Lei Yuhua stepped aside, letting a female soldier following behind her move forward.
The female soldier looked very young, with her two braids neatly combed and her uniform collar buttoned up tightly. She had a bit of the shyness and excitement of someone just starting out, and she was carefully holding a Seagull brand camera in her hand.
"Qiqi, let me introduce you,"
Lei Yuhua spoke with a smile.
"This is Xiaoqian, a reporter from our military region's 'Vanguard Daily.' Their editor-in-chief also knows about your story and is very interested. He sent Xiaoqian to take some photos of you and write a report about your indomitable spirit as a military wife, to set an example for all the military families in our military region!"
The Vanguard?
Zhou Qiqi remembered that Shen Huaichuan would open it and take a look at it every day after meals. It was a newspaper published within their military region. Although it wasn't widely distributed, it had a significant impact within their region.
Zhou Qiqi, who didn't want to be too high-profile, was about to wave her hand to decline when a bright idea suddenly flashed through her mind.
Last time, when sweater dresses became a hit, the production line was almost overwhelmed and production capacity was tight.
Since the debut of "Ink Splendor," orders have been pouring in, making it imperative to expand production and recruit more staff.
Not everyone is like Deng Cuixiang, who has the skill to make pickles and the courage to set up a stall.
Most military wives are not bad people. They just follow their husbands to the military and have no job. They are trapped in the small world of the family compound and their lives are filled with trivial family matters.
When people are idle, their spirits tend to dissipate. If they gather together, all that's left is gossip and idle chatter.
Now that she's capable, the factory needs reliable manpower. If these women could be given a job opportunity, wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?
The military dependents' area is her home. She hopes that the area will get better and better, and that her sisters-in-law will have something to look forward to, less petty gossip and idle chatter, and more hard work and hope for their own lives.
Thinking about it this way, accepting the interview wasn't just about Zhou Qiqi showing off.
Reporting it is a good thing, as it will allow more military families to know about the First Garment Factory and the opportunities there.
Thinking of this, Zhou Qiqi's eyes brightened. She tucked a stray hair behind her ear and smiled gracefully at Xiaoqian.
"Okay, let's film it then. Just tell me what you need me to do."
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Xiaoqian acted swiftly and decisively. On the third day of the interview, Zhou Qiqi's radiant headshot, along with the recruitment notice from the First Garment Factory and several black-and-white photos from the press conference, neatly filled an entire page of the "Avant-garde Daily".
The words "Exemplary Military Spouse," "Self-Reliant and Striving," and "Employment Promotion" printed in lead type are particularly eye-catching.
In the evening, after finishing her work at the factory, Zhou Qiqi rode her bicycle back to the military dependents' area.
As soon as I rode to the edge of the small square, I saw a group of military wives gathered together, passing around a newspaper and chattering noisily.
Someone with sharp eyes spotted Zhou Qiqi and immediately raised the newspaper in their hand, shouting:
"Qiqi, is it really you in the newspaper? You really are that...that designer?"
A woman pointed to a photo in the newspaper, her voice full of surprise.
Zhou Qiqi slammed on the brakes to stop the car, braced herself on one foot, smiled, and pointed her chin at the newspaper:
"It's written in black and white: the wife of Regiment Commander Shen Huaichuan. What, does he have another wife besides me?"
These words made all the women laugh, and the one who had asked the question earlier scratched her head shyly.
After laughing, the other woman seemed to suddenly remember something and slapped her thigh:
"Oh! So before, Li Hongjuan always muttered about you, saying that you were going to the city every few days to spend money and enjoy yourself, but actually... actually you were going to set up a clothing stall?"
"And the story about you being a spendthrift, taking all of Commander Shen's allowance to buy clothes, that's just made up, isn't it!"
Someone quickly added, their tone already showing clear apology and admiration.
"All those nice clothes you're wearing, you designed them all yourself?"
Zhou Qiqi nodded, her tone frank: "Yes, I drew the design for the clothes myself and made them myself."
The square fell silent for a moment, then erupted in a chorus of exclamations of amazement.
"My goodness! She can design her own clothes? That's incredible!"
"He doesn't just design clothes! He also manages the production line! The newspapers said he's a big factory manager!"
Someone pointed to the newspaper and added that their eyes were filled with admiration when they looked at Zhou Qiqi.
Previously, after hearing Qiu Chunfang, Li Hongjuan, and others whisper among themselves, everyone felt that Zhou Qiqi had managed to subdue Shen Huaichuan, that "living devil," only because of her pretty face and some inexplicable methods.
Who would have thought that they actually have such great skills!
The newspaper wrote that she started from scratch and went through many ups and downs. With that kind of courage and ability, any of them would probably have failed long ago.
Thinking back on how I used to believe gossip, I feel a little ashamed.
Looking at Zhou Qiqi again, she seems completely different.
A sharp-eyed sister-in-law stared at the coat she was wearing, liking it more and more the more she looked at it:
"Qiqi, is that the 'Ink and Wash Splendor' dress you're wearing that they mentioned in the newspaper? Oh my, the newspaper was black and white, so it wasn't very bright, but it looks so beautiful in person!"
Zhou Qiqi looked down at the coat she was wearing, which still exuded a unique charm under the night lights: "Hmm, this one is called 'Rouge Tears'."
She does indeed like this intense yet subtle color, just like her—a fire burning inside, but she does things in a methodical way.
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