About you

Jiang Xiaoxiao paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "To be honest, I always see A-Lin's shadow in you."

"You have a more authentic sense of his decisiveness in business and his humility and gentleness in dealing with people than you did when you were with him before."

Ji Yuxing turned to look at the grass by the roadside, his gesture of concealing the sadness in his eyes was so deliberate that Jiang Xiaoxiao was startled and wondered if she had said something wrong.

But then he turned his head again, his eyes filled with a smile, and said, "Then what my brother did can't be considered a failure."

Jiang Xiaoxiao chuckled, then suddenly asked, "Seven years ago, wasn't it you who delivered the letter to my house?"

On Jiang Qingju's birthday in 1945, Jiang Xiaoxiao received an unsigned letter containing information about Jiang Shang's contributions during the war, along with an obituary.

Jiang Xiaoxiao went through the network of relationships of all the people who might know both her and Yan Jiangshang, but still came up empty-handed.

Just when she was about to give up, someone outside her network of connections—Ji Yuxing—appeared.

Before this, she had never doubted Ji Yuxing. After all, even Zhang Chenglin didn't know about her affair with Yan Jiangshang, so how could Ji Yuxing, someone who had nothing to do with her, know?

The opportunity that followed came after the war when the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China reshuffled the leaders of various regions at the National People's Congress, and Ji Yuxing became the leader of the East China region.

The former head of the East China region was Sheng Dongsheng, who was under Yan Jiangshang's command.

Almost instantly, all the mysteries became clear, and Jiang Xiaoxiao finally found Ji Yuxing as if by magic.

"You'll guess, this is something I really didn't expect." Ji Yuxing recalled the time and recounted: "In early August of 1945, the situation in various places had stabilized. Mr. Sheng summoned me back to Shanghai from Shandong to help him compile the list and information of martyrs from various regions of East China who sacrificed their lives during the war."

"When we got to Yan Jiangshang, another colleague who was with me suddenly said that he was his classmate and then told me some gossip about Yan Jiangshang when he was in school."

"About you."

Ji Yuxing looked at Jiang Xiaoxiao and said the last four words, which immediately made Jiang Xiaoxiao know what it was about.

"That young comrade said that Yan Jiangshang left Shanghai after graduation, and I guess you two never saw each other again. Although I can't figure out your feelings for each other from just a piece of gossip."

Ji Yuxing abruptly changed the subject, his tone becoming serious: "That extremely tragic and chaotic era already had enough regrets. What if, because of my single thought, something was brought to a state of perfect fulfillment?"

"So a few days later, on Jiang Qingju's birthday, when Mr. Sheng asked me to deliver a gift to the Jiang family on his behalf, I asked him if I could tell you about Yan Jiangshang. He agreed, but I didn't know how to tell you, so after thinking it over, I wrote that letter."

Jiang Xiaoxiao's expression shifted slightly, surprised by his thorough consideration, before she spoke again very sincerely: "Thank you, it's perfect."

This time, Ji Yuxing smiled but didn't say anything.

*

A few months later, a group of literary enthusiasts who had made outstanding achievements in the literary field spontaneously formed a writers' association. With the approval of the central government, the writers' association was allowed to participate in all matters concerning the development of the national literary cause, including the management of provincial and higher-level libraries, within the permitted scope.

Therefore, one of the topics of discussion at the first Writers' Congress was the selection of the director of the National Library.

After several rounds of discussions and screenings before the meeting, three candidates were selected, with the final decision to be made at the formal meeting.

The three candidates are: Dai Zining, professor of Chinese Literature at Peking University, founder of Xingjing Daily, member of the Communist Party of China, and renowned writer; Tong Mingxuan, professor of Chinese Literature at Tsinghua University, one of the founders of Xingjing Daily, and renowned writer; and Huang Hongxuan, dean of the School of Literature at Peking University, an idol of countless literature lovers, and renowned writer.

Because it was the first congress of the National Writers Association, the chairman, the prime minister, and Ji Ruqiong, among others, attended as observers.

At the meeting, the issue of the director of the National Library was hotly debated. Dai Zining and Huang Hongxuan's speeches became more and more heated, and by the end they had taken on a somewhat aggressive tone.

Dai Zining's gaze fell on the draft agenda at the front of the meeting room, her voice steady yet carrying an undeniable authority:

"The National Library is not a study for scholars to gather in, but a public hall that carries the roots of national culture and serves the reading needs of all citizens. I advocate that the director should have both the ability to 'maintain the library' and the ability to 'innovate'."

"The 'guardian of the archives' must be able to clarify the context of the collection of books. For example, for rare ancient books that were lost during the war, it is necessary to take the lead in formulating a systematic restoration and cataloging plan. In this regard, I led the compilation project of the 'Collection of Ming and Qing Dynasty Essays' in the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Peking University, and I am well aware of the urgency of document protection."

"To 'expand and innovate,' we need to bring libraries out of their ivory towers. The Xingjing Daily, which I spearheaded, has for many years consistently delivered the latest news to the public, conveyed the latest heroic spirit to the public, and interpreted classic literature in popular language, reaching over ten million readers. This experience of 'making literature accessible to the masses' can be fully transferred to the library's public education activities, such as offering popular classic literature courses for teenagers and providing resource support to grassroots cultural stations."

As soon as Dai Zining finished speaking, Huang Hongxuan raised his hand to signal that he could speak. After receiving permission, he immediately began to speak, his tone filled with confidence in his field of expertise:

"While the preservation of documents and public education mentioned by Comrade Zi Ning are certainly important, the National Library of China needs to assume the function of an 'academic high ground.' During my tenure at the School of Chinese Language and Literature at Peking University, I promoted the establishment of the 'Database of Modern and Contemporary Chinese Literature,' which includes nearly 100,000 valuable materials such as writers' manuscripts and inaugural issues. If this academic management model can be introduced into the library, it can lead the formation of inter-institutional research teams to conduct in-depth academic research on the library's collections, such as carrying out special research on 'Literature and Social Change Since Modern Times,' so that the library is not only a 'place of books' but also a 'source of research.'"

"Furthermore, as someone who connects with countless literature enthusiasts, I am even more aware of the public's thirst for high-quality reading resources. By establishing an 'Author-in-Residence Program,' we can invite creators from different fields to meet with readers face-to-face, which will not only enhance the library's cultural influence but also inject new vitality into literary creation."

The two speakers had different focuses. Dai Zining emphasized "public service" and "practical experience," repeatedly using the dissemination cases of Xingjing Daily to illustrate her management ideas; Huang Hongxuan focused on "academic development" and "cultural leadership," showcasing his professional capabilities with the database construction achievements of the School of Literature.

Both men achieved similar literary accomplishments. Dai Zining's works were slightly fewer than Huang Hongxuan's, but the influence of the Xingjing Daily in China and its role in driving development during the war should not be underestimated.

Voting was also a headache; during the voting process, attendees whispered among themselves, looked around, and couldn't make up their minds.

But in the end, Dai Zining narrowly defeated Huang Hongxuan by one vote and was appointed director of the National Library.

After this agenda item, the conference continued, but the chairman, the prime minister, and others, accompanied by Ji Ruqiong, left the room first.

After leaving the meeting, the chairman thought about how Dai Zining was usually such a gentle and kind person, and wondered why she was acting so strangely and excitedly today. He asked curiously, "Why do I feel that Zining is acting a bit strangely today?"

Ji Ruqiong carefully considered her words before saying, "You may not know this, but Madam and Huang Hongxuan had a love story. They loved each other for many years. When Madam finally decided to get married, Huang Hongxuan fell in love with someone else. Perhaps it was love turned into hate."

The chairman nodded. He seemed to have heard some rumors about Dai Zining and Huang Hongxuan before.

Huang Hongxuan is indeed talented, but he has too many scandals. Both in terms of public and private matters, appointing him as the director of the National Library is something that needs careful consideration.

When Dai Zining finished her day's meetings and was heading home in the evening, she ran into Jiang Xiaoxiao, who was in Beijing on a business trip, at the entrance of a restaurant not far from her house.

Dai Zining didn't spend much time in Shanghai, but because of Zhang Chenglin, she had a good impression of the Jiang family, so she invited Jiang Xiaoxiao to come over for a visit.

Dai Zining called someone to make tea for Jiang Xiaoxiao. After looking at Jiang Xiaoxiao for a few seconds, she suddenly remembered something and called someone to give her some instructions.

Then, smiling, he said to Jiang Xiaoxiao, "I have someone here who I'm afraid Miss Jiang should meet."

Jiang Xiaoxiao never expected that she knew anyone who had a good relationship with Dai Zining, or even someone who could stay at Dai Zining's house when visiting Beijing.

But she still nodded earnestly and replied, "Okay."

"Aunt Zi Ning." A few minutes later, Zhang Qizhong came down from his room upstairs, called out to her, and stood next to Dai Zi Ning.

At home, Dai Zining treated him like her own child, so whenever Dai Zining called him down, he would simply sit next to her and listen to her talk.

But if guests come to the house like today, Zhang Qizhong will stand next to Dai Zining—this is out of respect for the guests.

Jiang Xiaoxiao suddenly heard a clear, youthful voice and looked over with a hint of indifference.

Upon seeing this, he froze on the spot.

picture.

They look so alike.

He looked exactly like Zhang Chenglin when he was fifteen or sixteen.

Dai Zining noticed Jiang Xiaoxiao's absent-mindedness, smiled and called Zhang Qizhong over, introducing him to her: "Zhang Qizhong, Zhang Chenglin and Gu Shiyue... um Fengyue's son. After Gu Shiyue passed away in 1949, this child has been living by my side ever since."

He then introduced her to Zhang Qizhong: "Miss Jiang..."

Zhang Qizhong was about to greet her as she introduced them when she continued, "Your father's aunt, you should call her great-aunt."

Zhang Qizhong paused, then tentatively began, "Great-aunt."