Chapter 99
Qiao Wei waited for six or seven days, and during her lunch break, she took the receipt for the photo shoot to pick up the pictures.
The photo studio had actually put their family-of-three portrait in the display window. Not only that, but they also displayed individual photos of all three of them.
It turned out they had served as free models for the photo studio.
But in this era, there was no way to claim rights.
It was a state-run photo studio; having them display your photos was doing you a favor.
People in this era might even feel happy and proud of it. When Yan Lei heard about it that day, he looked quite puffed up with pride.
He was very happy indeed.
However, the photos really did turn out quite well. All three of them had happy smiles on their faces.
The family of three looked truly happy and content.
When the photo studio staff saw her, they said: “It’s you. Did you see it in the display window?”
They looked like they were fishing for praise.
It was very much a “you should be happy” kind of implication.
The times, the characteristics of the times. Qiao Wei couldn’t help but laugh and cry, she could only tell herself this.
When the photos were brought home, Yan Lei was indeed very satisfied.
That very day, he took down the large photo frame from the wall.
At that time, every household had this kind of large photo frame where you could put many photos and hang them on the wall.
While Qiao Wei was getting a drink of water, she turned around to find Yan Lei had already finished and was rehanging it.
Qiao Wei took a look and was slightly stunned: “Where are the previous photos?”
Where was the photo of Qiao Weiwei?
Yan Lei hung the frame back on the wall: “I covered them with the new photo.”
He paused, then added: “The new photo looks better.”
He hung it up, stepped back to admire it, and didn’t turn around.
Qiao Wei stood behind him, looking at his back, and didn’t say anything.
Both the Lu family and Captain Li had delivered news, and the marriage between Lu Manman and Captain Li was settled just like that.
Lu Manman’s family background was clean, and she herself was a staff member at the town government, so there were absolutely no issues.
Captain Li applied for marriage directly. His battalion commander, his regiment commander Yan Lei, and the Political Commissar all signed it, and the two of them took the introduction letter issued by their unit to get their marriage certificate.
Although they were young, Captain Li had Yan Lei’s guidance, and Lu Manman was managed by her father, so everything was quiet, and neither of them made a fuss.
Yan Lei went to run around for Captain Li regarding the housing situation.
By mid-October, the weather started to turn cool.
Yan Lei told Qiao Wei: “The verdict has come down.”
Qiao Wei didn’t speak, just looked at him.
Yan Lei said: “The evidence is conclusive, it was an active case of counter-revolutionary espionage, sentenced to death.”
Qiao Wei’s heart contracted for a moment.
After all, her perception of both sides of the strait was different from people in this era. What was promoted in later generations was that blood is thicker than water, China is one family, and various policies to benefit Taiwan.
But in this era, the other side was… the enemy.
Yan Lei was a bit worried about her and stroked the back of her neck: “Are you okay?”
Qiao Wei said: “… I feel a bit uncomfortable.”
Yan Lei sighed. Qiao Wei liked making clothes and cushions and such. Several times he had heard her mention, “That Old Tailor is really interesting,” and things like that.
They could be considered acquaintances. People are emotional animals.
Women’s emotions are also softer.
Yan Lei pulled her into his arms to comfort her in a low voice, and warned her: “Just say things like this to me, don’t say it to anyone else.”
Feeling bad for a spy was absolutely politically incorrect.
Qiao Wei nodded: “I know, don’t worry.”
At this time, the merger work was basically completed. The Yongming County Government changed its signs, and Yongming was renamed Bo City.
Qingshan Town and Xiahekou Town also changed their signs, becoming Qingshan District and Xiahekou District of Bo City.
The town party secretaries and town mayors became district party secretaries and district mayors.
But the people were still the same people.
The next day at the office, Secretary Meng also looked for Qiao Wei: “The results from over there are out, polish the draft and send it to the city.”
Qiao Wei wrote the final outcome of the spy into the draft and submitted it to Secretary Meng.
Secretary Meng took one look: “Still using a pseudonym?”
The report wrote, “A child named Qiangqiang (pseudonym) discovered something wrong after watching the movie, remembered…”
Qiao Wei said: “People here are too curious. If they knew who it was, they might all go take a look. Some people might even say weird things.”
It was a mother’s protection for her child. Secretary Meng could understand: “That’s true. Let’s do it this way.”
As soon as this report was published, it caused a sensation. Because the new movie had already been full of suspense and captivating, it was already very popular. Who would have thought that the events in the movie actually happened in their midst, and that someone had actually rooted out a real spy in their surroundings because they watched this movie.
And it was a child, too.
This was more dramatic than the movie! It was so attractive!
The newspaper also featured a photo of the Old Tailor, with his hands tied behind his back and a wooden sign hanging around his neck that read “Active Counter-revolutionary”.
It was a photo of the execution.
Qiao Wei saw it and was silent for a long time, then gently put the newspaper back on the rack.
The spy was executed, and the battalion commander who leaked the secrets was discharged. Before others had even reacted, Captain Li had already moved in.
Cadre furniture was provided by the unit, allocated according to rank. There were a few pieces of furniture that had been added personally; Captain Li negotiated a price with that unfortunate battalion commander, paid him, and kept them to take over.
The previous occupant was a battalion commander, he was a captain, so the furniture exceeded the allocation, but the logistics people turned a blind eye and didn’t take it back.
Although Captain Li and Lu Manman had registered their marriage, they hadn’t held the wedding yet, and they were still interacting like they were dating.
The Lu family was also preparing the dowry, sewing several large quilts.
Captain Li hired a carpenter to repair the furniture in the house and had it sanded and repainted.
At this time, conditions were just like that; it wasn’t possible to have all new furniture provided by the public. After being sanded and repainted, it looked almost new and was very presentable.
He also added a few new items. As for soft goods like towel racks, various pots and pans, of course, they were all new. New thermoses, new washbasins, and new spittoons were all printed with the double-happiness character.
He had already bought five or six sets of new clothes for Lu Manman, which was quite generous. Although the wedding hadn’t been held yet, this month he had already given Lu Manman twenty yuan and cloth coupons: “I’ll give you twenty every month from now on. You can use all the cloth coupons.”
He also quietly told her: “When we move in, I’ll let you manage all the money I’ve saved.”
He also took the opportunity to hold Lu Manman’s hand.
Although they were registered, the wedding hadn’t been held, and it felt a bit clandestine, as if it hadn’t been officially recognized. Lu Manman’s face was flushed, but she didn’t pull her hand back, letting him hold it.
It was sweet.
Yan Lei indeed received a third-class merit medal again because of this matter. He also held a commendation meeting and received a bonus.
Once the Old Tailor affair was reported in the newspaper, it immediately set off a craze. Movie tickets for “Secret Blueprints” were especially hard to buy; they were all bought out by units. Various units organized employees to watch the movie collectively, and afterwards, they were required to write reviews and hold competitions.
This movie was made for anti-espionage propaganda, and it was surprising to see such immediate results.
At the end of October, the Peoples Daily also published the matter, publicly commending the child named “Qiangqiang”. The impact of the event began to go nationwide.
Primary and secondary schools everywhere set off a trend of learning from the child “Qiangqiang”.
Children were poking their heads around streets and alleys all day long, lying at the roots of walls at neighbors’ houses to listen, also wanting to be “Qiangqiang” and get in the newspaper. This caused many couples to have to open their windows from time to time to see if anyone was crouching at the base of the window, so as to avoid the little brats hearing things they shouldn’t hear.
Qiao Wei really didn’t like this atmosphere. Someone like her, who came from later generations and valued privacy, couldn’t stand being spied on.
Fortunately, the walls of their courtyard were quite high, and it was a military family area, so it was much better.
People in town were overwhelmed.
But, after all, this was not the later era; it had only been a dozen years since the founding of the country, and there were indeed many spies.
Not to mention how many lurking spies were rooted out across the country, just in Xiahekou Town alone, a second spy was actually rooted out.
This man was only middle-aged; he had left home in his youth and returned in his young adulthood. Although his parents were deceased, he had already married and had children, and also had some relatives in the town and the countryside.
No one would have thought he was a spy.
The one who reported him was his own child.
The child would occasionally hear the sound of “beep beep, beep beep” in the middle of the night. When the movie projectionist came to town to show “Secret Blueprints,” coupled with the waves of anti-espionage propaganda in the town, this child developed suspicions.
Filled with righteous indignation, he reported his own father.
A direct hit.
Xiahekou Town, as a resettlement area for military families, did indeed attract the attention of the enemy.
During this period, most of the lurking enemy spies caught across the country were around military installations, Military Districts, or near seaports.
The enemy’s heart of destroying us will not die.
At this time, the importance of propaganda was truly seen. Because of one movie, the nation’s vigilance against anti-espionage reached an unprecedented climax. Many of those enemies lurking among the people were rooted out.
Of course, there were still many who hadn’t been rooted out, and they didn’t dare to act rashly, only able to lurk deeper.
This problem existed even in later generations.
Among all the children, the most prominent one was, of course, the child “Qiangqiang”.
Many newspaper offices called to inquire about “Qiangqiang” and wanted to interview this child.
Not many people knew who Qiangqiang was, and those who did were people who could keep their mouths shut.
Secretary Meng knew Qiao Wei’s protective attitude toward her child, so he didn’t rashly agree on her behalf, but instead asked for her opinion.
“Secretary, your grandson is also in Kindergarten. If it were him, what would you do?” Qiao Wei asked.
Secretary Meng said: “This matter must be viewed from both sides.”
Qiao Wei said: “He is still young. Excessive flattery will mislead his understanding of this matter. You have children at home, so you must know what children are like. If he sweeps the room and you praise him hard, he’ll want to sweep the whole street.”
“Macroscopically speaking, mobilizing the masses to fight espionage and achieve results is an inevitable event. But for an independent individual, discovering an enemy spy is purely an accidental event. This kind of contingency is not replicable.”
“I don’t want my child to be misguided and live every day poking their head around and spying on people around them with suspicion.”
Secretary Meng rejected all these newspaper offices.
But one day he told Qiao Wei: “Don’t bring the child here for the next few days.”
Reporters were very capable; eventually, someone was able to find out “Qiangqiang’s” identity and planned to come directly to the County Party Committee Kindergarten to interview him.
Fortunately, Secretary Meng had given advance notice, and Qiao Wei hid Yan Xiang at Sister Yang’s place for a few days, letting the reporters return empty-handed and disappointed.
Sister Yang actually didn’t quite understand; she felt this was an honorable thing, so why not let the child be in the newspaper. This was clearly something that could be written into the genealogy.
It wasn’t until later, when another spy in town was reported by his own biological child and executed, that she stopped saying anything.
She just sighed.
After such a long time, the neighborhood finally arranged for a young new tailor.
The tailor shop was back in business!
