Chapter 48: Comrade Huang Guixiang Has a Job!
Zhu Xianju smiled awkwardly and said, “In-law, I’m at least ten years older than you. I’m almost fifty!”
Huang Guixiang looked completely incredulous. “No way, you clearly look younger than me.”
Zhu Xianju quickly waved her hands. “I was born in 1926!”
Huang Guixiang was shocked. “No way!”
“Oh my, you really don’t look it…”
Lin Wan thought to herself: As long as my mother wants to, she can coax anyone into beaming with joy.
Watching this scene unfold, Zhang Qin felt incredibly miserable. Her mother-in-law was always solemn and unsmiling toward her, yet she was so warm and amiable toward Huang Guixiang and Lin Wan. What exactly was wrong with her? The neighbors all said Huang Guixiang was no good and Lin Wan was overbearing… Zhang Qin couldn’t figure it out. Her mother-in-law knew perfectly well that Huang Guixiang had once forced her to yield Xuyang to Lin Wan, so why was she still…
What Zhang Qin didn’t know was that to a mother, seeing her own son treated as a prized catch by others provided a massive boost to her vanity. Not to mention, she currently needed a favor from Lin Wan. Xuyang’s future was still held in Lin Wan’s hands. Furthermore, Huang Guixiang never hid her liking for Xuyang, which made her far more open and aboveboard than Zhang Qin, who had secretly coaxed her son into registering their marriage certificate behind his parents’ backs.
Standing from a mother’s perspective, Zhu Xianju didn’t think Huang Guixiang was entirely in the wrong. If she were a widow with a daughter and no job, she too would exhaust her wits and plan meticulously for her daughter’s sake. Besides, in Zhu Xianju’s eyes, Huang Guixiang hadn’t mistreated Zhang Qin. If she had truly mistreated her, she wouldn’t have let her finish high school. Precisely because she could empathize with Huang Guixiang, Zhu Xianju grew even more displeased with Zhang Qin.
She led Lin Wan and Huang Guixiang to the Personnel Section and completed the job transfer procedures.
The comrades in the Personnel Section were quite surprised. “Sister Zhu, why are you having your daughter-in-law give up her job?”
Zhu Xianju said with a smile, “Oh, it’s my fault really. I didn’t consult the young couple first. My son plans to take Zhang Qin with him to accompany the military. Zhang Qin’s health isn’t very good either, so he wants me to let her rest and nurse her body first instead of going to work! We’ll let my in-law take the job for now. Later on, when Zhang Qin needs it, my in-law can just transfer it back to her.”
The comrades in the Personnel Section understood instantly. It made sense—let the maternal family hold the job slot for now, and whenever she wanted it back in the future, it could just be transferred back.
Zhang Qin felt bitter. It took every ounce of her strength to choke back her tears. The moment she finished signing her name, she could no longer hold it in. Making the excuse of using the restroom, she left ahead of them.
Zhu Xianju said to her, “Then I’m heading off to work. Go home by yourself in a bit.”
Regarding Huang Guixiang’s job placement, Zhu Xianju had already settled things with the Personnel Section this morning. She was assigned to the Waixi Street Supply and Marketing Cooperative. The Red Star Machinery Factory happened to be located on Waixi Street. Zhu Xianju was the type of person who, if she decided to handle a matter, would do her best to handle it beautifully without throwing hidden daggers. There was no need. Doing so would be incredibly low-class, and the other party wouldn’t even remember her kindness.
“Thank you so much, Sister Zhu!” Huang Guixiang hadn’t expected Zhu Xianju to be so considerate. Putting Guo Xuyang aside, this mother truly possessed a grand vision. It seemed that idiot Guo Xuyang took after his father instead?
“Mom, take the documents and go process the onboarding at Waixi Street by yourself. I’ll head to the police station with Auntie Zhu.”
Huang Guixiang nodded quickly. “Alright, alright! This matter indeed needs to be settled quickly, we can’t delay it.”
Zhu Xianju and Lin Wan rode their bicycles to the police station. Once Lin Wan officially withdrew the police report, the precinct chief also let out a massive sigh of relief. This way, he wouldn’t be caught in the middle and put in a difficult position anymore.
“Little Lin, thank you!” Stepping out of the police station, Zhu Xianju expressed her gratitude to Lin Wan.
Lin Wan said with a smile, “Auntie Zhu, this was our agreed condition, so you don’t need to thank me. However, regarding Comrade Guo Xuyang, you need to have a proper talk with him. Tell them, as a couple, to stop entangling themselves with me. Yes, the fact that my mom and I previously asked Zhang Qin to yield Comrade Guo Xuyang to me was wrong. But since Zhang Qin and Comrade Guo Xuyang were unwilling, my mom and I gave it up. Throughout the entire process, no one was forced. Furthermore, I am married now. My husband is highly exceptional, and I don’t harbor the slightest improper thoughts toward Comrade Guo Xuyang. Auntie Zhu, you should still advise Comrade Guo Xuyang to seek more confirmation and look at the objective facts when reviewing situations in the future. He is a military officer, after all. If he commits this kind of mistake in his work, you and Uncle won’t be able to help him.”
Zhu Xianju let out a soft sigh. How could she not understand what Lin Wan was saying? It was just that her youngest son had run straight into a dead end and couldn’t get himself out no matter what. “Mm, I’ll have his father have a proper talk with him.”
Lin Wan parted ways with Zhu Xianju and pedaled furiously back to the Tuanjie Office to work. Right before she reached the Tuanjie Office, she stopped to buy several orange ice pops.
Inside the Tuanjie Office.
Section Leader Qu was whispering sarcastically about Lin Wan behind her back: “Little Luo? Do you know what kind of background Comrade Lin Wan has? Requesting leave on her very first day of work. And Director Yang actually approved it. That’s a treatment none of us veterans ever get!”
Section Leader Qi also turned her gaze toward Luo Jiahui, equally curious.
Luo Jiahui’s face flushed crimson as she explained, “Comrade Lin Wan must have had an urgent matter at home… She scored first place in both the written exam and the interview, so she got in purely on her own merit.”
Section Leader Qi smiled and said, “I don’t think she has any background. If she had background and connections, would she actually be allocated to this urban-rural fringe office of ours? She would have been sitting in a main office at the bureau long ago! It’s just that this girl’s working attitude is highly uncalled for! Little Luo, you must absolutely never learn from her!”
The moment her voice fell, Lin Wan walked inside.
The atmosphere instantly turned thoroughly awkward, and a brief silence descended upon the room.
Lin Wan acted as if she hadn’t heard them gossiping at all, warmly distributing the ice pops to them. “My mom went to report for duty at the supply and marketing cooperative today. She is now a salesclerk at the Waixi Street Supply and Marketing Cooperative. She was thrilled, so she gave me cash and told me to treat everyone to ice pops.”
Lin Wan deliberately disclosed Huang Guixiang’s job. With her mother’s role as a supply and marketing cooperative salesclerk acting as a perfect cover, it would be highly convenient for her to sell goods in the future. Furthermore, a salesclerk position was even more sought-after than a mail carrier post. In an era of severe material scarcity, who wouldn’t try to flatter a salesclerk?
True enough, the moment her words fell, everyone’s expressions underwent a complete shift.
Section Leader Qi stood up in pleasant surprise, walking up to Lin Wan to accept the ice pop. “Really? No wonder you had to request leave! This is a massive event, you absolutely should have accompanied her.”
Section Leader Qu also put on a massive smile. “Thank you, Little Lin! If you ever have a matter that requires you to step away for a while in the future, just open your mouth. We can step in to help cover for you if we can. By the way, if the supply and marketing cooperative gets any defective items or highly sought-after goods in the future, you must drop us a hint!”
Lin Wan nodded with a smile. “Rest assured, I’ll instruct my mom the moment I go home!”
Hearing the commotion in the operational section outside, Director Yang and Deputy Director Sun also stepped out of their offices. The attitude of these two was exceptionally pleasant as well.
Director Yang even showered Lin Wan with a wave of concern: “It’s hot outside, isn’t it? Hurry up and sit down to drink some water. Little Lin, this is where you were in the wrong. You should have told me directly, and I would have just granted you the whole afternoon off! Oh right, Little Lin, tell your mom when you go home to help ask around about when ceiling fans will be available… And table fans too. Our office is just short of two ceiling fans…”
Lin Wan thought to herself: Wow, they change faces so incredibly fast! They must have learned this skill from the face-changing masters!
