Chapter 101
Seeing that his youngest son was frightened, Xie Chengye stepped out to smooth things over: "How about, let's just forget it..."
"What do you mean by that?" Xie's mother said sternly, "You are the only one who can be a good person? It is obviously a great thing that our Jinxuan was admitted to the provincial capital university, but they all had that kind of thought, just waiting to see Jinxuan's joke, and also to see our family's joke."
"There have been many people who want to laugh at our family over the years. Besides, our Jinxuan was the most outstanding child in the compound when he was young. When he grew up, few of his peers could compare with him. Everyone stared at him and wanted to laugh at him. Isn't that human nature?" Xie Chengye said, "Also, as you all know, since Jinxuan was fifteen or sixteen years old, there have been at least dozens of families who came to our house to inquire about the matter and wanted to marry their daughters to Jinxuan. So many people were staring at Jinxuan, but Jinxuan never found a partner. Suddenly one day, she quietly married a wife and everyone was disappointed. Those families were all holding back their anger. They couldn't say anything openly, but you should allow them to say a few gossips behind their backs. It's human nature to be jealous of others."
Xie's mother said, "What kind of human nature is this? My son can marry whoever he wants. Even if he never gets married and becomes a monk, he won't let those people get away with it!"
Grandma also said, "Exactly. Our Jinxuan is excellent. Does that mean she must be their son-in-law? Now that they can't get him, they hope every day that he will destroy the family. What are these people thinking? Chengye, you are generous and speak for them. I know that you must think that even if Jinxuan is really right as they say and really finds a girlfriend in college, it will not be a loss for you. Anyway, you won't feel sorry for Qingtang."
Xie Chengye smiled bitterly and said, "Mom, what are you talking about? I... of course I care about Qingtang, but this and that are two different things."
Seeing that grandma was about to get angry again, Xia Qingtang quickly said, "Grandma, Mom, don't be angry, I don't mind these things. I am average, and after marrying Jinxuan, I also know how people in the compound see me. They just think that I am not worthy of him. That's why they set up a bet to see when Jinxuan will find a lesbian who matches him, and they also want to see me become a divorced woman. Dad is right, these are all human nature, and it is normal for outsiders to be jealous of us. But we live our own lives, and I believe in Jinxuan. They set up a bet, and they will lose in the end."
Xia Qingtang was really not angry. This kind of jealousy was too common. If she was angry about these things, she would not be able to control herself.
In the eyes of others, she was married to a rich man. Everyone thought she had nothing good except her beauty, but what did it matter? Xie Jinxuan herself thought she was good.
Those people were not simply targeting her. Even if Xie Jinxuan really married a rich lady of equal status, that group of people would not necessarily hope that they would live in harmony. For a gifted child like Xie Jinxuan, everyone hoped that he would fall from his high position. Since he couldn't fall in his career, they could only hope that his marriage would fail.
Xie's mother said, "I know you believe Jinxuan, and I believe Jinxuan too, but I am angry at the parents of that classmate. How could they say such things in front of Xiaoyun? Xiaoyun and her friends are only in the first year of high school, they are still children, and it is really outrageous for these people to say such things in front of a child! Xie Jinyun, tell me quickly, which classmate's mother said that? You usually go to those few families, if you don't tell me, I will go to each family to ask!"
Xie Jinyun shuddered and didn't dare to speak. Seeing that Xie's mother was determined, Xie Chengye quickly lowered his head and whispered something in his little son's ear. Xie Jinyun quickly said, "Grandma, Mom, I know I was wrong. I promise I won't go to their house again... and I won't listen to those words... I just hope you don't go find his mother. If you do, I will lose a friend in the future. I'm not speaking for his mother, but you also said that we are still children, so my classmate is innocent. You can't blame children for the mistakes made by adults."
Xie Chengye didn't dare to interrupt, so he quickly winked at his eldest son.
Xie Jinxuan nodded and said, "Yes, Mom, don't ask any more questions. There's no point in asking. Xiaoyun also knows that he was wrong. He is a good kid for telling us these things. If we really go to the parents to settle the score, how will Xiaoyun survive in school in the future?"
Xie's mother could only say: "Forget it. During this period, Xiaoyun, don't go to your classmates' houses to play. If you want to invite others to study together, let them come to our house. I will be responsible for supervising you. Also, remember, don't listen to people's nonsense outside. Those people work hard to get into college to study, not to have relationships. The same goes for you. When you get into college in the future, the most important thing is to study hard, and other things should be put aside!"
"Xiao Yun, mom is right. Although there have been many rumors about college students in the past two years, they are rare. No matter what the goal is, everyone works hard to get into college, hoping to graduate successfully, so everyone is very serious about studying, and studying is the most important thing in college. I had a brief chat with a few seniors today and found that everyone is very enthusiastic about learning, and no one cares about other people's private affairs." Xie Jinxuan said: "Don't be affected by those boring words. When I get familiar with the school, I can also bring some students with good character and academic performance to meet you, and you will know that college students are not the kind of people they say. Moreover, the school is also trying to avoid such things, so each of us will tell you about our marital status when introducing ourselves. Now everyone knows that I am married, and others will not have any ideas about me, and you don't have to worry about me."
Xie Jinyun nodded, not quite understanding: "I see, brother, I was wrong. I shouldn't have not believed you before."
Xie Jinxuan walked over, rubbed her brother's head vigorously, and said, "Good boy, do you really doubt that I will change my mind in college? What are you thinking about?"
"I... I just saw that there are a lot of young female students in your school..." Xie Jinyun whispered, "Also, when my brother was standing there in line today, many people were secretly looking at you, and most of them were young female comrades. So, my worry is justified."
Xia Qingtang said: "This is true, I can testify that there were indeed many people secretly looking at Jinxuan today."
Grandma smiled and said, "Jinxuan is tall, about 1.8 meters tall, and stands out wherever she stands, but if we talk about who is really attractive, it has to be our Qingtang. Although I didn't go to school, I think there must be more people who secretly looked at Qingtang."
The topic was diverted, and Xie Chengye quickly said, "Yes, it's my elementary school classmate named Yao Kuan. I met him today. He also sent his son to college. We just happened to chat for a while, and he also praised our Qingtang for being well-born."
"Oh, you met an old classmate?" Xie's mother's attention was diverted. "How is his son? Which department is he in?"
"The Chinese Department. He got married earlier than me, and his son is two years older than Jinxuan. It's not easy for him to get in."
Seeing that they were talking about old classmates, Xia Qingtang went to the kitchen to help Aunt Liu.
After a while, Xie Jinxuan followed.
Xia Qingtang looked back and said with a smile: "What are you doing standing here? You are the protagonist today, you don't have to do anything."
"I know, I just want to come over and see you." Xie Jinxuan smiled gently.
Xia Qingtang said: "Are you worried that I might be unhappy?"
"No, I'm not worried about you. You definitely don't care what others say, but I still want to tell you that I will do my best and will never let you worry."
Aunt Six then whispered, "Jinxuan, did you really just meet someone at school and you told her you were married?"
Xie Jinxuan nodded and said, "Yes, this is the request of the homeroom teacher. Each of us stood up and introduced ourselves. We were required to state our place of origin, age, marital status, whether we had worked before... all of these were required. I guess something happened in the school before, so now married students are required to disclose their identities on the first day. Some students even mentioned their children."
Aunt Six said, "But isn't it what he said whether he was married or not? There are so many people who got married in the countryside but didn't register. Now that they've been admitted to university, they directly say they're not married. Anyway, if you check the file, you'll find that he didn't register his marriage."
Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "That's true. If you don't register your marriage, then your file will only say unmarried. Even if you go for the political review, you will still be unmarried."
Aunt Six said, "So this still depends on everyone's conscience. Fortunately, our Jinxuan has always been the most conscientious person. He will not lie to anyone."
Xie Jinxuan said: "Why would I lie? Some people lie to others because they think their partners are not good enough. How can I be the same as them? I wish everyone knew who my lover is!"
Xia Qingtang and Aunt Liu couldn't help laughing. Aunt Liu said, "You are such a cheesy kid."
"How can this be considered corny? This is how you should talk to people close to you." Xie Jinxuan said with a smile.
"Okay, okay, I know you young people have a good relationship. If you have finished talking, please go out quickly and don't delay us from cooking. The meal will be served soon. After dinner, you two go home and say nice things to each other." Aunt Liu waved her hand.
Xie Jinxuan winked at Xia Qingtang and then went out.
At six o'clock in the evening, Xia Qingtang helped Aunt Liu prepare dinner. She walked out happily and said, "Dinner is ready. Do you want to open a bottle of wine to celebrate?"
Grandpa Xie said, "Chengye, bring out a bottle of Moutai. Let's celebrate for Jinxuan today."
Xie Chengye quickly said: "Okay, I'll go get some wine, and everyone will have a drink today!"
Aunt Liu cooked a lot of delicious dishes today, including a big pot of stewed tofu with fresh fish, roast duck with chestnuts, stir-fried yam with black fungus, stir-fried lentils with chili peppers, stir-fried cabbage with vermicelli, and a pot of cooked water chestnuts. The staple food is two-grain rice cooked with a mixture of rice and millet. The portion is very large and there is more than enough for you to eat to your heart's content.
As the protagonist of the day, Xie Jinxuan was given a glass of white wine by Xie Chengye as soon as she sat at the table. He said excitedly: "Jinxuan, congratulations on officially becoming a college student. You are the pride of our family, and Dad is proud of you."
After saying that, Xie Chengye was the first to raise his glass and drink it all.
Xie Jinxuan thanked him and drank a small glass of white wine.
Grandpa Xie said: "Today is for fun, we are all family, drink if you want, but you are not allowed to force others to drink."
Xie Chengye poured a glass of white wine for everyone who wanted to drink, but Xia Qingtang refused. She knew her alcohol tolerance, so she was only responsible for eating. She picked up some fresh fish and duck for Xie Jinxuan to fill his stomach before he continued drinking.
Everyone enjoyed the meal very much and every dish tasted very good. At the end of the meal, Xie Chengye was in a very good mood and even sang a song with his mother.
Xia Qingtang soaked the rice in fish soup and ate two large bowls in one breath. She was so happy that she wanted to sing a song with everyone, but unfortunately she was tone-deaf and could only be a spectator.
After the lively dinner, Xie Jinxuan stood up as usual and wanted to go to the kitchen to clean up and wash the dishes, but was stopped by Xie's mother: "You are not needed today. Your brother and I will go to clean up the kitchen. You drank a lot. Tomorrow morning is the first day of school. You and Qingtang should go back to take a shower and sleep. Have a good rest and don't affect your first class tomorrow."
Xie Jinxuan gave her mother a hug and said, "Thank you, Mom. I'll go back now."
"Go back and rest early." Xie's mother tiptoed and touched her eldest son's head.
Xie's mother was a very career-oriented woman, and actually had never taken much care of her eldest son. Xie Jinxuan had been mostly taken care of by her grandmother since she was a child. Now that she was standing on tiptoe to touch her eldest son's head, she realized that he had really grown very tall and had already become a very good adult.
Mother Xie sighed for a moment. Seeing her eldest son and daughter-in-law walk out of the house, she touched her youngest son's head and said, "Xiao Yun, please grow up slower."
Xie Jinyun was a little confused: "Mom, what are you talking about?"
"It's nothing. You, don't grow so fast. It's so troublesome to have to alter your clothes and pants all the time." Xie's mother let out a long sigh and changed the subject.
Xie Jinyun said unconvincedly: "Mom never altered my clothes or pants, it was Aunt Six who altered them. I want to grow taller, I want to be taller than my brother!"
The whole family laughed. At this moment, Xia Qingtang and Xie Jinxuan had returned to the small courtyard hand in hand.
Xie Jinxuan boiled some water, and the two of them took a shower one after the other and went into the bedroom. Xia Qingtang inserted a bookmark in the book, put away the novel he was reading, and then took the initiative to pounce on Xie Jinxuan.
Xie Jinxuan gently hugged her waist and said in a deep voice: "Why are you so proactive today? The way you look at me is so passionate."
"I don't know either. It may be because you are an official male college student today. No matter how I look at you, I feel that you are more handsome and attractive than before." Xia Qingtang smiled.
Xie Jinxuan was amused by her: "Why? Are male college students so attractive? If you see another handsome male college student, will you look at him with such enthusiasm?"
"Then you have to see if the male college student is as good-looking as you, as tall as you, or as muscular as you."
As Xia Qingtang spoke, he unbuttoned Xie Jinxuan's pajamas with his hands and gently stroked his abdominal muscles a few times.
With this feel, it would be hard to find a better one.
"How is it? Are my abdominal muscles up to standard?" Xie Jinxuan said with narrowed eyes.
"It's OK." Xia Qingtang said seriously, "It's mainly because I'm a very tolerant person, and your face adds a lot of points, so I'll just assume you pass."
Xie Jinxuan turned her over and changed her position, then said condescendingly: "It seems that I still have to work harder, otherwise I won't be able to meet your requirements."
Xia Qingtang could clearly feel his body temperature rising. She glanced at the alarm clock and said seriously, "Mom just said that you will start classes tomorrow morning. You need to get a good rest tonight. Let me go and go to sleep. Be obedient."
"Be obedient? Who pushed me down just now? Just do it and don't care about what happens next?" Xie Jinxuan smiled and leaned over to gently scratch her nose, "From now on, I don't want to be obedient. Let's switch and you listen to me."
After saying that, Xie Jinxuan turned off the small desk lamp and gave him gentle kisses one after another.
Xia Qingtang didn’t know whether Xie Jinxuan slept well that night, but she herself did sleep very well.
She didn't remember what time she fell asleep, she just knew that she fell asleep out of exhaustion. She didn't even dream all night. When she opened her eyes, the alarm clock rang.
Xia Qingtang turned over, rolled a few times in the quilt, and slowly sat up. She felt refreshed, and her waist and legs no longer ached. It was obvious that Xie Jinxuan had relaxed her muscles after she fell asleep last night.
She got up with a smile, put on her clothes and ran out to look for someone, but the house was empty and even the yard was quiet.
Xia Qingtang was a little curious. Usually at this time, Xie Jinxuan would have bought breakfast and gone home. Why hadn't she come back yet today?
However, since no one was there, Xia Qingtang went to the bathroom to wash up first. When he came out after washing up, he heard some noise coming from outside the door. He saw Xie Jinxuan and Luo Xiangqian walking towards him side by side.
Xia Qingtang opened the door and said, "Jinxuan, why did you come back so late today?"
Before Xie Jinxuan could say anything, Luo Xiangqian said, "Blame me, blame me. I was the one who called him. Isn't today Jinxuan's first day of school? My mom also wanted to celebrate for him, so she made egg pancakes herself this morning and insisted that Jinxuan go get them. But you know how good my mom is at cooking. She cooks very slowly. Look, it's already this time when it's done. How is it? It won't affect your work, right?"
Xia Qingtang said: "It doesn't matter. It's just the right time to finish dinner now, and Xie Jinxuan won't be late for school."
Luo Xiangqian placed a small pot on the dining table in their living room and said, "There is no soup, so why don't you just drink some milk or malted milk to make do with it. This egg pancake made by my mother may not taste so-so, but the ingredients are definitely sufficient. It took four eggs to make this stack alone. Even I don't have this treatment. This is specially prepared for Jinxuan, a college student."
Xia Qingtang laughed and quickly thanked her: "Thank you, mom, for making breakfast especially for Jinxuan. I didn't even think about preparing breakfast for him on his first day of school."
Luo Xiangqian said, "You cook for him every day, but that's not a big deal. My mother only cooks once a month. Jinxuan starts school today, so she just wants to join in the fun. Okay, you guys eat, I'm going home too. It's almost time to get ready to go out to work."
Luo Xiangqian walked to the door, then turned around and said, "Jinxuan, after school tonight, wait for me at home. I'll buy you something delicious to celebrate."
Xie Jinxuan said: "No need, it's just going to school, you two are making such a big fuss, I'm almost embarrassed."
Given his personality, it was more than enough for his family to celebrate for him with great fanfare. If even relatives and friends came to join in the fun, Xie Jinxuan would really feel embarrassed.
"Yes, yes, you are not going to an ordinary school, this is a university, and it is the provincial capital university, the best university in our province! You are my pride now, and my whole family is happy for you. Don't refuse, I usually eat Xiaoxia's cooking, and you often treat me to drinks. I have been back for so long, but I have never treated you to anything. But the cooking skills of my family are average, and I am not very good at cooking. I thought, taking advantage of this good day, I will buy some good food from outside and bring it back for you. Anyway, both of you wait for me tonight, I will buy delicious food and bring it over, and prepare some beer, so that's it, let's go."
After saying that, Luo Xiangqian pushed open the screen door and ran out.
Xie Jinxuan could only smile and say, "Then let's eat Xiangqian's tonight. We can relax and don't have to cook dinner."
As Xie Jinxuan spoke, she opened the lid of the small pot, revealing a thick stack of egg pancakes inside.
"It smells pretty good. What would you like to drink?" Xia Qingtang said, "Maltese or milk? Or I can make seaweed and shrimp soup, which is also quick."
Xie Jinxuan said, "Let's drink milk and finish the remaining milk powder. We can buy new ones later."
"Okay." Xia Qingtang made two glasses of milk and ate all the egg pancakes made by Luo Xiangqian's mother with Xie Jinxuan.
Although the taste was average, it was made with authentic ingredients and both of us were very full.
After eating and drinking, the two of them locked the door and set off together.
The two of them rode to the gate together. Before they parted, Xia Qingtang smiled mischievously: "I wish you all the best today. Also, don't miss me too much."
Xie Jinxuan laughed: "Don't worry, I won't miss you today. I heard that the first day of classes is very difficult. I'm afraid I don't have the leisure time."
"Then you study hard and make progress every day. I'm leaving first." Xia Qingtang kicked his feet and rode his bicycle towards the cotton mill.
Xia Qingtang hadn't come to work at the cotton mill for a whole month. Now when she arrived at the factory gate by bicycle, she felt particularly cordial and excited. She immediately greeted the security guard as soon as she arrived at the gate.
"Hey, Secretary Xia is back! We haven't seen you for so long, we all missed you so much. How is your work in the city?"
"It's great. I learned a lot there and made some friends. I miss you guys too." Xia Qingtang said as he took out a handful of candies from his bag and gently placed them on the security guard's table. "Eat these candies. I'm going to work first."
After saying that, Xia Qingtang rode his bicycle to the downstairs of the office building.
Seeing the long-missed office, Xia Qingtang felt her heart pounding. She told Chairman Wu that she had feelings for the cotton mill, and this was not false at all. Seeing all this, she was really happy and nostalgic.
It was still early and she was the only person in the entire building. Xia Qingtang opened the door while humming a song, boiled some water, and then carefully cleaned both offices before Feng Xinhui came to work.
Xia Qingtang was very excited. He stood up and said, "Secretary Feng, I'm back!"
Feng Xinhui was also very excited. She rushed over and gave Xia Qingtang a hug: "You are finally back. We all missed you very much."
"I miss you guys a lot, too. I work there and often mention you to my colleagues there." Xia Qingtang said, "I hope everyone is doing well during the month I was away."
Feng Xinhui said, "Everyone in our office is very nice. There is nothing special. The factory is still the same as before. Everything is working as usual. There were some problems in the workshop below, but they were all minor issues between employees. There is nothing worth talking about. If there is a big thing recently, it is that Secretary Wu Jinfeng gave birth to a baby. Did you know about this?"
"I know. My brother came to my place and told me. He also gave me some wedding eggs."
"That's good to know. Congratulations to them. Secretary Wu has become a mother, which is the beginning of a new life. This is the most important thing during this period. Everything in our office is normal. But without you, a lot of work is difficult to carry out. You know, some people in our office are always not very attentive at work. Without someone as capable and hardworking as you, Wu Feng and I had to work overtime several times to complete the work."
"Now that I'm back, I will work hard so that you don't have to work overtime anymore." Xia Qingtang sighed and said, "I really miss this place. Our cotton mill is still the best."
Feng Xinhui smiled and said, "Why? Are you unhappy working in the city? I heard that the food in the canteen of the city labor union is better than ours."
"The food is indeed much better than ours, but you still need grain coupons and meat coupons to buy it. I can't eat good dishes on a daily basis. Other dishes are also provided in the canteen of our cotton mill, so that's not a rare thing. The problem over there is that there are too many people and the relationships are complicated, so it's not easy to deal with them." Although Xia Qingtang had only been there for a month, he had already realized that the situation there was very complicated.
Just like Xia Qingtang, because she could speak English and had accompanied Chairman Wu to accompany foreign guests, and after a long time, everyone found that Yang Dachuan had some feelings for her in that way. In the second half of the month, no one knew who took the lead in ostracizing Xia Qingtang. Not only did they treat her badly, they also made things difficult for her at work.
If Xia Qingtang hadn't been smart, she would have almost fallen into the trap several times. Plus, there was a good man named Zhang Ke who often helped her, so no big problems arose.
But after those things happened, Xia Qingtang had no intention of working at the Municipal Federation of Trade Unions. Even though Chairman Wu invited her, she still preferred to stay in the cotton mill.
The environment here in the cotton mill is much simpler. There are only a few clerks, and the work they are responsible for is limited. She is familiar with it all. Working here really makes her feel relaxed both physically and mentally.
Feng Xinhui agreed with what he said. She said, "Indeed, in places like that, with so many people, things will get more complicated. Although your in-laws are not ordinary, the county magistrate is not as good as the current one. If they really make things difficult for you, you won't be able to complain."
"Yes, yes, Secretary Feng, you are indeed a smart man." Xia Qingtang nodded vigorously.
"I'm happy to hear that you like our place better. But has they told us whether those of you who have been seconded there for a trial period will have the opportunity to be transferred directly to work at the Municipal Federation of Trade Unions?" Feng Xinhui looked out the window and asked in a low voice when she saw that other colleagues had not arrived yet.
Xia Qingtang whispered, "Chairman Wu himself had this intention, but I refused. I said that I have feelings for the cotton mill and I can't bear to leave here. This is the truth. Moreover, with my personality, it's good to stay in the cotton mill. I don't have any ambitions, and I don't want to be promoted. I just want to do my current job steadily."
Things are learned through comparison. After helping out at the Municipal Federation of Trade Unions for a month, Xia Qingtang became more aware of the value of the cotton mill.
Not to mention whether she can adapt to the environment there, just say that in two years, she will be old enough to have a child, and staying in the cotton mill will definitely be much easier.
Although the nursery of the Municipal Federation of Trade Unions is better than that of the Cotton Mill, Xie Jinxuan is from the Provincial Party Committee, and the nursery there is better than that of the Municipal Federation of Trade Unions, so Xia Qingtang doesn't care about it.
Feng Xinhui said: "I understand your feelings, but I still feel it's a pity. You are very capable. If you go to the Municipal Federation of Trade Unions, I believe you will be able to adapt to it, and you will have better development prospects there."
"But I personally don't have that intention, and this place is still the best. Secretary Feng, you are urging me to go to the Municipal Federation of Trade Unions, aren't you reluctant to let me go?" Xia Qingtang said with a deliberate smile.
Feng Xinhui reached out and patted her shoulder, smiling and saying, "It seems that after working outside for a month, your personality seems to have become more cheerful, so is there any benefit in going to the city?"
Xia Qingtang said: "My personality has become more cheerful, not because I went to work in the city, but because I am very happy today. First, I went back to work in the cotton mill, and second, my wife officially became a college student today."
"Yes, I almost forgot. Your wife was admitted to the provincial university. From today on, she is a college student. Congratulations."
As they were talking, Wu Feng and Zhang Ning also arrived at the office. They were very happy to see Xia Qingtang and both rushed to ask Xia Qingtang how his work was going there.
Li Yue happened to be there too, so Xia Qingtang talked about a few of the tasks he had helped with there, and also mentioned the foreign guests that everyone was most interested in. Even Li Yue listened with great interest.
After eight o'clock, Chairman Qin also came to the big office to hold a meeting for them. The first thing he said when he saw Xia Qingtang was: "Xiao Xia is back. How do you feel over there?"
Xia Qingtang quickly handed the work summary signed by Chairman Wu to Chairman Qin: "This is the summary of my work last month, with Chairman Wu's signature on it."
Chairman Qin was very satisfied after reading it. She smiled and said, "Xiao Xia is really good. Not only did she not bring shame to our cotton mill, but she also brought glory to us. Look at the comments Chairman Wu gave you. It can be seen that you are better than many people at work. If one day the Municipal Federation of Trade Unions wants you to leave, I will happily let you go. Such an outstanding person like you deserves to go to a better place for development."
After hearing this, Zhang Ning immediately took the lead in expressing his agreement: "Yes, our Xiao Xia is a talent, it is normal for her to be poached."
Wu Feng also said: "Indeed, if our Xiao Xia goes to the Municipal Federation of Trade Unions with this ability, he should be a top student."
Feng Xinhui knew what Xia Qingtang was thinking, so she said nothing.
Xia Qingtang didn't know what to say, so she just smiled and thanked everyone for their recognition.
From beginning to end, everyone else's attitude was very friendly, only Li Yue kept a gloomy face according to the old rules. However, because Chairman Qin was still there, even if she was unhappy, she didn't dare to say anything and could only sit there and sulk.
Chairman Qin praised Xia Qingtang and briefly learned about Xia Qingtang's key work content there. Then she arranged the work for this week and went out.
As soon as Chairman Qin left, Li Yue said sarcastically, "You've only been working for a month, how come a senior leader wrote such a good summary for you? Xiao Xia, you should also teach us how to please the senior leader. That's Chairman Wu, he has so much power, he manages all the trade unions in our city!"
Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "My personality is not something that can please anyone. The reason why I am recognized by the big leaders is mainly because of my ability at work! Secretary Li, you know that I have been secretly learning English. Because I can speak English, I can talk to foreign guests. Foreign guests like me, and Chairman Wu is satisfied, then everyone is very happy! I have such an outstanding performance, so Chairman Wu is naturally willing to write such a good summary for me. So Secretary Li, let me tell you, if you also want to be appreciated and praised by the big leaders, you have to learn some skills. You can't just read newspapers and knit sweaters in the office every day. These are not helpful for your work. But if you like reading newspapers and knitting sweaters, don't think about being praised by the big leaders. How can you have the best of both worlds?"
Although her tone was always smiling, her words were not pleasant at all.
As expected, Li Yue slapped the table and shouted angrily: "What do you mean? You said this? Don't I work hard? Who only reads newspapers and knits sweaters all day long? Who are you talking about?"
Before Xia Qingtang could say anything, Wu Feng burst out laughing.
Li Yue got even angrier: "Wu Feng, what do you mean?"
Wu Feng smiled and said, "It's nothing, I just couldn't help laughing. I didn't say anything, why do you worry about it? If you work hard, you won't worry about it, right? Anyway, you know the answer to this question. I don't know who does the least work in our office, but if you want to say who does the most work, the first one must be our Secretary Feng, which is recognized by everyone. The second one must be Xiao Xia. Xiao Xia's efforts and diligence are seen by everyone. You said you have to make things difficult for her, what are you doing? Xiao Xia is so happy to come back to work, and we are also happy, but you have to say unpleasant things to her. Xiao Xia is so much younger than you, what's wrong with you praising her? Xiao Xia won't steal anything from you. Besides, she really learned foreign languages and can really talk to foreign guests. This is a serious skill. If you envy her, you can only learn it yourself. You see, if I don't learn those skills, my boss will look down on me, but I have to admit it."
Zhang Ning also said: "Xiao Wu is right. Xiao Li, you should unite with your colleagues. Don't always come to work with such emotions. This is not good."
Li Yue was so angry at the two of them that she was speechless. She could quarrel with Wu Feng, but she had to give Zhang Ning some face. After all, no matter how indifferent he was, he was still a nominal vice chairman.
Therefore, Li Yue could only blush and angrily slam her chair, making a loud noise.
Feng Xinhui didn't indulge her this time and said loudly, "Okay, today is Monday. Those who have a lot of work to do should hurry up and get to work. If you don't want to work, go to Chairman Qin and ask for leave. Don't disturb your colleagues' work here!"
When Li Yue heard this, she was so angry that her eyes turned red, but seeing that Feng Xinhui was also angry, she could only hold back her grievance, open the drawer and start working.
"Secretary Feng, I will go to the workshop to interview the workers now." Xia Qingtang held his notebook and pen, ready to start working on the next issue of Workers' Voice.
Feng Xinhui smiled and said, "Go ahead. You haven't been in the factory for so long. I think everyone will be very happy to see you."
Xia Qingtang returned to the workshop and, as expected, her co-workers were all very happy and everyone was curious about her.
Xia Qingtang said some of the things he could say, and expressed his longing for his fellow workers. Then he started to work happily, and the whole day passed in such a happy atmosphere.
Xia Qingtang was in a good mood until the end of the get off work day. She hummed a song and happily rode her bike home.
When they arrived at the gate of the cotton mill, Xia Qingtang saw from afar Xia Daming standing next to the guard room with a cane, looking at her expectantly.
"Dad, why are you here? Are you waiting for me?" Xia Qingtang walked over and parked her bicycle next to the guard room. She hadn't seen Xia Daming for more than a month.
"Yes, I'm waiting for you. You haven't come to see me since you went to work in the city. I was a little worried about you. Today I heard that you were back, so I came to wait for you and see how you were doing." Xia Daming laughed.
His leg injury has almost recovered, but it will take some time to train him to walk normally without crutches again.
Fortunately, after being able to move freely, Xia Daming's mood improved a lot. He was not as panicked as before, and his complexion looked better than before. Although he was still very thin, the sadness between his brows disappeared.
Seeing that he was in good condition, Xia Qingtang said, "I'm fine. I have no problems working in the city and was even praised by my boss. I will continue to work in the factory as usual. How about this, I will go to your house after lunch on Wednesday. How are you recovering now? What does the doctor say?"
Hearing this, Xia Daming quickly lowered his voice and said, "No, no, no, please don't come to my house to see me! You don't have to study at noon on Wednesday. I'll come to the factory to find you. I'll wait for you at the canteen entrance. Please don't go home!"
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