Although Liu Ziming spoke earnestly and was sincere in his attitude, and after spending a day with him, Jiang Xile had gained a basic understanding of him, unlike her previous superficial knowledge, this was not a reason for Jiang Xile to waver.

"Thank you for your kindness, but I am only seventeen years old and have not thought about finding a partner."

To what you said, I can only apologize. My house is just ahead, I'll head home now, so you don't need to see me off!

Liu Ziming stood frozen in place, his first confession ending in failure, leaving him somewhat dejected.

Still worried about Jiang Xile going back alone, Liu Ziming could only hurry after her, keeping a distance of three or four meters from her for fear that she would be offended.

Only after watching the person enter the courtyard did Liu Ziming leave dejectedly, feeling extremely disappointed.

Standing at the window of her second-floor bedroom, Jiang Xile sighed as she watched Liu Ziming's departing figure outside.

Now that things have been clarified today, I just hope this person won't keep bothering us. Otherwise, things will get too embarrassing, and it will also affect Dad and Uncle Liu.

Liu Ziming had just returned home and hadn't even had time to heal the pain of his breakup when he was urgently summoned away by a phone call.

As night fell, a car sped up like a cheetah in the darkness and silently stopped at the gate of the compound.

The car door was suddenly pulled open, and a figure was quickly and discreetly ushered into the vehicle.

Then, as if swallowed by the night, the car disappeared into the vast darkness in an instant.

Only a faint wisp of exhaust fumes remained, slowly dissipating in the desolate air.

In the midst of the dramatic changes in the fate of the nation, personal emotional entanglements seem so insignificant that they must be temporarily set aside in a corner of the heart.

Liu Ziming, this talented young man who never wore military uniform, protected this land in another way, even though he never stepped onto the battlefield.

Long before that thirst for knowledge was abruptly interrupted, he had already completed his studies by skipping grades with his remarkable intelligence.

Today, within the National Special Research Institute, he works quietly yet makes outstanding contributions, one of the unsung guardians.

This vacation is not a rest in the usual sense, but a brief respite after the experimental project has achieved phased results.

For Liu Ziming, this was not only a physical relaxation, but also a brief respite for his soul.

He used to be so focused on scientific research that he never considered anything else.

Jiang Xile's appearance was like a beautiful rainbow, breaking his originally monotonous and gloomy sky.

However, he doesn't know if he can capture this touch of color now, and he only hopes that when he comes back next time, he will have another chance to fight for it.

Liu Ziming's sudden disappearance was already commonplace in the eyes of others. Jiang Xile had also paid attention for two days at first, thinking it was due to her influence.

It was only later that he learned about the special nature of Liu Ziming's work from Jiang Yanshu, and he simply let it go.

Before she knew it, the New Year arrived, and Jiang Xile finally turned eighteen. This was the first New Year she had spent with Jiang Yanshu.

Although it was just the two of them at home, they still prepared quite a lot of things. During the day, they attended a party organized by the military, and in the evening, Jiang Yanshu accompanied Jiang Xile to make dumplings at home.

Although it wasn't very lively or noisy, it had a unique kind of warmth.

The following year, after the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, Jiang Xile took his letter of introduction and went to the steel rolling mill to report for duty.

The father and daughter moved back to the courtyard house. To make it easier for Jiang Xile to go to work, Jiang Yanshu even went out of his way to buy her a bicycle.

Jiang Xile resold the bicycle that was previously owned by the Progressive Brigade to Zhang Xuesong. It just so happened that he and Li Haizhen were preparing to get married here, and having a bicycle would be very convenient.

The new bicycle was a 26-inch model, perfect for a woman to ride. As soon as Jiang Xile arrived at the steel mill gate, she became a beautiful sight, attracting the attention of many people.

After speaking with the security guard, Jiang Xile, carrying the letter of introduction, stepped into the factory manager's office, where she also saw Xu Qian.

Xu Qian is one of the factory director's three secretaries, and she is usually responsible for handling some administrative matters.

She was naturally very happy to see Jiang Xile arrive, and the two even arranged to have lunch together.

With Jiang Yanshu's connections, the factory director naturally wouldn't make things difficult for Jiang Xile, and she was smoothly assigned to the publicity department.

From that moment on, Jiang Xile officially became a junior staff member in the publicity department of the steel rolling mill.

There aren't many people in the propaganda department. There's a section chief, three junior staff members, and someone in charge of showing movies. Now that Jiang Xile has joined, there are only six people in total.

The work of the propaganda department is not complicated and is easy to learn. Every day, it mainly involves writing slogans, drawing blackboard newspapers, and making up some short stories.

Alternatively, activities can be organized during holidays or special festivals to enrich the workers' leisure time.

These activities not only enhance workers' cultural literacy but also strengthen their sense of community.

In summary, although the work of the publicity department may seem trivial, it has profound significance.

Jiang Xile has connections and a powerful backer, so she naturally skipped the temporary worker and internship periods and became a full-time employee right away.

I just officially started working, so I'm receiving the salary of a level 11 clerk, which is 25.5 yuan per month, plus a number of receipts.

Of course, this is only temporary. As Jiang Xile's seniority increases, there is still a lot of room for his salary to rise.

However, none of this mattered to Jiang Xile. No matter how much she earned here or how high her rank rose, she would still have to take the college entrance examination in 1977.

She wouldn't look down on future academic qualifications just because she'd studied it once and had some foresight.

It's important to understand that future opportunities are limitless, and a degree is a foundation, an essential stepping stone.

When it was lunchtime, Xu Qian finished her work and came over to go to the cafeteria with Jiang Xile.

"The food here is pretty good. Chef He from the second canteen is a good cook, but he's a bit reckless."

"Really? Then I'll have to give it a good try. I don't care what kind of person they are, as long as their cooking is good!"

"Don't worry, I won't let you down!"

Although Xu Qian is a secretary, she is still considered a cadre, so she is entitled to order food in the cafeteria. In addition, she had made arrangements with the cafeteria director in advance to entertain Jiang Xile today.

As soon as the two arrived, they went straight to the small private room. On the table were two meat dishes, one vegetable dish, a soup, and a plate of large steamed buns, all of which were already prepared.

"It looks pretty good!"

Jiang Xile looked at the dishes on the table and gave her her opinion.

"Seeing isn't enough, you'll have to try it to see for yourself, I guarantee you won't be disappointed!"

"Really? I'm hungry too, let's start eating!"

"Alright, let's eat!"