Chapter 19 You're a good man, I'm 100% for you...
After speaking with He Shumei, Nie Qingqing asked for half a day off to go to the electronics factory, but when she saw the security booth at the gate, she had second thoughts.
He Shumei told her that there was a pretty young technician from the main factory who often went to the factory manager's office, and invited her to come and take a look.
Nie Qingqing hesitated and advised, "Shumei, there should be trust between husband and wife. If we come to check up on you and they find out, it's no different from Director Yu deceiving you. Isn't that wrong? You can handle Director Yu, but I can't. I'm in a second marriage and a remarried family. I don't have your confidence."
Hearing this, He Shumei felt sorry for her. Nie Qingqing was good in every way, but she suffered because of her ex-husband and ended up in a second marriage. She was usually a very shrewd person, but when it came to Song Zhao, she hesitated. How could she not feel sorry for her?
He Shumei said, "I just said I got the hospital test results and confirmed that I'm pregnant. I came here to tell Yu Zhengmin the good news, and no one will suspect anything. My brother has been observing her for several days. She's a female technician transferred from the main factory. She's incredibly cunning. She comes to the factory director's office three or four times a day under the pretext of asking technical questions. It's so annoying. We have to intimidate her."
Nie Qingqing didn't know the person and didn't want to think that badly, so she said, "I haven't heard Song Zhao mention it. It should just be a normal technical discussion. If it turns out to be a misunderstanding, it will make us look like we're arguing nonsense. I'll ask Song Zhao tonight."
He Shumei grabbed her arm and said, "Are you stupid? You can't ask about these things beforehand. You have to do it by surprise. Come on, I'll lead the way."
...
Nie Qingqing and He Shumei held their wedding banquets one after the other, and many people from the electronics factory attended. As soon as they entered, they were recognized.
Nie Qingqing didn't recognize the two women who approached, but they did and were very welcoming: "The two factory directors' wives have come together. Let's find Director Song and Director Yu. I'll take you there."
He Shumei quickly said, "We can go by ourselves, it won't take up your time, thank you."
He Tonggui was waiting for them ahead, waving and urging them: "I've been watching all morning, this is the second time he's gone into the factory manager's office. You two hurry up and catch him red-handed. But my brother-in-law did a good job today, he made an excuse to get some hot water and ran away."
He Shumei said bitterly, "Luckily, he still has some conscience. Oh dear, it's just Director Song inside. Qingqing, what are you hesitating for? Hurry up."
...
The factory manager's office door was open, but He Shumei pulled Nie Qingqing away from going in, wanting to observe the situation secretly first.
A young woman in her early twenties was asking Song Zhao for help with the blueprints: "Director Song, I really don't understand this problem. Could you please explain it again?"
Song Zhao was very impatient and snapped at her, "I already explained this simple question yesterday. I suspect you're deliberately wasting my time. Technical positions aren't shelters. If that's all you're capable of, go back to your main factory and be a decoration."
The young woman was quite self-righteous: "Director Song, I came down here with a learning mission. How are you going to explain this attitude to the head office?"
Song Zhao showed no mercy: "What, just because someone comes down from the main factory, do I have to give them a piece of my mind? Should I call the main factory right now?"
The junior technician said with a dark face, "Go ahead and hit him. Let the head office see how Director Song treats technicians."
...
Song Zhao's attitude was fine, and Nie Qingqing was even planning to wait for Factory Director Yu to arrive before going in. This man, who was so good with words at home, why was he so inflexible at work? She couldn't let him suffer a loss.
She gave He Shumei a wink, and the two of them came in together.
Song Zhao's handsome face, which had been stern, instantly broke into a smile when he saw Nie Qingqing: "Qingqing, I thought of you and you came. We are truly telepathic."
Isn't that a great way to talk? Nie Qingqing felt so sweet inside that she almost forgot about the important matter.
She immediately said to the junior technician, "What's wrong with him? Are you sure you want to complain to the head office? I'm here right now. I'll say that his family is making a fuss and ask them to send a male technician to talk to him. I think the head office will understand the difficulty Song Zhao is in being bothered by you. You should ask him about the technical issues properly, and my man will naturally teach you properly. Aren't you tired of asking the same question so many times and making so many trips? Why don't you ask the workshop technician first? It's really not worth bothering the factory manager every time with such a simple question."
He Shumei tacitly cooperated: "How can a technician be compared to a factory manager? The key point is not to ask questions, but to ask questions of the factory manager."
The words were so blunt that the junior technician from the main factory was furious: "You're slandering me! You married women are so suspicious and unreasonable! If you keep defaming me, I'll report you to the main factory!"
Nie Qingqing laid it all out beforehand: "What harm will it cause to the men if they report such a small matter? At most, they'll laugh about it for a while. You're an unmarried girl; it's not worth risking your reputation for a moment."
He Shumei chuckled and mocked, "How much do you think you are? You think you can threaten people? I could do that too. I could take my pregnancy test results, sit in the head office of the factory, and complain that my family has been deliberately sabotaged. Everything you've worked so hard for will be over. But we're not like that. If you don't stop now, don't blame me."
...
A crowd of onlookers gathered around. Director Yu, who had just boiled some water, peeked out from outside.
Nie Qingqing wasn't about to let him off the hook, and beckoned him, saying, "Director Yu, aren't you going to come in and try to persuade him?"
Yu Zhengmin feigned ignorance: "Huh? I just got the water, I don't know what's going on. By the way, what brings you here?"
Nie Qingqing: "Congratulations! You're going to be a father again."
...
At the cafeteria at noon, Song Zhao took two extra dishes. He Shumei showed the test results to Yu Zhengmin and said, "I'm here to deliver a report, not to check up on you."
Yu Zhengmin was overjoyed to be a father, unable to hide his happiness, and said with a grin, "We should eat out for lunch."
He Shumei said coquettishly, "I thought you would be unhappy."
Yu Zhengmin said, "How could that be? I was confused before. You were the one who conceived, gave birth, and raised the child. What right do I have to be unhappy? It's better to have the child sooner, as I still have the energy."
Song Zhao was too busy being affectionate with Nie Qingqing to pick up a piece of braised pork with white radish for her: "This radish is tastier than the pork. This whole plate is yours, so eat without worry."
Song Zhao's attitude was the same whether at home or outside, regardless of the occasion. Nie Qingqing felt embarrassed and squeezed his hand under the table: "Okay, you eat too."
Song Zhao took the hand and smiled generously: "If you could come and have lunch with me every day, I would be so happy."
Nie Qingqing slapped his hand away: "How could that be? It's so far. Eat quickly, I have to go back to work later."
...
He Shumei had witnessed another side of Song Zhao. She glared at Yu Zhengmin and asked him, "What's wrong with that technician? He knows you two have families and careers, yet he keeps coming to the office. Don't you have anyone else to ask?"
Yu Zhengmin looked at Song Zhao, waiting for his answer.
Song Zhao said irritably, "Why are you looking at me like that? Aren't you afraid my wife will misunderstand?"
Nie Qingqing quickly explained, "What did I misunderstand? That junior technician had an idea; he could have gotten to know the two factory managers directly, which is also a tactic."
He Shumei: "This is called a crooked and unethical approach. She doesn't care about her reputation at all. I really don't know what she was thinking?"
Nie Qingqing guessed, "That girl might have a lot of family burdens, which is why she's desperately trying to climb higher. But that's just my guess, it might not be accurate."
Factory Director Yu clapped his hands: "That's right! The young technician is named Qi Yujiao. She has five older sisters and is the sixth child. She also has a younger brother. Her original name was Qi Yindi. She changed her name to Qi Yujiao later."
What's there to not understand? After having six daughters in a row, they finally had a son. In a family like that, daughters are considered worthless, while sons are treasures.
He Shumei felt a little sorry for the young technician: "It's not easy for a family like this, where they only love their son and not their daughter."
Factory Director Yu said, "That's right. Her five older sisters all only graduated from primary school, and she was the only one who went to junior high school and got into a vocational school. In that kind of family, how could she not be amazing to finish vocational school on her own? You shouldn't pity her."
Nie Qingqing said admiringly, "Director Yu, you know so much about this, so you must know how she was transferred to the branch factory, right?"
Factory Director Yu laughed: "That young girl had been running to our office for a few days. I sensed something was wrong, so I asked someone to inquire at the head office. It turns out that she always liked to run to the leaders' offices at the head office. I heard that some leader's wife was annoyed with her, so she was brought to our branch factory."
I see. After all that commotion today, the junior technician shouldn't be running to the factory manager's office anymore.
...
After visiting the factory, the junior technician from the main factory stopped going to the office to ask the two factory managers questions.
The house is lively and comfortable every day, but Xiaoyin and Songzhao, father and daughter, seem to have something on their minds.
Nie Qingqing said to her mother, "Yunli should be six months pregnant, but she hasn't taken the child over yet. What's going on?"
Tang Guizhi saw it too, and everyone was given a respectable excuse:
"The further along the pregnancy, the less I want to move. It's cold today, and it's going to snow soon, so the roads will be difficult to travel. Let's wait until after the baby is born. You didn't tell Song Zhao about this, did you?"
Nie Qingqing shook her head: "Song Zhao doesn't like to talk about Yun Li. I didn't say anything because I was afraid Xiao Yin would feel bad."
Tang Guizhi said, "There's nothing we can do about it. We'll get used to it over time. It'll be fine once her mother has the baby."
...
Because Yunli hadn't mentioned picking up the child, Nie Qingqing and Song Zhao took the child to Flower Lane on Sunday morning and went to the vegetable market.
It was quite cold, and Nie Qingqing wanted to eat hot pot. She said to Song Zhao, "It's so cold, the dishes get cold as soon as they're cooked. How about we make a copper pot hot pot for lunch?"
Song Zhao also loves hot pot: "Then I'll buy more vegetables and have hot pot at my mom's house tonight. It's getting cold, and the kids are all looking forward to having hot pot."
The two bought two large bags of vegetables. After arriving home, Song Zhao asked her to go downstairs and light the charcoal fire in the copper stove while he washed the vegetables: "The water is cold, I'll wash them. Three or four pieces of charcoal will be enough. Hurry up and come up, it's cold outside too."
Nie Qingqing carried the copper pot downstairs. The neighbor on the first floor had a small coal stove, and He Shumei was already there borrowing fire to burn charcoal. Her family was also having hot pot for lunch.
"We're thinking the same thing."
He Shumei's pregnancy is stable. Factory Director Yu is very responsible. He goes home after get off work and sees how happy she looks. He is obviously taking good care of her.
Nie Qingqing asked, "What do you use to make your soup base?"
He Shumei tossed a few pieces of charcoal into the firebox of the coal stove and said, "Spicy hot pot, I've been really into spicy food lately. I don't think Yu Zhengmin is upset, so he probably doesn't mind if it's a boy or a girl."
Nie Qingqing said, "Don't be superstitious. Eat whatever you want. We're having a big bone soup base today. We'll bring you some soup later."
He Shumei quickly said, "No need. Although it's spicy, the broth is made with pork ribs."
...
After exchanging a few words, the charcoal fire was already burning brightly. He Shumei saw a strange yet elegant woman enter the family compound and head towards their apartment building. She quickly pulled Nie Qingqing to look.
"Come on, hurry up and catch up. Let's see which family they're related to. They're so fashionable."
The other person had their hair upturned, wore a suit, and heeled leather boots, looking particularly stylish and capable. Nie Qingqing guessed, "They look like they're from a special economic zone."
They deliberately kept a floor's distance from the unfamiliar visitor and followed him, but to their surprise, he went straight up to the sixth floor. There were only two households on the sixth floor of this building.
He Shumei felt a sense of crisis: "I don't have any relatives like that. Are you talking about Song Zhao's friend or Yu Zhengmin's acquaintance?"
Nie Qingqing teased her, "Don't worry too much. It must be Song Zhao's friend. Song Zhao has been abroad and has a few sophisticated acquaintances looking for him. It's normal. You go home first, I'll go up later."
He Shumei said earnestly, "Qingqing, you are good in every way, but you are too cautious. You should keep an eye on things at this time."
Nie Qingqing laughed and said, "What's so interesting in broad daylight? I trust Song Zhao."
Sure enough, the doorbell rang at Nie Qingqing's house. Song Zhao's "Qingqing..." was cut short as he asked, "What are you doing at my house?"
Nie Qingqing smiled, knowing that she could trust Song Zhao.
...
He Shumei pressed her ear to the sound from across the hall. Yu Zhengmin felt sorry for her and said, "You can't bend over like that. Didn't they say they met when they were studying abroad? There's no gossip to hear."
He Shumei pushed him away: "Shut up. It's very impolite to show up uninvited. She saw Qingqing and even asked where Yunli was. I don't believe that such a refined person has no sense of propriety. It's infuriating."
Yu Zhengmin laughed and said, "It's such a small thing, why get upset? You can sit on the sofa and rest. Once the others have left, you can ask them directly."
He Shumei retorted, "If a woman comes to you, you expect us not to be angry? Then if I invite a young man over for dinner and say he's my friend, and you're busy in the kitchen while I chat and laugh with him, that's a small matter, right?"
Factory Director Yu thought for a moment and realized he couldn't lie, so he quickly admitted his mistake: "My wife is right. You shouldn't look for young men, and I won't look for young women either. Let's just live a good life together."
"That's more like it." He Shumei felt sorry for Nie Qingqing: "Qingqing is good in every way, but she's too generous and doesn't know how to be jealous."
Factory Director Yu said, "That's right. Song Zhao was even upset about it, saying that his wife is good in every way, but she's never jealous, so she probably doesn't like him that much. I scolded him, and then he stopped talking about it."
...
Nie Qingqing washed the teacups and brewed tea. To ease the atmosphere, she talked about the origin of Longjing tea.
"I originally bought it for my mom to try, but someone put money in the tea canister as a bribe. The money was returned, but my boss told me to take the tea back, saying that I bought it with my own money and didn't need to return it. I thought my boss was wise and right. I bought the tea with my own money, so I have to drink it."
Neither of them laughed. Nie Qingqing found it quite boring, so she put down her tea to avoid interrupting their conversation.
"You guys chat. Winter jujubes are good this season. I just bought two pounds. I'll go wash some."
Ji Yun quickly said, "Sister-in-law, no need to trouble yourself. Song Zhao, it's been a long time. How about we go out for a meal together and catch up?"
Song Zhao kept a straight face, just looking at Nie Qingqing, hoping she would express her opinion.
Nie Qingqing naturally chimed in: "Yes, yes, you guys go out and find a restaurant, eat and chat at the same time."
Song Zhao's face remained expressionless, and his harsh tone left his friend embarrassed.
"It's been a long time since we last met. Let's eat at home. I just bought some ingredients for hot pot today. If you don't think it's suitable, we can talk about it next time."
Nie Qingqing was at a loss. Her old friends were catching up, and she was standing there, making it difficult for them to talk.
She said, "Then you two sit and chat, I'll go cook."
Song Zhao pressed her down into a chair and spoke to Nie Qingqing gently: "You keep the guests company for me, I'll cook."
Nie Qingqing was even more dumbfounded, so she could only sit still and give Song Zhao's friend a way out: "Song Zhao is very serious. He won't change what he's promised, no matter what. He's the one who cooks at home on weekends. You see, he doesn't change even when guests come over."
Ji Yun nodded: "He's a bit of a stickler for details."
Nie Qingqing made conversation: "This is the first time I've seen someone as refined as you. You look like someone who can do anything well."
Ji Yun replied politely, "Thank you, you flatter me."
Song Zhao came out to set the table, but instead of talking to his friend, he said to Nie Qingqing, "You take care of three children and are busy looking after me. If it weren't for these trivial matters, you could be quite refined. So as long as I'm home, I won't ask you to do anything."
Nie Qingqing was stunned by what he said. He was making things difficult for his friend at every turn. Had the two had a conflict before? She decided not to say anything more.
...
Ji Yun couldn't sit still any longer and directly stated the purpose of her visit.
"Song Zhao, don't bother. I'm not eating here. I just want to say a few words. I came here to help you connect with a newly established private electrical appliance factory. They're offering very good terms."
Getting to the point, Song Zhao sat down and asked, "Oh, what about the High Court?"
Ji Yun presented her conditions: "As long as you agree, I will give you a settlement allowance of five thousand yuan, an annual salary of no less than five thousand yuan, and some bonuses at the end of the year."
Even a salary of 10,000 yuan a year couldn't make Song Zhao even blink.
The job that would separate him from his family made him frown: "Going to another city? Ask my wife."
Nie Qingqing felt a pang of panic. Whether he went or not, she couldn't interfere: "How could I interfere with your career? You decide for yourself."
Song Zhao: "We are husband and wife. If I leave, the heavy burden of the family will fall on your shoulders. Of course, I need to ask for your opinion."
...
That makes sense, Nie Qingqing thought. With an annual income of 10,000 yuan, even if Song Zhao didn't come back for a year, he could just slap the money into her hand and who could say "no"?
But she thought, Song Zhao isn't that kind of person. If he were after superficial things, he wouldn't have chosen a divorced woman with a child when it came to arranged marriages. Wouldn't it have been better if he had just married an unmarried young woman?
Nie Qingqing said, "I don't understand big principles, but I think that Song Zhao went down to the loss-making branch factory and made a pledge to turn it around. He has a sense of responsibility and will not let down the country's training or give up halfway. So, if you try to tempt him with high pay to betray his promise, he won't go."
After explaining the big principles, Nie Qingqing felt very smart. Song Zhao always puts responsibility first, which is why she trusts Song Zhao completely.
She was quite pleased with herself, and looked at Song Zhao: "This is just my own opinion. If you want to go, I have no objection."
Song Zhao laughed, then turned to Ji Yun and said, "You heard that? My wife understands reason, don't you?"
Ji Yun was completely disheartened and stood up to take her leave: "Alright then, thank you for disturbing me today."
...
People are so prone to worrying about gains and losses. It's really time to see the 10,000 yuan go. Nie Qingqing felt quite sorry and nudged Song Zhao, saying, "Your classmate is leaving. Let's see him off."
Not only did Song Zhao not see her off, but he also said hurtful things: "If she comes, she can find her way to our doorstep even if no one is there to pick her up. If she leaves, she naturally doesn't need anyone to see her off. Goodbye, Comrade Ji Yun."
Nie Qingqing was too embarrassed to look at Song Zhao's classmate. She closed the door and immediately asked, "Even if a deal falls through, we should still be polite. Everyone who comes to our door is a guest. Her attitude was quite good. Do you have a grudge against her? Why were you so rude to her?"
Song Zhao explained: "Ji Yun is just an alumna. She seduced a colleague who went abroad with me on a government-sponsored program. I came back, but the colleague broke his contract and didn't come back. This time, the couple should be investing in the mainland and want to bring me along. Her husband was embarrassed, so he asked her to come and ask."
No wonder, Nie Qingqing said, "I knew you wouldn't be mean to someone for no reason."
Song Zhao put the thinly sliced beef into the boiling pot for about ten seconds, then took it out and gave it to Nie Qingqing. She had such a good appetite that she wasn't affected at all.
Song Zhao really wanted to see if Nie Qingqing was jealous of him at all.
He said, "Qingqing, I have to be honest with you. Actually, at first, Ji Yun preferred me. She probably thought I was too cold, so she turned to her colleague. Her colleague was single, so there was no moral issue. The two of them got together very quickly."
Nie Qingqing could understand it quite well. Before Song Zhao left, he had a family and a career. He was able to stay true to himself, resist temptations, and not betray his family. What a good man!
She also cooked some meat for him as a reward: "You're a good man, I trust you completely."
Song Zhao ate the meat silently, but it didn't taste good anymore.
...
Yu Zhengmin noticed Song Zhao's depression these past few days and was very concerned: "Director Song, your wife told my wife that ever since Comrade Ji Yun came to visit, you seem unhappy, always looking down on yourself, as if you have something on your mind."
Song Zhao: "Is it that obvious? I'm just frustrated that Qingqing never gets jealous of me no matter what I do, and I'm at my wit's end."
Yu Zhengmin finally had a chance to laugh at Song Zhao: "You said I was being pretentious, but I think you're pretty pretentious too."
...
The first snow fell, followed by the start of winter vacation. In the morning, she and Song Zhao braved the cold wind to deliver Xiaoyin Tangyuan and Xiaoyuan to Huazhi Lane, and then went home to burn charcoal for warmth.
She bought a fire bucket for heating in winter, but the charcoal wasn't burned properly, and the house was filled with choking smoke.
Song Zhao carried the brazier outside and heard the roar downstairs; the neighbor across the hall also heard it.
He Shumei, with her pregnant belly sticking out, stomped her foot angrily: "My sister-in-law and my brother are arguing again. They're arguing so fiercely, it must be something serious. I have to go and see."
She was pregnant and had a short temper, so I didn't dare let her go down there and cause her more trouble.
Nie Qingqing said, "It's inconvenient for you to be pregnant. Song Zhao and I will accompany Director Yu downstairs to take a look. You wait for the letter at home."
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