With this approval document, things will be much easier.
Xu Ningyan thanked Section Chief Zhang, took the note, and left.
I first went to the finance office to pay the money, and then took the receipt from the finance office along with this approval slip to the warehouse.
The warehouse staff must have heard about it too, because they brought the person inside and took them to a corner where there were more than a dozen packed packages.
The warehouse manager tilted his head and gestured: "Each package is sealed, and the weight is the same, but the color is random. Which two packages do you want?"
The Party Secretary rubbed his hands together. Even though he was a roughneck, he knew that when it came to things for women to wear on their heads, they had to be pretty and colorful to be popular. If he took back some black, gray, or blue ones, how could he sell them if they turned out dull and gray?
He tried to ask them to do him a favor and let them choose carefully, but the warehouse manager turned him down, saying that they couldn't choose and that whatever they got was what they got, that was the rule.
Xu Ningyan, however, saw through the trick. He took out a pack of Daqianmen cigarettes from his pocket—actually, from his spatial storage—and stuffed it into the administrator's hand: "Uncle, could you please do us a favor? We'll just pick a few things out; it definitely won't take up too much of your time!"
The warehouse manager glanced at the cigarette in his hand and smiled slightly: "Alright, since you call me uncle, I'll do you a favor! You have half an hour. Once you've chosen and decided, you can't change it!"
Xu Ningyan nodded repeatedly to indicate that she understood. After watching the warehouse manager leave, she hurriedly stepped forward and opened the package to make a small slit, looking inside to see what color the strips of cloth were.
After working up a sweat, I finally picked out two packs.
The administrator was called in, and after looking at it, he stepped forward and marked and sealed the entrance.
Perhaps seeing that Xu Ningyan was quite sensible, she took the initiative to ask, "Are you taking these two packages now, or are you going to store them for a few days?"
Xu Ningyan discussed it with the Party Secretary for a while. The Party Secretary had to rush back to the Tuanjie Brigade today and could only take one bag with him at most.
After Xu Ningyan finishes her business here, she can take the rest back. She should call the commune in advance and have someone notify them so that the Tuanjie Brigade can send someone to pick her up.
So, I only took one package, and put the rest aside. I wrote a string of numbers on it and got a slip of paper. I can pick it up later using the slip.
The Party Secretary was both happy and somewhat ashamed that things had gone so smoothly.
He didn't help at all during this shopping trip; he was less clever and resourceful than Xu Ningyan, a little girl who did nothing but pay for things.
I'm just here to be a paid mascot.
Now that the dust had settled, he didn't want to stay in the county town for even a minute longer. He felt uncomfortable and timid everywhere he went.
He'd better hurry back to the Unity Brigade; that's his territory.
The two waited for Li Jianguo to come out of the garment factory with a bag of scraps of cloth. They then went back to the department store, bought a thousand rubber bands, and had lunch at the department store canteen. The Party Secretary then took the rubber bands and the bag of scraps of cloth to the bus station to wait for a bus back to the Tuanjie Brigade.
Xu Ningyan saw the Party Secretary off to his car. Seeing that it was still early, she remembered the letter Gu Zhiyuan had asked her to deliver and went to Changlai Lane first.
Fortunately, Sun Zhou was at home and didn't seem surprised to see Xu Ningyan.
He subtly scrutinized Xu Ningyan from head to toe before finally offering a smile: "Comrade Xu, come in and have a seat! I'll have to trouble you to wait a moment. I'd like to see what his letter says, and there are some other things I'd like you to take to him."
Xu Ningyan hesitated for a moment, then followed Sun Zhou into the courtyard.
Sun Zhou probably noticed that Xu Ningyan was a little reserved, and also considered that it was not appropriate for a man and a woman to be alone in the same courtyard, so he left the courtyard gate open.
Moreover, he didn't invite Xu Ningyan into the house, but let her sit under the flower trellis in the yard, poured her a cup of tea, and then sat opposite her, opening the letter.
Not knowing what Gu Zhiyuan wrote in his letter, Sun Zhou glanced at the letter twice, then at her twice.
Xu Ningyan felt a chill run down her spine.
She and Gu Zhiyuan had agreed beforehand that the fewer people knew about their marriage, the better, and they didn't need to tell anyone.
The brigade leader and the party secretary had originally planned to have them host a wedding banquet and for them to be the witnesses, but due to various unexpected events during this period, such as the twists and turns in her work and the fact that the Lu family had moved to the Xu family, the two of them stopped mentioning it.
Their marriage was a sham from the start, and they didn't want to cause any trouble, so they pretended not to know and ignored it.
Could it be that Gu Zhiyuan told Sun Zhou in his letter? Otherwise, why would he view himself this way?
He felt uneasy inside, but his face remained calm.
Xu Ningyan picked up his teacup and drank water, letting Sun Zhou look him over, completely calm and composed.
Sun Zhou could see a resemblance to Gu Zhiyuan in Xu Ningyan, which was infuriating.
Looking at the letter again, besides explaining the important matters, what else was written? Almost half of the letter was devoted to asking himself to find various things for him.
Besides a women's watch, she also asked for two of the most popular small-sized Dacron women's shirts. What's most unbelievable is that she even asked if we had any women's hair clips from Shanghai, so she could save a few for him to choose from when he has time.
It's absolutely outrageous!
Has Gu Zhiyuan, this blockhead who's been stuck in the past for ages, finally fallen for worldly desires?
Otherwise, given his nature of avoiding women like the plague, why would he buy these things?
This means that if one is unmoved, all is well; but once one is moved, it's a whole different story!
Which deity enlightened Gu Zhiyuan?
Sun Zhou stroked his chin, pondering.
Previously, Gu Zhiyuan not only called him but also sent someone to deliver a message, asking him to use his boss's connections to secure Xu Ningyan's job.
He suspected the guy's intentions at the time.
But Gu Zhiyuan said that the girl was implicated by him. She lost a good permanent job. If he couldn't even keep her temporary job, then he owed the girl too much.
Sun Zhou had no doubts at the time, but now, looking at this letter, how could he not understand?
I'm afraid all these things are prepared for Xu Ningyan.
That's strange. Didn't Gu Zhiyuan previously try his best to distance himself from her, afraid that this girl would get attached to him?
Why are you suddenly being so nice to them?
Is it really just because he dragged that young girl into this mess and wanted to make amends?
If you want to compensate for your job, just give money. Why do you need to buy watches, clothes, and hair clips?
Who is this guy trying to fool?
Sun Zhou wanted to ask Xu Ningyan, but seeing Xu Ningyan holding a teacup, blinking her eyes and drinking water with an innocent look on her face, she couldn't bring herself to ask.
Moreover, Gu Zhiyuan knew him too well. At the very end of the letter, he warned him to just buy the things and have Xu Ningyan take them back. He shouldn't ask any more questions, or he wouldn't be spared.
Tsk tsk! Protecting them so tightly! And you still say you have nothing to hide?
Sun Zhou grinned.
After thinking for a moment, he asked with a hint of malice, "Comrade Xu, how is my husband, Lao Gu, doing these days? Has anything unusual happened to him lately?"
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