Chapter 42 Confession
Song Yiping's image as a tough and resolute soldier has been completely ruined by Chen Feiyong and his comrades.
Wu Meili couldn't bear to watch any longer. She clicked her tongue twice, went to the service desk for paper and pen, wrote down her home and work phone numbers, and gave them to Yan Ruyi. "It's getting late, I should go back now. Call me if you need anything, or even if you don't. Let's arrange to go shopping together sometime."
Wu Meili left, and the others left one after another.
Song Yiping arrived by car, and Chen Feiyong asked him, "How is it? Can you drive?"
Song Yiping: "I slept it off and I'm fine now, so we're leaving too."
Chen Feiyong said, "You guys go first, I'll cover the rear... Sister-in-law, I often go to Hong Kong. If you need me to bring you anything, just have Lao Song tell me. We're brothers, no need to be polite."
The following words were spoken to Yan Ruyi.
Yan Ruyi blushed deeply and thanked Chen Feiyong.
Chen Feiyong watched as the two of them got into the car. Song Yiping waved to him and drove away.
Yan Ruyi's face was still red. Song Yiping turned his head to look at her. "Why is your face still so red? Let me see if you've got a sunburn?"
Yan Ruyi: "No, Chen Feiyong is older than me. He just called me sister-in-law, and I felt a little embarrassed."
She could barely accept that Cheng Chao called her sister-in-law.
Because Cheng Chao is only one year older than her.
Chen Feiyong is three years older than her and calls her sister-in-law, which makes her a little embarrassed.
"Your face is so red just because of this? I'm a year older than him, and you're my boyfriend. Shouldn't he call you sister-in-law?"
"It's not entirely because of that."
"Why is that?"
Yan Ruyi glared at him, "Have you forgotten what you said when I helped you to the guesthouse to rest?"
Song Yiping drank a lot today, so much so that he was completely drunk. He only remembered passing out in the end, and he didn't even know how he got to the guesthouse.
After thinking for a while, he couldn't remember anything and shook his head. "I really don't remember what I said. Can you give me a hint so I can think about it again?"
Yan Ruyi blushed and said shyly, "You said you wanted to kiss me."
Song Yiping, "..."
When you're drunk, you just blurt out all your innermost thoughts.
Yan Ruyi accused, "When you said that, Sister Meili just came over, and the door wasn't closed. She must have heard everything. Sister Meili's face turned red. And Chen Feiyong, he went out to fetch water and just came back. He probably heard it too."
Yan Ruyi covered her face, "How embarrassing!"
Song Yiping said in a serious tone, "It really doesn't have a good impact. So at the next gathering, I'll solemnly declare to them that we've never kissed; that was just wishful thinking on my part..."
Yan Ruyi's face turned even redder, and she punched him, "You still dare to talk back."
Song Yiping grabbed her hand. "Let's not talk about it anymore."
"Drive carefully."
"good."
Seeing that Song Yiping had stopped talking nonsense, Yan Ruyi told Song Yiping what Liu Caifeng had said.
Old Yan was Song Yiping's comrade-in-arms. Whether he helped or not, Song Yiping should have known about this matter.
Song Yiping said, “If anyone talks to you about this kind of thing again, don’t bother dealing with it. Just push it to me and let them come to me themselves.”
He would definitely help his comrades-in-arms, especially those who had fought side by side in the same trench, as long as it did not violate his principles.
But we can't go through all that trouble to find Yan Ruyi and put her in a difficult position.
He could not accept this.
Yan Ruyi happily replied, "Okay."
As usual, Song Yiping stopped the car about 200 meters away from the machine tool family compound. Yan Ruyi was about to get out of the car, but Song Yiping stopped her. Seeing that no one was around, he quickly kissed her on the forehead before letting go of her.
Compared to the last time he kissed her forehead, Yan Ruyi was much calmer this time.
She even imitated him, quickly kissing his forehead back, and before Song Yiping could respond, she opened the car door and ran out.
During the National Day holiday, the residential compound was filled with children running around happily.
Yan Mingtao and Fang Caiyun arrived with Miaomiao.
Miaomiao followed Yan Minghe around the whole courtyard like a little shadow.
Yan Minghe and the others were playing games involving fighting and killing. Yan Minghe was afraid of touching her, so he carried her to the side several times, but she would run back to him after a while.
Yan Minghe was in a terrible predicament when he saw Yan Ruyi return. He called out to her, "Sister, take Miaomiao away!"
Miaomiao also saw Yan Ruyi and scurried over on her short legs. When she reached Yan Ruyi, she opened her little arms and said, "Auntie, hug me."
Yan Ruyi picked her up and, instead of going home, went to a small shop outside and bought a bag of hawthorn candy and a bag of calcium milk biscuits. When she came out of the shop, she saw an old man carrying a load of maltose candy and bought Miaomiao a piece of maltose candy, put it in Miaomiao's hand, and then carried Miaomiao home.
Just as they arrived at the courtyard gate, Shen Qiaoxiu came out from inside.
She was originally going to leave, but when she saw Yan Ruyi return, she went inside with Yan Ruyi.
Ye Hongzhen said with disdain, "Why are you back again?"
Shen Qiaoxiu said, "I haven't seen Ruyi for a long time. Can't I even say a few words to Ruyi?"
He found a small stool, sat down next to Yan Ruyi, and asked, "Ruyi, did you go out to play?"
Yan Ruyi said, "I went out with a friend to take care of some business."
Everyone's on holiday, what can we possibly do?
Shen Qiaoxiu automatically assumed that she had gone out to play. "Ruyi is living a carefree life. Anyway, she doesn't have a partner, so she can go wherever she wants to play. Unlike you, Ruping, who is getting married soon. Once you get married, you won't be so free."
Yan Ruyi: "Ruping is getting married. Who is she marrying?"
Shen Qiaoxiu, "..."
Ye Hongzhen: "If I follow Cheng Hai, who else can I follow?"
Ye Hongzhen didn't know what Yan Guolin's family was thinking. After such a falling out with Li Chenghai's family, how could they still agree to Yan Ruping and Li Chenghai getting married?
This will be a lifelong problem.
However, she only grumbled to herself; it wasn't her daughter, so she wouldn't say a word.
She can't control other people's daughters, but she can't talk about her own daughter.
"Ruyi isn't as free as you think. She just became a leader and has a ton of work to do. She's so busy all the time that she doesn't have time to go out and have fun."
The following sentences were addressed to Shen Qiaoxiu.
When it comes to showing off her daughter, Ye Hongzhen has never lost.
Shen Qiaoxiu asked in surprise, "Ruyi has become a leader? What kind of leader is she?"
Ye Hongzhen: "Deputy Director, I was worried that she was too young to take on the responsibility of setting up an auction house, but she did a great job. She's just too busy. Fortunately, she's young, so being busy is good. She'll gain experience and won't be taken advantage of later without even knowing it. Don't you think so?"
Shen Qiaoxiu gave a few forced laughs, "That makes sense. Ruyi is really capable. She's become an official in just a few days. But no matter how busy she is, she has to consider her personal life. Speaking of which, Ruyi isn't young anymore. She should find a partner first. If she delays any longer, she might become an old maid, and then it will be harder to find someone. How about your aunt introduces you to someone..."
Just as Ye Hongzhen was about to roll up her sleeves, she heard Yan Ruyi say, "Auntie, I have a boyfriend. Who said I don't have one?"
Everyone in the room was stunned.
Just as Li Yan was about to speak, Fang Caiyun quickly stopped her and gave her a wink.
Ye Hongzhen wanted to ask too, but she swallowed the words back down.
Shen Qiaoxiu asked on their behalf, "When did you start dating? I've never heard you mention it before?"
Yan Ruyi said, "There's no need to announce to the whole world that I've got a boyfriend, is there?"
Shen Qiaoxiu pondered Yan Ruyi's words and thought that the person Yan Ruyi was dating was probably not presentable, which was why she was keeping him hidden.
I was provoked by her words, which is why I said it.
She's determined to get to the bottom of this today, otherwise she won't be able to sleep well tonight.
Who is this person you're seeing? Do we know each other?
"Song Yiping, I don't know if your aunt knows him or not."
Shen Qiaoxiu, “!”
Ye Hongzhen and the others had already guessed, so they weren't too surprised. Shen Qiaoxiu, however, was stunned. After a long while, she asked Yan Ruyi in disbelief, "Is it Commander Song from the military compound?"
Yan Ruyi nodded.
Shen Qiaoxiu was completely shocked. Who wouldn't recognize Commander Song from the military compound?
When did Yan Ruyi manage to win over Commander Song?
Shen Qiaoxiu couldn't believe it. What were Commander Song's conditions? How could he possibly be interested in Yan Ruyi!
"Really? You're not kidding me, are you?"
Li Yan said, "Aunt, what are you saying? Is there such a thing as a fake relationship? If you don't believe me, go and ask Commander Song in person."
Shen Qiaoxiu found it even harder to sleep at night, and she stopped asking Yan Ruyi about her boyfriend. "I suddenly remembered that I have a lot of things to do at home. I have to go back. You don't need to see me off. I'm leaving."
Ye Hongzhen said, "No one will see you off, so hurry up and go."
As soon as Shen Qiaoxiu left, Li Yan approached Yan Ruyi and said, "Ruyi, you're really dating Commander Song? Why didn't you tell your family?"
"I was thinking of letting you know once it was finalized."
Li Yan was even happier than Ye Hongzhen. "The day after tomorrow, Ru Ping and Li Chenghai will get married. My aunt wants us all to go. You should bring Commander Song along too. Let's see if she still says you're an unwanted old maid."
Yan Ruyi: "Second sister-in-law, are you going to the wedding or to sabotage it?"
Li Yan said awkwardly, "I'm just standing up for you, I want to give you a chance to vent your anger."
Ye Hongzhen said, "Ruyi is right. This is a major event in Ruping's life, and we can't make things difficult for her. Our whole family can go to Ruping's wedding."
Li Yan curled her lips, somewhat disapproving. She thought it was okay for her aunt to cause trouble for their family, but not for them to cause trouble for her aunt's family.
If she had found such an outstanding partner, she would definitely tell the whole world.
After Li Yan and Fang Caiyun went to the kitchen, Ye Hongzhen asked Yan Ruyi, "Girl, you and Commander Song have been dating for a while now, haven't you?"
Yan Ruyi said hesitantly, "It wasn't that early... Mom, you know?"
“You’re practically a sieve yourself, and Mom’s not stupid.”
Yan Ruyi said in surprise, "I thought I had kept it a secret quite well."
Ye Hongzhen said, "Silly girl, I can tell from your eyes whether you have someone in your heart or not."
She always has a smile in her eyes, and acts like no one can tell.
Yan Ruyi said embarrassedly, "It's so obvious."
"When are you free? Let Commander Song come over for a visit."
"He's practically your son-in-law, and you still call him Commander Song."
“Being our son-in-law is not easy. Not only does he have to pass our family's test, but he also has to pass your uncle and aunt's test. Otherwise, even if he is a general, he cannot be my daughter's son-in-law.”
So far, she is very satisfied with Song Yiping, but this satisfaction is only superficial.
Besides appearance, one also needs to consider character, which requires the whole family to carefully assess the person.
Especially her eldest uncle, who used to work in sales at a textile factory. He's seen a lot of people and has a sharp eye; he can tell a person from a villain at a glance.
The daughter has to get past her eldest uncle no matter what.
Yan Ruyi imagined the scene and felt it was somewhat like a joint trial.
She was a little worried that Song Yiping might run away at the last minute.
It seems she needs to give Song Yiping a heads-up beforehand so he can be mentally prepared.
Ye Hongzhen, "Tell me in advance when Commander Song is coming so I can prepare. Also, tell your uncles in advance so they can be mentally prepared as well."
Yan Ruyi felt that Song Yiping was the one who needed to be mentally prepared.
She decided to delay a little longer, to give Song Yiping more courage.
"Okay, I'll let you know when he's coming."
The National Day holiday is over in the blink of an eye.
Yang Siyuan arrived right after the National Day holiday, and Yan Ruyi acted as a matchmaker for him and Cao Shengde.
Yan Ruyi didn't hide anything from Yang Siyuan and told him the whole story.
The information on the first-level and second-level construction engineers was then introduced separately.
The decision on whether the project should be undertaken by the First Construction Company or the Second Construction Company was made by Yang Siyuan.
It was later decided that the First Construction Company would be responsible for building the auction house building.
The auction house building was a huge project, and it was funded by the Yang Group.
The Yang Group is financially strong and generous with its pay. For one thing, if they take on this project, the year-end bonus will be much higher for a Level 1 engineer than for a Level 2 engineer.
The workers from the first-level construction team would go to the second-level construction team to show off every day. The workers from the second-level construction team were at a disadvantage in this competition and almost vomited blood from anger.
Yan Ruyi rode her bicycle all the way to the riverside road, sweating profusely.
The machine tool factory's residential compound is a bit far from here; it takes more than 40 minutes to get here by bike.
However, there are direct buses, and the bus stops are not far apart, so Yan Ruyi is considering buying a monthly bus pass and taking the bus to and from get off work every day.
When she arrived, Xia Pengfei and Liang Shi were already there, cleaning the office.
Yan Ruyi now has two more soldiers: Xia Pengfei and Liang Shi.
Of the three, Yan Ruyi was appointed by the leaders of the Cultural Relics Bureau.
Liang Shi was transferred from the logistics department.
Xia Pengfei volunteered for the task.
After Yan Ruyi was transferred to the auction house's preparatory office, Zhao Dongsheng said to Xia Pengfei sarcastically, "You always love to follow Yan Ruyi around, and you even want to help her conquer the world. Now that Yan Ruyi has gone to the preparatory office, why don't you go with her?"
Xia Pengfei was initially hesitant, but after Zhao Dongsheng's suggestion, he actually submitted an application report, and after the leader approved it, he came to the preparatory office.
The main point is to stop the mental strain from dealing with Zhao Dongsheng.
Yan Ruyi parked the car and was coughing as soon as she entered the house, choked by the dust that rose up.
"Why didn't you sprinkle some water before sweeping?"
Xia Pengfei and Liang Shi thought they could just clean it up like that, since Yan Ruyi hadn't arrived yet and wouldn't bother her.
They were both grown men, and they weren't afraid of being choked.
Upon seeing Yan Ruyi arrive, Xia Pengfei quickly put down his broom, obediently fetched a basin of water, poured it on the ground to cover the dust, and then swept.
The office already has all the tables, chairs, and benches, and the telephone is working, so there's almost no need to add anything.
Yan Ruyi was very satisfied.
Xia Pengfei and Liang Shi swept the floor, while she wiped the tables and chairs with a rag.
Together with Xia Pengfei and Liang Shi, they rearranged the desks.
Xia Pengfei took out a newly made sign from his bag, which read "Preparatory Office of Jialide Auction House".
Jialide is the name of the auction house, which was personally chosen by Director Liu.
Xia Pengfei moved a chair, then went to the construction site to borrow a hammer and nails, preparing to nail the signboard to the outer wall of the temporary office.
He stood on the chair and called to Liang Shi, "Liang Shi, help me make sure the nails aren't driven crooked."
Liang Shi came out of the house and stood there directing, "The left side is a bit high, lower it down a bit more, lower it again, that's enough, don't move it, just nail it like this."
After finishing nailing, Xia Pengfei jumped off the chair and stood with Liang Shi to look at their work.
The auction house building across the street has already broken ground, and the auction house sign has been hung up.
The two men stood with their hands on their hips, exuding an ambition to accomplish something great.
Actually, they put up the sign a bit too early, considering they haven't even gotten their business license yet.
Yan Ruyi called them back to her office to arrange their work for the day.
The three of them currently have the following division of labor: Liang Shi was originally transferred from the logistics department, so he is still in charge of administrative affairs and logistics.
Xia Pengfei was responsible for liaising with the Yang Group.
Because Yan Ruyi had worked as an announcer, she was well-known among city leaders, so she mainly dealt with various government agencies.
Yan Ruyi said, "Liang Shi, go to the Public Security Bureau and submit the application for seal engraving. Keep a close eye on it after you submit it."
She gave the letter of introduction to Liang Shi.
Liang Shi took it. He was only a few years older than Yan Ruyi and spoke quite bluntly. He asked Yan Ruyi, "We get a subsidy for fieldwork, right? Otherwise, the round-trip bus fare for a fieldwork trip would cost several cents."
To get an official seal made, you first need to submit an application to the Public Security Bureau. The Public Security Bureau can't approve it immediately; you have to make several trips back and forth to get approval.
After receiving the approval, you need to go to the place designated by the Public Security Bureau to have the seal made. However, it won't be made immediately; you'll have to make at least two trips to get the official seal.
The Public Security Bureau is located near the Municipal Government, which is quite far from the First Construction Institute. To get there by bus, you have to transfer once, and it takes an hour and a half each way, costing 15 cents each way, or 30 cents each way.
Making several trips back and forth like this will cost at least one or two yuan in transportation fees.
Therefore, Liang Shi had to confirm the subsidy with Yan Ruyi.
The three of them are still affiliated with the Cultural Relics Bureau, and their salaries are also paid by the Cultural Relics Bureau.
However, you need to apply for the subsidy.
Yan Ruyi had never been a leader, but she knew one thing: to be a good leader, you must first win people's hearts and never let anyone suffer a loss.
Moreover, there's really no reason for individuals to pay out of pocket for office or family matters.
"I've submitted my application for the field work subsidy, and it will be approved soon. The subsidy will still be issued by the bureau, and the subsidy standard will be the same as the original standard set by the bureau. Intra-city transportation expenses will be reimbursed based on actual costs, and the meal allowance is 2 yuan per day. Currently, we are mostly doing field work. If we have business trips to other places in the future, we will apply for the subsidy separately."
If you want to bring your own lunch, that's fine; the canteen will heat it up for you. If you don't want to bring your own, you can eat at the canteen. Everything has been arranged with the construction company; it's the same as for their employees. To eat there, you exchange your meal tickets at their logistics department. I ate at their canteen once; the food was pretty good and the prices weren't expensive. A large meat dish like braised pork costs 50 cents, and vegetable dishes are generally 5 cents a serving.
A serving of braised pork costs at least 3 yuan at restaurants outside, but it's 2.5 yuan cheaper at the canteen!
The First Construction Company is well-funded and generous, and its employees enjoy good welfare benefits, including their own canteen, bathhouse, barbershop, kindergarten, and primary school.
The cafeteria food is cheap, and the bathhouse and barbershop issue invoices every month. The bathhouse issues 22 invoices per month, and the barbershop issues 2 invoices per month.
Kindergarten and primary school are free for all employees of the Level 1 Construction Engineer Training Program.
Yan Ruyi and the other two are all unmarried and have no children in school.
However, they have the same treatment as other first-level construction workers, including eating in the canteen, bathing in the bathhouse, and getting haircuts.
Xia Pengfei and Liang Shi both knew that Yan Ruyi had fought for these benefits for them; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to get into the First-Class Construction Engineer Training Institute.
Both of them are carnivores, and they are full of energy just for the braised pork in the canteen of the First Construction Company.
Liang Shixing went to the Public Security Bureau with the letter of introduction, hoping to return early and not miss his chance to eat braised pork at the No. 1 Construction Company canteen.
Xia Pengfei stayed behind to help handle any issues that might arise at the construction site.
Yan Ruyi went to the Industry and Commerce Bureau to submit materials and apply for a business license.
Yan Ruyi checked the materials she needed to submit one last time to make sure nothing was missing, then put them all in her handbag, slung the bag over her shoulder, and rode her bicycle out the door.
When I arrived at the entrance of the Industry and Commerce Bureau, I was stopped by the old man at the gatehouse.
Yan Ruyi handed her work ID to the old man and said, "Grandpa, I need to apply for a business license. I'm here today to submit the materials."
The old man checked her work ID and gave Yan Ruyi directions, "See that building over there? It's on the third floor. There's a sign on the door that says 'Industrial and Commercial Administration Registration Office.' There are a lot of people applying for licenses today, so you'll probably have to wait in line."
Yan Ruyi thanked the old man and went to the third floor.
A row of people sat on the bench in front of the Administration for Industry and Commerce Registration Office. Yan Ruyi counted 15 people, making a total of 16 people including herself.
Yan Ruyi felt that it was probably not her turn this morning. If she had known this would happen, she should have brought some dry food and fought a protracted battle here.
Otherwise, if she leaves for lunch, she'll have to queue up again after lunch, and might not be able to submit her materials at all today.
She used to sit at the end of the line.
In front of her was a middle-aged woman with short, ear-length hair who looked somewhat kind.
When Yan Ruyi came over, she smiled at her, patted the chair behind her, and gestured for Yan Ruyi to sit down and wait.
After Yan Ruyi sat down, she touched her pocket and found two chocolate-covered liqueurs inside.
It was the same one Xia Pengfei had given her earlier; she hadn't bothered to eat it and just casually stuffed it into her pocket.
Yan Ruyi took out the liqueur-filled chocolates, handed one to her older sister, and asked, "Big sister, how long have you been waiting?"
The older woman didn't stand on ceremony and took the chocolate. "I've been waiting for almost two hours. I'm afraid there's still a long wait ahead."
How long does it usually take to process one?
A piece of chocolate instantly bridged the gap between the two, and the older woman became more talkative. "It's hard to say. If it's an office or home business, the approval process is faster. If it's a self-employed business, it's slower. The person who went in just now was a self-employed individual, and they haven't come out yet after more than half an hour."
"They're checking very thoroughly on individual applicants. This is my third time here. I want to open a clothing store. The time before last, they said my address wasn't detailed enough, and the last time they said the letter of introduction from the street office didn't meet the requirements, so they rejected it. This is the third time, and I still don't know if I'll get it approved... Comrade, are you an office worker or an individual business owner?"
Yan Ruyi: "The government."
The older sister whispered to her, "Since you're working from home, you don't need to keep queuing here. Otherwise, you'll be waiting forever. Just walk down this corridor to the second-to-last office. The people inside also review the documents. Go in and say some nice things to them, tell them you're working from home and are in a bit of a hurry. If the documents you submit are fine, the business license should be issued in a day at most."
There are indeed tricks to everything.
Yan Ruyi thanked her elder sister and followed her instructions, walking along the corridor until she stopped at the second-to-last office.
The office has a sign that reads: Business Registration Management Office.
The office door was half open, and a woman was sitting with her back to the door, wearing the uniform of the Industry and Commerce Bureau.
Yan Ruyi looked at the figure from behind and thought it looked familiar, but couldn't remember who it was for a moment.
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