisp as a bell in the morning breeze, as she replied, “Don’t ~ you ~ worry ~”
Section Chief Xie and Section Chief Li laughed heartily, “Young comrades are truly full of energy.”
The three of them rode side by side.
Station Chief Lu laughed, “Our Qiao is especially fond of laughing; she laughs every day, and her spirit is always so full. Everyone at our Broadcasting Station has been influenced by her and has started laughing more every day.”
Section Chief Xie and Section Chief Li were both envious, “That’s so good.”
In her own office, there was a group of half-dead, half-asleep people who made her feel drowsy every single day.
Section Chief Xie said, “We can’t lose to the female comrades.”
The few middle-aged men ignited their fighting spirit and pedaled with all their might.
A fellow villager driving cattle to the fields saw from afar four bicycles speeding against the wind on the road.
Three men were wearing shirts, with black square briefcases hanging on their handlebars; one look and you could tell they were cadres from the Town Committee.
“Did something happen?” the villager asked in surprise.
The cadres were rushing to the county seat like the wind; what kind of emergency could this be?
Usually, aren’t they always slow and leisurely?
Thanks to Qiao Wei, the leaders abandoned their usual slow pace, got a serious workout, and greatly shortened the time spent on the road.
When they arrived at the County Health Center, Qiao Wei got off her bike. Beads of sweat slightly seeped from her bright forehead, but her cheeks glowed with a healthy red.
She hadn’t gone for a morning run today, but the amount of exercise was even greater than a morning run.
“Station Chief, riding a bicycle on this kind of road is truly comfortable.” She smiled contentedly.
Her cheeks were glowing, she was full of energy, and her complexion was rosy.
At first glance, it made people think of the word “youth.”
Her exuberant vitality seemed to be overflowing, and those who saw her felt as if they themselves had become a few years younger.
Section Chief Xie and Section Chief Li envied Station Chief Lu even more.
Station Chief Lu got off his bike and pounded his waist. “What’s comfortable about it? My waist is aching.”
Old-fashioned bicycles weren’t very ergonomic, especially the ’28-inch’ heavy-duty bikes; they were very high and tiring to ride.
Qiao Wei laughed. “When we go back, I’ll have Manman pound your waist for you.”
“By the time I get back, she’ll have already disappeared.”
“Hahahaha, hahaha.”
The meeting wasn’t anything new; it was just mobilization, explanations, and assigning tasks.
However, because the people from Xiahekou Town arrived first, they received praise, which was an unexpected joy.
Qiao Wei also received the specific schedule arrangement she wanted.
She thought it would be printed paper, but instead, she was given a paper tube. Inside was a roll of blue, oily, shiny paper.
In her previous life, Qiao Wei had lived in the internet era of QR code payments, so given her age, she naturally had never seen this thing before.
She asked, “What is this?”
It wasn’t strange that she didn’t recognize it; in an era where information transmission was slow, most ordinary people had limited access to information.
Station Chief Lu told her, “This is a mimeograph stencil. The people at the Health Center have already handwritten it. We’ll take it back and use ink to print it ourselves.”
So that was it.
The meeting lasted all morning. At noon, Section Chief Xie went to sign for meal tickets and came back, and the four of them ate at the County Party Committee Residential Compound’s Cafeteria.
It was indeed as Lu Manman had said; the County Party Committee’s Cafeteria was tastier than the Town Committee’s Cafeteria.
Station Chief Lu quietly told Qiao Wei, “The cook at the County Party Committee’s Cafeteria is a master chef with a ranking.”
“Our cook is the Town Mayor’s second cousin.”
Qiao Wei: “…”
Fine.
After eating, they could go back.
The four of them went to the Department Store together and each bought some things.
The peach blossom cakes they bought last time were very good, so Qiao Wei bought some more.
Station Chief Lu said, “Buying so much?”
Qiao Wei said, “Xiangxiang is at the office, I’ll take this back and share some with everyone.”
In the past, Station Chief Lu valued Lu Manman the most.
Lu Manman was the one who could do the most work. Although there was also a military dependent, Ge Xiufen, she was the type who wouldn’t move unless kicked. Hu Sui simply didn’t have the professional ability for the Broadcasting Station; if she didn’t cause trouble, Station Chief Lu would thank the heavens.
Now, Station Chief Lu truly felt that he had gained a formidable warrior.
Whether it was professional ability or social skills, he really didn’t have to worry about anything at all.
Everyone had finished buying their things, and they started their return journey.
Section Chief Xie said, “Don’t ride so fast again; consider our old waists.”
Section Chief Li laughed out loud.
“I won’t ride that fast anymore; it’s too hot right now.”
It was only beautiful to ride in the morning breeze. It was already afternoon, the sun was high, and Qiao Wei didn’t want to be dripping with sweat.
Riding through the county seat, there were more people on the road than in the morning.
One could see some young people, regardless of gender, wearing military trousers.
“Heh, they all look like little soldiers,” Section Chief Li said.
Fashion is something that blows from big places to small places.
Since this trend had started appearing in the county seat, it meant it must have already become a trend in the city and the provincial capital.
This wind of fashion would have originally taken a little longer to reach the town.
But now Qiao Wei had influenced Lu Manman, making this trend arrive a little earlier than it should have.
The four of them rode slowly back to Xiahekou Town.
They first returned the bicycles, then each went back to their own sections.
Section Chief Xie took the mimeograph stencil and promised, “I’ll have them printed and distributed tomorrow.”
Qiao Wei and Station Chief Lu returned to the Broadcasting Station. Lu Manman had drawn a grid on the stone-paved ground of the courtyard with chalk and was playing hopscotch with Yan Xiang.
Seeing them return, she and Yan Xiang both came up to greet them. “You’re back!”
Station Chief Lu clicked his tongue. “It’s truly rare to still see you at the unit at this hour.”
Lu Manman huffed. “I’m playing with Xiangxiang.”
She was young, active, and full of vitality. However, the office always had a thick atmosphere of retirement. So, generally, once her work was finished, she would quickly slip away.
Since Qiao Wei arrived, the atmosphere had changed. Lu Manman also often stayed in the office for a while longer.
She also got along well with Yan Xiang.
Yan Xiang was a small child, but he wasn’t noisy or annoying like other children. He was like an old scholar, miraculously able to blend into the office’s retirement atmosphere.
Only after Lu Manman got to know him well was he willing to play with her.
Today, Qiao Wei was on a business trip, and Lu Manman had promised to help watch Yan Xiang, so she hadn’t left.
She looked lively and outgoing, but in reality, she had always been the one carrying the heavy load at the Broadcasting Station. She was surrounded by unreliable colleagues; Ge Xiufen couldn’t handle responsibilities, Hu Sui was lucky if she didn’t cause trouble, and Lu Tianming only cared about maintenance, ignoring everything else outside of it.
In this environment, the young Lu Manman was, on the contrary, the most capable and reliable person.
Qiao Wei pulled her aside. “I bought some peach blossom cakes; come eat.”
Lu Manman was happy. “Good thing I didn’t leave.”
“I would have saved some for you even if you had left.”
They went into the office together to distribute the peach blossom cakes, and Qiao Wei asked, “Xiangxiang hasn’t been naughty, has he?”
Lu Tianming took a bite of the peach blossom cake and said, “Don’t be ungrateful for your blessings. You have a son as well-behaved as Xiangxiang; you should be burning incense in gratitude. In my home, my few girls can give me a headache.”
Hu Sui also praised while eating, “You really are something. Just take our Xiangxiang—give him a book and a meal, and you don’t have to worry about him for the whole day. How did you raise this child? It’s so enviable.”
“I don’t know either; he just grew up like this on his own,” Qiao Wei said. “Maybe he takes after his father.”
This matter really had nothing to do with her.
It was all an innate attribute bestowed by the Transmigration God.
Yan Xiang finished a piece of peach blossom cake, wiped his mouth, and told Qiao Wei, “Mom, Uncle Tianming found me a very interesting book today; it’s really good.”
Lu Tianming laughed, “There are a lot of illustrations, I knew he would love it.”
Yan Xiang glanced at him.
He didn’t read books just to look at the illustrations, but the explanatory illustrations did indeed help him concretize abstract text.
But there was no need to explain this.
He pulled his mother to go see that book.
He liked this kind of book.
This book was just like the agricultural technical manual and the pig-raising technical manual at home; it had many technical terms. But this one was better, just as Uncle Tianming said, it had a lot of illustrations.
Almost all the technical terms could be understood through the illustrations.
It was as if they were afraid he wouldn’t understand; such books were truly great. He hoped all books were like this.
Qiao Wei was led over by her son holding her hand.
Ge Xiufen had gone home to rest, and her desk was empty. Now, it was implicitly given to Yan Xiang to use in the office.
Yan Xiang had paper, pens, and books, and the little boy kept the desk cleaner and tidier than when Ge Xiufen used it herself.
“Here, it’s this one.” He took the book out of the drawer to show his mother like a treasure.
Qiao Wei knew it!
A book that could be praised by Yan Xiang as “interesting” definitely wasn’t simple.
Qiao Wei had seen this book in quite a few novels.
Isn’t this the “militia training manual” that is known as one of the three god-tier books for transmigrators!!
