Chapter 144
Instead of being suspicious and thinking too much, it is better to go to the hospital directly and get a clear result.
Aunt Six came out of the kitchen. She stared at Xia Qingtang with wide eyes and said, "Then...do you want us to accompany you this afternoon?"
Xie Jinxuan said: "It's highly unlikely, so don't go with so many people. And don't think you're pregnant. If you're happy for nothing, don't say I didn't warn you."
Xie's mother asked, "Are you so sure that it won't happen?"
"Yes, I'm very sure, because Qingtang and I are very careful in this regard. We've said long ago that we don't want children in the next two years. Given my level of caution, I think you'll only be happy for nothing." Xie Jinxuan said seriously.
Xia Qingtang also nodded, but didn't say anything.
Xie's mother smiled and said, "It's okay if it's not. You are still young, so there is really no need to rush."
She really didn't seem to have any ideas, as if if she had nothing, then it was gone and she wouldn't be disappointed.
"Ah..." Aunt Six looked at Grandma and said quickly, "Yes, it doesn't matter if it's not. You're still young. It will be the same in two years."
Xia Qingtang rubbed his eyes and said, "Do you really want me to have a baby as soon as possible?"
"That's not the case. You young people have your own ideas, work and studies. Just follow your own steps." Grandma said earnestly, "I was a little bit expectant just now, but only for a moment. Now I think it's probably not the case. But you can go to the hospital. You've been working so hard recently. See a doctor to see if you have hurt your vitality."
"Yes, if it's not, then it's not." Xie Chengye said: "You guys are always anxious to have grandchildren, but I'm not anxious."
"Of course you're not in a hurry. You see, you don't like other people's children either." Xie's mother smiled and said, "Children are simply dispensable to you."
"It's good that you know. I don't like children very much. Jinxuan was very well-behaved when she was young, so she was easy to raise. But after she gave birth to Xiaoyun, she really killed me. She loved to cry too much, crying day and night, and no one bothered her. Why did she love to cry so much? Mom also said that after Jinxuan's child is born, she has to keep him by her side to take care of him. Then he will bother us. I wish Jinxuan and her family would have children later!" Xie Chengye said loudly.
Aunt Six said, "It won't bother you no matter who you are. You go to work during the day, how can it affect you? Oh, come on, come on, let's not talk about this anymore. Lunch is ready, you can serve it."
Xie Jinxuan immediately went over to help Sixth Aunt. Xia Qingtang went to the bathroom and looked at her body in the mirror, but she felt that this was impossible.
She tried hard to recall her period last month, but it hadn't come yet this month, so she couldn't see anything.
But judging from the grandparents’ reactions, they both seemed to want to see Xie Jinxuan’s child sooner.
Of course, this is understandable, because Xie Chengye and Xie's mother are still young, but they are no longer young. When it is unclear how much life they have left, everyone hopes to see the next generation of grandchildren as soon as possible. This is human nature.
As for Xia Qingtang herself, she was still a little confused. She didn't know whether she wanted a child or not.
In the past, she wanted it.
In her previous life, she dreamed of having a child, and even had some problems with it.
But now, she is not so obsessed with this matter anymore. It seems that she can just let nature take its course. It is okay to have a baby or not. She is not even too worried about whether her body can give birth to a child.
If this is the case, then if she really gets pregnant this time, it seems that she can accept it smoothly. Moreover, she is in good health and very young. Even if she is really pregnant, it should not affect her work too much.
After realizing this, she felt much more relieved. She washed her hands thoroughly, poured cold water on her face, wiped it clean with a handkerchief, and walked out.
The table was already filled with large bowls and pots, and the aroma drifted through the living room to the corner.
Everyone else was already seated, so Xia Qingtang quickly ran over and sat down next to Xie Jinxuan.
In the middle of the table was a large pot of fish stewed with tofu, and next to it were braised pork with potatoes and peppers, stir-fried water spinach, stir-fried cucumber with peppers, sesame jelly, and a pot of loofah and egg soup. This was the standard meal for the Xie family during the holidays, with meat, vegetables, and soup, and was very sumptuous.
Because we cooked a lot of rice dumplings, the staple food is rice dumplings. We will not start peeling the rice dumplings until we have almost finished eating the other dishes.
Xie Jinxuan opened a bottle of white wine and poured it for all the men in the family. Sixth Aunt opened a few bottles of soda, and everyone else drank it, except grandma, who didn't like soda. She drank red date tea.
Grandpa Xie raised his glass and said with a smile: "I wish our whole family a happy holiday, good health, good work and a good life."
"Grandpa, grandpa, I'm still here. I need to study hard." Xie Jinyun said hurriedly.
The whole family laughed, and Xie Chengye said loudly: "Okay, let's all work hard, study hard, and live well."
After that, everyone raised their glasses and took a sip.
"Okay, eat quickly. I made today's jelly according to Qingtang's recipe. It must be delicious. You all should try it." As she said that, Sixth Aunt took a clean small spoon and started to scoop food for everyone.
Although Xia Qingtang was a little sleepy, it did not affect her appetite at all. She did not need others to scoop food for her. She took a clean spoon and put a portion of each dish in the bowl. Then she ate it happily with orange soda.
Grandma had been watching her carefully, and only felt relieved when she saw that she was eating happily.
While eating, everyone chatted about some interesting things that happened recently. Xie Jinyun had the most interesting stories. He could talk about anything from what his classmates picked up to how his teacher fell flat on his face, which made the whole family laugh.
After they had almost finished eating the dishes and put away the wine bottles, Aunt Liu brought over the cooked rice dumplings.
"The ones with white lines are white rice dumplings, and the ones with yellow lines are candied dates and red beans dumplings. It depends on which one you want to eat." Aunt Liu said, "I have already soaked the white rice dumplings in cold water. They taste better when eaten cold."
Xie Jinxuan said: "Qingtang, which one do you want to eat?"
"Let's have both. Let's eat the white rice first." Xia Qingtang said as he drank the last sip of soda.
Xie Jinxuan took a white rice dumpling, peeled it open, then poked it with Xia Qingtang's chopsticks, picked up the whole dumpling, placed it in the powdered sugar plate in the middle of the table, dipped it in a full layer of powdered sugar, and then handed it to Xia Qingtang.
"Thank you." Xia Qingtang smiled sweetly at him, took it and took a bite.
White rice dumplings soaked in cold water will be chewier and taste better than when they are hot.
After she finished eating the white rice one, Xie Jinxuan peeled her another one filled with candied dates and red beans. She also dipped it in a little bit of powdered sugar and ate it with great satisfaction.
The rice dumplings made by Aunt Liu were not too big, but the glutinous rice was very filling, so after eating two, Xia Qingtang felt full.
It is such a blessing to be able to eat so much like this.
"Qingtang, would you like another one?" asked Aunt Six.
Xia Qingtang waved his hands: "I can't eat anymore. I'm already very full. I ate too much food just now."
"Then I'll leave it there. You can take it when you're hungry in the afternoon." Aunt Liu said with a smile.
After lunch, brothers Xie Jinxuan and Xie Jinyun went to wash the dishes. The elders all went for a nap. Xie Jinyun made an appointment with his classmates to go out and play, and Aunt Six also wanted to take a nap. The house soon became quiet.
Xie Jinxuan took Xia Qingtang out as well, then rode their bikes to the nearest hospital and found a familiar doctor for a simple check-up.
Xia Qingtang said: "Jinxuan, what do you think? If you really get pregnant, will you be happy?"
Xie Jinxuan said: "If I really get pregnant, I will of course be happy. Why do you ask that?"
"Because I think... you don't really want to have a child at this time..." Xia Qingtang said.
She knew Xie Jinxuan's eyes and expressions very well. She could tell when he spoke at noon that he was not very excited about the child.
Grandma and Xie's mother's eyes were sparkling, only Xie Jinxuan's brows were slightly frowned.
Xie Jinxuan was stunned for a moment, and thought for a few seconds before saying, "I don't want a child, I'm just worried about you."
"Worried about me?"
"You just went to the new factory. Although the work is very tiring, I can see that you are very happy. You are happy every day when you are busy there. Therefore, I think you like the work there very much. In this case, if you are pregnant now, it may not be a good thing for you. Although you always say that you will go out to do business in a few years, before doing business, with your ability, I think you can be a deputy. Although you are still young, your work ability is there. Any normal leader will consider promoting you. Therefore, I don't think now is a good time for you to have a baby."
Xia Qingtang thought for a moment and said, "I've never thought about being a deputy director or something like that. The main reason is that our office already has a deputy director, and he's only in his thirties. It's unlikely that there will be any changes in the next five years."
"But you don't have a union there yet." Xie Jinxuan whispered.
Xia Qingtang's eyes widened: "What does this mean?"
"It means exactly what it says. Although your factory is run by foreigners, it is affiliated with the city after all. Other factories have trade unions, but your factory does not. What will the city think? I still think that your factory will have a trade union. And you happened to be a member of the trade union before, and you are very familiar with those jobs. If the factory assigns a full-time position, then you must be the deputy." Xie Jinxuan said: "Although it is just my guess, I think the probability is very high. In this case, if you become a deputy, your work may be busier. At least this year you will get used to it, and other colleagues will get used to it. Next year, everything will be on track, and if there is another child, there will be no impact."
Xia Qingtang stared into his eyes for a long while, then she smiled and said, "Why didn't you tell me this before?"
"These are all my guesses. I'm afraid that if I tell you, you'll think too much and ruin the joy of your simple work now." Xie Jinxuan said, "But now that we've come to this point, it's okay to tell you."
Xia Qingtang let out a long sigh and thought for a while. She said, "If it really turns out like this, I am willing to be promoted. After all, it is also a reward for my work. But if I have a child now, I will be happy to welcome the arrival of the child."
Xie Jinxuan responded softly, and Xia Qingtang continued, "I like you very much. Having a child with you and me is one of my dreams. But I don't have an accurate idea of when this dream will be fulfilled. It can be a few years later, and it's not impossible now. If the child really comes, I will give birth to it."
Xie Jinxuan said: "If it really comes, of course I have to give birth to it. I have never thought about aborting the child."
"I didn't say you've thought about it." Xia Qingtang said with a smile: "I'm just afraid that you think having a child will hinder your studies."
Xie Jinxuan touched her little face and said, "How could I be that kind of person? I'm not such a loser. Even if I have to take care of the children at night, I can still get into the top three."
Xia Qingtang laughed: "That's fine. Even if this child really comes, it won't affect our current life."
Xie Jinxuan let out a long sigh: "Yes."
"Look, your expression still shows that you are not very willing." Xia Qingtang reached out and pressed his brow.
Xie Jinxuan hesitated for a moment and whispered, "To be honest, I really don't want us to have children."
"Why?" Xia Qingtang didn't understand. In this era, is there anyone who doesn't want children?
"After you have a child, your attention will be divided. The child is so young, and you are the mother. You need to spend more time on the child. Then I... can only watch from the side." Xie Jinxuan whispered: "I just hope you can keep looking at me, with my eyes full of me."
Xia Qingtang was slightly stunned: "Ah..."
"I'm sorry, I'm a very selfish person and made you laugh."
"Don't say that..." Xia Qingtang held his hand, "It's normal for you to think this way. And I thought about it, if you care about the child more than you care about me, I would probably be a little disappointed. This is human nature, how can it be selfish?"
Xie Jinxuan said: "But if I tell others, no one will think this is normal."
"Then don't tell anyone, just keep it between the two of us." Xia Qingtang laughed, "I can also promise you that even if we have a child, you will always come before the child in my heart. Of course, when the child is very young, I may take better care of him, and we both need to understand this."
"Qingtang, you don't have to be like this, I actually..."
"Make a promise to me too." Xia Qingtang interrupted him and said seriously, "We both have to do this. Our relationship as husband and wife always comes before our children, okay?"
Xie Jinxuan stared at her with eyes wide open. Seeing her determined look, she knew she was serious. She nodded and said, "Okay, we must do this. The relationship between husband and wife always comes before the children."
After the two of them started talking, the atmosphere suddenly became better. Xia Qingtang looked at him and smiled, and her whole mood relaxed a lot.
When I returned home from the hospital, the elders' naps were over and they were all in the living room. Grandpa was playing chess with Xie Chengye, Aunt Six was mending clothes with grandma, and Xie's mother was sitting aside reading a book. The house was very quiet.
Seeing the two of them come in, everyone looked at them at the same time. Everyone had a different expression. Grandma's expression showed a little expectation and more concern, while the others looked more curious.
Grandma was the first to ask, "What did the doctor say?"
Xia Qingtang said: "It's not pregnancy."
Several people looked at each other, and it was hard to tell whether they were disappointed or not, but grandma immediately said, "Are you feeling unwell?"
"He said he was too tired and consumed a lot of energy. He also has a little anemia, but it's very mild. He should be able to get better if he gets enough rest, eats well, and eats more red dates and red beans." Xia Qingtang said, "Did I disappoint everyone?"
"No, what are you disappointed about? Where did the disappointment come from? We didn't expect this in the first place!" Xie Chengye said, "You told Jinxuan a long time ago that you wouldn't have a baby so early. We are not stupid and can't understand what people say. We didn't expect this in the first place."
Xie's mother also said, "Yes, you are still young, and you have just started your career, so you will have enough time in two years. In short, we are not in a hurry, and you don't have to be in a hurry either. We really won't rush this. Even if you don't want to have a baby later, there is still Xiaoyun. We can wait for him."
Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "That won't happen. I still like children very much. I have also told Jinxuan that we may have a child next year or the year after next."
"Oh? Did you guys agree?" Grandma said, "Didn't Jinxuan say she wanted to wait until she graduated from college?"
"The main thing is that he doesn't have to give birth to the child. As long as I'm ready, it won't affect him in any way." Xia Qingtang said: "My idea is that next year I will be familiar with all the work. As long as the work is easy, I will be in the mood to prepare for other things. As for the things I'm learning, I just started taking some courses this year. I have to study for at least a year and stop after I have mastered some basic things."
This is also Xia Qingtang's real thought. English classes have basically stopped this year. What she has mastered now is actually enough, and she can learn it through self-study later.
So now she can only guarantee a cultural relics class once a week. Xu Zhenhua is a very serious person. He starts from theory and combines it with some actual objects. He will not continue teaching until Xia Qingtang has mastered every knowledge point he mentioned. Therefore, Xia Qingtang is under a lot of pressure.
He also said that it would be best not to give up halfway, so Xia Qingtang would study until next year, and when she had almost completed his teaching plan, she could then plan on getting pregnant.
"Then do what you want to do." Grandma said, "But your work is so tiring that it has given you anemia. Is that a big deal?"
"The doctor said it's nothing serious. He also said that my anemia might have been worse before, but now it's much better. It's definitely not work that made me anemic. Work just made me a little weak. I need to get more sleep."
Xia Qingtang was not wrong. How could the food be as good as it is now? If mild anemia can be found now, it means that it must have been more serious before.
Aunt Liu said, "We have red dates and red beans at home. I'll pack a bag for you later. But how do you eat them? Red dates can be eaten as a snack, but red beans need to be cooked."
"Put it in rice and cook it together. The doctor said it is very nutritious." Xie Jinxuan said.
"Okay, I'll go and pack it for you. I'll also buy some more red beans and red dates later." Aunt Six said as she walked towards the kitchen.
Grandma said: "Qingtang, in addition to eating well to replenish your body, you should also talk to your employer. We can't let you be so tired anymore."
"Don't worry, grandma. I know what's going on. In fact, the company knows how hard we work, so they hired a new employee. I think I'll be much more relaxed once I get her out." Xia Qingtang let out a long sigh, "I feel much more relieved knowing that I'm actually fine."
The whole family breathed a sigh of relief, and grandma let go of the issue of having a baby.
Although she was indeed the one who was looking forward to it the most, since Xia Qingtang said that she would give birth next year or the year after, she would not be in a hurry.
After all, she also knew that Xia Qingtang was a girl who kept her word and she also had plans, so it would be a good idea to let her follow her plans.
When Xie Jinyun came back and found out that Xia Qingtang was not pregnant, he was a little disappointed.
He said, "Ah, I thought I'd have a baby at home to play with."
Xie's mother slapped him and said, "What nonsense are you talking about! Is the baby given to you to play with?"
"But that's what they all say, that babies are very interesting, soft and well behaved, and can be teased at will."
"You, if your sister-in-law really gives birth to a baby, you will be an uncle. As an elder, you must learn to take care of the younger generation." Xie's mother said.
Xie Jinyun scratched the back of his head and said, "Then I really don't know these."
"It doesn't matter if you don't know how to do it. You can learn slowly and then you will be able to take care of a baby in the future."
"Then sister-in-law, you have to hurry up. If I go to college and the baby isn't born yet, I won't be able to take care of it."
"How could that be? You always have winter and summer vacations, so how can you not go home?" Xia Qingtang said.
The whole family laughed, and Xie Jinyun also laughed: "That's right, I will definitely go home during the winter and summer vacations. Then leave it to me, I promise to take him to play together!"
"Don't just think about playing. You have to learn to feed your little nephew, pat his back, and coax him to sleep. This is how we took care of you when you were a child," said Xie Chengye.
Xie Jinyun scratched the back of his head again: "It's so difficult, I may not be able to do it... How about this... I'll go upstairs and do my homework first. I'm still a student, so I should focus on studying."
After saying that, he was about to run upstairs, but was stopped by Xie's mother.
"Why are you running? It's almost time for dinner. Eat first and then go up after dinner."
So the whole family went to the restaurant and started eating dinner.
Dinner was simple, consisting of some leftovers from lunch and a big pot of vegetable soup made by Aunt Liu. The staple food was still rice dumplings. By the time dinner was over, the rice dumplings were also gone.
After dinner, Xie Jinxuan and Xia Qingtang went back. The two of them sat at the dining table and studied together until 8:30 before they took a shower and rested.
The next day when I arrived at the factory, as soon as I reached the office door, I saw Shen Wen holding a thermos and pouring water into everyone's cups one by one.
Xia Qingtang quickly said, "Secretary Shen, you don't have to do this kind of thing. We can pour the water ourselves."
"I'm free anyway, so it's my duty to pour water for everyone." Shen Wen smiled. "I came early and found that someone was cleaning the office. I even helped to fetch water. I didn't have to do anything."
Seeing that other colleagues had not come in yet and the door of the small office was locked, Xia Qingtang whispered, "Secretary Shen, don't do this anymore. If it becomes a habit, it's better for others, but I'm afraid some people will push their luck and ask you to do all the trivial things in the future. We are all colleagues, all the same, there's really no need to do these things."
"Ah... I understand." Shen Wen quickly put down the thermos bottle and thanked him solemnly: "Thank you, Secretary Xia, I really don't understand anything."
Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "It's nothing. You used to work in a supply and marketing cooperative. There were fewer people there, and the environment wasn't that complicated. It's normal that you don't understand these things. But you'll learn slowly and you'll know."
As we were talking, other colleagues came in one after another.
Wang Qing followed behind Shi Xiaoyu, so Xia Qingtang deliberately said, "Xiaoshi, I poured some hot water for you, and I'll pour some for the others as well."
Shi Xiaoyu said, "Hey, why are you so nice today? Do you have any intentions?"
"What could I possibly be up to? You're not allowing me to be a good person? I'm a very kind person!"
Wang Qing opened the lid of his cup and took a look. He said, "Have you washed this cup? It hasn't been touched for a whole day. It's very dirty."
Shen Wen said: "It has been washed... I saw Secretary Xia washing it..."
Wang Qing then said, "Xiao Xia, why are you so kind today? Did you do something bad?"
"What do you guess?" Xia Qingtang chuckled.
Wang Qing's face turned dark and he stopped talking.
The matter was just revealed. When Chai Qiaoying arrived, she held a small meeting for everyone and the colleagues started working.
Today was not particularly busy, so Xia Qingtang still had time to go to the workshop to find Hu Yanhui to get the peanut cake.
Now, everyone knows that she is quite familiar with Hu Yanhui, and some curious people have asked what their relationship is. Xia Qingtang said that they are distant relatives, and this one sentence stopped all these random speculations.
Although her relationship with Hu Yanhui was open and aboveboard, some people have dirty minds and always like to think of others in a dirty way. However, as long as they are relatives, no one thinks it is abnormal.
After paying the money and taking a big bag of peanut cakes, Xia Qingtang happily returned to the office. He took out some from the bag and handed them to Shi Xiaoyu after work.
"Peanut cake again? You bought it again?" Shi Xiaoyu was very happy.
"Yes, I bought it again." Xia Qingtang said, "I really like to eat this."
"I like it too. The peanut cake you bought is so delicious. I'll take it back. My wife likes it too." Shi Xiaoyu said, "How much is it? I'll pay you."
Xia Qingtang said, "No need, this time it's my treat. If you can still buy it next time, I'll buy more for you."
The portion this time was not too large, and Xia Qingtang had to share it with her grandmother and the others, so she could only give Shi Xiaoyu a little. It was unnecessary to charge people for such a small amount.
Shi Xiaoyu was very happy. She said, "Xiaoxia, you are so kind. I will treat you to a meal this time. I will treat you to something else later."
"Okay, don't you have a lot of people selling delicious food privately over there? Just bring some back for me. I'm a greedy person." Xia Qingtang said as he walked out with Shi Xiaoyu.
"Okay, I'll bring you that shortbread. It's so delicious. My wife can eat five at a time!"
Shen Wen followed them out, leaving Cheng Shuangmin the only one still writing something in the office.
Shi Xiaoyu asked, "Secretary Shen, did you not go home for the Dragon Boat Festival?"
"Yes, it's too far and it's inconvenient to go back." Shen Wen said softly.
"Then how did you celebrate the festival in the dormitory? I heard that the cafeteria was also closed on the Dragon Boat Festival." Shi Xiaoyu said.
"I have a kerosene stove that I can use to cook. I made a few rice dumplings and fried some vegetables, and that was it."
"Where did you buy the vegetables? There's no one selling vegetables here."
Shen Wen looked around and saw no one, so he whispered, "This side is close to the suburbs. There is a big village over there. People over there have their own plots of land, and they sell vegetables."
"Ah... I see!" Shi Xiaoyu nodded. "How are their vegetables? Are they easy to buy?"
"It's easy to buy. They grow their own vegetables. They're very fresh and not expensive."
"It seems that it would be quite convenient to live here." Shi Xiaoyu thought thoughtfully.
Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "The vegetables in the private plot must be very fresh. Director Shen, you are really smart to think of this way to buy vegetables."
"To make a living, we have to be active. I also saw some vacant land over there. In a few days, I want to ask my leader if I can grow my own vegetables. If possible, I will grow vegetables myself, and this way I can save money." Shen Wen smiled.
She was no longer so reserved today. She had learned to take notes while following Xia Qingtang. She would describe how Xia Qingtang spoke and acted.
Xia Qingtang didn't mind this, because even if he learned it, it would be a good thing and there would be no competition issue.
After going downstairs, the three of them separated and Shen Wen walked towards the dormitory area.
Shi Xiaoyu said, "I want to live here too. If I live here, I can walk home in a few minutes, how nice it is. Although taking the bus is more convenient, it still takes time. Xiaoxia, if the house is built, do you want to live here?"
Xia Qingtang said: "I probably won't move in. I'm very comfortable in my current house. The furniture is all specially bought by my wife. I'm familiar with that place, so I don't want to move."
"That's right. Your wife's family is a high-ranking cadre family. Their accommodation must be much better than ours. By the way, can I come to your house as a guest? I don't want to go there for dinner, I just want to take a look. I haven't been to the provincial party committee compound yet."
Xia Qingtang said: "Of course you can. If you are free, you can go over there. Just register at the guard room and someone will call me."
"You still need to register, that's amazing. I'll come over to play with you when I find time."
In the following days, Xia Qingtang worked with Shen Wen. Because she was efficient and always encouraged Shen Wen, Shen Wen gradually changed from being timid at the beginning to being able to speak normally, and his speaking speed also increased a bit.
She no longer trembles with nervousness when she sees foreign colleagues. Although she cannot communicate normally yet, Xia Qingtang can see that she can understand what foreigners say, which fully demonstrates that this person has a high level of English.
While eating lunch, Xia Qingtang asked, "Secretary Shen, can I ask what your foreign language level is?"
"My foreign language? It's just at a normal level... I also learned it when I was in the countryside, but not much." Shen Wen didn't know how to answer.
"So what was your major in college?"
“I’m from the Foreign Languages Department.”
Xia Qingtang suddenly realized, no wonder Yan Jianshun valued her so much.
"You are a student of the Foreign Languages Department? Doesn't that mean you can speak more than one foreign language?"
"Yes, I can also speak simple Russian and a little French, but only a little French." Shen Wen said.
"You're amazing!" Xia Qingtang couldn't help but say, "I observed you and found that you could understand every word the technicians said, so I guessed that your foreign language level must be very high. I said something wrong today, and you obviously noticed it, right?"
"Yes..." Shen Wen said hesitantly, as if he was afraid of offending Xia Qingtang.
Xia Qingtang said: "This job is quite important. If you hear me say something wrong next time, just help me correct it."
"What? I should correct it for you directly?" Shen Wen was shocked.
"Yes, since you know what is right, you should help me. We are colleagues and should help each other."
"Is that so... Well... I understand. I will try my best to do so in the future."
"Okay, thank you." Xia Qingtang smiled lightly and continued eating.
The chefs here have excellent cooking skills, but the variety of dishes in the canteen is too limited. Fortunately, June is a season with abundant vegetables, so we can always change the taste every day.
If winter came, Xia Qingtang felt that he would have to go to the cafeteria to grab food, otherwise, he would probably have to eat potatoes and cabbage every meal.
After talking with Shen Wen, when Xia Qingtang was called over there to be an interpreter again, Shen Wen was obviously more attentive.
She also mustered up the courage to correct one or two of Xia Qingtang’s mistakes, and the technician would praise her: “Shen, you are amazing.”
Shen Wen always blushed and stood there without saying a word.
The week she spent with Xia Qingtang passed quickly. Chai Qiaoying talked to Xia Qingtang and Shen Wen alone, and then suggested that Shen Wen could work alone. However, if Xia Qingtang was called to do translation, she still had to ask Shen Wen to come along and take care of her for a while longer.
The colleagues did not have any special feelings about this matter, only Wang Qing deliberately said: "Secretary Shen, I thought your English was very good, but I didn't expect that you still need Xiao Xia to guide you. You are too bad."
Shen Wen lowered his head, not knowing how to respond. Xia Qingtang said, "Didn't you also learn English? Can you speak a complete sentence to the factory director now? Being able to read a foreign language and being able to speak a foreign language are two different things. Besides, I'm bold, and I'm not afraid of making mistakes. Director Shen is very strict with herself. She wants to keep improving. Is that not okay?"
"Okay, okay, I'd like to see when she can really come in handy. The so-called talent that Assistant Yan took the trouble to find will become a joke in the future." Wang Qing curled his lips.
Shi Xiaoyu suddenly asked, "Secretary Wang, did you eat garlic this morning?"
"What? Garlic? No, why would I eat garlic so early in the morning? I had porridge and pancakes for breakfast."
Hearing this, Xia Qingtang already knew what Shi Xiaoyu was going to say. Sure enough, the next second, she said, "You didn't eat the garlic? Then why does your mouth stink so bad? I thought a cesspool had exploded!"
Shi Xiaoyu was originally quite polite to Wang Qing and had no intention of offending her colleague, but because she had a good relationship with Xia Qingtang, she gradually learned to deal with Wang Qing the same way Xia Qingtang did.
Li Zifang accidentally burst out laughing, and he immediately covered his mouth: "Sorry, I didn't mean it."
Wang Qing was so angry that his face turned black: "What are you talking about? How can you curse people? Shi Xiaoyu, let me tell you, curse someone again and try it."
Before Shi Xiaoyu could say anything, Cheng Shuangmin suddenly said, "Secretary Wang, please be careful and don't always bully your colleagues in the office."
"What? I bullied my colleague? Deputy Director, are you deaf? Can't you hear that she was bullying me just now? She was cursing at me!" Wang Qing was not convinced.
Cheng Shuangmin said, "I didn't hear that. I only heard you say bad things about Director Shen. We are all colleagues. Usually the atmosphere in the office is very good, but you always target this and that. I tell you, if you do this again, I will tell Director Chai."
"You!" Wang Qing was angry but dared not say anything this time.
He might not be very afraid of Cheng Shuangmin, but he was indeed afraid of Chai Qiaoying. If he really offended Chai Qiaoying, he would be in trouble.
The office finally quieted down. After a while, Shi Xiaoyu and Xia Qingtang went out to the bathroom. Shen Wen quickly followed them and thanked them sincerely.
Xia Qingtang said: "No need to thank us, it's what we should do."
Shi Xiaoyu said: "Secretary Shen, you are much older than Wang Qing, you should fight for your dignity and stop being bullied by him!"
"I...ah...I thought about it too." Shen Wen said, "But I'm always afraid...I'm too cowardly."
"It's okay, take your time. These are small things. Do your job well first, which is better than anything else." Xia Qingtang said, "Secretary Shen, your English is so good. I really look forward to seeing you communicate fluently with foreigners. When you can communicate with foreign colleagues, your self-confidence will naturally increase."
Shen Wen smiled and said, "Thank you for always praising me like this. I... I have never met someone like you."
Xia Qingtang sighed in her heart. She also grew up in an environment full of scolding. Praise in the family would always only be given to Xia Qinghai, so she would always doubt herself.
But fortunately, this idea can be corrected at any time. She can be tough even when she has no ability. People with real ability like Shen Wen can do it even more.
Afterwards, Xia Qingtang began to deliberately leave out a sentence when helping with translation, and then asked Shen Wen to fill it in.
Shen Wen couldn't react at first, but after a few days, he was able to connect smoothly.
Her English does have an accent, but it's completely understandable, which is good.
Because most people who speak a foreign language actually have an accent. Even though Xia Qingtang is always praised, she actually doesn't know whether she speaks it standardly or not.
As for language, it is enough as long as it can be spoken, understood and communicated. Other accents are not important.
Shen Wen's self-confidence has obviously improved. She would privately ask Xia Qingtang to help her with some short English conversations. Xia Qingtang could feel that she was becoming more and more courageous.
Seeing her work going well, Xia Qingtang was happy for her, because as long as Shen Wen could work on his own, Xia Qingtang, the unqualified translator, could be removed. She had been looking forward to this day.
Soon, it was another Saturday afternoon, and it was almost time to get off work. Everyone was talking about what they wanted to do tomorrow. The office was peaceful and even Wang Qing didn't say anything nonsense.
A security guard suddenly ran in, and he said in a panic, "Is Director Chai here? There's a man outside who wants to find a leader, saying that our factory... kidnapped his wife! I just went to check, Assistant Yan is not here, and the factory directors are not here either. I don't know who to find, so I can only come here to ask! That man is making a lot of noise outside, and we can't control it anymore!"
Cheng Shuangmin immediately walked over and knocked on the door of the small office, inviting Chai Qiaoying out.
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