60 "Embrace the Bright Sun with a Will of Steel"
After the new year, Tao Wanjia's work got back on track.
He Qunshan gradually handed over all the things to her, claiming it was a training exercise to the outside world, but everyone inside knew that it was a handover and recognition to some extent.
He was old, and couldn't always be on the front lines. He had insisted on doing so before because he had no candidates to train. Now that Tao Wanjia and Zhao Kuo were in He Qunshan, he felt much more relaxed. He had unloaded a heavy burden that had been on his shoulders for many years, and even in his free time, he reminded them to remember to mentor and guide others.
Just then, several interns came to the department, and He Qunshan let them choose first.
Zhao Kuo didn't have many requirements and picked a boy with excellent grades. Tao Wanjia took the list and confirmed it again and again, and finally chose a girl with a famous name, Li Xiang.
She met her once by chance during an interview. She was a pretty and clean girl, wearing a white shirt. She smiled a little shyly, but answered questions in a neither humble nor arrogant manner. She looked soft on the outside, but was a person with character on the inside.
Zhao Kuo thought he knew her quite well, so after leaving the office, he asked with a smile, "Why, do you see a reflection of yourself in this girl?"
Her selection criteria were truly bizarre. She ignored outstanding graduates from specialized institutions and chose someone recruited from society. Based on his past experience, he wouldn't last more than a year.
"Old He asked us to help and mentor each other, can you do it? Not everyone can do the investigation." Zhao Kuo couldn't understand.
Tao Wanjia was amused by his usual realistic analysis. He raised the document at hand and patted him on the head. "Do you think that if you study journalism, you can always stick to journalism?"
In the era of online self-media, many traditional media outlets are facing transformation, and the profession of journalist is no longer what it once was. Many people will do anything to gain traffic, having long forgotten what real journalism is. Even without these lofty words, few people in this profession can persist.
Tao Wanjia didn’t think too much about it. She just thought of Mai Xiang when she looked at the girl.
Some memories would suddenly pop into her mind and occupy her thoughts. She remembered the night when she went to check the club and parted ways with He Yu on bad terms. She was shivering with cold and soon after she returned home, Mai Xiang knocked on her door.
She stood at the door, holding the clothes she had changed out of at the club, and peeked inside while whispering.
"Don't worry, Sister Tao, no one will know. I recognized the clothes as yours and took them back secretly."
"Give me this work uniform, and I'll quietly put it in the changing room tomorrow. No one will find it."
She knew what happened in the club and was curious about why Tao Wanji went there, but when she saw her trembling after entering, she forgot everything.
He filled a hot water bottle to take care of her, then ran next door to make ginger soup. When he came back, he saw the documents she had not had time to put away next to the computer on the dining table, and exclaimed in surprise.
"Sister Xiao Tao, so you are a reporter."
The girl's voice was full of joy, and her eyes lit up instantly.
"No wonder I felt you were a very powerful person the first time I met you. I felt safe being with you."
Mai Xiang confessed her feelings to her without any defense, and took the initiative to talk about the club, "Actually, I also feel that something is wrong here, but I can't put my finger on what it is..."
Tao Wanjia interrupted her, stood up and took out a small bottle of wine from the refrigerator.
"Would you like to have a drink together?"
Mai Xiang was simple-minded and was soon distracted by her. The two of them took small cups of alcohol to warm themselves up, and soon their bodies became warm.
“So spicy!”
"Sister Tao, why do you have such a weird taste?"
Maixiang couldn't hold her liquor and got drunk after the second cup. Tao Wanji helped her go back to the next room to rest and pulled off the quilt to cover her.
The girl's even breathing rose and fell in the darkness. She sat at the head of the bed and watched for a while. After a long while, she said in a deep voice, "It's not that I don't want to tell you, but it's my job and telling you will cause you trouble."
"Mai Xiang, live a peaceful life."
A voice in her ear brought her back to her senses.
Her vision cleared up again and she looked into a pair of bright eyes.
"Teacher Tao, thank you for giving me this opportunity."
It was Li Xiang, who came to find her quickly after getting the news.
"Just tell me if you have any instructions. I will do my best." The girl, who had just graduated from school, was still full of passion and impulse, and the admiration in her eyes flowed unintentionally when she looked at Tao Wanjia.
Tao Wanjia didn't waste time on these meaningless pleasantries. He looked at his watch and asked, "Can you drive?"
"meeting."
"Then let's go for a short trip." She raised her eyebrows, took out the car keys from her pocket and threw them into the other person's hands.
There is no preparation time, her assessment starts at any time.
After several revisions, the report on Rongcheng was finally published after Deng Zixiong's verdict was announced.
Not only does the case itself remain a hot topic, but the investigative journalist profession, once so scarce that the public thought it had vanished, also remains a popular profession. Less than six months later, the Beijing News has once again dominated the news.
A well-known brand produces and sells counterfeit goods
Unscrupulous factories employ people with disabilities
There is a surrogacy transaction in a villa area
One shocking report after another was signed by Tao Wanjia, the chief reporter of the in-depth department.
The Internet was in an uproar, and all discussions focused on her, with many past reports being dug out one by one. Self-media always pursue hot topics, knowing that this is an era where traffic is paramount and people love to hear stories, so they portrayed her as a cynical heroic reporter, and the traffic and heat swept in like never before.
Tao Wanjia didn't pay attention to this.
She put the hustle and bustle of the world behind her.
During the days when she was the most discussed on the Internet, she was working on the next topic in the no-man's land with Li Xiang, who had just been hired.
The signal was sometimes good and sometimes bad, and the report to He Yu was not sent until we returned to the hotel.
[7 degrees in Nalan City, sunny, light breeze, the investigation is going well, I miss you very much]
It was already early morning when He Yu received the message. After being together for so long, he already knew the nature of her work and was used to her disappearing after making a phone call every time she went on a mission over the past six months.
He thought he had convinced himself a long time ago, but in reality, he was still worried because he noticed that Tao Wanjia always reported good news but not bad news. If it weren't for her overwhelming popularity and reports on the Internet, he wouldn't have known that she had hidden so many things from him.
WeChat contained all the reporting messages she had sent him. He Yu flipped through the photos she had sent him late one night two months ago.
It was a tied-up black local dog, and she jokingly told him that the dog's eyes looked very much like his.
But He Yu had only just seen it on the news: it was the vicious dog used to guard the institution's entrance. She had sent a message to reassure him, then went undercover alone.
He Yu realized it only later, and only now did he understand what she had been doing during those days when she didn't respond in time.
She never told him about the dangers, but instead told him about her own experiences in a relaxed way.
We encountered another dog today. It saw the sausage in Li Xiang's hand and kept following us. Luckily, I'm a very good driver now, and I quickly left the greedy dog behind.
Another voice message popped up in the dialog box. Tao Wanjia chattered to him about today's work. As He Yu listened, he seemed to be out of control and tears fell silently.
How could there be dogs in an uninhabited area? It must be wolves.
He couldn't stand it anymore and booked the earliest flight to find her.
The next day, when Tao Wanjia opened his eyes, he saw He Yu, who looked exhausted, standing in front of the bed.
"How did you..."
"I miss you."
He held the person tightly in his arms, and his heart finally settled down.
"I just wanted to see what big things our reporter Tao is doing. It just so happened that I came here because the company had nothing to do. What, don't you welcome me?" Afraid that she could see his emotions, He Yu quickly forced a smile.
She had lost a lot of weight and her skin color had darkened, and now she looked more like an artist who had lived in the homeless.
Tao Wanjia squeezed his hand, knowing he was worried, so he quickly replied, "Of course you're welcome. I'll trouble you to carry Reporter Tao's backpack today."
Their eyes met and they both smiled.
At the end of the month, Tao Wanjia finished the report on environmental protection in uninhabited areas.
In November of the same year, she was awarded the journalism award that had been vacant for three years.
She didn't go to the scene, and the trip that she had talked about with He Yu for a long time was only officially implemented now.
The scenery in northern Xinjiang is pleasant, and she relaxed like never before. For the first time in so many years, she picked up a camera just to record her life.
When he was tired, he let He Yu carry him and sit down on the shore.
Across the street is a light blue lake, and the ripples created by the breeze are like the reflections of gems.
He Yu showed her the live broadcast on his phone. Li Xiang stood on the stage to accept the award on her behalf. The girl was a little nervous but her voice was very clear.
"She is the most remarkable investigative reporter I have ever met. She often says, 'If you have a passion and urge to do something, don't listen to anyone, and don't be afraid of the difficulties. Just keep going forward steadily and slowly.'"
Tao Wanjia turned off his cell phone, cutting off the continuous thunderous applause in the receiver.
She always believed that the applause and boos from the crowd were just noise, something intangible and far less important than the lover who was right beside her.
She leaned her head on He Yu's shoulder and picked a branch of foxtail grass from the grass at her feet, which she was very familiar with as a child.
"He Yu." She said softly, "I thought love meant giving your extra parts to your lover, but it's not true. Love means giving to your lover generously even if you don't have anything."
"You've always loved me with all your heart over the years."
She also always felt that it was he who taught her how to love someone.
Tao Wanji weaved the thin grass branches into a ring in his hand. He took a deep breath and looked at the eyes beside him with some nervousness. "Will you marry me?"
She knew he would definitely agree, but her heart was still beating fast, probably because it was too quiet around her, so quiet that it seemed as if there were only the two of them in the world.
She was so busy this year that she had no time to spare and her marriage had been put off again and again. She finally made up her mind at this time.
He Yu was stunned. He didn't expect her to say that at this time. Tao Wanji met his gaze and smiled slowly. "Let me be clear in advance. Your wife may still be away from home for a long time. Maybe she will still make you worry like before. Do you want to consider..."
"Not considering it." He Yu interrupted and leaned over to kiss her.
"I couldn't ask for more."
His eyes were full of smiles as he touched the knotted foxtail grass ring in her hand.
The touch of her fingertips was furry, just like the first time she took him to climb the mountain outside Ronggang.
I pushed aside the weeds on both sides and accurately picked out the sparse and furry foxtail grass mixed in with them. I wanted to make him happy, so I helped him weave a rabbit out of the grass.
"You see, the little rabbit can't talk either, so it's okay, the little rabbit and I will accompany you."
The seven-year-old boy suddenly looked at him and spoke for the first time.
"Tao Wanjia, you are so nice."
He had thought about the past countless times during the years they were apart while constantly looking for her. Even when he was extremely depressed and alcohol had given rise to countless negative emotions, he would ask himself the most profound question.
But until now, He Yu feels that not many things in life can be explained clearly.
Just like when the word "like" first appeared in his mind, the image that came to mind was Tao Wanjia.
Only her.
The two sat quietly.
It was rare for He Yu to be with her like this, doing nothing but admiring the scenery. He couldn't help but think of the days when he used her to practice drawing when he was a child.
It’s a pity that he doesn’t have paper and pen with him, otherwise he would also like to keep the present moment.
After all, photos and paintings are different.
After a moment of thought, he clenched his fist and extended his hand in front of her, asking seriously, "I'd like to interview Reporter Tao. Do you have anything to say about this award and your past years?"
Tao Wanji smiled, then quickly turned serious when he realized what he meant.
"I want to thank myself for my persistence, and the seniors who stood with me, helped and protected me. This honor is not mine alone, it is ours together."
She uses the past years and all of this as motivation to produce better journalism.
He Yu's eyes were filled with love.
"I remember you once said that your life goal was to travel around the world with the great painter He. Now that he can't be a painter anymore, what about now? Has your ideal changed?"
Tao Wanjia knew he didn't mean anything by that, but she still felt a sense of regret and pain at the thought of it not being possible. She covered his hand, which had been like a microphone, with a serious expression.
“It’s pretty much the same now as before.”
"Still by your side."
She has many more ideals.
I want to keep doing this for the rest of my life, never shrinking back, never retreating.
I hope that life will be full of ups and downs, and when I look back, I can still be grateful for my perseverance.
Of course, there are also many fantasies. I hope that the world will be peaceful, that all darkness will be exposed under the sunshine, and that there will always be love and kindness.
————End of the full text————
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