"What are you talking about, Uncle? What are you saying?"
These words stunned Qin Peilan on the bed and He Wanrou beside her.
"Zhenbang? Who's that person in the newspaper?" Qin Peilan asked, puzzled.
Shen Zhenbang didn't say anything, but simply handed over the newspaper.
He Wanrou couldn't help but lean over to take a look.
On the second page of the Vanguard newspaper, a large headline was printed in eye-catching lead type, accompanied by several large photos of Zhou Qiqi!
The headline read: "[Exemplary Military Spouse Zhou Qiqi: Achieving Outstanding Results by Contracting a Production Line, Showcasing Her Brilliance in Ink Painting!]"
The following report details how Zhou Qiqi withstood the pressure, boldly took over the garment factory's production line, led the workers to study day and night, and finally designed and produced the "Ink and Wash Splendor" series of coats with a strong Chinese style.
Not only did it sell very well in the city and become a hot commodity, but it also successfully established its brand and generated huge profits for the factory.
The report also specifically mentioned that Zhou Qiqi plans to expand production and will soon recruit workers from the public, with priority given to military dependents!
The article concludes with the words "Exemplary Military Spouse," "Self-Reliant and Striving," and "Employment Promotion" printed in bold lead type, making it particularly eye-catching!
Qin Peilan read through the text word by word. When she looked up, her expression had completely changed, and she asked in astonishment:
"Qiqi, this designer...is this really you?"
Zhou Qiqi felt a little embarrassed when her mother-in-law stared at her so intently, and when she thought of the words praising her in the newspaper, even though she wasn't shy. Her cheeks flushed slightly.
Before she could speak, Shen Huaichuan had already put his arm around her shoulder, smiling proudly.
“Mom, it’s written in black and white here, ‘The wife of Regiment Commander Shen Huaichuan.’ She’s my only wife, so who else could it be?”
"So... what's written here about you contracting the production line and creating jobs, is that all true?"
Qin Peilan pressed for details, her eyes shining.
With Shen Huaichuan by her side, Zhou Qiqi nodded generously:
"Yes, it's true. The factory will start accepting applications for new jobs in a couple of days."
Shen Zhenbang and Qin Peilan exchanged a glance, and when they looked at Zhou Qiqi again, the aloofness and scrutiny in their eyes had disappeared, replaced by a strong sense of curiosity and appreciation.
After all, their initial dissatisfaction with Zhou Qiqi stemmed from a lack of understanding of the situation; they genuinely believed that Zhou Qiqi was a vixen.
But now that she's been featured in the military newspaper, it's obvious that Zhou Qiqi isn't what Lin Yao's parents said.
Qin Peilan suddenly remembered what had just happened and asked somewhat embarrassedly:
"Then...then just now, Huaichuan said that all those big items outside, like the refrigerator and washing machine, were bought by you? Is that true?"
Before Zhou Qiqi could answer, Shen Huaichuan smiled and continued:
"Of course it's true! Mom, your son only gets that little allowance a month. Even if he saved every penny for a year, he probably couldn't buy that much! It was all bought with the bonus the city gave Qiqi! Your son only had enough to buy a ceramic mug, look,"
He pointed to the pile of shards on the ground and said half-jokingly, "Look, it's broken now."
His words were somewhat joking, and both Shen Zhenbang and Qin Peilan laughed.
That smile instantly eased the tense atmosphere that had been building up in the room for so long.
Qin Peilan looked at Zhou Qiqi with a sincere apology on her face and said softly:
"Qiqi, I'm so sorry. Just now... we were both senile and didn't understand the situation. We misunderstood you. Please don't take it to heart."
The elderly couple were of high status, but they had no airs at all. They admitted their mistakes and apologized without hesitation. This openness made Zhou Qiqi's last bit of grievance disappear.
She quickly waved her hand:
"Auntie, please don't say that! It's alright, it's alright! It was just... it was also because Huaichuan didn't explain clearly in time."
She said that, but she glanced at He Wanrou intentionally or unintentionally.
It wasn't that Shen Huaichuan didn't want to explain, but someone kept chattering away like a machine gun, giving them no chance to explain at all.
Zhou Qiqi's attitude—unpretentious, unpretentious, and not putting on airs just because she was in the right—enhanced the elderly couple's goodwill towards her, and their smiles grew even wider.
The family of four was all enjoying themselves in the house, but He Wanrou became the most embarrassed one.
She broke the cup, and Shen Huaichuan's words were tantamount to indirectly slapping her in the face.
Zhou Qiqi's reply was like a second slap in the face to her.
Her left and right cheeks felt burning.
Seeing the Shen family elders' amiable manner towards Zhou Qiqi, she felt both anxious and angry, and quickly interjected, trying to muddy the waters:
"Oh dear, Qiqi, look at you! I just asked you to think of a way to clean up the water stains on the floor, and you pulled out a newspaper with your glorious deeds printed on it? Cleaning up water stains... who uses newspaper? Was this an accident, or..."
She deliberately dragged out the last syllable, not saying what followed explicitly, but her eyes and tone clearly implied that Zhou Qiqi was scheming and had deliberately taken out the newspaper to show off and let her in-laws see it!
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