Chapter 128 "Returning from Study Abroad, Taking a Position in a Ministry..."

The relationship between Shu Ran and Chen Yuanjiang was a semi-public secret within the division headquarters.

Both were busy and didn't see each other often, but their understanding deepened. Sometimes it was a knowing glance in the cafeteria, sometimes it was the light on in her office late at night, and he would quietly bring her something. Although he was a man of few words, his actions became increasingly meticulous.

That day, Shu Ran received an official notification from the Corps Education Department that she had been named a model worker of the Corps for the year, and was asked to prepare materials to attend the commendation ceremony to be held at the Corps Headquarters shortly thereafter.

When the news arrived, the comrades at the division headquarters understood that this was a great honor, but they were not surprised.

Director Sun personally congratulated her, and even Deputy Political Commissar Lin rarely smiled at her.

That evening, Chen Yuanjiang came to her dormitory carrying a net bag filled with some food.

"Here you go." He put the things down, looked at her, and a fleeting look of worry crossed his eyes.

"What? Are you afraid that if I go to the Corps, I won't look down on you, Deputy Director Chen of the Division Headquarters?" Shu Ran teased him deliberately.

Chen Yuanjiang frowned. "What nonsense are you talking about?" He paused, then his tone became serious. "The situation at the Corps Headquarters is even more complicated. I'm worried about you..."

"I know." Shu Ran picked up an apple from the net bag, weighed it in her hand, and said, "I'm just going to receive an award and share my experience. It's not like I'm not coming back."

Looking into her bright eyes, Chen Yuanjiang knew she longed for a bigger stage. He paused for a moment, then said, "I will try to lead the team to be responsible for security during the awards ceremony."

Shu Ran paused, looked up at him, and asked, "Is this okay?"

"It's not a big problem." Chen Yuanjiang said confidently. "According to regulations, such large-scale events should require assistance from the division-level security department."

Shu Ran felt a warmth in her heart, knowing that he wanted to be by her side, to support her when she might face storms. She didn't refuse and nodded, "Okay."

The night before her departure, Chen Yuanjiang helped her check her luggage and organized all the necessary documents and materials.

"Go to sleep early," he said, noticing the dark circles under her eyes.

"Mm," Shu Ran replied, her gaze fixed on the view outside the window. What awaited her at the Corps Headquarters: recognition or a challenge?

She didn't know. But she knew that whatever lay ahead, she would face it. She was no longer the panicked Shu Ran who had just transmigrated.

The journey to the Corps headquarters was long and bumpy. A convoy of jeeps traveled through the vast Gobi Desert and the occasional oasis.

Shu Ran and Chen Yuanjiang were not in the same car, but she knew that his car was either in front of or behind the group, which reassured her.

It was already evening when we arrived at the headquarters.

The scale here is far superior to that of the division headquarters; the buildings are taller, the streets are wider, and the vehicles and people coming and going have a more hurried pace. The guesthouse is much better.

Shu Ran had just settled down when there was a knock on the door. It was Chen Yuanjiang.

"Let's go, let's familiarize ourselves with the venue and the cafeteria." His gaze lingered on her face for a moment, confirming that she seemed to be in good spirits.

The two walked on the cement road in the headquarters compound. Occasionally, people in military uniforms would pass by, and Chen Yuanjiang would subtly step aside to shield Shu Ran on the inside.

"The conference will open and the first batch of awards will be presented tomorrow morning. Your speech is scheduled for the afternoon," Chen Yuanjiang instructed in a low voice. "There will likely be many high-ranking leaders sitting in the audience. Don't be nervous, just speak like you did when you reported to the division headquarters."

"I know." Shu Ran took a deep breath, the air filled with the unfamiliar atmosphere of the city.

The following day, the commendation ceremony was held in the headquarters auditorium. Red flags fluttered, and the atmosphere was solemn and enthusiastic.

Shu Ran sat in a seat near the front of the stage, looking at the names on the podium that she had only heard of in documents and rumors before, her palms slightly sweaty.

She knew that Chen Yuanjiang must be somewhere in the venue, fulfilling his duties and keeping an eye on her.

When I heard her name read out, "...Comrade Shu Ran, from the XX Division, who took root in the border region and creatively carried out literacy and basic education work under difficult conditions, was awarded the title of Model Worker of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps!" my heart was still pounding with excitement.

She stood up and walked steadily onto the stage amidst applause.

She accepted the certificate and medal, and bowed to the audience.

At that moment, she didn't see high-ranking officials and dignitaries, but the eyes of the children in the livestock company, the faces of Xu Junjun, Sister Wang, and Li Xiulan, and the national flag fluttering in the wind on the Gobi Desert.

In the afternoon's experience-sharing session, Shu Ran gave a speech without notes. She recounted the hardships of building Qiming Primary School from scratch, the changes that occurred at the mobile teaching point in the pastoral area and the production team, and how to utilize all available resources, how to mobilize the masses, and how to closely integrate education with production and daily life.

Her narration was vivid and full of vitality, a stark contrast to the rote presentations of the previous speakers. The audience occasionally chuckled knowingly, followed by even more enthusiastic applause.

She noticed several leaders sitting in the front row nodding and whispering among themselves.

After finishing her speech, she bowed again to express her gratitude, accepting the gazes from all sides with composure.

After the meeting, many people gathered around her to talk and ask about the specific details. Shu Ran responded calmly and confidently.

That evening, the headquarters held a reception banquet. Shu Ran, as a representative of model workers, was seated near the main table. During the banquet, a middle-aged man approached with a glass of baijiu (Chinese liquor).

"Comrade Shu Ran, your speech was excellent." He smiled. "I am Director Zhang from the Political Department of the Corps."

Shu Ran quickly stood up. This was one of the core leaders of the Corps.

"Director Zhang, hello." She remained calm.

"The methods you proposed have been very effective." Director Zhang clinked glasses with her. "The construction of the Production and Construction Corps not only needs soldiers who can develop production, but also talents like you who can popularize culture. Keep up the good work, there's a lot of room for growth in the future."

This seemed like a hint. Shu Ran was a little excited, but remained humble: "Thank you for your encouragement, leader. I will continue to work hard."

Director Zhang nodded, offered a few more words of encouragement, and then left.

Even after the banquet ended, Shu Ran was still unable to calm down. She went downstairs at the guesthouse alone, wanting to get some fresh air.

She heard footsteps behind her, and she knew who it was without turning around.

Chen Yuanjiang walked to her side and stood silently with her.

"Did you hear that?" Shu Ran asked softly, referring to Director Zhang's words.

"Mm," Chen Yuanjiang replied.

Do you understand what Director Zhang's words mean?

Shu Ran turned her head and met his gaze. Of course she understood. A higher platform, a heavier burden, and perhaps a greater separation. The Corps Headquarters, the Division Headquarters, and the Livestock Company were completely different worlds.

"If... there's a transfer order to keep you at headquarters, or to a more important position..." Chen Yuanjiang's voice was a little hoarse, and he didn't ask the rest of the question.

He knew her ambitions.

Shu Ran didn't answer immediately. She looked up at the Milky Way in the sky, the starry river mirroring her current state of mind and the path ahead. Undoubtedly, she wanted a bigger stage.

Just when Chen Yuanjiang thought she wouldn't answer, Shu Ran suddenly reached out and gently hooked his fingers hanging at his side.

The moment Shu Ran touched him, Chen Yuanjiang's fingers trembled slightly, then he gripped her tightly in return.

"Chen Yuanjiang," Shu Ran said softly, "no matter what the future holds, I will remember this moment."

Under the bright moonlight, Shu Ran smiled at him. In that smile, there was wisdom, ambition, calculation, and a gentleness that belonged only to him.

Chen Yuanjiang gazed at her, his hands clenched tightly, as if he were holding onto an uncertain future.

After the commendation meeting of the Corps ended, Shu Ran and Chen Yuanjiang returned to the division headquarters.

The attitude of the division headquarters towards her changed again. Director Sun talked to her more often, and the conversations were no longer limited to specific work; he would occasionally ask her about her macro-level views on the development of education in the entire corps.

When Deputy Political Commissar Lin met her, he would stop and say a few words of encouragement, but his eyes were more profound than before.

Yang Zhenhua seemed to have completely let go of those thoughts, and when they met, he was polite but distant, and handled business strictly by the book.

Shu Ran remained calm and focused, dedicating herself even more diligently to her work. She incorporated her observations and reflections from her trip to the Production and Construction Corps into her report, setting higher standards for the pilot project. She also paid more attention to data collection and improving the archives, striving to ensure that every step was solid and leaving no room for error.

That afternoon, she was checking the statistics on student progress reported by various teaching sites in her office when Xiao Wang from the confidential office poked his head in: "Officer Shu, there's a letter for you, from Shanghai."

Shanghai? Shu Ran had a bad feeling, but she remained calm and accepted the letter.

"Thanks."

After Xiao Wang left, she held the envelope but didn't open it immediately. Instead, she casually tucked it into a stack of documents waiting to be processed, as if it were just an insignificant official letter.

She picked up her pen again, trying to refocus on her work, but her thoughts were scattered.

She eventually put down her pen, picked up the stack of documents, including the letter, got up and walked to the window, pretending she needed better light to check them.

She walked to the window, turned her back to the others outside the office, and opened the letter.

The contents of the letter instantly chilled her spirits.

The first half of the letter was still filled with concerned platitudes, inquiring about her health and work, and urging her to take good care of herself. But the latter half became more cryptic: "...Recently, old friends have frequently visited, asking about your situation in the border region, especially your interactions with local people... I've heard you've achieved considerable success at work, which is certainly a good thing, but great success attracts attention. Your father has been unwell lately and often thinks of you, hoping you'll prioritize stability in everything you do, and avoid making any mistakes that could give others a handle against you... Also, there's an old family friend, Uncle Liao, whose son, Liao Cheng, has returned from studying abroad and is currently working in a ministry in the capital. He's a promising young man with a bright future. He occasionally inquired about you, and it seems..."

Shu Ran instantly understood the subtext behind the letter: her movements on the frontier had already attracted the attention of certain people, and might even have affected her family relationships in Shanghai. Her parents were panicked, terrified that their daughter, with her "bad class background," would cause further trouble and implicate the family. The Liao family mentioned at the end made their intentions crystal clear—if she were willing to return, a marriage might offer her some protection, or at least allow her to distance herself from them.

Shu Ran thought that by staying away from the troubles of Shanghai and settling down in the frontier, she could carve out her own niche with her abilities. Little did she know that the original owner's family of origin was not so easy to sever ties with.

She folded the letter and put it back in the envelope, her face expressionless, only her eyes filled with a deep darkness.

No one can see it, especially not... him.

"Shu Ran." Chen Yuanjiang's voice rang out from the doorway.

She snapped back to reality, turned around, and her face regained its composure. "Deputy Director Chen, is something the matter?"

Chen Yuanjiang did not answer immediately, but stepped in and gently closed the door behind him.

His gaze lingered on her face for a few seconds before landing on the pocket where she had hidden the letter, where there were still creases.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"It's nothing." Shu Ran maintained her smile and even deliberately shrugged. "It's a letter from home, just some trivial matters."

Chen Yuanjiang didn't speak, but simply took a step forward. He looked into her trouser pocket.

His tone was clearly disbelieving, "What trivial matter could have made your hands shake so much that you couldn't even hold the letter steady while your back was turned to anyone?"

Shu Ran subconsciously tried to tighten her grip on her pocket, but this action seemed like an attempt to cover up her secret to Chen Yuanjiang.

"You've misunderstood. It's just some everyday family stuff, women's matters, things that are inconvenient to talk about."

"Women's affairs?" Chen Yuanjiang frowned, took another half step closer, and looked into his eyes: "Shu Ran, look at me."

Shu Ran could only raise her eyes to meet his gaze. His eyes seemed to have returned to the time when they first met.

"Is something... wrong at home?"

Chen Yuanjiang was almost certain that what was mentioned in that letter was definitely not such a simple trivial matter.

Shu Ran knew she couldn't hide it from him. She understood his keen perception, and a sense of desperation welled up inside her. In the end, she took out the letter and slapped it into his arms.

"Look, look!" She turned her head and looked out the window. "Anyway... there's nothing shameful about it."

Chen Yuanjiang took the slightly crumpled letter, unfolded it, and quickly skimmed through it. He read very fast, his brows furrowing more and more deeply as he read.

He quickly read through the entire letter, folded it back along the original creases, put it back in the envelope, and handed it back to Shu Ran. Throughout the whole process, his expression was not good.

Shu Ran took the letter, stuffed it into her pocket, and still didn't look at him, only asking in a muffled voice, "Finished reading? Satisfied?"

Chen Yuanjiang didn't answer her question. Instead, he stared at her profile and asked in a harsh tone, "What's going on with this Liao Cheng?"

Shu Ran said irritably, "We met a few times when we were kids, but we haven't been in touch for a long time."

"Returning from studying abroad, taking a position in a ministry, a promising young talent." Chen Yuanjiang repeated the words from the letter, his tone tinged with bitterness, "He really cares about you."

Shu Ran finally turned to look at him, and almost laughed. She deliberately said, "Yeah, it sounds better than some people who run around on the border all day, smell of gunpowder, and can't even say a few words."

Chen Yuanjiang's face darkened instantly, and his chest heaved noticeably. He took a step closer, almost touching her face, "You..."

He was too close. Shu Ran's heart skipped a beat, but she refused to admit defeat: "What? Is Deputy Director Chen allowing only the magistrate to set fires while forbidding the common people to light lamps? You're allowed to interrogate me, but I'm not allowed to tell the truth?"

Chen Yuanjiang stared at her for a full five or six seconds, his eyes swirling with emotion. In the end, he suppressed all his feelings.

"I understand," he said, turning and walking away.

"Hey!" Shu Ran realized she had gone a bit too far and quickly called out to him.

Chen Yuanjiang stopped at the door, gripping the doorknob, without turning around.

Shu Ran looked at her adopted son, who was stubbornly refusing to move, and her heart softened. She sighed and lowered her voice: "Chen Yuanjiang, that's not what I meant... I just didn't want you to worry about this letter."

Chen Yuanjiang still didn't turn around, but he loosened his grip on the doorknob slightly.

"I know," he said in a muffled voice, paused for a moment, and then added, "You go ahead with your work, I'll come find you after get off work tonight."