Chapter 142
As time entered the eighties, the tide of military green faded, and the clothing on the streets became colorful.
The era of ideological explosion since the founding of the People’s Republic had arrived.
Qiao Wei obtained the opportunity to study at the Central Party School.
Among the county-level cadres, only the County Party Committee secretaries and some full-time young and middle-aged division-level cadres were eligible to go to the Central Party School. This opportunity was very rare for cadres in this era.
Qiao Wei did not go to university because, for her, university was a low cost-performance option.
Letting her take four years off to study was too wasteful in terms of age and resume. That degree was not cost-effective for someone like her.
Four years was enough time for her to achieve brilliant political performance in her own position and accumulate substantial networking resources.
After getting off the train, it was the couple Lü Tianze and Lin Xixi who came to the station to pick her up.
On the streets of Beijing, one could no longer see Volgas; most were Santanas. Lü Tianze’s vehicle was a Hongqi.
The Beijing of the eighties was very different from the Beijing in Qiao Wei’s perception, and she stared at the street scene outside through the car window.
This made people misunderstand that it was her first time in Beijing, and Lin Xixi enthusiastically said to her, “Aunt Qiao, I’ll take you around Beijing later.”
In situations where both the man and woman are related to you, most people treat each relationship separately. Lin Xixi still addressed Qiao Wei based on her own maternal family’s connection.
Qiao Wei turned her head.
Lin Xixi’s complexion was fair and rosy, and she looked very healthy. Her hair was permed, and her attire was trendy for this era. It was evident that she was living well.
There was a light in her eyes, and she was clearly very satisfied with her life.
Qiao Wei smiled and replied, “Then I’ll trouble you.”
Lin Xixi waved her hand, “No trouble, no trouble.”
The car drove directly to Lü Tianze’s home.
Qiao Wei met the old lady of the Lü family; she respectfully greeted the old lady and presented the local specialties she had brought.
The old lady was very happy, “I finally got to see you. Thanks to you all during those years.”
During the dinner, Qiao Wei saw Lin Xixi’s three children. She now had both sons and daughters.
She also saw Lü Tianze’s other pair of children. She told Lü Tianze, “Zhiwei is doing quite well, though he occasionally gets beaten up by Jun Jun. But he is improving very fast. With Jun Jun around, he won’t get beaten by others.”
Lü Tianze laughed heartily, “That little calf.”
Lü Tianze’s three children were taken away by his wife back then to show a clear demarcation from their father. Later, his ex-wife remarried, and the children stayed at their grandfather’s house.
It wasn’t until Lü Tianze was rehabilitated and returned to Beijing that he brought the children back.
However, the turmoil of those years and their mother’s remarriage caused a lack in the children’s education. The second and third were fine, as they were young and could be corrected.
His eldest son, Lü Zhiwei, was truly a bit rebellious and difficult to discipline.
Lü Tianze had no choice; last year, he sent his eldest son to Yan Lei, and now that kid is with Jun Jun.
He was actually disciplined by Jun Jun.
Lü Zhiwei and Jun Jun actually have no blood relationship, but if reckoned from his stepmother Lin Xixi, Jun Jun is his cousin-uncle.
Lin Xixi was uneasy, “Really, why is Jun Jun messing around? It should just be playing around, right?”
The old lady smiled and said, “It is only right and proper for an uncle to discipline his nephew.”
Lin Xixi was then relieved.
“What are you afraid of?” Lü Tianze said, “When I joined the army back then, I was beaten by Yan Lei too. Beaten several times. The military camp is just like that.”
Everyone laughed.
The old lady said, “You probably don’t know, that was instigated by your older brother.”
“Ah?”
“Your older brother said that everyone knew you were his younger brother and were afraid to lay a hand on you. He specifically found Little Yan, and Little Yan, who feared neither heaven nor earth, indeed beat you into shape.”
Lü Tianze: “…”
Thanks, brother.
The meal was harmonious and happy.
The Lü family warmly urged her to stay, “Stay at home.”
Qiao Wei politely declined, “I need to attend the training, and everyone has unified accommodation arrangements.”
The old lady understood the ropes and said, “This kind of opportunity is rare, grasp it well.”
They didn’t urge her anymore.
Lü Tianze and Lin Xixi drove her to Haidian.
This training lasted for three months.
On her days off, Lin Xixi took her around Beijing.
She was lavish with her spending and familiar with various high-end consumer venues. She took Qiao Wei to eat Western food, with a calm attitude and skilled use of knife and fork.
While Qiao Wei observed her, she also observed Qiao Wei.
Finally, she said, “Aunt Qiao, is your background very good?”
Before, she only knew that Qiao Wei was educated and quite capable, but until now, she felt that Qiao Wei was a bit different.
Those differences shouldn’t appear in that kind of small county town.
“My family is from Lin City, you know, I am an only daughter.” Qiao Wei said, “However, many people don’t know that, actually my grandmother, she was a fallen young lady of a wealthy family.”
This seemed to explain a lot. Lin Xixi said, “No wonder.”
Qiao Wei asked about Lin Xixi’s life.
To Lin Xixi, Qiao Wei could almost be considered a member of her maternal family.
She also spoke from the heart, “I mainly just take care of the old lady. The old lady is someone who can be warmed up.”
As long as she can be warmed up, she takes care of her sincerely, and the old lady knows her kindness and treats her, a daughter-in-law with not much education, very well.
She has retired, and has plenty of time and patience to guide her slowly.
There are many changes in Lin Xixi. She is now wealthy, but she does not have the shallowness of a nouveau riche, all thanks to the old lady’s training.
In comparison, in her previous life, she also served her mother-in-law with all her heart. That mean city mother-in-law of hers never acknowledged her kindness for a single day.
She couldn’t be warmed up.
How can there be such a big difference between people?
“As for Tianze…” Lin Xixi said, “I don’t care. When I married him, I knew what kind of person he was. I don’t care.”
“Aunt Qiao, don’t laugh at me. I just want to live a good life.”
“Isn’t there a saying called love and bread? In this life, I just want bread.”
Qiao Wei understood very well.
“Love is not nobler than bread; a lot of the time, it’s just self-deception.”
“Knowing what you want and knowing what you should do is enough.”
Lin Xixi wanted to invite her out again on the next day off, but Qiao Wei politely declined, using the excuse, “I want to communicate more and build relationships with the comrades who are studying together.”
Lin Xixi gave up and said, “My mother-in-law also said that the county-level cadres who came this time are all the cream of the crop.”
She said, “You are really amazing.”
But that was just an excuse; Qiao Wei actually had other things to do on her day off.
She followed her memory to a place and knocked on the door.
When she heard footsteps, her heart beat rapidly, but regrettably, the person who opened the door was a total stranger.
“Who are you looking for?”
“Excuse me, does Qiao Aiping live here?”
“Who?”
“Qiao Aiping.”
Qiao Wei’s parents divorced when she was very young; she lived with her mother and also changed her surname to her mother’s.
Qiao Aiping was her mother.
Regrettably, the other person said, “You have the wrong door.”
Bang, the door closed.
Qiao Wei stood outside the door, silent for a long time.
She went to the police station, and the people in the household registration section helped her check, “There is no such person.”
Qiao Wei left the police station and walked on the streets of Beijing.
At this time, the house she would later have in the Fourth Ring Road did not exist yet; it was still a large stretch of wasteland.
This world looked extremely similar to her original world, but in the end, it was not a world of the same dimension.
Not the same world.
No mother.
Qiao Wei stood on the street for a long time and let out a long sigh.
It doesn’t matter; she is a mother now too.
She has her own home.
The training at the Central Party School enabled Qiao Wei to obtain the Party School’s certificate, commonly known as a Party School diploma.
This thing cannot replace a university diploma for postgraduate entrance exams and the like. But it is useful for her career.
Bocheng County was upgraded to a prefecture-level city, and it became Bo City.
Qiao Wei became the Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee.
Secretary Qiao’s style was bold and decisive, daring to fight and forge ahead, and her vision was steady and accurate; the projects that landed and the investments she brought in were all praised by people.
One thing the people of Bo City talked about with relish was how Secretary Qiao once saw through a swindler.
Two men spoke can’tonese, with secretaries, assistants, and lackeys, looking exactly like Hong Kong wealthy businessmen.
At this time, Hong Kong and Taiwan capital were being introduced to the mainland, and every city was soliciting investment, and even between cities, the competition was quite fierce.
The municipal government valued these two Hong Kong businessmen very much and gave them high-level reception.
Everything was going quite smoothly until Secretary Qiao personally participated in the meeting. She listened to the Hong Kong businessmen talking eloquently, and her expression could not help but be subtle.
During the tea break, she whispered to her secretary for a moment; the secretary showed a surprised look, nodded quickly, and walked away quickly.
When the atmosphere of the second half of the meeting was harmonious, the Public Security Bureau Chief personally brought people here, “Secretary!”
Qiao Wei gestured with her chin, “It’s these two.”
When the police put handcuffs on those two “Hong Kong wealthy businessmen,” everyone was stunned. The official in charge of the reception had sweat on his forehead, “Secretary, Secretary, this is…?”
Qiao Wei leaned back, “Swindlers.”
After being arrested and interrogated, they quickly confessed; they were indeed two mainland swindlers who spoke can’tonese.
Secretary Qiao had eyes like torches, saving Bo City from major losses, and it became hot news for a while.
Yan Lei asked her, “How did you discover it?”
Qiao Wei said, “These two know nothing about Hong Kong.”
Yan Lei understood, “Have you been to Hong Kong?”
Qiao Wei said, “I have, many times.”
Yan Lei nodded.
Qiao Wei smiled, “Aren’t you going to ask about my origin?”
Yan Lei had never asked.
He raised his eyebrows, “No. Anyway, you are my wife, you can’t run away.”
Qiao Wei smiled.
At this time, there were also televisions, telephones, central heating, and gas canisters.
The country was, after all, constantly developing, and life was getting better.
But one day, Qiao Wei was watching the news broadcast about a major breakthrough in our military’s military strength, and felt slightly strange.
It seemed…
But she was not a military enthusiast, and her knowledge in this area was really limited. She couldn’t confirm whether what was broadcast on TV had surpassed this era.
This day, she was at work, and suddenly someone in a military uniform came to the office, “Secretary, please go home immediately now.”
Qiao Wei was surprised, “What’s the situation?”
The person in uniform said, “Your son is back.”
Qiao Wei accidentally knocked over the teacup on the table, spilling it all over the floor.
Returning home, there were people in black clothes in the yard. The clothes were not uniforms, but Qiao Wei could tell at a glance that the people were definitely from the uniformed faction.
They were soldiers, their bodies exuding a dangerous power.
Qiao Wei didn’t care about these people and hurried into the house.
In the living room, a young man stood up upon hearing the sound and smiled at her, “Mom.”
Qiao Wei’s tears flowed down instantly.
She rushed over to hug him, but he had grown so tall, and it was he who hugged her.
“Mom, don’t cry.” Yan Xiang said, “I’m back to see you.”
Qiao Wei still couldn’t control her tears.
When she first came to this world, she intended to replace the original owner and continue to live as the original owner, and because this era was special, given her situation at the time, it could be said that she couldn’t survive without Yan Lei. So she took over the original owner’s husband and children as well.
Of course, later, she and Yan Lei gradually opened their hearts to each other, appreciated each other, were attracted to each other, and moved towards each other.
But at the beginning, when she first came to this completely different world, the one who accompanied her the most was Yan Xiang.
By later, Qiao Wei was no longer “entrusted” to take care of Yan Xiang.
Later, Qiao Wei was Yan Xiang’s mother.
How could Qiao Wei control her tears?
Yan Xiang smiled and sighed, gently patting her back, “Okay, okay.”
Yan Lei also patted her shoulder, “It’s a happy day…”
Finally, the one who made Qiao Wei stop her tears was Yan Fu.
Yan Fu was also picked up from school by a special car; she was 12 years old now and was in the sixth grade.
The sixth-grade girl was extremely shocked, “My brother is still alive???”
Yan Xiang: “…”
Qiao Wei: “…”
Yan Lei: “…”
Guard: “…”
