Song Xingzhi's ears felt hot from Zhong Xiaoxiao's flattery, and he quickly waved his hands.
"Xiaoxiao, don't say that. I... I'm not as good as you say." He even felt a little embarrassed.
Zhong Xiaoxiao curled her lips and shook her head like a little adult.
"Clerk Song, you are just that good. No, you are even better than I said!"
Zhou Mingli was listening on the side. Although she didn't quite understand what her sister-in-law was up to, she knew for sure that Secretary Song had helped her family a lot.
She quickly nodded as well, looking at Song Xingzhi with gratitude: "Yes, yes, Secretary Song, this time it's really thanks to you! You really helped our family a lot!"
Several people expressed their gratitude one after another, and Song Xingzhi's face became even hotter, and he kept saying "It's my duty, it's my duty".
He secretly glanced at Zhang Chunxue and found that she was also lowering her head with red cheeks, and he didn't know whether it was because of shyness or heat.
Song Xingzhi unconsciously curled up the corners of his mouth into a smile and cleared his throat.
"Okay, that's all. I still have some work to do at the brigade headquarters."
He paused, then instructed Zhou Mingli, "Comrade Mingli, just report directly to the personnel department of the town hospital tomorrow. They've already made all the arrangements."
Zhou Mingli nodded excitedly: "Hey! Hey! I understand! Thank you, Secretary Song!"
Seeing Song Xingzhi was about to leave, Zhang Chunxue quickly stood up.
"Clerk Song, let me see you off."
She accompanied Song Xingzhi all the way to the gate of the courtyard.
Standing at the threshold, Zhang Chunxue looked at Song Xingzhi, her voice filled with genuine gratitude: "Xingzhi, thank you so much for what happened today. You've worked so hard."
Song Xingzhi turned sideways and looked at her gently: "Sister Chunxue, this is nothing to me."
He paused, lowering his voice with a barely perceptible tenderness, "Besides, it's all for you, Haruyuki-sama."
Something in the air seemed to have quietly changed its flavor, and the vague ambiguity between the two of them was like willow catkins in early spring, floating gently.
Zhang Chunxue's heart skipped a beat and her cheeks became hotter.
At this moment, there was a "whoosh" sound next to him, and a figure suddenly popped his head out from the corner of the wall.
"Clerk Song? Why are you here?" Zhong Chengyi shouted curiously, "Mom, what are you two whispering about here?"
Zhang Chunxue was startled by the sudden sound, and her heart was pounding, as if she had done something wrong and was caught red-handed.
She explained in a panic, "Nothing...nothing! Clerk Song arranged a job for your sister-in-law, and I...I'm thanking him!"
When Zhong Chengyi heard this, his sleepy eyes suddenly lit up.
"What? Arrange a job?" He rushed in front of Song Xingzhi in two or three steps, his face full of ingratiating smiles. "That would be great! Secretary Song, can you... arrange a job for me too?"
Zhang Chunxue was furious when she heard this. Before Song Xingzhi could say anything, she immediately said, "Your second sister-in-law works as a cleaner in the hospital, sweeping floors and wiping tables! If you're willing to do it, I'll have Secretary Song arrange a job for you to clean the public toilets. How about that?"
The smile on Zhong Chengyi's face suddenly froze, and the corners of his mouth twitched.
Cleaning a public toilet? That smell…just thinking about it made his head hurt.
"Mom, I...I was just joking, just joking!"
He laughed dryly, fearing that his mother would really ask Song Xingzhi to find him a job as a dung collector, which would bring shame to him.
Zhong Chengyi rolled his eyes, and as if his feet were greased, he ran away, still yelling, "I... I have something else to do, I'm leaving first!"
Looking at Zhong Chengyi's fleeing back, Zhang Chunxue snorted in annoyance.
She then turned around and said to Song Xingzhi apologetically, "Xingzhi, don't pay any attention to him, and don't really think about getting him any work."
"This kid has a bright brain, but it's a pity that he doesn't use it in the right way at all."
Zhang Chunxue sighed, her voice lowering a bit. "You know, Zhong Chengyi... he's been with those people doing a lot of looting and burning things over the past ten years. He has bad intentions and isn't someone who can work quietly."
Song Xingzhi's smile remained gentle as he nodded, "I understand, Sister Chunxue."
He looked at Zhang Chunxue with a focused and serious look in his eyes: "In my heart, there is only you, and I haven't thought of anyone else."
He seemed to think this was a bit too direct, so he paused and added with a smile: "Of course, Xiaoxiao is also okay, quite smart."
Zhang Chunxue's face suddenly turned redder, like a ripe apple, and even her ears felt hot.
She lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly and urged softly, "You...you should hurry back to work and don't delay your important work."
Song Xingzhi looked at her deeply, and the smile on his lips became even more intense.
"Then I'll be leaving, Haruyuki-nee."
He turned around and left the Zhong family courtyard with light steps.
Song Xingzhi's figure disappeared at the alley entrance, but the heat on Zhang Chunxue's face did not subside.
She stood at the gate of the yard, her heart beating like a little rabbit.
"Sister Haruyuki, in my heart, there is only you."
Song Xingzhi's low yet serious words echoed in her ears again and again.
Zhang Chunxue took a deep breath, tried hard to suppress the strangeness in her heart, and turned back to the house.
The next morning, it was just dawn.
Zhou Mingli deftly fed the cradle Zhong Yuanyuan. The little girl smacked her lips and fell into a deep sleep again.
"Mom, I'll go to the hospital first." Zhou Mingli said quietly.
Zhang Chunxue nodded: "Go ahead, be careful on the road, and do your best."
"Hey!" Zhou Mingli responded and walked out the door briskly.
The room suddenly became quiet, with only Zhong Yuanyuan's faint breathing as the sound remained.
Zhang Chunxue sat on the edge of the kang, looking at the sky gradually brightening outside the window, his mind becoming active.
Song Xingzhi helped his second daughter-in-law find a job, so he owed her this favor.
But relying solely on others' help is not a long-term solution. She has to find a way to make money on her own to support the family!
It's only 1979, and although the years are not good, I heard that the policies from above have been relaxed a bit and are not as strict as before.
There are already some brave people in the city who set up stalls on the roadside, selling needles and thread, melon seeds and peanuts and so on.
Although no one has come to arrest them, many people are still worried. After all, what if the policy suddenly changes?
Zhang Chunxue was not worried about these things. After all, she already knew how the future would develop.
So she thought, maybe this "self-employment" approach would work?
What can I sell?
She is a rural woman with no special skills and no capital.
After thinking about it, Zhang Chunxue's eyes lit up.
Braised pork!
Yes, we sell braised pork!
(End of this chapter)
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