Chapter 119 New Situation
The last three words, almost whispered, struck his taut nerves with a hint of promise.
This almost permissive encouragement became the final straw.
Chen Yuanjiang closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, all the hesitation and struggle within them were replaced by a burning passion.
He took a deep breath, as if he had finally broken free from something, and finally spoke the words that had been swirling in his heart a thousand times.
“Allow me…to come near you.” His voice trembled with emotion, “not as a gay man.”
He raised his hand again and gently took her hand, which was placed at her side.
His palms were hot, calloused from years of holding guns, and somewhat rough, enveloping her fingers.
“As a man,” he gazed into her eyes, uttering each word clearly, “as a man who wants to spend the rest of his life with you, standing by your side.”
He finally said it.
Shu Ran looked at him, at the relief shining in his eyes, at the sweat on his forehead from nervousness, and at the warmth from his palm.
All her teasing intentions turned into attraction at that moment.
She turned around and grasped his hand in return.
“This request,” she looked up, her eyes sparkling with laughter, “I grant it.”
Chen Yuanjiang's eyes lit up, and a tremendous joy exploded in his mind. He almost instinctively wanted to pull her into his arms, but at the last moment he restrained himself and simply held her hand even tighter.
"Okay," he replied in a hoarse voice.
“Chen Yuanjiang,” Shu Ran reached out her other hand and gently tugged at the corner of his military uniform, whispering, “I don’t care about any of your preconditions. I only care about you as a person.”
Then, Shu Ran's lips curled into a sly smile, "Also, you looked so cute when you were jealous just now."
Chen Yuanjiang looked at her hand clutching his clothes, and at her eyes and brows, and felt his heart was filled with joy.
He raised his hand and gently brushed a stray strand of hair from her forehead with his fingertips. As his fingertips withdrew, they lightly brushed against the skin of her temple.
Shu Ran's words gently touched his heart.
"Cute?" he repeated softly. This word was completely different from any definition he had ever used in his life, yet the way it came from her lips made his ears uncontrollably flush.
He looked at her face, which was so close to his, with a hint of smugness on it, and at the hand that was clutching his clothes, as if it had seized all his reason and restraint.
An unprecedented surge of softness completely overwhelmed him.
"Shu Ran..." he called her name again, "Don't look at me like that..."
He will lose control.
He didn't say the rest aloud, but Shu Ran understood.
"Then how should I look at you?" she asked softly, her tone innocent, but her eyes were glistening with tears, carrying a provocative tone that she knew the answer already.
Chen Yuanjiang's breath hitched.
"That's fine... that's good."
Finally, Chen Yuanjiang seemed to use all his strength to tear his gaze away from her face. He lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on her hand that was still clutching his clothes, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
"It's late, you...you should get some rest."
After saying that, he forced himself to turn around and walk towards the door. His hand, hanging by his side, remained clenched into a fist the entire time.
"Chen Yuanjiang," Shu Ran called from behind.
He stopped at the doorway.
“Next time,” Shu Ran’s voice was tinged with laughter, “I want red bean paste filling for the sugar buns. And, as for the movies, I’m not planning on going.”
Chen Yuanjiang paused for a moment, then a cheerful voice rang out: "Mm."
He quietly closed the door and left.
The door closed, and silence returned to the room. Shu Ran stood there, raising her hand to gently touch her slightly flushed cheeks.
It seems that Special Envoy Chen's ability to take action has improved rapidly after his sudden enlightenment.
She walked to the window and watched the familiar figure below almost run across the courtyard and disappear into the night. She couldn't help but laugh again.
The new life at the division headquarters, besides the challenges of the job, seems to have added a touch of something to look forward to.
However, Shu Ran knew very well that this was just the beginning. Staying at the division headquarters meant she would be more deeply involved in the complex interpersonal relationships there. Undercurrents awaited her.
But at this moment, she was in a good mood.
She closed the window and drew the curtains, temporarily shutting out the outside world. Turning back to her desk, she opened the education department's work manual.
The next morning, as dawn broke outside the window, Shu Ran lay in bed, her fingertips still feeling the warmth of Chen Yuanjiang's palm from the previous night, and a smile unconsciously crept onto her lips.
But she quickly suppressed that emotion. She got up briskly, folded the blankets, and began planning her work for the new day.
She knew that the position offered by Director Sun was both an opportunity and a test.
"Responsible for promoting literacy throughout the entire division"—this statement sounds like a lot of power, but in reality, it involves countless tasks and faces considerable resistance. The situations in each regiment and company are vastly different, resources are limited, and interpersonal relationships are complex and intertwined, far exceeding the problems she faced in her small livestock company.
After washing up, she carefully tidied her appearance in front of the small mirror to make sure she looked energetic and capable before picking up her lunchbox and heading to the cafeteria.
The division canteen was much larger and more orderly than the company canteen, with neat lines of people waiting to get their food. Shu Ran immediately spotted Yang Zhenhua standing near the front of the line, smiling and waving at her. She hesitated for a moment, then walked over without hesitation.
"Comrade Shu Ran, this is the seat I've saved for you," Yang Zhenhua said warmly.
"Thank you, Officer Yang." Shu Ran nodded politely and lined up behind him.
"How did you sleep last night? Are you getting used to it?" Yang Zhenhua asked with concern. "Special Envoy Chen... didn't bother you for too long, did he?" His tone was natural, but his eyes held a probing look.
Shu Ran's expression remained unchanged, and her tone was calm: "Special Envoy Chen is only here to explain some work related to the handover of the company. I've had a good rest, thank you for your concern."
She had no intention of publicizing her relationship with Chen Yuanjiang. In a place like the division headquarters, any personal feelings could be over-interpreted and become a hindrance to her work or a target of attack. She needed time to establish herself.
After getting breakfast, Yang Zhenhua wanted to invite her to sit at the same table, but Shu Ran had already seen several colleagues from the Education Department, so she smiled apologetically and said, "Officer Yang, I'll go over and say hello to my colleagues and get familiar with the situation."
A hint of disappointment flashed in Yang Zhenhua's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure: "Of course, you go ahead and do your work. If you need anything, just let me know."
Shu Ran sat down at the table with her colleagues from the Education Department with her lunchbox. After introducing herself, she listened quietly to their work discussion, occasionally interjecting with a question or two that was crucial, all in a humble manner.
In the morning, Shu Ran arrived at Director Sun's office on time.
Director Sun handed her a thick stack of materials: "Xiao Shu, these are the briefings on literacy work submitted by each regiment and some feedback on difficulties. Familiarize yourself with them first. Your main task is to identify problems, summarize experiences, and come up with a plan that can be effectively promoted throughout the division, based on the existing foundation. You need to continue to do a good job at the demonstration site in the animal husbandry company. It is the testing ground for your plan and also an example to persuade others."
"I understand, Director." Shu Ran took the materials, feeling their weight. "I will familiarize myself with the situation as soon as possible and come up with some initial ideas."
"Yes," Director Sun nodded, his tone meaningful, "The division headquarters is different from the company level; it emphasizes methods and procedures. If you encounter resistance, report and communicate more. You should also keep in touch with Comrade Lin Xuezhou; the planning of the demonstration site requires your joint efforts."
Upon hearing Lin Xuezhou's name, Shu Ran understood. She calmly replied, "Okay, Director. I will keep in touch with Comrade Lin Xuezhou to ensure the smooth progress of the demonstration project."
Back at her old desk, Shu Ran began to bury herself in the materials.
She read very quickly, simultaneously jotting down key points and highlighting questions in her notebook.
The achievements reported by each group were largely similar, but the difficulties revealed between the lines were varied: a severe shortage of teachers, inconsistent teaching materials, difficulties in mobilizing herders due to their scattered residences, heavy production tasks encroaching on study time, and insufficient attention from some grassroots leaders...
Seeing these problems actually made Shu Ran feel more at ease. Only with clear problems can the right solutions be found.
The vague idea in her mind of a three-in-one system of fixed school buildings, mobile yurts, and field classrooms gradually became clearer under the reflection of these specific problems.
At lunchtime in the cafeteria, she ran into Yang Zhenhua again. This time, he was accompanied by another young staff member from the publicity department.
“Comrade Shu Ran, perfect timing,” Yang Zhenhua introduced with a smile, “This is Xiao Zhang, our propaganda section’s best writer. Xiao Zhang, this is Comrade Shu Ran, whom I mentioned to you. She’s an education officer transferred from the animal husbandry company, and she’s very capable.”
Xiao Zhang looked at Shu Ran curiously and shook her hand warmly: "Officer Shu, I've heard so much about you! Officer Yang has praised you a lot."
Shu Ran replied politely, "Hello, Officer Zhang, you flatter me. It's all thanks to the organization's cultivation."
Yang Zhenhua seemed to want to create an atmosphere that suggested a close relationship between him and Shu Ran, but Shu Ran responded appropriately, neither being overly intimate nor losing her manners by keeping their interactions within the scope of colleagues.
She noticed that not far from them, Chen Yuanjiang was having dinner with several colleagues from the security department. He sat upright, his eyes fixed straight ahead, as if he hadn't seen her at all.
But Shu Ran could sense that one of his gazes was intentionally or unintentionally directed at her.
In the afternoon, Shu Ran proactively approached the logistics department staff responsible for material allocation to inquire about the current distribution of educational materials across the division and the application process. Sure enough, the response was "quotas are tight," "allocated according to plan," and "requires multiple levels of approval."
Back in her office, she began drafting her first work report, focusing on analyzing the current bottlenecks in literacy work and initially proposing ideas of adapting to local conditions, providing classified guidance, and integrating resources. Instead of rashly throwing out her three-pronged approach, she planned to first understand the reactions of all parties.
It was already dark when she left work. Shu Ran carried some materials back to her dormitory, preparing to continue her research that evening.
As she reached the dormitory building, she subconsciously glanced in the direction Chen Yuanjiang had come from yesterday, but it was deserted. A pang of disappointment swept over her, followed by a wry smile. Did she really expect him to stand guard every day?
As she approached the dormitory entrance, she paused for a moment. There was an earthenware pot on the ground, filled with a cluster of wildflowers of various colors. Shu Ran picked up the pot, opened the door, and went inside. The entire room was filled with the fragrance of flowers.
There was no note, no signature. But Shu Ran knew who it was.
She gently touched the flowers, a smile spreading across her eyes.
She put down her materials and added some water to the earthenware pot. Then she spread out her manuscript paper and began writing letters to Sister Wang, Li Xiulan, and Lin Xuezhou from the livestock company. She needed to know the current situation at the demonstration site and also needed to communicate with Lin Xuezhou about the next steps in the plan.
This is both her job and the link that connects her to the starting point of her career.
Under the lamplight, her figure was calm and focused.
*
In the days that followed, Shu Ran devoted herself entirely to the work of the Education Section of the Division. Her initial report, which was clear and concise and got straight to the heart of the problem, caused a small stir in the section.
Some veteran cadres felt that she was too sharp and not steady enough; but others appreciated her down-to-earth perspective and her courage to confront real-world contradictions.
After reading the report, Director Sun called her in for a talk.
"You've identified the problem quite accurately." Director Sun took a sip of tea, his tone neither praising nor criticizing. "The idea of resource integration is good. However, Xiao Shu, integration means taking away other people's cake. Have you thought about how to do it? Each regiment and company has its own agenda. On the division side, logistics, finance, and even propaganda—if any link in the chain obstructs you, you'll find it impossible to move an inch."
Shu Ran was prepared. She presented another, more detailed plan: "Director, I understand. So I think we can't take a one-size-fits-all approach. We can select one or two regiments with a better foundation and less resistance to pilot the program, like our regiment. As for the plan, we don't need to be perfect all at once. We can start with mobile teaching. It's a common problem for children in pastoral areas to have difficulty attending school. We can organize the limited teaching resources of the division or regiment to regularly go down to the pastoral settlements to teach, while also carrying out health education and simple agricultural technology consultations. This way, we can achieve multiple benefits, make it easier to gain support from other departments, and also show that our education department is not just focusing on its own little plot of land."
Director Sun pondered, tapping his fingers on the table: "A joint operation...that's an idea. However, coordinating it won't be easy. What kind of support do you need?"
"I need the logistics department to provide some transportation support, even if it's just coordinating trucks or horse-drawn carriages that are going the same way. I need the publicity department to help create momentum, expand the influence, and win the support of the herders' parents. I also need the department to give me some authority to communicate and coordinate with these departments." Shu Ran's thinking was clear. She knew that in the division headquarters, going it alone was destined to achieve nothing.
“I can give you the authority,” Director Sun nodded. “You can negotiate as the person in charge of the pilot project. But whether you can close the deal depends on your own abilities. Remember, listen more and talk less, understand the difficulties of each department, and find common ground.”
"I understand." Shu Ran knew that this was the real test.
After leaving the director's office, Shu Ran began her lobbying journey.
She first went to see a deputy section chief surnamed Wang in the logistics department. He spoke in an official tone, emphasizing that there was a shortage of vehicles and that the transportation task was heavy.
Instead of confronting her directly, Shu Ran took out a pre-prepared map of the pastoral area and a possible route map, explaining in detail that the Education Section did not need a dedicated vehicle, but only a ride, and promised to strictly follow the Logistics Section's scheduling arrangements, and could even help the driver record some information on the demand for supplies along the way.
Her attitude was sincere and her plan was specific, leaving Deputy Section Chief Wang with no room for criticism. In the end, he reluctantly relented and said he would "coordinate as much as possible if possible."
After leaving the logistics department, Shu Ran breathed a sigh of relief; she had passed the first hurdle. She then went to find Yang Zhenhua in the publicity department.
Yang Zhenhua was very welcoming to her arrival. After listening to her ideas, he immediately said, "This is a good thing! It can also show our division's care for the grassroots and ethnic minority compatriots! Shu Ran, don't worry, the publicity department will fully cooperate! I will personally lead people to go down and take photos and write articles, and publicize it well on the division's broadcasting station and internal communications!"
Shu Ran knew that Yang Zhenhua intended to take this opportunity to show off, but as long as his goal was achieved, she was happy to see it happen.
"Thank you so much, Officer Yang. I'll coordinate the specific time and itinerary with the logistics department and then discuss it with you in detail."
"No problem!" Yang Zhenhua readily agreed. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was in the office, he lowered his voice and asked with some concern, "Shu Ran, these past few days... Has Special Envoy Chen contacted you again? He's known for his cold and hard temper in the division headquarters. If he's done anything to make things difficult for you, just tell me."
Shu Ran understood immediately. Her expression remained unchanged as she said, "Officer Yang is overthinking it. Special Envoy Chen is a diligent worker; we were just having normal working contact. Thank you for your concern."
Yang Zhenhua smiled and didn't continue the topic.
After a busy day, Shu Ran returned to her dormitory feeling exhausted. As she reached her door, she noticed a small cloth bag on the floor. Opening it, she found several clean crabapples inside, with a small booklet underneath, its cover handwritten with the title "Illustrated Catalogue of Common Herbaceous Plants in Border Regions."
Shu Ran picked up a crabapple and took a bite. She flipped through the catalog, which was clearly hand-drawn and even indicated which fruits were edible, medicinal, or had other uses.
She carefully put away the crabapples and catalogue, then sat down to continue refining her pilot program. She knew she had to produce results quickly to live up to her choice.
A few days later, Shu Ran ran into Chen Yuanjiang again in the cafeteria. This time, he didn't avoid her; instead, he carried his lunchbox and sat down opposite her.
The other colleagues at the table were somewhat surprised, as Chen Yuanjiang's temper was well-known in the division headquarters.
"Officer Shu." Chen Yuanjiang's voice was steady, but there was a warmth in his eyes that only the two of them could understand.
"Special Envoy Chen," Shu Ran replied with a smile, composed and at ease.
"I heard you're promoting mobile teaching sites?" he asked, his voice not loud, but loud enough for those around him to hear.
"Yes, the director has approved the pilot program. We are coordinating with the logistics and publicity departments." Shu Ran replied in a businesslike manner.
"Hmm." Chen Yuanjiang nodded, took a bite of rice, and said casually, "There are several summer ranch gathering points near the border marker. The road conditions are complicated, and ordinary vehicles don't want to go there. Next time our unit patrols that area, we can notify you of the time in advance. If your teaching point can keep up, the safety will be much higher."
Shu Ran's heart skipped a beat; this was truly a godsend. The security department's patrol routes covered many remote pastoral areas, and leveraging their resources would greatly increase both security and feasibility.
She suppressed her joy and maintained a calm demeanor: "Thank you for the reminder, Commissioner Chen. This information is very important. I will consider it carefully and report it to the director."
"You're welcome. Supporting education is the right thing to do," Chen Yuanjiang said, then stopped talking and focused on eating.
But this brief conversation has already sent a clear signal to those around them: the security department recognizes Shu Ran's work and is willing to provide assistance.
After Chen Yuanjiang finished eating and left, one of the older cadres at the table said to Shu Ran with admiration, "Young Shu, you're quite something. You even managed to persuade a tough nut like Chen Yuanjiang. With their security department protecting you, your chances of success are much higher."
Shu Ran simply smiled modestly, offering no explanation. She and Chen Yuanjiang didn't need to explain their relationship or their working chemistry to anyone.
It feels good to support each other and move forward side by side.
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