58 058
◎Day 7 of the control group◎
It's summer now, and the October exams are just the right time to prepare for the future.
“I never said you don’t need to blame yourself. If it’s true, it’s true. It can happen sooner or later.” Jiang Wanzhou looked at him. “You don’t think she came at the wrong time, do you?”
Zhou Qingyu gently put Jiang Wanzhou down, carefully helping her sit back on the bamboo chair. He then knelt in front of her, gently placing his palm on her lower abdomen, as if feeling the unformed life through her clothes.
"Wanzhou." His voice trembled slightly, a mixture of joy and guilt. "I didn't expect it to happen so quickly. It's not that it's bad, it's that it's too good, it's just..."
Looking at the light shining in his eyes, Jiang Wanzhou's unease vanished, and her heart softened like a pool of water.
She reached out and smoothed Zhou Qingyu's slightly furrowed brows.
"But what? Are you worried it will affect my work in receiving foreign guests?"
Zhou Qingyu shook her head, pressed Jiang Wanzhou's hand against her face, and whispered, "It's the college entrance exam."
He uttered those two words in a very low voice, not daring to make a fuss even in the courtyard.
The college entrance examination had been suspended for ten years since 1976, and the news of its resumption had not yet reached the island. Zhou Qingyu only heard rumors from his childhood friend when he returned home to visit him.
He had originally planned to study together with Jiang Wanzhou and take the exam together once the news was released.
But now...
He knew about the pregnant woman's condition and felt very sorry for her.
"The child arrived at just the right time," Jiang Wanzhou said calmly. "The pregnancy was already underway when the exam was being conducted."
“I can take a year off from school, and I can go back to school after giving birth.”
Jiang Wanzhou couldn't tell Zhou Qingyu explicitly that she only needed to stop for six months, or even for six months if her health allowed.
A gentle smile appeared in Jiang Wanzhou's eyes: "My health isn't that bad. Who says you can't learn after having a child? You can learn with me, and I can learn too. We can even do prenatal education for the baby."
Zhou Qingyu's throat tightened, and she couldn't speak. She could only bury her face in her hands and nod vigorously.
The setting sun cast their shadows together.
The sounds of children chasing and playing could be heard outside the courtyard wall, and the distant sound of waves could be faintly heard.
An ordinary day for a family becomes extraordinary because of the arrival of a new life.
—
Xiaofang's mother is an officer in the publicity department and is responsible for part of the reception work for this foreign trade exchange meeting.
Jun Yanghong put on a brand new dress, the light blue floral print making her skin look even whiter, and the hem of the dress was carefully ironed.
Xiaofang was also wearing a light yellow long dress.
"Xiaohong, are you really going?" Xiaofang looked at her carefully braiding her hair in a style she had never seen before, which was quite fashionable. "I heard that kind of occasion is quite formal. Will we get into trouble if we sneak in like this?"
Jun Yanghong wore a yellow hair clip, and her makeup and braids were learned from her later life: "We're just going to take a look and broaden our horizons."
Jun Yanghong pursed her red lips in front of the small mirror, a determined glint in her eyes. Seeing Xiao Fang hesitate, her eyes darkened, afraid of causing herself trouble.
So she added fuel to the fire: "I heard there are many talented young men at the exchange meeting. Maybe you can meet the right one! You don't want to be controlled by your mother all the time, do you?"
Not only was Jiang Wanzhou invited to the special assistance group, but Zhou Qingyu also participated as a representative of technological innovation.
This is a great opportunity. She must take advantage of the reborn prophet to turn the tide at the conference and gain everyone's approval.
I never imagined that someone like Zhou Qingyu could be so short-sighted.
But with her around, can't she support a second Zhou Qingyu?
She, Jun Yanghong, is the true daughter of Heaven.
—
The exchange and reception meeting was held in the nearest county town outside the island.
The auditorium of a guesthouse in a small county town.
Jun Yanghong followed Xiao Fang and sneaked in under the pretext of delivering materials.
The auditorium has been decorated, with a banner above the stage that reads "Warmly welcome the foreign trade delegation to visit and provide guidance." Several long tables are covered with ethnic-style cloths and decorated with various handicrafts from China.
Jun Yanghong's gaze quickly swept across the entire room, and she soon found her target next to a table in the corner.
Jiang Wanzhou was setting up a food display stand with several female colleagues.
Today she was wearing a half-new cheongsam, with the collar neatly buttoned up, and her hair was styled into a neat bun at the back of her head. She didn't have many decorations on her body, except for a delicate wooden hairpin in her hair.
She has bright eyes and white teeth, and her appearance is clean and neat.
"Comrade, is this coconut glutinous rice cake?" a man in a Zhongshan suit asked curiously.
Jiang Wanzhou looked up and smiled, explaining in clear Mandarin: "This is bamboo tube glutinous rice cake."
"This is from Suzhou, right? When I was little, there was an old man downstairs who made bamboo tube glutinous rice cakes, and he would dip them in white sugar. But I haven't eaten them since I grew up." The man became more and more dejected as he spoke, it seemed that the old man had helped him a lot.
Jiang Wanzhou smiled slightly: "The team leader said we can buy these ourselves. Come early so you can buy them."
The man nodded solemnly: "It's Team Leader Tong, right? I won't make things difficult for you. I'll go find her and save a copy for me."
The other women had assumed Jiang Wanzhou would give it directly to the man, and were already preparing to frown and scold her.
Isn't Zhou's wife a country bumpkin? I never expected her to be so experienced and meticulous in her work, even better than those who have worked at the counter for years.
Jun Yanghong gripped the bag tightly in her hand.
Jiang Wanzhou had grown into a radiant woman without her noticing. Was this still the vicious and arrogant woman from the countryside?
Zhou Qingyu walked over.
I originally wanted to help her up, but these days even couples don't dare to be intimate in public.
Zhou Qingyu raised her hand and then lowered it again, so she could only whisper in Jiang Wanzhou's ear, "Are you feeling unwell? Is the water cold? I'll go get it for you."
Jiang Wanzhou shook her head: "I just drank some. I'm not a little kid. I can drink on my own. Are you done with your work over there?"
"There's a problem with one of the pieces of equipment brought by the foreign guests, and we've already contacted the factory technician," Zhou Qingyu replied.
Before the factory workers arrived, the foreign guests were handled by the person in charge of receiving them; he was just a technical staff member.
A young clerk rushed over: "Clerk Zhou, the old mechanic has diarrhea and can't come. The team leader wants you to check the manual first to see if it can be repaired."
Zhou Qingyu secretly rubbed Jiang Wanzhou's hand: "Then I'll go over there."
Jiang Wanzhou was a little worried: "Don't be stubborn if you can't do it. I'm afraid there's some factional strife, and you just happened to be caught in it."
Zhou Qingyu nodded earnestly.
Jiang Wanzhou was still worried: "My sister-in-law has some basic knowledge of factories, textile machinery, and even truck manufacturing. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask her."
Shen Xinglian returned home after staying in the hospital for three days.
She had never stayed in such a poor environment before. Even in modern times, childbirth is done in a VIP room, and after giving birth, she went to the best postpartum care center.
The hospital here is noisy and chaotic.
And if I stay a few more days, people might say I'm being pretentious.
Besides, it's really not as good as my own bamboo house.
A white house or a brick house is not as good as one's own main house.
Jiang Renzhou was quite moved and said that the money for hospitalization was not a problem, and she could stay until the end of her postpartum period.
Shen Xinglian was at her wit's end, so she asked Jiang Wanzhou to act as an intermediary.
Xingxing, you've only been in postpartum confinement for a little over half a month now. Although you're recovering quite well, traveling back and forth is definitely not an option.
Jiang Wanzhou couldn't just watch Zhou Qingyu mess things up.
We must not lose face in front of foreign guests.
Jun Yanghong and Xiao Fang looked like they were about to leave.
I happened to see the man walking out of the office.
Jun Yanghong inquired and found that the man's surname was Yao, he was a local, and his brother was a regimental commander in Beijing.
She straightened her skirt and told Xiaofang that she needed to use the restroom and asked Xiaofang to wait a moment.
Xiao Fang nodded.
Jun Yanghong took a deep breath.
"What a coincidence, Officer Yao." Jun Yanghong smiled just the right amount of time, her voice soft.
"Comrade Jun, you're here for the exchange meeting too?" Officer Yao asked with some surprise.
Jun Yanghong nodded: "I'll deliver the documents to Aunt Chen."
Officer Yao clearly realized something and became even more eager towards Jun Yanghong.
Officer Yao led Jun Yanghong to the rest area and then left.
Jun Yanghong paced back and forth in the lounge, and inadvertently saw Zhou Qingyu in the next room through the window.
Zhou Qingyu was focused on adjusting a large machine.
Hearing Jun Yanghong enter, Zhou Qingyu frowned slightly.
"Comrade Jun, you are not allowed to enter the classified area." Zhou Qingyu's tone was distant.
Jun Yanghong seemed oblivious to his coldness, taking her first two steps onto the exquisite model.
"Is this a new model? My brother always praises you at home, saying you're the most capable young person."
Zhou Qingyu's hands didn't stop moving, her eyes fixed on the chain.
"Comrade Jun, the equipment here is being tested. Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to approach. If you don't want to be seen by other leaders, anyone found sneaking in here is suspicious."
Jun Yanghong's smile froze for a moment: "I just admire people with skills, so I won't bother you any longer."
Zhou Qingyu remained completely unmoved.
After Jun Yanghong closed the door, her face instantly lengthened and turned sinister.
The gentle demeanor he displayed when speaking to Jiang Wanzhou was completely different from the aloofness and sternness she had just sensed.
Her fingernails dug deep into her palms, causing a sharp pain. Jun Yanghong felt a mixture of embarrassment and anger churning in her chest.
She finally understood how her sister-in-law, Su Xiaomei, felt.
Shen Xinglian was just a person with problematic class background, while Su Xiaomei was a true educated youth with impeccable revolutionary credentials.
Jiang Wanzhou is a complete country bumpkin and an utterly awful sister-in-law.
In his previous life, after Zhou Qingyu achieved great success, he clearly chose a marriage alliance that could help him reach even greater heights.
What special advantages does Jiang Wanzhou have in this life that make her comparable to Jun Yanghong?
Is it just a few months late?
"Xiao Hong, what are you doing here? My mom told me to leave quickly, I've been looking for you for ages." Xiao Fang came over and tugged at Jun Yang Hong.
Jun Yanghong turned around abruptly, suppressing her emotions, and forced a smile: "I just ran into a friend and we chatted for a bit. I'm leaving now."
—
On the other side, in the family compound.
An unexpected person came to Shen Xinglian's house: Mei Zixian.
Mei Zixian knocked on Shen Xinglian's door, carrying a fish and a small bag of seaweed.
Shen Mingyuan opened the door.
Jiang Wanzhou had something to do today, so she asked Sister Li to help look after her for the day.
Sister-in-law Li followed her out.
"Mei Zixian?" Shen Xinglian, who was in the room, was somewhat surprised. "Please come in quickly."
“Brother Yu and Comrade Jiang previously told us that we could contact Comrade Chen,” Mei Zixian said as soon as she came up.
Shen Xinglian's eyebrows twitched.
Jiang Wanzhou had only met her once, and Shen Xinglian believed her completely.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com