Chapter 18 Self-Reflection: One Radish, One Hole (Fifth Update)...
"Use this loudspeaker first, then go to the broadcasting station," the Revolutionary Committee member said. "We won't stop you from going to the broadcasting station."
"..." Shi Guilan wondered if she wanted to go to the broadcasting station. She didn't want to stand here and make a self-criticism in front of everyone.
"Quickly, read your self-criticism!" the Revolutionary Committee urged Shi Guilan.
Shi Guilan hesitated, clearly unwilling to stand there reading her self-criticism. Too many people were passing by; at this time of year, many were out buying groceries, and not everyone cooks early. Some families prefer to eat breakfast first and then go grocery shopping, giving them more time.
"I..." Shi Guilan saw that those people were staring at her, and she really had no choice but to bite the bullet and go.
"Take the megaphone," the staff member reminded Shi Guilan once again.
Shi Guilan felt sullen. It was bad enough that she was being made to read a self-criticism aloud, but now she had to hold a megaphone. And this self-criticism had a word count requirement; it wasn't just a few hundred words, it had to be two thousand.
Last night, Shi Guilan spent a long time writing a self-criticism, checking for any mistakes or omissions, and making sure she didn't portray herself as too bad. Shi Guilan wrote down reasons for every single thing she did; for example, she also said that Song Fenglan had a bad class background, and that she only spoke up because others' behavior was inappropriate, all for their own good.
Then, Shi Guilan took the megaphone and spoke over there.
Before Shi Guilan could finish speaking, someone threw rotten vegetable leaves at her, and soon after, others started throwing rotten eggs at her.
The law doesn't punish everyone; if Shi Guilan wanted to hold a grudge, she should hold it against everyone. With so many people around, even if Shi Guilan wanted to glare at them, she had to consider the occasion. This wasn't the right time to glare at them. Shi Guilan could only stare at the self-criticism and stammer as she finished speaking.
"We must resolutely resist the bourgeoisie. We cannot ignore their mistakes just because a bourgeois heiress married a soldier; their very existence is a mistake," Shi Guilan said. "We..."
Shi Guilan thought that since she had already been hit with smashed vegetable leaves and rotten eggs, she had to say those words. Shi Guilan didn't think she was wrong; the wrong one was Song Fenglan. Song Fenglan shouldn't have married Qin Yizhou in the first place.
It's important to understand that Song Fenglan isn't the only wealthy young lady from the bourgeoisie here; there are others as well. These women had previously been looked down upon and criticized by Shi Guilan, and now, with Shi Guilan continuing to speak so critically, they felt she wasn't referring to Song Fenglan, but rather to them, which fueled their anger.
No matter how hard they tried to integrate into these people, no matter how much they did, these people could negate all their efforts with just one sentence.
Shi Guilan's clothes and hair were covered in rotten vegetable leaves and rotten eggs, making her stink, but she still had to stand there and finish what she had to say. Shi Guilan's face was pale, but she still had to persevere.
"I don't think you've admitted your mistake at all."
"We can't compare to you; we can't get things done like this."
"With a wife like you, your husband's fame will spread far and wide!"
...
Not far away, Staff Officer Xu stood there, not wanting to pull those people away. Staff Officer Xu's expression was even worse than Shi Guilan's. He hadn't originally wanted to come over, but after thinking about it, he felt he had to come and take a look. And once he did, he saw the problem.
Staff Officer Xu hadn't expected so many people to dislike his wife, nor had he expected that the self-criticism she read was different from the one she wrote the night before. Staff Officer Xu had already instructed Shi Guilan the previous night that she should know when to back down and resolve the matter smoothly, but Shi Guilan clearly hadn't intended to resolve the issue smoothly.
Relying on being Staff Officer Xu's wife, Shi Guilan knew that these people were unlikely to punish her more severely, nor would they kick her out of the family compound. Staff Officer Xu's children all needed Shi Guilan's care, and without her around, who would take care of them? No one else could continue to help Staff Officer Xu care for his children indefinitely.
Those children can be very annoying when they're naughty. Even if they're all well-behaved, what do you do with their clothes that they wash every day? They still need to eat, and there are many things that need to be done.
Staff Officer Xu couldn't possibly divorce Shi Guilan over such a trivial matter, so Shi Guilan didn't take anyone else seriously at all.
Qin Yizhou went to the army base. After Song Fenglan and Qin Zihang had breakfast, Song Fenglan took the children out for a walk and happened to see Shi Guilan talking over a megaphone.
"Unrepentant and stubborn." Song Fenglan sneered. Shi Guilan was truly capable; even at this point, she still refused to admit her mistakes.
"Is it true that a leopard can't change its spots?" Qin Zihang asked.
“Yes, a leopard can’t change its spots,” Song Fenglan said. “When you meet people like that, there’s no need to be polite to them.”
Staff Officer Xu overheard what Song Fenglan and her son were saying; they were less than two meters apart. Staff Officer Xu had never met Song Fenglan before.
His first impression of Song Fenglan was that she was incredibly beautiful. Then, the staff officer wondered, seeing such an unfamiliar face with a child, could this mother and child be Qin Yizhou's wife and son?
With such a beautiful and charming wife, it's no wonder Qin Yizhou cares so much about her.
Staff Officer Xu then thought of Shi Guilan's cousin, who was definitely not as beautiful as Song Fenglan. Staff Officer Xu knew that Shi Guilan wanted to marry her cousin to Qin Yizhou. He thought that his wife would give up once she knew that Qin Yizhou was married. Who would have thought that his wife had other ideas? His wife wanted Qin Yizhou to divorce his wife and marry her cousin.
Qin Yizhou and his wife already have a son, so how dare Shi Guilan make things difficult for others? Does she really think others would divorce for her cousin?
Shi Guilan's cousin isn't exactly of high status, and this cousin might not necessarily help Qin Yizhou advance further.
Staff Officer Xu didn't look at Song Fenglan for long. Everyone appreciates beauty, but he was a married man, so it was best not to look at her too much.
"You big bad guy, you need to be taught a lesson." Qin Zihang's voice was soft and sweet. "If you're not taught a lesson, you'll keep making mistakes."
“That’s right.” Song Fenglan nodded. “Don’t follow her example, understand?”
A person who is black-hearted inside and out is easily found to have something to hide.
Previously, others didn't target Shi Guilan simply because she was Staff Officer Xu's wife.
“She’s just taking advantage of her master’s power,” Song Fenglan said.
"Dogs are cute." Qin Zihang frowned slightly. "Dogs aren't that bad."
“Yes, even a dog wouldn’t be this bad,” Song Fenglan said. “She’s taking advantage of her husband. No matter who she’s taking advantage of, she should still be more sensible. She can’t bully others and trample on their dignity when they haven’t done anything wrong, understand?”
“I didn’t bully her, she bullied me and bullied Mom. She’s a big bad person,” Qin Zihang said. “A super, super bad person.”
Staff Officer Xu hadn't expected Song Fenglan to teach the child this way, and he couldn't rush over to tell her she was wrong. He thought that Qin Yizhou's willingness to stand up for Song Fenglan showed that she was someone who didn't want to be taken advantage of, and that she could even get a man to intervene.
“I hate her,” Qin Zihang said.
"That's right, you should hate it." The fat woman came over. She had heard that Shi Guilan was reading a self-criticism here, so she quickly put down what she was doing. She wanted to see for herself how Shi Guilan read her self-criticism.
The plump woman caught a glimpse of Staff Officer Xu not far away out of the corner of her eye. She didn't know if Staff Officer Xu had greeted Song Fenglan, so she said directly, "Staff Officer Xu is here too."
Song Fenglan followed the fat woman's gaze to Staff Officer Xu. "Oh, so this is Staff Officer Xu?"
“Yes, you haven’t met yet, have you?” the plump woman said.
"No, he didn't say a word when we were talking about his wife. I thought she was just a stranger," Song Fenglan said.
"..." Staff Officer Xu did not expect Song Fenglan to say that, but he did not say anything and just stood there listening to what Song Fenglan and her son said.
"Is he the big bad guy's backer?" Qin Zihang looked up at the fat woman and asked her.
Staff Officer Xu felt he shouldn't have come here today, shouldn't have stood here. If only he hadn't been standing here, hadn't heard what Song Fenglan and her son said.
"I'm truly sorry." Staff Officer Xu's identity had already been exposed; he couldn't very well pretend he hadn't been discovered. Staff Officer Xu believed the others had seen him, but since he remained silent, they pretended not to notice.
When some people were smashing Shi Guilan's rotten vegetable leaves, they were saying things meant for Staff Officer Xu to hear. However, they didn't criticize Staff Officer Xu; they only talked about his misfortune. Having a wife like Shi Guilan was the worst luck Staff Officer Xu could ever have.
“If you really feel guilty, then you should discipline your wife properly.” Song Fenglan raised an eyebrow. “Don’t think that just because she bore your children, you can turn a blind eye to her mistakes. She’s taking advantage of your power to bully us, my child and me, and she can bully others too. I wonder how many people she’s bullied before. Don’t say it’s a misunderstanding, that she only bullied us. If she only bullied us, why would anyone else have reported her?”
Song Fenglan wasn't afraid that Staff Officer Xu would think she had reported Shi Guilan; she simply wanted Staff Officer Xu to know that Shi Guilan had offended many people, not just her, Song Fenglan.
"..." Staff Officer Xu thought to himself that Song Fenglan was indeed clever and quick-witted. Shi Guilan had been saying last night that Song Fenglan had reported her, and Staff Officer Xu felt that his wife's analysis was very accurate. Before Song Fenglan came to accompany the army, nothing happened, but as soon as Song Fenglan arrived, all those messy things started happening.
Even before Staff Officer Xu met Song Fenglan, he felt that she was a formidable person who was unwilling to suffer losses, and now he felt that even more strongly.
"Mom, let's stand further away." Qin Zihang pulled Song Fenglan to move further away. "What if he punches you in a moment?"
Staff Officer Xu was exasperated; he couldn't possibly punch Song Fenglan.
"Hurry up, hurry up, they're all earthworms along the way," Qin Zihang said.
“They’re birds of a feather,” Song Fenglan explained. “They’re not earthworms.”
“But earthworms can burrow.” Qin Zihang didn’t think he was wrong. He even bent and swayed his hand over there. “That way, they can hide.”
“Earthworms burrow, which makes the soil more aerated,” Song Fenglan said. “This makes the soil more fertile, allowing us to grow more fruits and vegetables.”
"Oh, they don't deserve to be earthworms." Qin Zihang indicated that he understood.
Staff Officer Xu felt it best to keep his distance. Song Fenglan and her son clearly had no intention of forgiving Shi Guilan, and they were unlikely to give him a friendly look. As a grown man, Staff Officer Xu couldn't very well criticize the women and children, so he could only keep his mouth shut and say as little as possible.
Otherwise, someone will soon say that he, a grown man, is bullying women and children.
Staff Officer Xu thought that Shi Guilan was really something else. She had kicked a hornet's nest. Could Qin Yizhou's wife be someone to be trifled with?
“That makes sense.” Song Fenglan thought about it carefully. People like Shi Guilan are of little benefit to society and certainly don’t deserve to be earthworms.
"Your son really knows how to talk," the plump woman remarked. "He's very sensible."
“He’s really been quite sensible lately,” Song Fenglan said.
Shi Guilan was being watched, and people were afraid she would run away halfway through her self-criticism. Shi Guilan had no intention of running away; she knew that even if she ran away now, they would catch her and bring her back, and she would have to repeat the self-criticism again.
In the past, it wasn't that no one had tried to run away; Shi Guilan had done it before. She had also kicked others several times, and during a raid on their homes, she secretly took away valuable items.
When Shi Guilan saw Staff Officer Xu outside the crowd, she clutched the paper in her hand tightly, wondering how long her husband had been there. Next, Shi Guilan read the contents of the self-criticism, feeling somewhat flustered; she didn't know how much of it her husband had heard.
Staff Officer Xu did not rush over to protect Shi Guilan, allowing others to pelt her with vegetable leaves and rotten eggs.
Shi Guilan finally finished her self-criticism under the big tree, but Staff Officer Xu didn't go over. He watched helplessly as Shi Guilan was taken away to the broadcasting room.
In the past, some people were criticized and denounced simply because of their bourgeois status. But now, Shi Guilan is being criticized and denounced because she bullied other military wives, and someone caught her doing something wrong.
Staff Officer Xu had to let those people vent their anger; he still had to go to work at the military base.
After Staff Officer Xu went to the unit, Political Commissar Zhao summoned him. Political Commissar Zhao wanted to talk to Staff Officer Xu about Shi Guilan's matter. The family compound had been very peaceful, but Shi Guilan was too petty and had made such a big fuss.
This isn't Qin Yizhou's wife's fault. If Shi Guilan had lived a more peaceful life, none of this would have happened.
“Yizhou is married after all, he has a wife and children,” Political Commissar Zhao said. “Your wife and your wife’s cousin, you should stop focusing on him. There are plenty of unmarried young men in the army, you can look at other ones.”
"this……"
"There are some things you need to be aware of," Political Commissar Zhao said. "Don't always expect others to give in to you. Can they give in to you forever?"
Political Commissar Zhao did not tell Staff Officer Xu that some policies would gradually loosen. He thought that Staff Officer Xu was a smart man and would figure it out himself.
Staff Officer Xu opened his mouth, but ultimately didn't say that his wife wasn't that kind of person. He had said so to Qin Yizhou before, and then been thoroughly embarrassed. Staff Officer Xu didn't want to be embarrassed again; some things, once done, shouldn't be done a second time.
If we're really going to talk about it, Staff Officer Xu would definitely say that he can manage his own people well.
Song Fenglan took Qin Zihang to buy paper, specifically larger sheets. Since Song Fenglan had decided to continue studying aircraft manufacturing, she needed to prepare now and let people know she had a talent in this area. She possessed memories of her past life and had many advanced blueprints and other such materials in her mind.
West could become her pledge of allegiance.
Song Fenglan looked down at her son. For his future, and to prevent people like Shi Guilan from bullying him, Song Fenglan had to become strong. Even if everything was set in order by next year, there would still be a period of time in between.
"Mom." Qin Zihang saw his mother looking down, so he tilted his head and said, "I'll get it."
"You don't need to carry them. These papers are quite long, and there are many sheets. They're not easy to carry," Song Fenglan said. Although there weren't many sheets of paper, they were quite heavy when stacked together.
Song Fenglan asked the shop assistant to help her tie the papers up with two ropes. Song Fenglan could carry the papers on her back, freeing up her hands to hold her child's hand.
On the way, some people from the family compound encountered Song Fenglan and her son, and they greeted them warmly. They finally understood how formidable Song Fenglan was. No matter who reported Shi Guilan, the Revolutionary Committee members all went after Shi Guilan. Shi Guilan said that Song Fenglan had brought misfortune to the Fang family's child, and several people had overheard it. Some people were too timid to report her, and those who went to report her anonymously were also worried that the Revolutionary Committee might suppress the matter, after all, Song Fenglan's background wasn't exactly good.
Song Fenglan didn't care what others thought of her. What she knew was that she needed to make herself more valuable, instead of being called "Qin Tuan's wife." She had her own name and identity. It wasn't that a woman who only thought about relying on a man was unacceptable, but Song Fenglan wasn't that kind of person.
"You can call me Zihang, or you can call me Hangbao." When Qin Zihang saw people greeting him, he told them, "My great-aunt calls me Hangbao."
At Gao Xiuxiu's house, Gao Xiuxiu had learned about Shi Guilan's report yesterday, and today she went to listen to Shi Guilan's self-criticism. Gao Xiuxiu thought Shi Guilan was crazy; none of her own family members said that Song Fenglan was harming their children, so why did she have to say such things?
This puts their family in a difficult position, as if they are trying to make things difficult for Song Fenglan.
Gao Xiuxiu had no intention of making things difficult for Song Fenglan. Just then, Fatty Sister-in-law passed by, and Gao Xiuxiu waved for her to come to her house.
"What's going on with Staff Officer Xu's family? We really didn't think it was Qin's wife who brought bad luck to the child," Gao Xiuxiu said softly. "It's clearly my mother-in-law who didn't keep an eye on the child. There are many things that could have been avoided. It was just that she was careless and not paying attention."
“It’s not your fault. You all know what’s going on with Staff Officer Xu’s family.” The plump woman looked around. “She just likes to make things difficult for others. She has the highest level of ideological awareness, but everyone else is like that.”
The plump woman pointed with her little finger, "She looks down on us. She wanted her cousin to marry Commander Qin before, but it didn't work out, so of course she doesn't like Commander Qin's wife."
"Was it Qin Tuan's wife who reported it?" Gao Xiuxiu asked.
“No,” said the plump woman. “How could Qin’s wife possibly bother with such a small matter? She’s offended countless people. I was talking to Qin’s wife about Staff Officer Xu’s family yesterday, and she said someone was using her influence against her.”
"Use their strength against them?" Gao Xiuxiu remained silent.
"That's right, someone is using Qin Tuan's wife to try and attack Staff Officer Xu's family," the plump woman said. "Think about it, someone of my status is generally afraid of offending people. I might say a few words to vent my frustrations, but I wouldn't dare to take it too seriously, let alone do something like this. When Qin Tuan's wife arrived, everyone thought it was a good opportunity to let her take the lead. Qin Tuan's wife is also very easygoing; she even said that the anonymous informant was quite clever."
Gao Xiuxiu had no contact with Song Fenglan and didn't know what kind of person Song Fenglan was, but she knew that Fatty Sister-in-law disliked pretty women. Now, Fatty Sister-in-law wasn't saying anything bad about Song Fenglan, but rather praising her, which made Gao Xiuxiu a little uncomfortable. The two had often discussed such things in private. Gao Xiuxiu rarely saw Fatty Sister-in-law so approving of a pretty woman; she had seen Song Fenglan, and her face was stunning.
Many of the family members in the residential compound have been exposed to wind and rain, and their skin has been tanned by the sun. Many of them do not look very pretty.
“Regardless of whether it was Qin Tuan’s wife who reported it, everyone assumes that this matter is related to her,” Gao Xiuxiu said. “They probably resent her the most.”
"I guess so," said the plump woman. "There's no use in us saying anything; there's nothing we can do to worry about her. It's up to her; we don't need to concern ourselves with it."
Fatty Sister had a lot of contact with Song Fenglan, and she thought Song Fenglan was so smart that no one needed to worry about her.
On the way back with Qin Zihang, Song Fenglan said again, "Mom will make you an airplane to play with."
"An airplane?" Qin Zihang asked in confusion. "Is it made of wood?"
“It’s not just made of wood.” Song Fenglan gently rubbed her son’s head. Given her current situation, how could she convince others of her talent if she didn’t produce something of substance?
Song Fenglan had once seen some content in a TV drama. The drama was relatively conservative in its portrayal; the child's father was a researcher in a related field, but during a particular era, he was classified as a capitalist, even though he was still conducting research. When the college entrance examination was reinstated, the child was still ineligible to apply for related precision majors, even though the child's father had been rehabilitated.
Song Fenglan is now facing the same problem. She is a military wife, but that doesn't mean she can apply for a highly classified document.
There were no broken machines or spare parts at home, so even if Song Fenglan wanted to get them, it would be very difficult for her to obtain them.
“An airplane that can fly into the sky,” Song Fenglan said.
"Will it be available tomorrow?" Qin Zihang asked.
“We’ll have it someday,” Song Fenglan said.
"Can we have a bigger plane? Can I sit on it?" Qin Zihang looked at his small frame. "I'm very small."
“You can ride on the big plane,” Song Fenglan said, “but that will have to wait until later.”
"How long after that?" Qin Zihang asked. "Is it after dark? And after dark, is it very, very dark?"
Children don't have a concept of time. Even if adults talk to them for hours, they won't understand. Aunt Yu used to like to tell Qin Zihang to wait until it got dark. When it got dark, she would say to wait until it was very, very dark. Qin Zihang remembered that it was dark, and even when it was very, very dark, it wasn't enough that the stars and moon came out. They had to wait until the stars and moon were hidden behind the clouds, and then they had to wait until the stars and moon came out from behind the clouds.
"Mom, the stars and the moon are shy. They're hiding behind the clouds and won't come out. What should we do?" Qin Zihang asked. "Can we pull the clouds away?"
“Sure,” Song Fenglan said. “We can use something to break up the clouds.”
"Will the stars and moon shatter?" Qin Zihang had a lot of questions.
"..." Song Fenglan felt that one question after another was being asked; the child had too many questions.
"Mom, you still haven't said whether the stars and moon will break." Qin Zihang persisted in asking.
“No,” Song Fenglan said. “Stars can explode, collapse, and become supernovae.”
"Is it like fireworks?" Qin Zihang asked.
"A grand fireworks display deep in the universe." Song Fenglan thought about the explosions of those stars, which, judging from astronomical observation charts, must have been quite beautiful. "When we get a telescope someday, you'll be able to see it."
"Do you need to wear glasses?" Qin Zihang asked.
“It’s not glasses, it’s a telescope,” Song Fenglan said. “It’s not something you wear on your body, but you can see with your own eyes.”
Song Fenglan and her son quickly arrived at their doorstep. Just as they reached the door, Zhang Xiaohu rushed out.
"Zihang, Zihang, where's your puppy?" Zhang Xiaohu wanted to see the puppy. "I miss it so much."
Zhang Xiaohu had peeked in several times, but the door was closed. He called out many times, but no one answered. Zhang Xiaohu didn't dare to run in. If only the dog hole wasn't blocked, he could crawl through it.
“Fu Wangwang is at home,” Qin Zihang replied.
"Take me to see it, take me to see it," Zhang Xiaohu said. "My parents just won't get a dog. I've begged them for so long, but they still won't agree. So I had no choice but to come to your house. Your parents are so kind to you."
"The child is the precious child of his parents, of course they should treat us well, and we should treat them well in the future too," Qin Zihang said.
“We’re so young,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “How can we treat them well? When I grow up, I won’t let my dad keep a dog either!”
"Come in first." Song Fenglan opened the door, taking the papers she was carrying off her back, afraid they would hit the door or tear.
Zhang Xiaohu rushed inside, but after a few steps, he stopped and walked slowly, becoming much more refined.
"Did your mother tell you to walk slowly?" Song Fenglan was taken aback by Zhang Xiaohu's actions.
It was amusing; Zhang Xiaohu was still tugging at his clothes.
"I have to be a little slower at other people's houses." Zhang Xiaohu was a little embarrassed, scratching his head. "Auntie, you're not going to stop me from coming, are you?"
"Come over if you want," Song Fenglan said. "You and Zihang can play together."
The child had just arrived, and Song Fenglan was worried that the child wouldn't have any playmates. She couldn't let the child stay at home all alone; that would be too pitiful. Song Fenglan had observed the fat couple; they were a bit direct, and they sometimes didn't think things through, but overall, they were relatively easy to deal with.
“Puppies have teeth, so be careful not to get bitten,” Song Fenglan warned the two children. “Puppies carry a lot of bacteria and viruses, including rabies. Rabies can cause madness.”
"Is that so?" Zhang Xiaohu made a face at Song Fenglan, rolled his eyes, stuck out his tongue, bent his hand slightly, and squatted down to take a few steps.
“It will be even more terrifying,” Song Fenglan said. “They will go around scratching and biting people, and the injuries will be contagious, so it won’t just be one person with a problem.”
"Then I'll behave." Zhang Xiaohu regained his original expression.
The puppy was still small, so Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou didn't leash it; they let it roam freely in the yard. The yard was big, so the dog could run around a bit more. The puppy was still a little afraid of people; it even hid when Qin Zihang and Zhang Xiaohu approached.
"Fu Wang Wang." Qin Zihang squatted on the ground.
"Fu Wang Wang," Zhang Xiaohu said, following Qin Zihang.
A while later, Madam Zhao came to the house. Song Fenglan and her son had been staying for a few days, and Madam Zhao came to ask what kind of work Song Fenglan could do.
There's a specific job available for each military spouse; some military wives are still waiting for work, while the military spouses themselves are unemployed.
This time, Song Fenglan had only been there a short time when she was targeted by Shi Guilan, and Madam Zhao thought they had to show some attitude. Madam Zhao also thought that Song Fenglan was more educated, so it would be easier for them to arrange a job for her.
Madam Zhao brought over a few apples, and Song Fenglan poured her a glass of water.
“What is this…” Madam Zhao saw the white papers on the table; those were all very large sheets of white paper.
"It's used for drawing blueprints," Song Fenglan said.
"Designers of clothes?" Madam Zhao had heard that Song Fenglan made very beautiful clothes, and that Song Fenglan could also embroider flowers on the clothes.
If Song Fenglan hadn't regained her memories of her past life, she might have ended up doing embroidery and designing clothes, and might not have pursued an career in aircraft design. Song Fenglan's desire for heaven to restore her memories of her past life suggests a wish to put her on the right path, rather than being content with being a middle school teacher and happy designing a few clothes.
Following the original storyline, Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou separated, and Song Fenglan later achieved success in her career. However, Song Fenglan is not a main character; she's more of a cannon fodder character, so the author wouldn't dedicate so much ink to her development.
"Either is fine." Song Fenglan didn't mention designing airplanes in front of Madam Zhao, as that would make her a laughingstock.
Song Fenglan's Song family was a large clan. A pilot had once been a member of the family, but he died young during a mission, not living to see the establishment of the new nation. Many members of the Song family sacrificed their lives during the war, shedding blood for their country. However, because they were capitalists, they were persecuted during that special era.
It's important to understand that in those war-torn years, some people were spies for multiple parties, holding multiple identities. Such individuals were difficult to explain, and in those extraordinary times, they were easily implicated.
Song Fenglan had thought about it. Her family had produced scientists, and she herself had read countless books as a child. The Song family had a dedicated library containing a vast collection of books from ancient and modern times, both Chinese and foreign. It was incredibly difficult for those books to have survived; many had been lost during the war.
"I came here partly to offer my condolences, and partly to ask if you'd like to find a job," Mrs. Zhao said. "I heard you used to be a teacher?"
“Yes, she’s a teacher.” Song Fenglan nodded, “A middle school teacher.”
“That’s perfect, the junior high school needs a teacher too,” Mrs. Zhao said. “It’s summer vacation now, so you can start working there after a while.”
"Are there many people eyeing this position?" Song Fenglan asked.
“There are people watching,” Madam Zhao said. “But they also need to have the education level. If they don’t have the education level, wouldn’t it be a waste of time for the students? Can someone who only graduated from junior high school teach junior high school students directly? Can they teach well? I heard that you graduated from high school. Although you didn’t go to university, you became a junior high school teacher in the capital. You must be doing quite well.”
“Okay, I can give it a try,” Song Fenglan said. “I don’t know if the people here will be able to get used to my teaching style.”
Song Fenglan didn't directly refuse; this job could serve as a backup plan. Since the person had personally come to her with the offer, Song Fenglan couldn't possibly turn down. No matter how many people were eyeing this job, it wouldn't matter. If Song Fenglan could successfully enter the aircraft research institute here, then she wouldn't need to become a middle school teacher.
If Song Fenglan couldn't get into the aircraft research institute, she could still become a middle school teacher, so she wouldn't have to ask Qin Yizhou for money later. Even if Qin Yizhou gave her money every month, Song Fenglan still wanted to earn her own money. Only in this way could she have more money to spare and make her son's life more respectable.
Previously, Song Fenglan didn't understand why mothers could do so much for their children. But after becoming a mother herself, she realized that mothers unconsciously consider their children's needs more.
"We've already spoken to Staff Officer Xu's wife, and she's made a self-criticism," said Madam Zhao. "For my sake, let's just let this matter rest."
“Okay,” Song Fenglan said. “I’m not that petty. As long as she doesn’t talk nonsense to my face or speak ill of me behind my back, then I won’t hold it against her. But if she does something underhanded behind my back, I’m not a saint and I won’t just accept it.”
Song Fenglan laid it out there: "We can't always rely on your face. How many layers of face are there? One inside, one outside, and many more in between? We use one layer, tear it off, and then keep using the next one?"
Madam Zhao knew that Song Fenglan would be dissatisfied. She had thought that Song Fenglan would put on an act in front of her, but Song Fenglan did not.
"Just this once." Madam Zhao was embarrassed to say that she would do it again for her sake. It was the problem caused by Staff Officer Xu's wife, not her. How could she possibly make a guarantee for Staff Officer Xu's wife?
This time, Madam Zhao wanted Shi Guilan to come and apologize to Song Fenglan, but Shi Guilan was unwilling. Shi Guilan's apology was poorly written and unsatisfactory; Madam Zhao didn't expect her apology to be successful.
How can anyone accept an apology that isn't sincere?
If it were Madam Zhao, she wouldn't accept it. An apology should be sincere, not just a pretense. For Shi Guilan to come over briefly and call that an apology? That's impossible. It's like adding fuel to the fire; it makes people uncomfortable.
Rather than adding to her troubles, it would be better to quickly introduce her to a job; that would be a kind of compensation. But it's not really compensation. Song Fenglan herself graduated from high school, so her education level is quite high, and she doesn't necessarily need this job.
"Of course, we have to give her some face the first time." Song Fenglan wasn't afraid of upsetting Madam Zhao; if she was unhappy, so be it. If Song Fenglan appeared too weak, she would continue to be bullied later.
Madam Zhao wasn't stupid; she could tell at a glance that Song Fenglan wasn't someone to be easily fooled. Indeed, even if someone offered to introduce a job, the person might not necessarily want that particular job. Song Fenglan had a previous job and had saved money, and Qin Yizhou also had a considerable amount of money. They only had one child, so even if Song Fenglan didn't work now, Qin Yizhou and his wife could still live comfortably.
Song Fenglan saw Madam Zhao to the door, leaving this matter for the time being. After seeing Madam Zhao off, Song Fenglan looked at Qin Zihang and Zhang Xiaohu playing in the courtyard.
"It's the same as the little dog on my clothes."
Where are your clothes?
"Yes, I washed them. If I didn't, they would smell bad."
"If you wash it too many times, it will break."
Will it break?
"Yes, if it's torn, there will be ugly patches on the clothes, which looks really bad."
"But it's really uncomfortable if I don't wash."
"If you wash it, the clothes will tear."
"It won't break, it won't break, it won't break..."
...
Qin Zihang didn't know what to say. After a while, he said, "I won't wear the ones that are torn. I'll wear the ones that aren't torn."
“I’ll wear them even if they’re torn,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “My mom says I’ll tear them even more later.”
"Zhang Xiaohu." The plump woman overheard Zhang Xiaohu's words from next door. It wasn't like she hadn't washed her youngest son's clothes; he always liked to go...
Playing in the mud, getting covered in mud, how could she not wash her youngest son's clothes? But one time, she used a little too much force, and his clothes tore. That was because his clothes were old and not very good quality to begin with.
"Shh." Zhang Xiaohu shushed Qin Zihang. He squatted down, but felt it wasn't enough, so he wanted to lie on the ground so his mother wouldn't find him.
"..." Song Fenglan was speechless when she saw Zhang Xiaohu's quick and decisive movements. It was muddy ground, and Zhang Xiaohu would get covered in mud again.
Song Fenglan looked at her own son again; he was relatively clean. She hadn't forbidden Qin Zihang from playing with Zhang Xiaohu; Zhang Xiaohu was very energetic, such a lively and adorable person. However, she still preferred her own son.
"Zhang Xiaohu." Fatty Sister came over from next door. If she let Zhang Xiaohu continue talking, she would be seen as a lazy, unclean woman.
Zhang Xiaohu heard his mother's voice again; she was almost in front of him. Zhang Xiaohu jumped up and quickly ran behind Song Fenglan.
"You know how to dodge?" The fat woman really wanted to take a bamboo stick and hit her youngest son a few times. "With that mouth of yours, people who don't know you will think I'm your stepmother, that I don't bathe you or wash your clothes."
The fat woman glared at her youngest son, then said to Song Fenglan, "This little rascal runs around everywhere and gets all sweaty. Making him take a bath is like taking his life. He's not even afraid of getting sour and smelly."
"Wash them clean, they won't get sick," Qin Zihang said. "Only puppies and kittens are afraid of taking baths."
"Meow." Zhang Xiaohu meowed.
"Hide and seek, do you think you're really a cat?" The fat woman walked up to Song Fenglan and picked up her youngest son. "You little rascal, all you do is cause trouble for your aunt."
Meanwhile, after reading her self-criticism at the radio station, Shi Guilan asked her colleagues in the Revolutionary Committee, "Could I see that anonymous letter? Do you have any leads? Who wrote it? Was it Song Fenglan?"
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