Chapter 94
At noon, Division Commander Pan was to have a meal in the county.
Division Commander Pan said, “Qiao Wei…”
Qiao Wei said directly, “Division Commander, I won’t go. I still have work left to finish.”
After all, she was a female comrade, and it wasn’t very convenient for her to be at a table full of men.
Division Commander Pan nodded and encouraged her, “Work hard.”
Qiao Wei glanced at Yan Lei.
Yan Lei also glanced at her.
The married couple exchanged dozens of glances in an instant.
Everyone knew they were a married couple and watched with smiles.
One was tall, straight, and masculine; the other was bright, beautiful, and poised.
Strength and intellect—what a perfect match, a pleasing sight.
When Qiao Wei returned to the office, the atmosphere was completely different.
“Qiao Wei is back.”
“It took so long.”
“What did they talk about?”
Everyone had a smile on their face when facing her.
Wu Aizhen, who was arguably closest to her, leaned over and said, “I really didn’t expect that your husband was actually Yan Lei.”
Qiao Wei laughed, “Is he that famous?”
“Of course,” Wu Aizhen said, “He is a combat hero, after all.”
Wu Aizhen wasn’t telling the whole truth; it should have been that he was also a young, spirited-looking combat hero.
If he were any older or uglier, he wouldn’t have left such a deep impression on them.
She was even more embarrassed to say that later, when the Military District held a social gathering and every unit had to send people, she and her colleagues had gone.
They had dressed up beautifully, harboring a little bit of expectation in their hearts.
But they didn’t see Yan Lei and returned disappointed.
Never did she expect that one day she would be a colleague of Yan Lei’s wife.
Everyone went to the Cafeteria together at noon, and everyone gave Qiao Wei a smile.
She was the spouse of a regimental-level cadre. Corresponding to the administrative rank, that was the same level as Secretary Meng.
If Yan Lei were to transfer to civilian work now, he would at the very least be arranged as a County Party Committee Secretary or County Magistrate; he certainly wouldn’t fall out of the scope of the Standing Committee.
But he was still so young; it was obviously impossible for him to transfer to civilian work now. If he transferred when his rank was higher in the future, he would be an even higher-level cadre.
By that time, they might not even be able to reach him.
However, just as the afternoon work time arrived, a call came into the Propaganda Section.
Section Chief Zhou notified Qiao Wei, “Pack your things and go to the office. You’ll be working there from now on.”
Qiao Wei said, “I still have work in my hands that I haven’t finished.”
“Hey, who is it, Xiao Zhang,” Section Chief Zhou waved his hand to beckon, “Give it to Xiao Zhang; don’t worry about it. Pack your things.”
Qiao Wei complied readily and handed over her work in the Propaganda Section.
There wasn’t much to pack; she stuffed her lunchbox, notebook, and fountain pen into her bag, put her little lock into the bag, and slung it over her shoulder.
She slung her military canteen over her shoulder.
The ink belonged to the office, so there was no need to take it. There would be some at the other office.
Qiao Wei held her enamel tea mug, “Well everyone, I’m heading over.”
Everyone stood up to see her off.
“Come visit often.”
“Remember to come over and visit.”
This temporary transfer, her stay in the Propaganda Section, ended right there.
Qiao Wei went to the County Party Committee Office to report for duty.
Secretary Huang smiled when he saw her.
Secretary Huang’s smile was impeccable from any angle; he pointed a finger, “That desk is yours.”
The desk had already been cleaned thoroughly; there was nothing on it, completely empty.
Qiao Wei went over to put her things down, pulled open a drawer, and placed her lunchbox inside. She wiped it with her finger, and even the inside of the drawer was spotlessly clean.
The staff member surnamed Pan, whom she had interacted with on her first day here, sat across from her. He handed her a brand-new bottle of ink, “Here.”
The daily work in the office was just writing, writing, and more writing; in an era without printers, what was consumed was fountain pen ink.
Qiao Wei took it with a smile, sat down, and scanned the room.
The County Party Committee Office was a large room.
Secretary Huang’s position was independent and different from the others. She was across from others and an aisle, diagonally facing him, able to see his face directly.
At the end of the aisle was the door to Secretary Meng’s office. Secretary Meng’s office was a suite within the large room.
Secretary Huang was the closest, ready to listen to instructions at any time.
In terms of administrative structure, the office should have an Office Director, customarily held concurrently by a member of the Standing Committee.
Qiao Wei had been frequently going back and forth between the office and the section during this time and understood a bit. Secretary Meng was relatively overbearing; although the Office Director held the title, they didn’t intervene or ask about specific daily affairs, unless there was a major event.
Basically, this position was effectively sidelined.
Secretary Meng’s instructions were conveyed directly to various departments via Secretary Huang. Part of the Office Director’s functions were actually shouldered by Secretary Huang.
Therefore, in the County Party Committee Residential Compound, bringing up Secretary Huang was particularly effective.
Secretary Huang was a doer and belonged to the category of writing secretaries. In the office, there was actually another bag-carrying secretary who arranged the leader’s various schedules, daily services, and so on.
That secretary was a nephew arranged by another member of the Standing Committee. However, his ability to get things done was very average.
Secretary Meng, out of consideration for face, put him in this position, but after using him for a while and finding him ineffective, he just left him in the office.
Daily specific tasks were often handled by another staff member, that is, Officer Pan, who followed along and became the actual bag-carrying secretary.
Secretary Meng placed him under Secretary Huang; although Officer Pan did the specific tasks, he listened to Secretary Huang’s arrangements.
Secretary Huang, all by himself, essentially shouldered the main burden of the office.
Although young, he was a very capable person and not to be underestimated.
Just like that, Qiao Wei went from the Broadcasting Station in Xiahekou Town to the Propaganda Section of the County Party Committee, and then to the County Party Committee Office.
She had settled down.
When she returned home, she saw Yan Lei as soon as she entered the door. Because he was out today, he returned early.
Qiao Wei went over and pinched him, “Are you okay? Every time you launch a surprise attack, would it kill you to give a heads-up?”
Yan Lei’s mouth—Qiao Wei was truly impressed.
His mouth was truly tight.
Before the matter was successfully handled, he wouldn’t reveal a single word to you.
Of course, Qiao Wei understood very well that this was also one of the traits of successful people.
But, but… she still had to pinch him.
Yan Lei smilingly grasped her hand, “What is there to give a heads-up about? Isn’t it the same whether I give a heads-up or not?”
Then what is the smugness in your eyes about?
Tsk.
“As soon as you left, I was immediately transferred to the office,” Qiao Wei said. “I now belong to the office and won’t have to do the Propaganda Section’s work anymore.”
Yan Lei was still dissatisfied, “It should have been like this long ago.”
“You were originally requested by name by Secretary Meng for the temporary transfer. It must be because you won an award and caught his eye. Now is a critical stage for him, and he certainly hopes to have more talent around him.”
“He should have just put you in the office directly; it’s not like he didn’t know you were the spouse of a regimental-level cadre. Putting you in the Propaganda Section was wrong in itself. I always felt it was strange.”
Qiao Wei said, “But you can’t go and disturb Division Commander Pan.”
Yan Lei laughed, “He was going to come over for a meeting anyway; this was an arrangement made long ago. I don’t have such great ability to arrange things for the Division Commander.”
“If you didn’t say anything, how would Division Commander Pan know I was in the Propaganda Section? He even went over specifically to see me; it was such a big spectacle.”
Qiao Wei still felt it was too much of a spectacle.
“When you are outside, do you not have any awareness of being a military spouse?” Yan Lei tapped her on the head, “You are a military spouse, the family of a soldier. You are a person of the Military District, so the Military District leaders will naturally protect you a bit. We are the children of the Military District, and the commanders are our parents. Which parents don’t protect their own?”
The power of the Military Unit was very strong, and it was the type that no unit wanted to provoke.
The commanders were also very assertive.
In those ten years, it was probably the safest place.
Qiao Wei deeply felt that it was so good to have the identity of a military spouse.
Yan Lei told Qiao Wei another piece of good news, “After National Day, they will start distributing milk.”
Qiao Wei said, “Finally!”
Regarding the milk matter, Qiao Wei had mentioned it to Yan Lei, and Yan Lei had brought it up at the Military District meeting.
Because it was a matter that benefited their own, it was taken quite seriously. The leadership arranged for logistics to handle it.
In order to ensure the supply of meat, the Military District originally raised its own pigs, sheep, and also chickens, ducks, and geese.
Raising cattle, however, was for drinking milk. Logistics investigated for a while and, combining it with actual geographical conditions, decided to raise water buffalo to produce buffalo milk.
At the time, he told Qiao Wei, and Qiao Wei brought up the issue of raw milk spreading brucellosis. Yan Lei gave feedback to logistics. Logistics, together with the military doctors, researched a plan for sterilization and disinfection.
In between, there were various details like procurement, building the cattle shed, feed, and bottling.
In an era where various local units had sluggish work styles, the Military Unit was unique and swift. They did what they said they would do and built this milk station in a flash.
“That’s great, after the holiday is over, Xiangxiang will have milk to drink.” Qiao Wei became happy.
“The holiday is coming up soon,” Yan Lei suddenly asked her, “Is there anything you want to do for National Day?”
Qiao Wei said, “Isn’t there a big market?”
It was said there was a very big market.
But Yan Lei had other thoughts.
“Let’s go to the photo studio in the county and take a picture,” he said.
Qiao Wei had no objections, “Okay.”
The two of them washed vegetables and cut meat; while Qiao Wei was stir-frying, Yan Lei wiped his hands clean and went into the main room.
On the wall hung a large picture frame, with a few sparse photos pressed inside.
There were his solo photos, and also her solo photos.
There was also a wedding photo of the two of them; when taking this, the photo studio would pin a red velvet flower on your chest. Of course, it came out in black and white. But with this flower, it was a wedding photo.
Yan Lei looked at the black and white photo.
He himself was smiling.
At that time, he didn’t know how the marriage would turn out; having married the educated city girl he had yearned for, he had many expectations for the future.
But there was no smile on her face at that time.
Another one was for Yan Xiang’s hundredth day, a family photo of the three of them.
Not only was there no smile on her face, but there was also a hint of gloom between her brows.
Today, Yan Lei returned early. When he was tidying up the room, he looked up and saw the picture frame he hadn’t noticed for a long time. Seeing her in the photo, he was stunned.
It was simply…
It was simply as if…
Yan Lei held his chin and stood there for a long time, not knowing why he felt a sense of unease all over.
He told himself, hadn’t it already been agreed that it was all in the past?
But it seemed it wasn’t a matter of whether it was in the past or not.
It seemed to be a strange feeling, but he was unwilling to think deeply about it.
He wanted to take some new photos.
Perhaps with new photos, that uncomfortable feeling would disappear.
