Chapter 44

Zhao Mei's attention was indeed diverted, just as Bi Chunliu had thought. Thinking about work, she realized she wouldn't be able to unpack her sweater today. Youyou sighed and said listlessly, "Well, it's just the two of us, so we'll just take our time. Anyway, they've made it in Chengdu, and the boss wants to report it to the higher-ups, so we can show off."

Bi Chunliu thought the same thing. The factory director had put a lot of thought into coming up with a five-factory get-together, although he only came up with an idea, and it was these soldiers who came up with it.

But! The factory director must have wanted to publish a report or something. After all, under his wise leadership, he had helped so many progressive comrades and solved their life problems. This was a factor in social stability, and it was undoubtedly a great political achievement.

Bi Chunliu and Zhao Mei spent the entire morning in the workshop. They did not separate, but walked around slowly and took notes.

She hadn't expected their factory to actually have quite a few successes. For example, in the two workshops they'd been in that morning, there were 32 unmarried women and 6 unmarried men. Now, a staggering 30 men and women combined had found suitable partners. An 80 percent success rate!

Bi Chunliu himself couldn't believe it. Was this social gathering so efficient?!

Zhao Mei was still marveling at the thought when she returned to the office after lunch. "It seems like having them write down all the information and be transparent about it was a really good idea this time, huh?" she muttered. Even her own high-minded sister-in-law was in contact with gay men. She should get married right away...

"It's also because there are so many people this time. Our factory comrades are not only discerning, but also down-to-earth. I heard that two female comrades from the factory were fascinated by a guy named Fei."

This is what Secretary Lin said when he came in.

Bi Chunliu and Zhao Mei greeted Director Lin. Zhao Mei asked her, "Which two factories?"

Secretary Lin put the things in his hand on the table. "Machinery factory, garment factory, or sugar factory? This is the information our director wants to give to Chairman Ren. Think about giving it to her."

"There's no garment factory, right?" Zhao Mei asked nervously. Her sister-in-law acted as if something happened after returning from the social gathering. She thought she had some conflict with a male comrade. She also told Secretary Lin the same thing, and was fascinated by some random person.

Secretary Lin thought about it carefully. "There are some in the garment factory and the sugar factory. That man is from the family of Director Gu of the machinery factory. His conditions are quite good, but why would a family like that look for a daughter-in-law from an ordinary family like us?"

Secretary Lin chatted for a few minutes and then returned to the factory office. Zhao Mei thought about it and decided to go to the garment factory to discuss it with her sister-in-law. If this really happened, the girl definitely didn't tell her sister-in-law.

"Xiao Bi, I have something urgent to do, so I need to go home. Can you go and do the statistics by yourself? If Chairman Ren asks me, please cover for me. I'll be back soon."

Seeing that Zhao Mei was very anxious, Bi Chunliu readily promised her that he would do it himself, and comforted her with a few words. Only then did Zhao Mei hurried away.

Looking at Zhao Mei's anxious back through the window, Bi Chunliu shook the pen in his hand in confusion, "What's wrong with Sister Mei?

In the afternoon, Bi Chunliu changed workshops and continued the morning's progress slowly registering people. It wasn't until mid-afternoon that Zhao Mei finally came running back, panting heavily.

"Chunliu, let me do it."

Bi Chunliu handed the water cup to Zhao Mei, who waved her hand and said, "No, I just had a couple of sips in the office."

"Okay, shall we continue?"

Zhao Mei took out the notebook and said, "Let's go."

"Sister Mei, what's wrong with your clothes? Why is there a black spot?" Zhao Mei turned around, and Bi Chunliu saw a large black mark on her back, as if someone had splashed ink on it. Didn't she go home? Why did it look like she had been in a fight?

Zhao Mei twisted her head, tugging at her collar, unable to stop complaining, "Oh! What bad luck! Didn't I go home? When I was about to come back, my mother-in-law asked me to drop off something for my sister-in-law. I thought it wasn't far, so I went.

As soon as I arrived at the garment factory, I saw a commotion outside the gate, as if someone was fighting. I wondered if I could miss this, so I went over to take a look. Guess what?!

Without waiting for Bi Chunliu to react, Zhao Mei spoke again, "There really was a fight. Two brothers were fighting over a partner. I had to ask someone to find out what was going on."

It was said that the two brothers had met a girl, a talented person. They didn't know how the family had offended her, but she had the two brothers under her control. The mother, seeing that her two sons were both infatuated, couldn't possibly agree to let the girl into the house. It didn't matter that she didn't agree, but the two brothers turned the house upside down, arguing and fighting, each wanting to marry the girl and force the other to give in, even smashing the dining table.

A few days ago, the brothers' mother found the girl, scolded her, and told her to get out. The girl didn't know what happened, and she hasn't been seen since. This morning, the brothers received a letter claiming to be a suicide note from the girl. They called the police, who said they would take the mother in for questioning. The mother scolded her sons, and somehow, something in her words irritated her sons, so she pulled out a bucket of dye and threw it at their mother.

Look at me, I got smeared because I was too close. I was quick to react, so the black on my back is okay; it can't be washed off. But some people are in a terrible state. Tsk! You didn't see it, their face and the front of their clothes were all black! Of course, the most pitiful one is the mother, she looks like she was fished out of a dye vat.

Bi Chunliu opened her eyes wide in disbelief. "Oh my goodness! It's a sin for a mother to have two sons like this. Not only was dye splashed on them, but they also ganged up on them and sent them to the police station. What a filial son, what a filial son..."

"Have the police taken them away now?"

"They were all taken away together. The son threw dye on his mother. As a mother, she's no scapegoat. She reported him for damaging public property right away. The dye is evidence." Zhao Mei said sympathetically, "You really have to raise children well. This guy is a lesson for us. If they don't raise their children well, either he'll send her to the police station or she'll send him to the Revolutionary Committee."

Bi Chunliu nodded, "...Sister Mei is telling the truth!"

Who says it isn't... It's much easier for family members to frame each other than other people.

.

In the afternoon, Bi Chunliu finished counting nearly one and a half workshops by himself, and he and Zhao Mei finished counting the remaining two and a half workshops. Finally, they finished recording all the data before leaving get off work, and just had to wait for tomorrow to summarize, write a summary, and report it.

Zhao Mei was in a hurry to go home to do the laundry, thinking that she would continue unpacking the sweater tomorrow. She didn't even take her bag with her. She said something to Bi Chunliu and left in a hurry.

Bi Chunliu packed up his things, locked the door, and prepared to go out for dinner with Xing Fei and his comrades.

On the way, Xing Fei turned around and introduced himself to Bi Chunliu, who was sitting on the back of the bicycle: "My comrade is called Wei Dongzheng, two years older than me. You can call him Brother Wei or Old Wei. I don't know his wife's last name, but since they're getting married soon, you can just call her sister-in-law. Old Wei and I are old comrades. We've known each other since we first joined the army, and we were later assigned to the same military region, so we have a good relationship."

Even now, he's still in the army, and I've retired. We're so far apart, we don't see each other very often. I think things will get better in the future. Lao Wei's wife is from here, and when he returns home with his wife and children, he'll definitely contact me."

Bi Chunliu understood what Xing Fei meant. He was introducing her to a friend with whom she would have future contact.

Bi Chunliu replied: "I understand."

Wei Dongzheng? I don't think Xing Fei mentioned this name much in my past life. Did they break up in their past life?

"We're here." Xing Fei stopped the car and Bi Chunliu jumped out of the back seat and stood firm.

Xing Fei locked himself up and said, "I'm going to buy a few bottles of Beibingyang. The last time I met Lao Wei, he asked me to buy him some soda."

Bi Chunliu smiled and said, "Then I'll wait for you, go ahead."

Xing Fei went to the supply and marketing cooperative not far from the state-owned restaurant to buy soda. Bi Chunliu looked at the street in front of her and suddenly thought of the old-fashioned photos she had seen on the Internet before. She and her three younger brothers and sisters hadn't taken photos for a long time. When she got her salary next month, she would take them to take a photo. It would be even better if she could take a photo with street scenes.

"Chun Liu?"

Bi Chunliu looked at the people who came. It was Wang Xiaoman and her partner in military uniform.

"Sister Xiaoman?" Bi Chunliu felt that even if he had lived to that age in his previous life, he wouldn't have been so shameless. He tried to smile, to be more natural, and to forget the moment they were hugging each other. "Congratulations, I heard from the sister in the office that you got engaged today."

Speaking of marriage, Wang Xiaoman's face was full of happy smiles, and she said: "Well, we are getting married the day after tomorrow. Remember to come to eat at noon the day after tomorrow!"

"Okay, it's Sister Xiaoman's big day, I'll definitely go!" Bi Chunliu agreed readily. She had been hesitant about whether to give a red envelope, but since Wang Xiaoman had invited her in person, she definitely had to give a gift. "Sister Xiaoman, are you and your brother-in-law going shopping?"

Wang Xiaoman: "No, your brother-in-law had dinner with his comrades, so we came here to eat."

Bi Chunliu: "Okay, Sister Xiaoman, then you and your brother-in-law can go in quickly. I'll wait for someone."

"Okay, see you the day after tomorrow. You must come!" Wang Xiaoman repeated her instructions and only entered the state-owned restaurant after seeing Bi Chunliu nod.

Wang Xiaoman went in, and Bi Chunliu realized it later...

Comrades, eating, getting married...

No way...

Xing Fei came running over with four bottles of soda and something wrapped in oil paper. He handed the package to Bi Chunliu, pointed in the direction of the supply and marketing cooperative, and said, "I ran into Hao Ren and his wife at the supply and marketing cooperative. He took home a bottle of the chili sauce you gave me last time, and his wife liked it very much. Hao Ren's wife asked me to bring this to you."

Bi Chunliu followed Xing Fei's hand and looked toward the supply and marketing cooperative. A man, supporting his pregnant wife, was standing at the doorway, looking at her and them. The woman even waved at her. She waved back. "Don't be so polite. If she likes it, I'll make her two bottles next time." Hao Ren and his wife, Deng Qiao, were both very nice people.

"Okay, let's go in. I wonder if Lao Wei has arrived." Xing Fei waved towards Hao Ren.

Bi Chunliu: "...Okay."

She increasingly felt that the Old Wei Xing Fei was referring to was Wang Xiaoman's military boyfriend. Not only had they been caught sharing their secrets, but now they were about to meet again...

So embarrassing!