Chapter 391 Only Hope for God: Getting Through New Year's Eve and New Year's Day
To prevent Ms. Chen Yanqiu from engaging in a parent-child relationship and having a long talk with him, Wang Xiao cleverly initiated a mode of relentlessly pursuing the Spring Festival Gala.
Fortunately, the Spring Festival Gala these days is quite entertaining. The advantage of downplaying ideology is that the programs don't focus on making dumplings; whether it's crosstalk or skits, they all speak in plain language.
Ivanov needed her to translate in order to understand the content, but that didn't stop him from exclaiming, "Only by not hiding anything and daring to expose problems can we solve them."
The restructuring of the chip factory into branches of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and the Communist Party of Ukraine greatly affected him. He constantly reflected on why the Soviet Union collapsed.
He had been thinking about this problem for many years, and the issue of propaganda going wrong and the attempt to silence the public was undoubtedly one of the most important triggers.
Wang Xiao shook his head slightly: "Exposing problems doesn't mean they can be solved. Look, the Moscow media are very outspoken now, but they just say it and that's it."
If she had to choose an era, even though she was thriving after time-traveling, she wouldn't want to go back; but she had to admit that she preferred the world before she time-traveled.
Back then, political correctness was strictly enforced. Public figures had to think things through before speaking, otherwise they might inadvertently step on a landmine. The news censorship process was also extremely rigorous.
But back then, public security was good, and problems were resolved very quickly.
At the time, some people compared the situation in China with that in South Korea, saying that South Korea was indeed very bold in exposing corruption, and that television and movies thoroughly criticized the chaebols.
But so what? The chaebols don't care at all. They're even keen to invest in these films and television shows because they make money for them.
The so-called exposure of their dark side will not have any adverse effect on their lives.
After all, humans don't care what ants think.
For ants, the repeated exposure to darkness without effective solutions will eventually numb them.
Just like how bullying has become commonplace in South Korea, where seniors bullying juniors is considered part of the culture, human nature has become distorted.
On New Year's Eve in 1996, Wang Xiao couldn't use South Korea as an example, so he could only discuss with Ivanov in a low voice: "People have always known that darkness exists, and over time, the biological instinct for self-preservation will normalize it. Otherwise, intense pain will drive people insane. Either they will erupt in silence or they will perish in silence."
While watching the Spring Festival Gala and making dumplings, Chen Yanqiu noticed two young people on the sofa whispering to each other, and her temples throbbed.
Oh dear, she wants to sing along too. It's not that she doesn't understand, but the world is changing too fast.
You know, these two young people aren't necessarily incompatible; they can even enjoy a meal together at the same table.
More importantly, they have a lot to talk about; they can chatter away for ages at any time.
They just refuse to have a child together, and refuse to live together.
It's upsetting to look at!
Chen Yanqiu angrily turned her gaze to the television. The quality of the large color TV imported from Japan was indeed good; the faces on the screen were clearer than in a movie.
Look at these young men on TV, they're really handsome.
When they sing, it's like a birch forest in the snow, calming even the most restless heart.
Wang Xiao was also quite satisfied.
There were still some live singers at the 1996 Spring Festival Gala; at least the Polaris Boys sang live.
Uh, that's right, their boy band is called Polaris Boys.
The reason for choosing this name is that Wang Xiao wanted to ride the wave of popularity, similar to Westlife.
Even though Westlife hasn't debuted yet, that doesn't stop her from thinking about the North.
After all, the Backstreet Boys are the ones starting to emerge now, so she can't exactly name them Front Shop Boys.
Anyway, it's just the north, meaning the far north.
Calling him "Arctic Boy" would be less appropriate than calling him "Polaris," as it sounds more sophisticated and has a more star-like quality.
Anyway, their fans really like them.
Under Xiang Dong's management, their songs have already made it onto the radio's pop charts, and their music videos have appeared on song request programs several times. Their main strategy is to get to know the audience first.
Wang Xiao watched as the handsome young men sang a song without any incident, and then, guided by the host, began to wish the Chinese people a Happy New Year.
She turned to her mother with a smug look on her face and asked, "Mom, what do you think?"
Chen Yanqiu's eyes were still glued to the TV screen. She smacked her lips with lingering satisfaction, nodded, and said in affirmation, "Pretty good."
These young men are all incredibly handsome; they're like a row of birch trees standing there.
Before Wang Xiao could even grin, her mother, taking advantage of Ivanov's inability to understand Chinese, launched into a lewd remark: "Why didn't you choose one of them to have a child with?"
Starting a family and establishing a career, or establishing a career and starting a family—whichever comes first, don't neglect either one.
Now that your business has grown so much, it's time to have a child and raise one.
Wang Xiao almost choked on his own saliva.
No wonder Chinese people always call their mothers "Mom"!
Look at this, he's a veteran Party member, and he speaks so boldly.
She was at a loss and could only chuckle, "I'm the boss. If I do anything to them, it's called workplace sexual harassment, it's called unspoken rules. How unethical!"
Chen Yanqiu rolled her eyes at her: "You're not going to have a baby with her, so what does it have to do with me whether it's good or bad?"
Wang Xiao wanted to slap herself; why did she have to deliberately seek out this torment?
Thank goodness, it was indeed the kitten she had rescued during last year's Chinese New Year; it woke up at the crucial moment and saved her dog's life.
Chen Yanqiu got up angrily to go look at the cat.
The next program is a medley of famous Peking Opera excerpts.
Wang Xiao is okay with watching live performances, but he has absolutely no interest in Peking Opera when watching it on TV or listening to the radio.
She took advantage of the time to make a phone call to wish her boss a Happy New Year.
As soon as she dialed the phone, because she was facing the window with her back to the door, and the TV was playing a drama, Chen Yanqiu didn't realize she was on the phone at all and yelled, "What are you standing there for? Come over and breastfeed!"
She has absolutely no sense of responsibility. She brought a cat and a dog home and has never taken care of them since.
Five kittens need to drink milk. How can the mother cat manage without supplementing her nutrition?
Although Ivanov couldn't understand Chinese, he could roughly guess what was going on from Chen Yanqiu's expression.
He immediately stood up obediently from the sofa and proactively offered, "Mom, I'll do it."
There was a noticeable pause on the other end of the phone before a man's voice came through: "When was the baby born? How old is it? Are you having a celebration for the 100-day mark?"
Wang Xiao was also taken aback for a moment, then realized, "Wu Haoyu, you're back in China?"
She laughed out loud, "10 days, 100 days is too late, but we can consider a full moon celebration. As for five kittens, Secretary Fang, if you want to raise cats, you can bring dried fish as a betrothal gift."
Secretary Fang took the microphone on the other end, smiling broadly, "What do you want as a betrothal gift? A cat."
Wang Xiao laughed and said, "Crucian carp, crucian carp will do, it'll help the big cat get better."
“Great!” Secretary Fang agreed readily. “We’ll hire one once it’s weaned. It knows how to catch mice, right?”
Wang Xiao chuckled: "Big Cat is quite good at catching them, let Big Cat teach them properly."
After making the call, Chen Yanqiu realized that the person on the other end was Secretary Fang. She sighed, "She didn't even go home for the New Year. She's all alone in Jinning. How lonely she must be."
Being the top leader isn't easy. It's like selling your whole life to Jiangdong (the area south of the Yangtze River), leaving no time for family and not even being able to go home for the New Year.
Wang Xiao blinked and blurted out, "I'm not lonely at all. Wu Haoyu just answered the phone. I guess his whole family is here."
Legs are on a person's body, and every group revolves around its core.
As a result, Chen Yanqiu became even more upset when she heard Wu Haoyu's name.
Oh my! Xiao Xiao had a whole talk with him, and they didn't even have a child.
It would be better to have the child first and then separate, just take the child with you and be done with it. After all, Wu Haoyu's little boy is quite good-looking, so there's no fear that his child will be born ugly.
When Wang Xiao heard her mother's proposed plan to keep the son and remove the father, her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Good heavens, thank goodness there were no short dramas in 1996.
Otherwise, Ms. Chen Yanqiu would definitely be a seasoned fan of short dramas featuring women running around with a baby.
Before Wang Xiao could even complain, Chairman Chen changed his mind again: "Oh dear, that won't work either. This little boy isn't very bright. If he inherits his intelligence, it'll be a real pain."
Tsk tsk, they're being picky again.
Chen Yanqiu muttered to herself for a while, then slapped her thigh and made up her mind: "Alright, let's go to the graves tomorrow. Let your maternal grandparents and ancestors pick out some for you."
Then she simply and decisively told them to go upstairs and go to sleep.
Wang Xiao stared in disbelief: "Mom, the Spring Festival Gala isn't over yet, and I haven't even had dumplings!"
To make sure she didn't get enough, she even asked her international friends to add more food. "Ivan didn't eat either. It's Chinese New Year, and we didn't even have any late-night snacks."
Unfortunately, Ivan, that coward, felt guilty under Ms. Chen Yanqiu's disappointed gaze and instantly betrayed her: "I'm not eating. I ate too much for New Year's Eve dinner. I need to maintain my figure."
Bah! If men were reliable, pigs would fly.
Wang Xiao glared at him resentfully and quickly ran upstairs.
If we don't go up now, who knows what else her mother will nag about?
On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, Wang Xiao, unusually, wanted to stay in bed, but Chen Yanqiu didn't allow it. Instead, she called people downstairs to eat dumplings, and then, braving the lazy, early-rising sun, went to visit the graves.
Ivanov has spent several Spring Festivals in China, but this is the first time he has gone to visit a grave.
Does he recall such a rule?
Wang Xiao shook her head and muttered to him softly, "Just bear with it. Who can afford to offend my mom these days?"
Ivanov immediately became ashamed and obedient, just like a timid young wife who would never have anyone to add a son to the family.
The reason her belly wasn't showing was because the young master wouldn't enter her room.
But if the young master doesn't come to your room, that's your fault. Who told you you couldn't win his heart?
Chen Yanqiu's failure to give birth to a son did not prevent her from developing in the direction of a wicked mother-in-law. Now, the way she looks at Ivanov, in Wang Xiao's eyes, is also very close to that of a wicked mother-in-law from the old society.
Fortunately, Chen Yanqiu was taught from a young age that there are no small matters in diplomacy, and she had to be careful when dealing with international friends.
So overall, this trip to the cemetery was peaceful and safe from beginning to end.
Apart from Ivanov being required to kneel before the tomb and kowtow several times.
Fortunately, he was always easygoing and didn't care about such trivial matters. So everyone was happy and they walked back in high spirits.
After visiting the grave, Chen Yanqiu felt much better when she looked at Ivanov. She even took the initiative to buy him some candied hawthorns and cotton candy from the street vendors.
This made Ivanov feel flattered and even more useless.
He walked home nervously, with a candied hawthorn in one hand and a cotton candy in the other.
Wang Xiao felt he was extremely guilty, and all the pressure was being borne by innocent people.
But since the only way to ensure her fellow Daoists survived was for her to die, she remained undeterred and watched from the sidelines.
As the car drove toward the parking lot, someone suddenly jumped out.
The driver jerked the steering wheel, and the skewer from the candied hawthorn skewer almost poked the unfortunate Ivanov.
Chen Yanqiu forgot all about maintaining a leader's composure and rolled down the car window to yell at someone: "Hey, what's wrong with you? How can you run into a car like that?"
The person who was scolded looked up, gave an embarrassed smile, and apologized nervously, "Oh dear, Yanqiu, I didn't mean to."
Wang Xiao took Ivanov's hand and examined him.
Thank goodness, the candied hawthorn was inside a paper bag, and the exposed end of the bamboo skewer was relatively thick, only scratching the oily skin on the back of his hand.
As for the cotton candy, it stuck directly into his clothes, leaving a white patch on the front of his coat, but it didn't hurt anyone.
Wang Xiao took the iodine and cotton swabs that were always kept in the car and disinfected the back of his hand.
When she heard the other person call her mother's name, she looked up curiously.
They have very few relatives, and there aren't many people who can call her mother by her first name these days.
Chen Yanqiu had already gotten out of the car and closed the door behind him, clearly intending to separate the two worlds.
Wang Xiaoqi found it strange and whispered to her father, "Who is it?"
Her father's relatives from his hometown? They don't seem like it, they all speak with a local Jinning accent.
Wang Tiejun also looked like he had a headache, muttering under his breath, "Who could it be? Zhang Yan's mother."
Wang Xiao blinked several times before realizing who Zhang Yan was.
Who could it be?
In the autumn of 1990, when she first transmigrated, the enemy of the original owner that she was fighting with was the one who secretly loved the original owner's husband.
Oh, let's add another familiar label: Xiang Dong's ex-girlfriend.
After hearing the explanation, Wang Xiao was even more confused: "Why did her mother come to my house on the first day of the Lunar New Year?"
It was still the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year. According to the custom of "paying New Year's greetings to family members before outsiders and to elders before peers," most people only pay New Year's greetings to the core direct elders of their family.
Well, I really have to say something.
A person's lifestyle is reflected on their face. Zhang Yan's mother and Comrade Chen Yanqiu should be about the same age, but now she looks more than ten years older than the latter.
Especially the way she wiped away her tears, she looked so dejected and haggard.
Wang Tiejun didn't respond enthusiastically to his daughter's gossip, and sighed again: "Every family has its own problems, you shouldn't ask."
Wang Xiao was furious. How could this be? There was clearly something to eat, but they wouldn't let anyone have a piece of the melon.
Fortunately, since her father is unreliable, she still has her mother to rely on.
Chen Yanqiu, who was outside the car, said something to Zhang Yan's mother, who looked embarrassed and then left with the package box.
As she left, she kept turning back, her face showing a mixture of unspoken words and something else.
Chen Yanqiu waved to her firmly, got into the car with a smile, and closed the door.
"Let's go for a drive."
What else could she do but go for a drive? That was just an excuse; she was in a hurry to go out and visit relatives for the New Year, which is why she sent the person away.
What were they doing when they went out? They were missing some New Year's goods, so they went out to buy them.
As for the New Year's gifts the guests brought, please take them back yourself. I'm going to visit other people's relatives soon, so it's not appropriate for me to take them with me.
Wang Xiao couldn't help but ask, "Mom, what's going on? Why is she so young and running into our house?"
Chen Yanqiu was still angry: "The security guards at this gatehouse are undisciplined. How can they let just anyone in?"
Security measures in the villa area with straight gates are extremely strict; non-owners are not allowed to enter unless they have permission from the owner.
Wang Tiejun comforted her, "It's the Lunar New Year, there are so many people visiting each other, the security guards on duty can't keep an eye on everyone. Alright, alright, don't get angry over people like that."
"How can I not be angry?" Chen Yanqiu grew angrier the more she thought about it. "It's the New Year, and she comes here, crying and sobbing in front of everyone. Who is she trying to impress? Who is she trying to annoy? I've already made things clear to her, but she keeps going on and on. It's ridiculous. Do I owe her something?!"
Why are you calling me Yanqiu? It's like we're on such good terms. Don't you even know what despicable things your family has done? We haven't been in touch for ages.
They don't even have the proper attitude when asking for a favor!
Wang Xiao quickly grabbed her mother's arm, her eyes sparkling: "Mom, what happened?"
Chen Yanqiu said irritably, "What could have happened? It's all Zhang Yan's fault."
Wang Xiao hadn't heard this name in a long time; she only knew that she seemed to have left the steel factory.
"What's wrong with her?"
"Sigh—" Chen Yanqiu's face was full of unspeakable sorrow, "Don't even mention it, she ruined herself."
After her scandal and breakup with Xiang Dong, she neither worked properly nor found someone to settle down with; instead, she went further and further astray.
The Jinling Hotel is frequented by many Hong Kong and Taiwanese businessmen, and somehow she got involved with one of them, becoming his mistress and living a life of luxury.
But the good days don't last long. Taiwanese businessmen keep mistresses just for the novelty. After a couple of years, the novelty wears off, and they find someone new.
Zhang Yan was kicked out of the hotel's long-stay room.
Wang Xiao couldn't believe her ears when she heard this: "She didn't even ask for a house? She just stayed in a hotel."
Heavens above, earth below, what kind of intelligence is this?
They're treating themselves like commodities; don't they know how to sell themselves at a higher price?
"What do you mean, 'need a house'?" Chen Yanqiu shook his head. "Eight out of ten private rooms in the hotel are occupied by these mistresses!"
Wang Xiao clicked his tongue and commented with questionable morals: "That Taiwanese businessman is quite unethical, completely trying to get something for nothing."
Chen Yanqiu felt she should speak the truth: "The man wasn't completely immoral; he gave her 100,000 yuan before breaking up."
This is no small sum of money; many people work their whole lives and still can't earn 100,000 yuan.
"She must be living a good life," Wang Xiao commented objectively. "With the current interest rates, she wouldn't starve just by living off the interest in the bank."
Chen Yanqiu slapped her hand: "That's right! Even a fool knows what to do, but Zhang Yan, she must have been kicked in the head by a donkey!"
She didn't spend a single penny of the 100,000 yuan on herself or at home; it was all lured away by con artists.
Wang Xiao's eyes widened in disbelief: "Not a single point was missed?"
Chen Yanqiu nodded: "That's right, we wasted several years of our time with an old man."
Wang Xiao asked curiously, "Then why did her mother come to you? Does she want to go back to work at the factory? That's none of your business."
Chen Yanqiu waved her hand again: "Her matter is not over yet. Let her be deceived by the con artists. There are still more foolish things she did."
How foolish of her? She went to sell it.
Being a mistress to a Taiwanese businessman is considered wholesale, a moral issue, and not illegal.
It can be broken down into smaller parts. If it's sold in small quantities, that's called prostitution, which is officially listed in the law. If you get caught in a crackdown on prostitution and illegal publications, you can be sent to a labor camp for six months.
Zhang Yan's current status is that of a released labor camp worker.
"Her mother didn't know how to manage things before, and was even smug watching her daughter live a life of luxury with the Taiwanese businessman. Now that things have come to this, she's finally remembered that she's a mother!"
As Chen Yanqiu spoke, she shook her head. "The factory is currently implementing a layoff system. Her mother still has two years until retirement, so she wants to retire early and let Zhang Yan take over."
Wang Xiao asked in surprise, "They're still doing succession planning now? Didn't they say they stopped a long time ago?"
When she met the factory director last year, he told her that he was determined not to open the door to succession again.
"That's why she's making a scene," Chen Yanqiu complained, her face full of exasperation. "Doesn't she realize that you can't make exceptions for her family? If this continues, what will people say about our steel mill? A concentration of convicts!"
And it's the kind with the worst reputation!
She sighed deeply, "That woman is so foolish. If she had been even a little bit sensible and gotten married earlier, she wouldn't have ended up like this."
Wang Xiao disagreed: "Mom, what kind of wrong thinking is that? It's like marriage and having children are a woman's safety net. If you can't even manage on your own, how can you expect to manage a team well? Is that realistic?"
Experience has shown that people who rely on others to bail them out often find their situation getting worse and worse.
Chen Yanqiu was speechless at her words and could only glare at her, saying sullenly, "Then why not get married and have children? She shouldn't have stayed in Jinning after being dumped by the Taiwanese businessman. Her reputation is ruined! Going to Shanghai or Shenzhen, wouldn't it be better to develop her career there than to stay at home?"
Wang Xiao continued to shake his head, unable to be optimistic: "People who are used to making quick money find it hard to live a down-to-earth life."
Doing an ordinary job, working yourself to the bone, and not making much money in a month, how can it compare to lying down and making a lot of money?
How many of those escorts and bar girls who claim they'll retire after making enough money end up with a good ending? That's just human nature—greedy and lazy.
Wang Xiao believes that she has no right to laugh at others in this regard, because she also wants to earn the most money in the shortest amount of time.
Otherwise, why would she have stayed in Russia for so long last year?
The area is notoriously unsafe; people are being shot even on the streets.
The political arena is in complete chaos, and I'm caught in the middle of it all. I don't know if I'll be purged the next second.
Because high risk comes with high profit! The Surgut oil field alone, based on its production capacity, is worth no less than $2 billion. Siberian oil fields, on the other hand, are worth over $3 billion.
This doesn't even include the value of the oil refinery.
Think about the price they paid to acquire these two major oil companies? That's a profit of twenty or thirty times.
Who can resist making quick money? They're willing to take any risk, no matter how big. Besides, the transaction is legal.
Therefore, Wang Xiao firmly shook his head: "If you don't understand your own abilities, it'll be the same no matter where you go, you won't live a good life."
Chen Yanqiu was too lazy to care about Zhang Yan's affairs.
With so many employees in the factory, she can't even take care of everyone. Why would she care about a notorious outsider?
"You have the nerve to say that? I see you've lived a good life, but you haven't given me a grandchild to raise!"
Then she grabbed her daughter's ear and bit her through gritted teeth, "Those Russian guys on TV are your subordinates, you can't sexually harass them in the workplace. But why couldn't you do it to Ivan? It's not that bad, he's got a great figure and a handsome face. Just sleep with him."
Wang Xiao was stunned. Sure enough, the older generation were the most formidable.
Otherwise, how did the reserved and simple Chinese people create a population of 1.4 billion?
Listen to what her mother is saying, what kind of 18+ stuff is that?
She racked her brains and finally came up with a reason, whispering in her mother's ear: "No, Ivan smells bad, and I won't want to do anything if I'm bothered by the smell."
Unexpectedly, Chen Yanqiu was far more ruthless than her daughter had imagined. She immediately came up with an idea: "Then you can sleep with him when your nose is stuffy and you can't smell him."
Wang Xiao's values were shattered.
Good heavens, she thought she was pretty good at having fun, but compared to her mother, she was just a greenhorn.
If her nose is stuffy, she definitely has a bad cold. And yet, he still manages to get her to sleep with men?
Wang Xiao firmly refused: "Don't even think about it. Even if I sleep with him, I won't have a child. When do you want to have a child? No need for a 10-month pregnancy, no difficult labor, no stretch marks, no sagging, no prolapse. Only then can you talk to me about having a child."
Ugh, it's the same old routine again!
Chen Yanqiu slapped her daughter on the back angrily: "If your mother had this ability, she would have won the Nobel Prize long ago."
Annoying!
This brat is so annoying!
Since it was a large truck that came out, the mother and daughter whispered to each other on one side, without interrupting Wang Tiejun and Ivanov's conversation on the other.
Wang Tiejun believed that as the deputy director of the steel plant and a veteran Party member, he shouldn't gossip about a female comrade's private affairs, especially in front of foreigners.
So he immediately started another conversation with Ivanov in Russian: "Ivanov, how do you deal with laid-off workers? I heard that your factory has a lot of workers too."
Ivanov honestly replied, "We can't handle it; we can only digest it gradually."
He complained to Wang Tiejun, “Our Russian workers are much harder to manage. When China operates joint ventures and manages its workers according to foreign standards, the workers can still grit their teeth and accept it. Our workers, however, don’t care at all and just do whatever they want.”
This is probably a legacy left to Russian workers by the Soviet Union: they subconsciously feel that they are the best and have a natural sense of superiority over others and other systems.
Wang Tiejun was also worried for him: "Then what are you going to do? They're all getting older and older, how can the factory keep running? Even if you let them retire early, you still have to pay them retirement pensions."
Ivanov explained to him the diversion method implemented in Russia, which divides people into two groups and gradually wears down the group that cannot shoulder the main responsibility.
He spread his hands, his tone a mixture of helplessness and relief: "We have a lot of alcoholics, and alcoholics have short lifespans. Now we can only hope that God will help us optimize our workforce structure."
See, the end of science is metaphysics; in crucial moments, we still need God's help.
What else can be done? All these employees who have been reassigned are just a bunch of big mouths; where is he going to find food for them?
Let time heal all the problems that arise during the reform process.
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[Let me see] Good morning!
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