Chapter 86
Section Chief Zhou had suddenly received a call from Secretary Huang saying that Qiao Wei, who was being seconded from Xiahekou Town, would be assigned to the Propaganda Section shortly.
Section Chief Zhou was a bit surprised.
Because Qiao Wei was not someone he had requested for secondment. Since it wasn’t him, it naturally had to be the leadership; he knew that. Yesterday, Secretary Huang had mentioned to him that the new writing talent from Xiahekou had been specifically requested for secondment by Secretary Meng.
In such a situation, Section Chief Zhou had assumed that Qiao Wei would be placed in the office to take direct orders from Secretary Meng.
Section Chief Zhou understood very well that Secretary Huang must have decided this on the spur of the moment. If it had been arranged in advance, Secretary Huang would have notified him yesterday, not just now.
Secretary Huang would not make such a work-related error.
But it didn’t matter, it had nothing to do with him. Having one extra person to use was actually quite good; National Day was coming up soon, and there was a lot of work.
Staff Member Pan handed Qiao Wei over to Section Chief Zhou and left without any further instructions.
Qiao Wei had to clarify things herself; if some points weren’t confirmed clearly upfront, it would easily lead to conflicts and unpleasantness later on.
“Section Chief, are you aware of the few conditions I confirmed with Secretary Huang?” she asked.
Because it was the Propaganda Section, she had already dealt with them during her previous two visits to the county. She was actually more familiar with them than with people like Secretary Huang.
Section Chief Zhou asked: “Is it about the work hours?”
Secretary Huang had just explained it over the phone.
This was the condition agreed upon with Xiahekou Town, and it had already been reported to Secretary Meng. Secretary Huang would not fail to mention it; otherwise, it would be his own work error.
Secretary Huang would not make such a mistake.
As long as the agreed-upon conditions could be confirmed, that was enough. Qiao Wei had no other requests.
Section Chief Zhou arranged a desk for her.
It was a desk that no one was using, but it was piled with quite a few papers and miscellaneous items. There were many printed materials.
Qiao Wei raised an eyebrow slightly, feeling that the Propaganda Section wasn’t much. Since they had seconded someone, they should have at least reserved a desk for her.
She didn’t expect that placing her in the Propaganda Section had been a spur-of-the-moment decision by Secretary Huang, and the Propaganda Section hadn’t prepared at all.
Section Chief Zhou called a few staff members over to help tidy up.
Two young male staff members were noticeably quite attentive.
When they had finished moving most of the things, Section Chief Zhou, holding his tea mug, asked with a smile: “Where is your child? I heard from Secretary Huang yesterday that you would be bringing your child along?”
Qiao Wei said: “I put him in the Kindergarten.”
So she was married; they had misjudged. The unmarried male staff members were greatly disappointed; their attentiveness had been in vain.
Section Chief Zhou said to everyone: “You probably don’t know her, this is Qiao Wei from Xiahekou Town. That article in the City Newspaper the day before yesterday was written by her.”
A chorus of “Oh~” sounds erupted in the office.
Sometimes human voices are truly interesting. It was clearly the same word, but with different intonation, length, and volume, it sounded like completely different feelings.
Some were genuinely surprised.
Some were slightly raised, carrying a hint of provocation.
Some were indifferent, purely perfunctory responses to the leader to avoid an awkward silence.
Interesting.
Qiao Wei had stayed at the Broadcasting Station so long that she thought she had fallen deeply in love with a retirement-like life, but who knew that in her bones she was still a worker? Once back in this environment, she immediately perked up, her worker soul awakening.
Qiao Wei hung her bag and water bottle on the back of the chair and took out the toilet paper she had brought. In this era lacking disposable products, she always kept toilet paper in her bag; it was especially useful.
The female staff member next to her glanced at her bag and water bottle and said: “The water bottle is really new.”
Qiao Wei replied: “Yes, it is new.”
The female staff member lifted her chin slightly as a response, and then had nothing more to say.
Overall, the environment didn’t feel particularly friendly to those on secondment, but it wasn’t particularly bad either. It was just an ordinary office environment.
Qiao Wei took out the lunchbox and enamel mug packed in her bag, as well as the tea leaves she had brought, and put them into the drawer.
Once she had tidied up, everyone was busy, and no one paid her any mind.
The workload at the County Party Committee was indeed higher intensity than at the Town Committee.
Once here, there wasn’t the retirement-like atmosphere of the Town Committee. Everyone truly had the attitude of workers.
After all, she couldn’t just sit there, so she went to Section Chief Zhou: “Section Chief, is there anything you need me to do now?”
Section Chief Zhou had a lot of things on his desk; he flipped through them and picked out a manuscript: “You proofread this.”
Qiao Wei asked: “When is this needed?”
Section Chief Zhou said: “Just give it to me before you get off work today.”
Qiao Wei’s work in the County Government began with the proofreading of an article.
When it was time for lunch, no one called her. Only Section Chief Zhou said: “Qiao Wei, time to eat.”
Qiao Wei responded, took her lunchbox, and followed the army of people eating toward the Cafeteria.
The people in the office formed their own group and didn’t take people seconded from lower-level units very seriously. After all, even Kindergarten teachers had such a strong sense of superiority.
Qiao Wei didn’t care either; anyway, before coming, she had prepared herself mentally to be a beast of burden.
At worst, she would work for a few months and then pester the leaders to send her back.
As long as she ate and drank well, that was fine; the best thing about the County Party Committee was that the food in the Cafeteria was delicious.
In the afternoon, she waited until three o’clock before returning the proofread manuscript to Section Chief Zhou.
This way, if there were any problems, there was still an hour of time available.
As expected, Section Chief Zhou scanned it once, nodded, and told her to make a clean copy.
After finishing the clean copy, it was three-fifty. Section Chief Zhou nodded: “That will do.”
Qiao Wei returned to her seat, poured out the leftover tea in her mug, rinsed the mug with hot water, and the time was just right.
It had been agreed that she would get off work at four o’clock before National Day.
Qiao Wei stood up, put on her military-style satchel and water bottle, and walked up to Section Chief Zhou amidst the surprised gazes of everyone: “Well, Section Chief, I’m leaving now.”
“Mm, alright,” Section Chief Zhou said, “Be careful on the road.”
“Okay.”
After a crisp response, Qiao Wei left.
Just like that, she left.
Left.
Gone.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
“Why did she just leave?” the female colleague at the next desk said, “What time is it even?”
Normally, people didn’t get off work until five o’clock. It was only four o’clock.
Section Chief Zhou drank tea, and while looking at the manuscript, said: “She has a child with her, and the road is long, so the arrangement is for her to get off work at four.”
A staff member said: “How novel, bringing a child along too.”
Because with typical secondments, lower-level units certainly wouldn’t send staff members who were inconvenienced; they would definitely find someone convenient. But Qiao Wei had been specifically named by Secretary Meng, so even if it was inconvenient for her, she had to come.
Section Chief Zhou knew this, but Section Chief Zhou didn’t say it.
Instead, he blew on the tea leaves and said: “After National Day, she will get off work at three-thirty.”
The office was in an uproar all of a sudden.
They had never seen such an arrogant seconded staff member.
Section Chief Zhou took a sip of tea and continued: “She won’t come on rainy or snowy days, and if there’s work, we call her to do it.”
The people in the Propaganda Section were dumbfounded.
Personnel seconded from lower-level units had always been submissive and obedient.
Of course, there were also those who were passive, lazy, or slick and slacking off. But most were still submissive, obedient, and worked diligently. A few with ambitions to stay would even be particularly attentive and performative.
They had just never seen one like this.
“Does she even know that she’s from a lower-level unit?” someone said indignantly.
“Yeah, it’s like she was sent by the higher-level unit to supervise us, as if we are the ones from the lower-level unit.”
Actually, they were used to referring to “people from lower-level units” as “people from below.” After all, they were the higher-level unit.
But after calling them that for a long time, it was inevitable to have a feeling that they themselves should be superior to the people from below.
This was also a common problem in government agencies. Bureaucracy was severe.
Section Chief Zhou just drank tea.
Writers always had a bit of the literary snob disease.
That writer from Qingshan Town the other day had raised his voice at him to his face, making him lose a lot of face.
These people from lower-level units were also quite annoying.
Qiao Wei knew that after she left, the people in the Propaganda Section would probably say a few things about her behind her back. But she didn’t care at all.
If others don’t care about you, then you don’t need to care about them either.
Having no desires makes one strong. She hadn’t thought about staying in the County Government anyway. The Town Committee was her heavenly place for retirement.
Another thing, I am a military family member, who am I afraid of?
Qiao Wei went to the Kindergarten to pick up Yan Xiang.
Another teacher received her, surprised: “Picking him up now?”
Qiao Wei said: “I am on secondment; it was agreed with Secretary Huang that I leave at four. After National Day, I will leave at three-thirty.”
A leader’s secretary, a leader’s assistant, a leader’s guard, a leader’s communications officer, a leader’s driver, and even the nanny in a leader’s home—they were all effective.
She brought up Secretary Huang, and sure enough, it was effective.
The teacher went in and brought Yan Xiang out.
Qiao Wei observed Yan Xiang.
She had come over once during the lunch break, but it was nap time at the Kindergarten, so she hadn’t seen anything.
Observing him now, seeing that Yan Xiang was in high spirits and in a good mood, she was relieved.
She thanked the teacher and left with Yan Xiang.
As soon as she left, the teacher went back and told everyone: “She will get off work at three-thirty after National Day.”
“Why is she so special?”
“I don’t know, she said it was arranged by Secretary Huang.”
Teacher Wang said: “She is a cadre’s family member; her husband is at the same rank as Secretary Meng.”
“So that’s why.”
It was still September, and at four in the afternoon, the weather was just right.
Qiao Wei rode happily along the field path: “Look quickly, so many birds!”
“What did you do at the Kindergarten? Tell Mommy.”
Yan Xiang tugged on her belt and said: “Played games, told stories.”
“Is it interesting?”
“Yes.”
As long as he thought it was interesting, that was fine. Qiao Wei had been worried that he wouldn’t be able to integrate and would feel lonely. Because before, Yan Xiang didn’t really like playing with Jun Jun; he preferred playing alone.
Or interacting with adults, like at the Broadcasting Station.
If he could be fine at the Kindergarten, Qiao Wei would be relieved.
Actually, even if she was unhappy at work, it didn’t matter; she was a mature adult and could face and handle it herself.
She was just afraid that Yan Xiang would be unhappy outside. If that were the case, she would have to find a way to return to the Town Committee no matter what.
How happy Yan Xiang was at the Broadcasting Station, as comfortable as if it were his own home.
Fortunately, it was fine.
“Hold on tight to Mommy!” Qiao Wei said, “We’re going home—”
“Ah, look quickly, a cow!”
