Chapter 85
Secretary Huang hung up the phone.
He could decide these trivial matters himself without needing to consult higher-ranking leaders. However, since borrowing Qiao Wei was Secretary Meng’s idea, he still went over to report to Secretary Meng.
“She’s a bit arrogant due to her talent,” Secretary Huang commented.
It was clear that her leaders in Xiahekou Town were also protective; the county often borrowed personnel from various towns, and it was rare to see someone help them negotiate conditions like this.
Most people borrowed this way kept their heads down and worked meekly.
But unless she was the biological daughter of the Xiahekou Town leaders, they wouldn’t have helped her so proactively. This must have been something Qiao Wei herself had fought for.
Secretary Meng, however, said, “Her husband is a war hero and a regimental-level officer; it’s only right to look after her a bit.”
So she was a military dependent. Moreover, the regimental rank corresponded to an administrative level, making him equal in rank to Secretary Meng.
Not to mention that Secretary Meng also came from a military background, so he naturally felt inclined to favor military dependents. Plus, she was someone he admired.
Secretary Huang immediately changed his tone and smiled, “So she is a military dependent; then it’s only right to look after her. I’ll go arrange it now.”
That very day, Qiao Wei applied for and received that 26-inch bicycle.
The warehouse keeper asked, “When will you return it?”
Qiao Wei said, “I’ll return it when I come back.”
“Good grief,” the warehouse keeper teased, “it’s become yours.”
“That would be called embezzling state assets; I couldn’t possibly do such a thing,” Qiao Wei said. “By the way, does the bicycle have a child seat?”
Of course not.
The “28-inch” bikes seen on the road sometimes had cloth wrapped around the front crossbar to increase friction for children sitting there, making it less likely for them to slide off.
The various ready-made child seats from later generations would have to wait until bicycles became more widespread.
Yan Lei was surprised to see the bicycle when he returned home: “Are you going on a business trip again tomorrow?”
Qiao Wei told him about being seconded, and Yan Lei’s brows furrowed.
Qiao Wei comforted him instead: “The leader helped me negotiate for it; the conditions are quite good now. After all, it’s a request from superiors, and we can’t exactly openly defy it, can we?”
Yan Lei said, “Otherwise…”
Qiao Wei knew what he was going to say: “Don’t ‘otherwise’ me.”
She had only spent a period of time as a housewife when she first transmigrated. Back then, she had to adapt to the environment of this world, adapt to the new life of suddenly having a husband and child after being a single young woman. She also had to tidy up a house with a courtyard into the way she wanted it.
But once all of that settled down, she couldn’t continue staying at home.
No internet.
No internet, really.
The town didn’t even have a bookstore; she had to go to the county seat just to buy a book. “Interesting” books always had some issues, and with the wheels of history approaching, she didn’t dare bring them home.
This era did not possess the conditions for being a “shut-in.”
Of course, what she wanted most was to stay at the Broadcasting Station. That was the most comfortable state. But since her superiors wanted to transfer her, she really couldn’t refuse unless she resigned and went home.
Yan Lei actually also felt that someone as vibrant as Qiao Wei couldn’t just stay at home.
Not to mention it was a waste of talent, it was also too boring.
But he suddenly froze.
Qiao Wei had only started working in early August; it hadn’t even been two months yet. Before that, she… she had clearly stayed at home for several years.
Why did he so naturally feel that “she couldn’t stay at home”?
Now, when he thought of Qiao Wei, the images in his mind were all bright or romantic.
What was it like before?
It had actually become blurry.
It was all her smiling face and laughter.
Instinctively, he didn’t want to recall the earlier past.
“Xiangxiang will come with me. Although I’ll still have to send him to Kindergarten, at least he’ll be under my nose,” Qiao Wei said. “The Kindergarten in the Residential Compound is really not good.”
The quality of the Kindergarten teachers who were military wives wasn’t good. If she had to send Xiangxiang there, it would be better to entrust him to Sister Yang.
But Qiao Wei still felt that having Yan Xiang by her side was more reassuring.
Yan Lei’s thoughts were pulled back to the present.
He held Xiangxiang in his arms: “Do you want to go with Mom or stay at the Residential Compound?”
“Go with Mom. I want to ride the bicycle too.”
“There’s no child seat, which is a trouble,” Qiao Wei said. “I’m mainly worried about his legs getting stuck.”
Although Qiao Wei came from a single-parent family, her family’s financial situation was decent. Since she was little, her mother had driven her to and from school, so she had no memories of riding on the back of a bicycle.
However, she had seen many people online complaining about their childhood experiences of getting their legs stuck in bicycle wheels while riding on the back.
Given that the only option at hand was a bicycle, she had to consider this issue.
She specifically brought Yan Xiang over and placed him on the bicycle’s back seat, explaining to him, “You can’t just stick your feet in. They’ll get stuck instantly, and it’ll hurt like crazy.”
Yan Xiang promised, “I won’t stick them out.”
But Qiao Wei was still worried.
Yan Lei asked, “What is this child seat you’re talking about?”
“It’s just installing a chair specifically for a child on the bicycle,” Qiao Wei said deliberately. “Only big cities have them.”
Yan Lei didn’t doubt her and said, “Don’t you know how to draw? Draw one for me to see.”
It would be quite troublesome to have that thing custom-made; her secondment might only be for a while, and the bicycle wasn’t theirs either.
Qiao Wei felt it wasn’t necessary.
But Yan Lei said, “Draw it, let me see what it looks like, and broaden my horizons.”
Since he insisted, Qiao Wei drew one.
“Here, look, it’s like a chair. It would definitely be more comfortable with a backrest so one can lean back, saving effort and being comfortable for the waist. A more advanced one could have armrests on both sides, though it’s fine without them. It’s best to have a triangular guard plate underneath to block off the leg area. The child would have a place to rest their feet, which is more comfortable. With the guard plate blocking it, their feet won’t get stuck inside. It’s also safe.”
Yan Lei had Yan Xiang sit on the back seat and took a ruler to measure his legs.
Qiao Wei was surprised: “Are you really going to make it?”
Yan Lei didn’t give a definite answer, only vaguely saying, “I’m just measuring.”
If he wanted to do it, let him. It would certainly be good if he could actually make it.
The trouble was that this bicycle wasn’t their private property; if the installation or removal caused wear and tear to the bike, the warehouse keeper might complain.
It didn’t matter; at worst, they could pay some money. Of course, Yan Xiang was more important.
The next day, Qiao Wei tidied up the house and energetically called out to Yan Xiang, “Xiangxiang, let’s go!”
Yan Xiang was a bit excited. Because he had almost never left the town. Or perhaps he had left when he was very young, but he was too small to have memories of it. He only had the experience of going to the countryside with his dad last time. He was full of curiosity about what the county seat was like.
In short, for Yan Xiang, this was something worth looking forward to.
To protect Yan Xiang’s little bottom, Qiao Wei and Yan Lei had cut up some old clothes last night and wrapped the back seat with them. It was much more comfortable that way.
Qiao Wei repeatedly instructed Yan Xiang on the precautions: “Holding onto the bottom of the seat is fine, holding onto Mom’s clothes is also fine; in short, hold on tight. Don’t stick your feet out.”
Yan Xiang was helpless: “Mom, I’ve remembered it all. Let’s hurry and set off.”
Alright. The nagging mother first lifted the child onto the bike, then kicked up the kickstand, straddled the bike, and set off.
Later, in Yan Xiang’s memoir, he mentioned this period of his childhood:
[The days at the Broadcasting Station were very happy. Everyone was very kind to me. Uncle Station Chief even assigned me work, as if I were an unofficial employee. It made me believe for a time that I had already grown up, and I was very proud.]
[Then my mom went to the county seat. I especially loved that road from the town to the county seat. Sitting on the back of the bicycle, she rode extremely fast, the wind brushing against my cheeks, giving me a feeling of flying.]
[She often shouted and called for me to look at the clouds in the sky, the circling flocks of birds, the vast fields of crops, and the rows of poplar trees. Things that others were tired of seeing or turned a blind eye to were all beautiful things to her.]
[The line in the distance where the earth and sky met was called the horizon, and the sunlight hitting the road diagonally through the gaps in the poplar trees with distinct lines was the Tyndall effect. She told me all of this.]
[I experienced that special era, but I never felt any gloom. Thinking about it, it’s because I had a mother who loved life; she brought me so much laughter and sunshine. So much so that later, when I talked about that era with others, I was often surprised whether we had truly experienced the same era.]
There were significantly more bicycles in the county seat than in the town.
When they arrived at the County Party Committee, Qiao Wei presented the transfer letter and the introduction letter from the Town Committee to the reception room, parked and locked the bicycle, and took Yan Xiang to find Secretary Huang.
They had met before, but hadn’t spoken.
Secretary Huang said, “Is this your child?”
Yan Xiang didn’t need an adult’s reminder and said on his own, “Hello, Uncle.”
He looked like a very well-bred child. Secretary Huang praised him: “Good child.”
“Let’s get the child settled first,” he said.
He called someone to take Qiao Wei to the Kindergarten first.
The person accompanying her arrived there and gave the note written by the Kindergarten secretary: “This is a comrade who has been seconded here; during the secondment, her child will also be placed with you.”
Although the county seat wasn’t a city, it was still considered urban. Especially since this was the Kindergarten for the government Residential Compound, the Kindergarten teachers looked much better in terms of personal hygiene than the military-wife Kindergarten teachers at the Residential Compound Kindergarten.
But upon hearing that Qiao Wei had been seconded from the town, that Kindergarten teacher was a bit snobbish and muttered, “How can anyone who is seconded just be sent here?”
Regional discrimination was quite severe in this era. Before the popularization of television, the penetration of Mandarin was also very low. Basically, everyone spoke with an accent when they opened their mouths. You could tell just by listening whether someone was a local or an outsider, a city person or a country person.
It was… very convenient for discrimination.
City people looked down on country people, and people from big places looked down on people from small places.
It was just a mere county, but because it was a government office Kindergarten, even the Kindergarten teacher was full of superiority.
Qiao Wei smiled slightly.
“Teacher Wang, is it? I’ll have to trouble you with Yan Xiang. However…” she said in clear, standard Mandarin, “Although our child’s father is a regimental-level officer and is of the same rank as Secretary Meng, Teacher Wang, please don’t spoil him. Our family does not allow our child to bully other people’s children by relying on his father. If he behaves like that, please be sure to tell me, and I will discipline him properly.”
Yan Xiang looked up at his mother in confusion.
When did he ever bully other children? Did Mom get it wrong?
He wanted to speak, but his mother’s hand gently patted his head. There was always some tacit understanding between mother and son, so Yan Xiang closed his mouth.
Teacher Wang was stunned by the phrase “of the same rank as Secretary Meng.”
Secretary Meng, the County Party Secretary, the number one person in the county. This woman’s husband was of the same rank as Secretary Meng.
The more people relied on certain power to pressure others, the more easily they were pressured by power.
The more people relied on power, the more they were in awe of it.
Not to mention that Qiao Wei spoke standard Mandarin, which sounded as if she were from Beijing.
Instantly, she stood at the top of the disdain chain.
“Is, is it a cadre family?” Teacher Wang said hurriedly, “Then don’t worry, the child will definitely be fine with us. You can rest assured and work.”
Qiao Wei nodded slightly: “I am assured of your work. Thank you for the trouble, Teacher.”
She wore the classic, foolproof combination of a white shirt and green military trousers. Nowadays in the county seat, this was the most fashionable.
Teacher Wang’s sense of superiority was gone now. Looking at her properly, she realized that her military satchel and military canteen were clearly authentic, and they were very new and clean. Unlike some people’s, which were second-hand items bought through connections.
Teacher Wang said, “It’s no trouble, no trouble. Come, little one, your name is Yan Xiang, right? Come with Teacher.”
This conversation actually only lasted thirty seconds.
But the person accompanying her was standing right next to them and clearly felt the change in atmosphere.
He glanced at Qiao Wei, with a smile on his lips, finding it very interesting.
The child was settled, and they returned to Secretary Huang’s place.
Secretary Huang said, “The Secretary just finished a meeting; go and see the Secretary.”
It was Secretary Meng who told Secretary Huang yesterday that he wanted to see Qiao Wei, not something Secretary Huang had arranged himself.
Qiao Wei knocked on the door and went in.
The section member who had accompanied her to the Kindergarten earlier leaned over to Secretary Huang and told him about what had happened at the Kindergarten entrance.
“She’s quite formidable,” he said with a smile, “she managed to suppress Teacher Wang.”
People at this time were not familiar with the word “aura.” If he were familiar with it, he would know that what he called “formidable” was called a powerful aura.
Secretary Huang frowned: “Oh?”
Secretary Meng was very kind to Qiao Wei.
One reason was that the young woman was talented, and the second was that she was a military dependent. Secretary Meng also came from the military and had a natural sense of closeness to military dependents.
Her husband was the war hero Yan Lei, the youngest regimental commander in the Military District; not only was he a famous person, but his future prospects were also very good.
Secretary Meng said, “There is a lot of work to be done regarding the merger of the town and county, and it is also an opportunity for young people to shine. During this time, you just settle down here.”
He said some encouraging words to Qiao Wei, and the meeting ended.
“Secretary Huang will arrange your work.”
Qiao Wei came out of the Secretary’s office and went to find Secretary Huang: “…He said you would arrange it.”
Secretary Huang said, “Yes, well, Xiao Pan, you take Qiao Wei to the Propaganda Section.”
Qiao Wei was a broadcaster and originally belonged to the Town Committee’s Propaganda Section. She herself thought that since she was being seconded, it was only natural to be assigned to the Propaganda Section. Therefore, she didn’t feel anything was amiss.
Xiao Pan was the section member who had just accompanied her to the Kindergarten.
He was slightly surprised but didn’t show it.
He was from the Office.
There were many sections in government agencies; in addition, there was a specialized department called the “Office,” which was an auxiliary department for the leaders, playing a role in connecting the leaders with the various sections, coordinating and organizing.
There were no fools among those who could work in this department.
Qiao Wei had been specifically requested by Secretary Meng for secondment. She was different from the people the Town Committee usually randomly pulled from subordinate units for secondment to serve as manual labor because they were too busy.
Xiao Pan had originally thought that Qiao Wei would be arranged in the Office. He didn’t expect Secretary Huang to assign her to the Propaganda Section.
But Xiao Pan naturally wouldn’t reveal anything in front of Qiao Wei, and he smiled kindly: “Let’s go, let’s go to the Propaganda Section.”
After delivering Qiao Wei there and getting her settled, he didn’t ask any more questions upon returning, only reporting back to Secretary Huang: “I’ve handed her over to Section Chief Zhou.”
Secretary Huang nodded.
It wasn’t until noon that Secretary Meng realized Qiao Wei hadn’t been assigned to the Office.
He felt slightly surprised.
Secretary Huang self-critically said, “I thought that since she is a writer, it would be more suitable to place her in the Propaganda Section. Should I call her back?”
Secretary Huang wasn’t wrong. Placing her in the Office or the Propaganda Section wasn’t wrong.
But leaders avoided changing orders from the morning to the evening. What the Office did represented the leader’s will.
Secretary Meng waved his hand: “No need, let her stay in the Propaganda Section.”
The young comrade is young and energetic; it’s no big deal for her to do a bit more work.
