The dark muzzle of a gun was inches away, and Zheng Yan's raised fingers were trembling. "Let's talk this out. Put that thing down first."
His response was the click of a bullet being chambered. The woman's expression was indifferent, showing neither the arrogance she displayed when intimidating others, nor the murderous intent she seemed ready to kill at any moment.
It was precisely that cold, clueless gaze that terrified Zheng Yan.
He had seen Han Li laughing as he used a crooked-handled stick to threaten people by poking their foreheads repeatedly.
I've also seen infantrymen shooting Japanese soldiers, their entire focus on locking onto their targets, leaving no energy for any ferocious or contorted expressions.
At this moment, Zheng Yan was surrounded by death, and an immense fear arose in his heart. His legs seemed rooted to the ground, so stiff that he didn't even have the strength to move a finger.
"Go and carry out the order."
A gesture made Ruan Xianxian turn her face slightly, and her human scent finally returned. Zheng Yan, the old fox, sensed it and scrambled out.
Turning around, he nearly bumped into four other wounded soldiers who had rushed over after hearing the commotion. He stumbled, his face and eyes filled with deep humiliation.
But he dared not delay. Without looking back, he ran to the livestock shed, picked the nearest duck shed, closed his eyes, and lay down on the ground.
Chen Zhaodi, carrying a broom for the heated brick bed in her arms, followed closely behind, her face full of innocent kindness. "Secretary, you forgot your broom. Keep it in your mouth."
The half-grown ducks were so frightened by the sudden appearance of the two-legged creature that they flapped their wings and ran around the shed in a panic. Zheng Yan lay on the ashes of the stove, which was covered with duck feathers and droppings, like a stick.
Zhao Di kindly stuffed the broom into his mouth, and he was filled with humiliation. He didn't turn around until he heard footsteps behind him. He knew that the person coming was Ruan Xianxian.
He dared not dawdle any longer, his hands and feet were as if welded to his body, he just held the broom in his mouth and shook his head left and right to sweep.
Duck droppings, duck feathers, and stove ash flew into his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose all at once. He couldn't hold on for more than half a minute before he was choked and could no longer endure it.
His disheveled and embarrassed appearance made him wish he had never been at the farm that morning.
"It turns out that Secretary Zheng's cleaning method was a bad example and could not effectively and quickly manage the duck house."
Ruan Xianxian pushed open the wooden railing and went inside. She bent down to help Zheng Yan up, not looking at him directly, and nodded slightly. "You stand to the side."
Then he asked Zhaodi to bring a proper broom with two nylon ropes, and tied the broom to his left leg with the ropes, and moved his left foot.
With the help of a broom, cleaning can be completed, though not effortlessly.
She carefully swept the ashes from the stove, which were covered in duck droppings, outside the enclosure, doing it again if it wasn't clean the first time.
Often, ducks would flap and cause trouble, so she would stop, use her bare foot (without a broom) to shoo them away, and then continue cleaning.
The duck shed floor was spotless, and knee-high piles of ash from the furnace lay outside the enclosure. Wei Guo, who had watched the whole thing, had bright, sparkling eyes.
"I know what to do, factory manager."
"Good to know." Ruan Xianxian turned her gaze away from Wei Guo. The principle was very simple, and she could figure it out herself after some time without anyone pointing it out.
“If the tools aren’t handy, take them to the village and ask a carpenter to modify them. I hired you to work, not to endure this humiliation.”
"You can listen to what human beings say, but if they're not human, just beat them up."
As she spoke, her almond-shaped eyes swept across Zheng Yan's face, who was trying to minimize his presence in the corner. The coldness in her gaze sent a shiver down his spine.
Ruan Xianxian untied the nylon rope, threw the broom aside, and looked at the five wounded soldiers that Feng Guang had brought to her.
This includes Wei Guo, who, on the battlefield, tried to take the enemy down with him, but was blown off by a bomb and barely survived.
Dong Dali was captured by the enemy while fighting against the US and aiding Vietnam. He was tortured for three days and two nights, losing all ten fingers and one eye, before being rescued by our army.
During a surprise attack by the enemy, in order to cover the wounded soldiers' evacuation, Dr. Li was pierced by shrapnel from a grenade, permanently damaging his lungs and internal organs.
Du Hongfu, whose legs were severed at the base, leaving him with almost only his upper body.
Ruan Xianxian's gaze finally fell on Gu Chengxuan, who was not listed in the records, and who appeared to be disabled but was sitting in a wheelchair.
After saying "Meeting" to himself, he walked towards the commune office next door.
As for Zheng Yan, who was left in the corner, no one paid him any attention.
Upon entering the commune's dilapidated little meeting room, Ruan Xianxian sat down and pressed her lower abdomen, relieving her chronic menstrual cramps.
Song Nanli had read it and said meaningfully, "It will be better after marriage." I didn't understand what she meant.
Outside the door, five people filed in, looking at Ruan Xianxian, who was slumped in her chair with her head drooping to the side, her posture so bad she was practically putting her legs up on the conference table.
For some reason, their tense backs relaxed, and they each found a place to sit.
Dong Dali even lifted Du Hongfu, who was only one meter tall, onto a chair.
"You all know my identity. I am Ruan Xianxian, a national defense security officer, and also the director of an oil pressing and breeding farm." She smiled, her almond-shaped eyes bright and round, showing no airs of officialdom.
After I introduced myself, he asked with concern, "How are you doing? Are you settling into your work?"
Sitting in his wheelchair, with his fingers interlaced on his lower abdomen, Gu Chengxuan spoke gently, "Aside from being a little unaccustomed to it when I first arrived and making a few jokes, everything is fine now."
"What a load of crap!" Ruan Xianxian's expression suddenly changed, and she slammed her hand on the long table. "What kind of bastard is that Zheng guy?"
Are you all made of clay? Are you going to let him knead and flatten you as he pleases?
Ruan Xianxian, who was slamming her fist on the table and roaring loudly, was not scary at all; in fact, she was a bit cute and fierce, completely different from the factory director Ruan who had just been expressionless in the livestock shed and had pulled out a gun at the slightest disagreement.
It makes people feel close to you without even realizing it.
Wei Guo wanted to salute, but realized he couldn't, a hint of regret flashing in his eyes. He stood up and stood at attention, about to call out "Report!" but was glared at by Ruan Xianxian and stopped.
This was no longer a military camp. He coughed lightly, but after being glared at, his voice involuntarily softened.
"That guy surnamed Zheng is acting all high and mighty, but actually, with Director Xiang and Chengxuan protecting us, we haven't suffered any injustice."
Today, Lao Xiang went to a meeting in the county again. I got up early and that bastard Zheng caught me red-handed.
Ruan Xianxian glanced at Gu Chengxuan with surprise, then collected her thoughts, took the work log handed to her by Zhao Di, and looked through it one by one, casually saying:
"As long as you haven't been wronged, otherwise I'll beat that son of a bitch to death."
Everyone laughed. They were all people who had died once before, so how could they not see through Zheng Yan's little tricks of eliminating dissidents and trying to replace them with his own people?
I just don't want to disrupt the stable life I've finally managed to settle down. He hasn't crossed any lines, so I'm too lazy to bother with him.
Ruan Xianxian understood, but still said, "That kind of person only gets more arrogant the more you ignore them. If you give in one step, they'll keep giving in the next. If I come back, they can go back and enjoy their retirement."
These words were spoken with great authority, and the five of them liked to hear them.
The First Army provided manpower and resources to help with the construction. The oil pressing and breeding farm was completed a month and a half ago. After a half-month trial operation, the farm officially opened for business when the first batch of chickens and ducks hatched.
The personnel were arranged in an orderly manner, and the work was done in a well-organized way, far exceeding expectations. She did not point out the few shortcomings at the first opportunity.
She is a national hero; she has neither the right nor the need to intimidate her.
He looked up, smiled, and asked, "You've taken care of everything, whether it's needed or not. Is there anything I, as the factory manager, can do?"
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