Chapter 69 (Combined with Chapter 69)
As Yan Ruyi went downstairs, people greeted her along the way, saying, "Manager Yan, it's time to go home."
She walked into the lobby and saw that Zheng Fengxia was still there, so she went over to her and said, "Fengxia."
Zheng Fengxia quickly stood up. "Manager Yan."
"I'm reading a book."
Zheng Fengxia quickly replied, "I didn't use my work time; I only turned two pages after I was supposed to be off work."
She leaves late, usually waiting until almost everyone upstairs has left before she leaves.
She works as a receptionist. She registers everyone who comes to the company every day. She's afraid that if she leaves early, someone might need to see the registration information and won't be able to find her.
Yan Ruyi smiled and said, "Reading and studying is a good thing. As long as it doesn't interfere with work, the company will support you."
"Thank you, Manager Yan."
"I have something to tell you. Before leaving get off work, I discussed it with a few other leaders in the company. We're thinking of transferring you to the sales department so that Feng Jiacheng can mentor you. Feng Jiacheng has agreed. The company just has this idea, but it mainly depends on your personal wishes. I'm telling you this first so you can think about it."
The auctioneer profession is now largely dominated by men.
Yan Ruyi wanted to train a female auctioneer.
Compared to male-dominated auction houses, Yan Ruyi felt that female comrades were more suited to this profession.
Auctioneers are required to have strong stress resistance, high concentration, and attention to detail.
Simply put, it requires sufficient psychological resilience, as well as meticulousness. During the auction, it's crucial to accurately capture the emotional changes of each buyer, pay attention to subtle shifts in the atmosphere, and adjust guidance strategies accordingly.
Yan Ruyi believes that women have a much stronger ability to withstand pressure and have a stronger mental fortitude than men.
Most women, in addition to working, also have to take care of the elderly and children, do housework, and deal with mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationships.
If this were to fall on the shoulders of gay men, they would surely break down.
Women have an advantage when it comes to being meticulous.
However, there is prejudice against lesbians in this industry, or more accurately, discrimination, with the belief that lesbians cannot handle such a large scene.
Yan Ruyi refused to believe this superstition; she was determined to train a female auctioneer.
Through her observations over this period, she felt that Zheng Fengxia was a promising talent, and Zheng Fengxia herself was also very interested in this line of work.
Feng Jiacheng said Zheng Fengxia has potential.
Yan Ruyi wanted to give Zheng Fengxia a chance.
For Zheng Fengxia, the surprise was too sudden, and she could hardly believe it.
However, given the rare opportunity, she wouldn't be foolish enough to say she couldn't do it.
He said to Yan Ruyi, "Manager Yan, I'm willing to transfer to the business department to learn from Teacher Feng, but what will happen to my current job if I go to the business department?"
"You don't need to worry about that. If you agree to go to the business department, Director Yu will recruit someone to replace you. You will have to wait until the newly recruited person arrives before you can be officially transferred to the business department."
Zheng Fengxia said gratefully, "Thank you, Manager Yan."
"Professor Feng has high hopes for you. You should seize this opportunity and strive to become the first female auctioneer in our country."
Zheng Fengxia instantly became confident, "Manager Yan, I will."
Yan Ruyi rode her bicycle home after leaving the building.
When I got to the Pingjiang Road intersection, I saw that the used book stall had reappeared.
She found a copy of "Huangdi Neijing" there last time.
The boss told her last time that he would be collecting old books again, and asked Yan Ruyi to come back in a few days.
It seems they've brought back the books.
Yan Ruyi then pushed her bicycle over there.
The bookstall owner's surname was Zhang, and his name was Zhang Aiguo. When he saw Yan Ruyi arrive, he greeted her, "Comrade Yan, I just received a batch of books the other day. Take a look and see if there's anything you like."
Yan Ruyi parked the car and squatted down.
The books on the bookstall were of all kinds, you name it.
Textbooks, teaching materials, novels, magazines, comic books...
Some are about 80-90% new, while others are so badly damaged that even the covers are gone.
"Master Zhang, where did you collect all these books from?"
“They’re everywhere. I ride my bicycle to various residential compounds, and when I call out, people with old books at home come out with their books. Sometimes I also go to the countryside. There aren’t as many books in the countryside as in the city, but sometimes I can still find some good ones. Last month I found one, but I forgot the title. A man from the cultural center saw it and said it was an ancient book. He bought it for 3 yuan.”
He collects books, mostly by weight, at two cents per pound.
He sold them by the book, the cheapest ones for one or two cents, and the popular ones for a higher price, such as those tutoring books, especially high school tutoring books, which could sell for three or four cents a book.
Even more expensive items, like that ancient book from last time, sold for 3 yuan, so he made at least 2.99 yuan.
However, this kind of book needs to find someone who appreciates its value; otherwise, it will be ignored.
Yan Ruyi: "You didn't have a stall here before, did you?"
"I don't stay in one place. I set up wherever there are lots of people, and then I move to another place after a while."
Yan Ruyi chatted with him while flipping through the old books.
A line of small golden characters flashed before my eyes: 735.
She pulled the book out and saw that it was actually a copy of "Tui Bei Tu".
The Tui Bei Tu is a book of prophecy, traditionally attributed to Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang during the early Tang Dynasty.
Li Chunfeng was an astronomer and mathematician.
Yuan Tiangang was a Taoist priest.
The two co-authored a book of prophecies that foretells major historical events and social changes from the Tang Dynasty onwards.
Legend has it that Li Chunfeng was so engrossed in his calculations that Yuan Tiangang pushed him on the back, saying, "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed any further," hence the name "Tui Bei Tu" (Pushing Back Diagram).
The book Yan Ruyi is holding is a common 16mo thread-bound book among ancient books. Apart from a slight tear on the spine, it is in good condition.
According to legend, this book dates back to the early Tang Dynasty, which is over a thousand years old, not 735.
However, there are many versions of the book "Tui Bei Tu", so it cannot be ruled out that this is a Ming Dynasty copy.
"Master Zhang, do you remember where you got this book from?"
Zhang Aiguo looked at it and said, "Last time I went to the Xiahe Town area and visited several villages. I can't quite remember which village I collected the goods from."
He buys books by weight, only looking at their condition, not their titles. So he really didn't know which village Yan Ruyi had bought the book from.
Zhang Aiguo asked, "Comrade Yan, is this book another ancient text?"
Zhang Aiguo's journey of collecting books from street to street was not easy, and selling books was also hard-earned money. Yan Ruyi did not hide it from him, but she did not tell him directly that it was from the Ming Dynasty. "It is quite old, Master Zhang, I will give you 10 yuan."
Zhang Aiguo said happily, "If you hadn't told me, I probably would have sold it for a few cents. I got a great deal for 10 yuan."
He then took several nearly new comic books from the bookstall, saying, "Take these comic books with you too."
Yan Ruyi didn't refuse, "Thank you, Master Zhang."
Yan Ruyi paid him readily and didn't cheat him. Master Zhang still wanted to do business with her, so he told her, "I'll be going to the countryside to collect books again in a few days. I'll be here for the next few days, so come back and see if I've collected anything good."
"Okay, I pass by here every day after get off work. If you bring in a new one, just call me."
Yan Ruyi took the book home.
After putting the book away, she picked a handful of green beans.
There's still meat in the fridge; I'm going to make braised noodles for Song Yiping when he gets back.
While picking green beans, I always felt something was missing. After thinking about it, I realized I hadn't seen Da Hua.
When she gets off work and comes home, Da Hua usually waits for her at the gate of the courtyard.
It doesn't know how to tell time, but it waits for her to come home at the door every day on time. I don't know how it manages to be there at the exact moment.
After she unlocks the door with her key, she will come over and meow around her.
At first, Yan Ruyi thought it was hungry, but when she tried to feed it, it wouldn't eat.
Only after Yan Ruyi patted its head and little bottom did it stop barking and run off to play.
Yan Ruyi then realized that it wasn't hungry; it was just being affectionate.
Now, petting its head and patting its little bottom when they get home has almost become a ritual between them.
When Yan Ruyi returned today, she didn't see it and kept calling "Big Flower, Big Flower" in the yard.
After calling out twice, Da Hua ran in from outside, went straight to Yan Ruyi, and released her mouth, causing a living creature to fall to the ground, wriggling around.
Yan Ruyi didn't see it clearly at first glance and thought it was a snake, so she jumped up in fright.
Luo Huihui arrived at that moment. She heard Yan Ruyi calling from outside and rushed in, "Ruyi, what's wrong?!"
Yan Ruyi had already seen that it was a loach on the ground, and breathed a sigh of relief. She pointed to the loach on the ground and said, "I thought it was a snake."
Luo Huihui said happily, "Dahua is so filial. She's worried you'll go hungry, so she knows to bring you food."
Da Hua seemed genuinely going to give the loach to Yan Ruyi. She threw the loach on the ground, meowed at her twice, and then ran off to play.
Even though it was a loach, Yan Ruyi didn't dare to touch it. Luo Huihui couldn't bear to watch, so she found a basin, filled it with water, and threw the loach in. "This loach is quite fat. When your Commander Song comes back, have him make you a dish called 'Loach Drilling into Tofu'."
Yan Ruyi said, "This is a gift from my dog, Dahua. I can't bear to eat it; I want to keep it as a pet."
She brought Luo Huihui a stool over. "Why are you here at this hour?"
"I came here to ask you something. You have an older sister-in-law who also works at our education bureau. I've never heard you mention her before."
"It's Yiping's cousin-in-law. I just found out she works at the Education Bureau. Did she come to see you?"
Luo Huihui said happily, "She came to our department this afternoon and said she's your sister-in-law. She said a few words to me and even praised my report... How did she know that I wrote all the reports in our department? Did you tell her?"
I only mentioned it once.
"Your words were incredibly effective. You didn't see it, but our section chief's face was a riot of colors. After Section Chief Dong left, his attitude towards me immediately changed. He kept calling me 'Little Luo, Little Luo.' My goodness, I finally experienced what it means to have connections in high places."
Section Chief Luo Huihui's surname is Cai. Perhaps because he felt that Luo Huihui had no background, he always liked to find fault with her. Moreover, he always let Luo Huihui write the reports that were supposed to be written by him, and then took the credit for himself, saying in front of the leaders that he wrote them himself.
Luo Huihui works in the General Education Section, while Dong Yingxue works in the Personnel Section.
Although the person surnamed Cai and Dong Yingxue were at the same level, both being section chiefs.
However, since the personnel department is in charge of professional title evaluation, allocation, performance appraisal and rewards and punishments, everyone subconsciously feels that the personnel department has more power than other departments.
This is why, after Dong Yingxue only spoke a few words to Luo Huihui, Section Chief Cai changed his attitude towards Luo Huihui.
Yan Ruyi said speechlessly, "You came all this way just to tell me this? You could have just made a phone call. You know my home phone number."
"Of course there's something else. Let me show you this."
Luo Huihui took a magazine out of her handbag, flipped to a page and showed it to Yan Ruyi, "Take a look and see who wrote this?"
Yan Ruyi first looked at the title, "Miscellaneous Notes from a Small Courtyard," by Luo Huihui.
Yan Ruyi exclaimed in surprise, "You published an article?"
Luo Huihui closed the magazine again. "See that? 'Youth Literature'."
Although Yan Ruyi doesn't write novels, she knows that this is the most mainstream literary journal, and the articles published in it are all by big writers. She didn't expect that Luo Huihui would also publish articles in it.
She was genuinely happy for her good friend and hugged Luo Huihui, saying, "Huihui, you're amazing."
Luo Huihui chuckled, "I also tried submitting a paper, and I didn't expect it to actually be accepted."
"No wonder you didn't take the postgraduate entrance exam with me; you're planning to become a writer."
Yan Ruyi originally wanted to take the postgraduate entrance exam with Luo Huihui.
Good friends should make progress together, but Luo Huihui was not willing.
"You know I'm not cut out for studying. I almost died when I took the college entrance exam. I don't want to go through that again. I've decided to pursue this path and try to win the Mao Dun Literature Prize."
"I'll be waiting for that. I'll give you a big gift then."
"To be honest, I was inspired by your second sister-in-law. She had participated in a writing competition before and even won a fourth prize. I wanted to try to find a way to do this. I had submitted quite a few articles before, and they were only published in small print in the newspaper. I didn't get any response from the others. I never expected that this time it would be published, and it was even published in 'Youth Literature'."
This is the difference between her second sister-in-law and Luo Huihui.
Her second sister-in-law submitted her work several times, but received no response, so she stopped writing.
Luo Huihui persisted in writing and submitting her work, and that's how she succeeded.
Luo Huihui revised her second sister-in-law's essay, saying that her second sister-in-law's writing was quite good.
So what her second sister-in-law lacked was not writing skills, but perseverance.
As the two were talking, the phone rang.
Yan Ruyi ran to answer the phone, and as soon as she said "hello," someone spoke on the other end.
"Ruyi, it's Miaomiao's birthday this Sunday. You and Yiping should both come back."
“Okay, Yiping and I will go there first thing on Sunday morning.”
Yan Ruyi hung up the phone and came out again.
Luo Huihui glanced at her watch; it was already 6:30.
"I need to go home, otherwise it will get dark soon."
"I have something to ask you. I want to renovate my house in Jianglin New Village. I asked someone to find a renovation team, and they've made time for me now. Are you going to renovate the apartment you bought? If so, would you like to have it renovated as well?"
Luo Huihui and Jiang Hao also bought a house in Jianglin New Village last month, intending to use it for their wedding. They just got the property certificate last week.
Luo Huihui quickly said, "Then let's do it together. Jiang Hao and I are having a headache over this."
"Okay, I'll have them make a list of what materials we need, and we'll buy them in advance."
"I'll buy whatever you buy, just like you buy."
Luo Huihui was a very efficient person; she finished speaking the last word and was already at the gate of the courtyard.
He turned back and called to Yan Ruyi, "Ruyi, your second brother is here."
Yan Ruyi ran over and saw Yan Mingtao riding over on a tricycle with a reclining chair on it.
Yan Ruyi opened the courtyard gate completely and let Yan Mingtao ride the tricycle inside.
"Second Brother, why did you pull up a recliner?"
"Chen Feiyong wanted a recliner, so I made one for him. After it was finished, I thought it was quite comfortable to lie on, so I made one for you too... Don't mention money to me, or your second brother will get angry and disown you as his sister."
Yan Ruyi: "You wish! I'm not giving you any money."
Yan Mingtao wiped his sweat and unloaded the recliner from the tricycle.
"Why don't you try sitting down?"
Seeing Yan Mingtao covered in sweat, Yan Ru brought over a basin of water and a new towel, saying, "You should wash up first."
Yan Mingtao washed his face, and Yan Ruyi lay down on the recliner, saying, "So comfortable."
You have to admit her second brother is talented. Although he doesn't have a high level of education, he made this recliner perfectly ergonomically, making it very comfortable to lie on.
It also has adjustable settings, allowing you to sit, recline, or lie down.
Yan Mingtao then brought over a small stool and placed it next to her feet.
Yan Ruyi put her feet up, half-closing her eyes, "When I retire, I'll do this: grow vegetables, tend to flowers, and when I have free time, I'll hug a big flower and lie on a recliner to bask in the sun."
Yan Mingtao was also very happy that his younger sister liked it. "There's too little space at home to put it there. Otherwise, I would make one for our parents too."
"Mom just called and asked me to come back this week to celebrate Miaomiao's birthday."
"Mom wanted to take this opportunity to have a family reunion dinner, and also because your second sister-in-law already knows about my leave of absence without pay."
"Did you tell your second sister-in-law?"
"She found out before I even had a chance to tell her."
Li Yan loves to gather with the young wives in the family compound and chat idly.
She couldn't leave the house during her postpartum period, so Yan Mingtao's solo business was kept from her.
Once the postpartum period is over, it can't be hidden anymore.
However, before she could argue with Yan Mingtao, he gave her a wad of cash.
Yan Mingtao earned much more working independently than in the furniture factory. He gave her money to keep her quiet.
As long as she receives money every month, she will never mention the matter again.
Yan Ruyi was originally worried that her second sister-in-law would cause trouble with her second brother, disturbing her parents' peace.
I didn't expect it to be resolved so easily.
Her second brother is finally relieved, and she is genuinely happy for him.
Her second brother can now work without any burdens, and he can finally get things done without any worries.
Yan Mingtao: "There's something else I'd like to hear your and Yiping's opinions on."
"What's wrong?"
“Yesterday, Chen Feiyong told me that he wanted to partner with me to start a furniture factory. He would provide the capital, and I would provide the technology and management. We would split the profits 40/60, with him contributing 40% and me 60%. If we lost money, it would be his responsibility. I thought about it and decided to partner with him.”
“I think it’s a good idea. Chen Feiyong has been in business for so many years and he would never do a business that loses money. Since he wants to partner with you, it means that he thinks this industry is a sure thing and he recognizes your ability. You lack money and he lacks technology. The two of you partnering together would be a strong alliance. Moreover, with Yiping’s connection, he would definitely not cheat you.”
Yan Mingtao laughed and said, "That's what I was thinking too. In that case, I'll give him a reply tomorrow."
Just as Yan Mingtao was about to leave, Song Yiping returned.
It was rare for her brother-in-law to come over, and he even made a recliner for Yan Ruyi. Song Yiping stopped him from leaving, went to a deli to buy two cooked dishes, stir-fried two plates of vegetables, and finally took out a bottle of Moutai.
The Moutai was given to Song Yiping by his father when we visited the military compound last time.
Once, during a meal, Yan Ruyi mentioned that she had never drunk Moutai, so Song Yiping borrowed a bottle from her father.
As a result, Yan Ruyi took a small sip and then refused to drink it, saying it was too spicy and didn't taste good.
Song Yiping doesn't usually drink, so this bottle of wine has just been sitting there.
Yan Mingtao loves to drink, so today we'll bring out some wine for him to drink.
When Yan Mingtao got drunk, he became more talkative. He said to Song Yiping, "Let me tell you something from the bottom of my heart. When you first started dating Ruyi, I didn't really approve of it."
Given Song Yiping's qualifications, her second brother still didn't even consider her.
Yan Ruyi asked curiously, "Second Brother, why didn't you agree?"
"Because he's taller than me, if you get bullied, I can't beat him."
Song Yiping, "..."
"But I'm not worried now."
Yan Ruyi thought her second brother would say it was because he felt that Song Yiping was good to her and that she didn't need to worry about her being wronged.
Then her second brother said, "Because Ruyi not only has her second brother, she also has her eldest brother. Two against one, even if she can't beat him, she can at least draw."
Yan Ruyi thought to herself, "That's not necessarily true."
Last time he went to Yangcheng, Song Yiping fought three antique dealers one-on-one, breaking their arms and legs.
Song Yiping poured another glass of wine for his brother-in-law and handed it to him with both hands, saying, "No need to fight. If I really make Ruyi suffer any injustice, you and your brother can just beat her up."
Yan Mingtao patted Song Yiping on the shoulder, "Actually, I figured it out a long time ago. It's only Ruyi who gets to bully you, haha."
Yan Ruyi said angrily, "Second brother, why are you siding with outsiders?"
And she asked her second brother to leave.
Yan Mingtao knew that Yan Ruyi was worried that he would go back too late and it would be unsafe on the road, and he really should go back.
Song Yiping had also been drinking, so it wasn't convenient for him to see him off.
Yan Ruyi was worried about him riding his tricycle back, so she checked the time and saw that there was still one night bus left, so she let Yan Mingtao take the bus back.
After seeing Yan Mingtao off, Song Yiping took a shower and saw Yan Ruyi lying on the bed clutching her stomach.
These past few days have been Yan Ruyi's little day.
She suffers from menstrual cramps, and the pain was particularly severe a couple of days ago.
Song Yiping: "Come here, let me warm it up."
Yan Ruyi leaned closer, and Song Yiping placed his large hands on her stomach.
With the warm, large hand covering her, Yan Ruyi felt much more comfortable.
Yan Ruyi suffers from pain for several days every month, so Song Yiping specifically looked up some information about this.
"I asked my mom to help me find a reliable traditional Chinese medicine doctor so that he can prescribe some Chinese medicine to help regulate my body."
“It’s no use. My sister-in-law has the same problem. She said that it will be fine after she gives birth.”
"Then have a child?"
Song Yiping is actually looking forward to having a child call him "Dad".
Yan Ruyi glared at him. "I still want to take the postgraduate entrance exam. I can't go to school with a big belly, it would be too embarrassing... I found a strange book today, let me show it to you."
Mentioning the treasure she found, Yan Ruyi's stomach pain subsided, and she got up to show off the copy of "Tui Bei Tu" to Song Yiping.
Song Yiping opened it and saw a picture on top and text below.
Judging from the text description, it seems to be a divination.
However, he couldn't understand the pictures, let alone the text.
Yan Ruyi then told him the origin of the "Tui Bei Tu".
Song Yiping was a staunch materialist and did not believe in such prophecies at all.
"How could people from a thousand years ago possibly predict events that would happen thousands of years in the future? It's clearly just a deliberate attempt to mystify."
Yan Ruyi muttered under her breath, "There are impossible things about you."
Song Yiping didn't hear clearly, "What?"
Yan Ruyi didn't tell him, because he wouldn't believe her anyway.
She put the book away and leaned against him again, taking his hand and placing it on her stomach. "Continue."
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The author says: I have a copy of the *Tui Bei Tu*, which my dad bought at a used bookstore. However, I don't think it's an ancient book, haha. Those interested can search for it; personally, I think the interpretation is a bit far-fetched.
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