Chapter 100
There was one thing Yan Lei had been keeping in mind: “How is that matter with your graduation certificate going?”
“…” Qiao Wei coughed to cover it up, “Ahem…”
Yan Lei stared at her: “You didn’t forget, did you?”
“Ahem, ahem… It’s not like that, something happened that very day,” Qiao Wei explained.
She was referring to the incident at the entrance of the photo studio on National Day, then after watching the movie and going home, Yan Xiang had said something shocking that night, and Yan Lei hadn’t returned home for the whole night.
The following days were all about that.
Then, with a series of subsequent events, Qiao Wei had truly forgotten.
She hadn’t really been that concerned about it to begin with.
Yan Lei was very dissatisfied: “Put some heart into it.”
“Mm-hmm…” Qiao Wei said perfunctorily.
Yan Lei knew at a glance that she hadn’t taken it to heart. This person!
He chased after her: “Can you have some attitude? Ah, call Lin City tomorrow, ah, you know? If you need to take an exam, study hard, ask for time off, ah, I’ll get a vehicle to take you to the exam, ah—”
Qiao Wei’s head ached from his nagging: “Got it, got it.”
He still wouldn’t let it go, wrapping his arms around her waist and forcing her to promise to make the call tomorrow, otherwise, he would suck a red mark on her neck.
Qiao Wei had to agree.
The next day, she really did make the call. The local operator transferred it to Lin City, and she asked the Lin City operator to connect her to the Lin City No. 2 Factory Middle School.
At this time, it was very difficult to find someone with just a single phone call.
Generally, there were two methods. One was to leave a callback number for the person on the other end and wait right there. The person in charge of the phone over there would go find the individual, and that person would come over to call back.
The second method was to leave a message directly. The person in charge of the phone at the unit could pass it on.
If it was a neighborhood phone, there would be a dedicated messenger who would memorize the message or write it down. After hanging up, the messenger would run to the entrance of your street and shout at the top of their lungs: “XXX, XXX’s XXX called you to tell you that the matter of XXXXX has been XXXXX.”
That was how information was conveyed. Basically, it relied on shouting. There was no privacy.
But this was only available in cities. Like Xiahekou District, which was a town, phones were only available in government units. Phones had not yet been popularized in the neighborhoods.
Providing running water and phones to the neighborhoods was also something Secretary Meng strove to complete after the town and county merger.
Qiao Wei chose the first method, left the phone number here, and said: “I’ll wait.”
She waited there for less than ten minutes before the phone rang: “Is this Qiao Wei from the office? There is a call from Lin City for you.”
“Yes, I’m waiting. Please put it through.”
The operator put the call through.
Qiao Wei: “Hello? Teacher Zhang?”
She had only asked one question when the person on the other end fired questions like a machine gun: “Is this Qiao Wei? Is this Qiao Wei from the former Class 1? The Qiao Wei whose father worked in the No. 4 Workshop, who dropped out of school to take his job, and later got married and went to Yongming?”
“Yes, yes, yes, that’s me,” Qiao Wei said. “Teacher Zhang, you still remember me?”
“Qiao Wei! Let me ask you!” Teacher Zhang asked excitedly. “Is the Qiao Wei who has been publishing articles in the City Newspaper you?”
“Yes, it’s me,” Qiao Wei explained. “I’m currently in Yongming—no, Bo City. I’m currently seconded to the Bocheng County Party Committee to work, mainly writing articles.”
“It really is you!” Teacher Zhang’s voice sounded very happy. “The first time I saw your article, I saw ‘Qiao Wei’, and then I saw the town-county merger, and it was the merger of Xiahekou Town, so I remembered that my student Qiao Wei seemed to have married over there. I told the principal, but the principal didn’t believe it, hahahahahaha, but it turned out to be you! Oh right, Qiao Wei, what is it you need?”
Qiao Wei stated her request and asked: “Is an exam necessary? I can prove I am qualified to graduate by taking an exam.”
Teacher Zhang laughed out loud: “What exam? Students in school don’t even take exams now. Besides, you’ve become a skilled writer now; who would test you? Let me talk to the principal; he’ll have to put up a banner to welcome you to collect your graduation certificate. He’ll also have to post your articles on the bulletin board for display.”
No, that’s not necessary…
Qiao Wei broke into a light sweat.
But Teacher Zhang assured her.
Qiao Wei expressed her sincere gratitude to him.
The phone call ended. Less than an hour later, Teacher Zhang called back excitedly to confirm: “The principal said it’s fine. The principal just requires that you must come over to give a lecture.”
Qiao Wei: “…”
Qiao Wei went home and told Yan Lei.
Yan Lei was extremely happy: “Which day? Ask for time off. I’ll go with you! I’ll arrange the vehicle, don’t you worry!”
Qiao Wei: “…”
She had to ask for time off. Currently, in terms of administrative affairs, she was directly managed by Secretary Huang, so she had to ask Secretary Huang for leave.
Secretary Huang asked her what the matter was, and Qiao Wei told him the truth: “When my father passed away, there was no one at home, so I dropped out. I’ve been in contact with the school and want to get my graduation certificate.”
Secretary Huang thought for a moment and asked: “Are you still thinking of taking the university entrance exam? It’s best to be cautious; the political climate above is unclear right now, and universities are a bit chaotic.”
“Ah, no… I don’t…” Qiao Wei said.
But Secretary Huang felt that she just didn’t want to say it directly. Some people really didn’t like to tell others what they were doing before things were accomplished.
He pushed up his glasses: “Be cautious for now; there’s no rush. My wife also wants very much to take the university entrance exam. I’ve been trying to persuade her otherwise.”
“Oh?” Qiao Wei followed his lead, “She wants to take it…”
“Yes, my wife is very studious,” Secretary Huang said. “She is a very diligent person. Back in school, I was the writer, and she was the artist.”
Qiao Wei felt that she and Secretary Huang were not actually close enough to talk about each other’s spouses. She had always been wary of the “colleague” relationship. Especially in this kind of institutional government unit.
And this was already the second time Secretary Huang had praised his wife in front of Qiao Wei. Was he the kind of man who loved to praise his wife so much? Honestly, you really couldn’t tell from his usual work.
Qiao Wei always felt a bit strange… but she also felt it was much better than many men of this era who spoke with disdain, opening their mouths with “that old hag at my house.”
Qiao Wei felt that one should encourage men who praise their wives to others.
She went along with him, echoed a few words, and successfully got her leave.
On that day, Yan Lei got up early in the morning, not only made breakfast but also picked out a clean set of clothes and pants for Yan Xiang, directing Yan Xiang to dress himself like a miniature veteran cadre.
“Apply more face cream.” He also shouted to Qiao Wei through the window, “Apply more, your face is white and bright, it looks especially good.”
Qiao Wei, who was washing her face in front of the washstand: “…”
Yan Lei borrowed a vehicle from the Military Unit, with Xiao Zhang driving.
Xiao Zhang was also in a very good mood: “Sister-in-law is going to give a lecture? I have to listen too.”
Qiao Wei was no longer the delicate, troublesome woman who was unpopular and had a bad reputation among the family members. Qiao Wei’s reputation now was quite illustrious even within the Military Unit.
The family of three sat in the jeep driven by Xiao Zhang and headed toward Lin City.
Entering Lin City, many of the original owner’s memories aligned with the street scenery. Qiao Wei even passed by the factory where the original owner’s father had worked, the Residential Compound where the original owner had grown up…
The school was also very close, because it was originally a school for employees’ children.
Qiao Wei thought that when Teacher Zhang said the principal would hang a banner to welcome her, it was just an exaggerated rhetorical device. She never expected that there would actually be a banner at the school gate: Welcome back, alumna Qiao Wei of Class 1, XX Grade.
The principal and several teachers heard the students coming in and calling out, “The car is here, the car is here,” and they all came out to welcome them.
Yan Lei shook hands and exchanged pleasantries warmly with the principal and teachers, introducing himself: “I am Qiao Wei’s husband.”
The principal and Teacher Zhang knew that the alumna Qiao Wei had married a soldier, but they didn’t expect him to be such a high-ranking official as a regimental-level officer, which was a surprise. A regimental-level officer visiting their school for employees’ children was quite flattering.
Qiao Wei had thought that giving a lecture meant speaking to one or two classes of students on a classroom podium. When she saw all the students in the school carrying chairs and sitting on the playground, with a row of tables set up on the rostrum covered with red tablecloths…
Qiao Wei was stunned.
She had truly underestimated the importance people of this era placed on having “been in the newspaper.”
Yan Lei, however, was very satisfied.
Qiao Wei was now a famous writer in Bo City. He felt that this grand display was worthy of her.
The principal insisted on inviting Yan Lei to sit on the rostrum, but Yan Lei refused with a smile: “I’ll just stay below.”
The principal invited him again and again, and Yan Lei used Yan Xiang as a shield: “The child is still young, and might need to go to the restroom in a while…”
The principal didn’t insist anymore, praised Yan Xiang for being clean and polite, and arranged for Yan Lei and Yan Xiang to sit in the very center of the first row below the rostrum.
Yan Lei was also very satisfied with this position.
From this angle, admiring his wife speaking up there was simply the perfect position.
Qiao Wei was invited to the rostrum and sat in the very center, side-by-side with the principal.
The principal first gave a speech, introducing the fact that many of Qiao Wei’s articles had been published in the City Newspaper, and even the report about catching spies had been reprinted by the People’s Daily, expressing his appreciation and welcome for Qiao Wei.
“Students, let’s all applaud to welcome your senior, Qiao Wei, to give a speech.”
The applause was sparse. Adolescents of this age were the most restless. The endless meetings of adults were too agonizing for them.
Please, principal, have some mercy; please, senior, have some mercy, and keep it short.
Qiao Wei’s gaze swept over the adolescents below.
They didn’t yet know what kind of social turmoil their best years of youth would encounter in the future.
To alleviate urban employment pressure, and also because of the increasingly tense international situation, the educated youth were sent to the countryside, urban populations were dispersed, and there was comprehensive war mobilization.
The best years of youth, indeed.
Qiao Wei withdrew her gaze and unfolded the prepared speech.
“Thank you, Principal Liu, various school leaders, and respected teachers for giving me this opportunity to speak. I am very happy to be here as your senior to talk to you about the expectations I have for you as youths.”
“The theme of my speech today is—”
“The future is bright, but the road is tortuous.”
“Grasp both ideology and knowledge with both hands.”
“Knowledge guides us to build planes and cannons, while ideology tells us where to fire them.”
“The War to Resist France and Aid Vietnam, the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, the Self-Defense Counterattack against India… Every bloody battle that has occurred in the past few years has clearly told us—dignity lies only at the edge of the sword, and truth lies only within the range of the cannons!”
