"That's good. Just stay there and don't worry about anything else. Everything's fine at home."
The two talked for a long time, as if the phone call was free, until Suti felt someone lingering behind him, probably waiting to make a call, before reluctantly hanging up.
"Um... hello comrade, are you an educated youth sent to the countryside?" Su Ti was about to pay the fee when he was stopped by the person behind him.
"Yes, is there anything I can help you with?" Suti noticed that he was wearing work clothes and had a bag tucked under his arm, so he obviously had a formal job.
"May I ask where you're from?" The man's eyes lit up when he heard her say that.
"What do you want?" Suti frowned, confirming that he didn't recognize this person.
"Comrade, don't misunderstand. It's like this: I'm from the county propaganda department. I've come to Lanshan Commune to inspect the propaganda work there."
"I'm not entirely satisfied with the propaganda slogans and posters between the various brigades. I've reported the situation to my superiors, but this isn't something that can be done in a day or two."
"The propaganda work cannot be stopped. The comrades in the county town all have families, so it is not appropriate for them to be sent here."
"I was just wondering how to resolve this, and I was just about to call home and tell them I'd go back in a couple of days."
"I overheard you talking to your family just now, and I could tell you were a well-educated and good comrade. Do you know how to draw?"
That person was clearly desperate and grasping at straws; if he didn't do a good job, he'd probably have to stay here.
He couldn't stand being in this desolate wilderness for even a day longer, and he couldn't find a suitable person to do the work for him anytime soon.
It's rare to see people here who have even attended high school, let alone studied art or anything like that.
I just overheard her on the phone mentioning foreign exchange drafts and milk powder coupons.
It's obvious she's not from an ordinary family. I just don't know how she ended up in the countryside. Hearing her admit she was a sent-down youth makes me think she has even more opportunities.
"You want me to work in the propaganda department? I'm a sent-down youth." Su Ti was taken aback; her first thought was that this person was a liar.
"Yes...no, you are still an educated youth, but we pay you a salary, so you are an unofficial staff member."
That person knew that the educated youth's household registration was in the brigade, and they couldn't go anywhere without a letter of introduction.
Besides, he doesn't have the authority to recruit workers. He definitely can't hire permanent employees, but he can find help from within the brigade.
Each time a promotional activity is assigned, a sum of money is approved from above, which is enough to pay salaries.
Suti understood; it was just a matter of occupying the title of the propaganda department, but there was money to be made.
"Will you issue a certificate? If I go to do these things, I definitely can't do farm work anymore. I have to explain it to the brigade."
Suti didn't care whether the man was lying to her or not; if he could really provide a certificate, she would do it.
That way she wouldn't have to work in the fields. As for drawing propaganda slogans and posters, she hadn't thought about those issues.
Even if she's not a professional, her handwriting is definitely better than the crooked and messy handwriting of the captains in various brigades.
"Of course, if you agree, I'll make a report to the higher-ups. I'll communicate with your team beforehand and won't make things difficult for you."
"Comrade, tell me which brigade you're in and your name, and I'll come find you soon."
Upon hearing that there was hope, the man quickly took out a piece of paper from his bag and carefully wrote down the name of Suti's brigade.
Su Ti felt that this person was unreliable. Even if a suitable one couldn't be found in the commune, there were plenty of educated youth in the brigade who had excellent handwriting.
As for painting, you can find it by asking around. How could such a good thing possibly fall into her lap?
So he didn't take it seriously, went inside to pay the money and left, while Wei Baichuan must have been getting anxious waiting outside.
"Wife, what did you say to Grandpa? Did you mention me?" Wei Baichuan was indeed very anxious outside.
He felt he should greet his maternal grandparents, but he was afraid that this time he might leave a bad impression.
"Don't worry, my parents like you very much, and my grandfather will like you too. He even asked about you and found out that you were out looking after things. He also said that I should bring you back for the New Year."
Suti knew what Wei Baichuan was worried about. Her maternal grandfather and his family were just like her mother and her family; as long as she liked it, they wouldn't have any objections.
As for what Grandpa said, don't say it out loud to scare Wei Baichuan; he's timid.
"That's good. I was just worried that Grandpa would think I was impolite." Wei Baichuan knew that his wife would definitely speak up for him.
"Oh, right, I also ran into someone earlier." Su Ti told Wei Baichuan about what the person who claimed to be from the propaganda department had said as they left the post office.
One listens, the other speaks; their backs are far apart, yet love rises with the wind, an unstoppable, bone-deep happiness.
Suti enjoyed this feeling of sharing everything and being inseparable from Wei Baichuan; she knew how insecure Wei Baichuan was.
It's understandable that she doesn't like it this way. She wants to slowly bring him out of her shell. He is her lover, the person she wants to spend her life with.
So what if their family backgrounds are mismatched? Their love is equal.
"Wife, if it's true, you should definitely agree. That way you won't have to work in the fields." Wei Baichuan was worrying about the autumn harvest.
During the harvest season, everyone had to participate. In the past, when people were cutting pig feed or had more able-bodied family members slacking off, the brigade leader would turn a blind eye.
The autumn harvest won't work; there's a lot of rain here, and they're afraid that half the harvest will be completed before the rainy season arrives.
Once the autumn harvest begins, the team members must work together; anyone who dares to slack off will be publicly criticized.
Of course, to encourage everyone, the maximum work points for men were 10 and for women were 8 during normal times. During the autumn harvest, men could earn up to 12 work points and women could earn 10 work points.
This is a good thing for many families, as more work points mean that at the end of the year, they will receive not only grain and money but also meat.
But Wei Baichuan didn't care about any of that. He would rather go to the mountains to hunt and sell his catch and take risks than let his wife suffer.
"That's what I thought too, but it's not that easy. There are plenty of educated youth in each brigade, and in our brigade, there's even someone who can play the accordion."
Suti was just talking to Wei Baichuan; she didn't think it would work out at all.
She had also experienced the harvest rush in the brigade, and she knew that it would pass if she just endured it.
“If this won’t work, we can find something else.” This incident reminded Wei Baichuan that if all else fails, he can find his wife a comfortable job.
The person in charge of recording work points in the brigade can do it. Go back and have a good talk with the brigade leader. The Party Secretary will definitely have no objections.
We still need to discuss this with the other members of the brigade headquarters.
Fortunately, Wei Changgen was no longer the brigade leader; otherwise, even if they had separated, he would have had plenty of ways to make things difficult for them.
When Suti and Wei Baichuan returned to the brigade, they learned that something had happened there.
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