Chapter 61
Zhao Meiyan didn't know how to answer. She exchanged glances with Ma Daquan, who said, "Mom, brother, please sit down."
As he said that, Ma Daquan stood up and moved stools for Chen Hongxing and Zhao Zhiqiang to sit on.
Xie Jinxuan also stood up and called out "Grandma" and "Uncle". Chen Hongxing rolled his eyes and said, "Go away! Who is your grandma? You don't look like a good person. You are a bad person just like that damn girl!"
Xia Qingtang immediately pulled Xie Jinxuan to sit down, and then said loudly: "I was born by your daughter, and your daughter was born by you. If I am a bad seed, you are an old bad seed. If I am bad, it is inherited from you. You scold me, and you are scolding yourself."
Chen Hongxing immediately waved his fist at Xia Qingtang, looking like he was going to hit her: "What are you still standing there for? This damn girl scolded me, you are all dead, why don't you help me teach her a lesson?"
Ma Daquan used a stool to block Chen Hongxing and said, "Mom, now that you're here, sit down and talk about what you want to say."
Chen Hongxing waved his hand, looking very unhappy: "Why are you sitting? Why is this damn girl in your house? Don't you know that she pissed me off before?"
Zhao Zhiqiang took a stool, but did not sit down. Instead, he said with a fake smile, "Mom, isn't your little daughter always like this? She has never thought about you all these years."
Zhao Meiyan calmed down now, and she came to her senses. She said loudly, "Brother, what are you talking about? We, as elders, just want to invite Qingtang and Xiaoxie to have a simple meal. They are not enemies, so can't I invite the children to have a meal? Besides, we don't have anything good at home, we just want to eat some vegetarian dishes, so why say that?"
"Why did you invite them to dinner? Don't you know that Xia Qingtang is such a bastard? She dared to talk back to me! You still want to invite such a dead thing to dinner, do you want to piss me off to death?" Chen Hongxing put his hands on his waist, walked to Zhao Meiyan and was about to pull her away, but when he turned his eyes, he saw two bottles of liquor, a pack of cigarettes and a box of neatly wrapped egg cakes on the dining table, and immediately jumped up: "Is this what Xia Qingtang brought here? She is so willing to do so! She came here to bring such good cigarettes and liquor! If you have this money, why don't you honor me? I am your grandmother! No wonder you two want to invite this dead thing to dinner, it turns out you want to take advantage of it! Such good things can't be given to you, I'll take them all!"
As he spoke, Chen Hongxing actually walked to the dining table, directly held the white wine and cigarettes in his arms, and called Zhao Zhiqiang: "Boss, quickly pack up this box of egg cakes! We will take it back to eat!"
This action made everyone stunned for a moment. Before Zhao Meiyan could say anything, Ma Chuntao walked over and started fighting with Chen Hongxing for it: "This is something my cousin and her husband gave to my parents. Why did you take it away? Come back!"
Although Chen Hongxing is old, she is quite strong. She pushed Ma Chuntao away with one hand, cursing: "I'll take it! I gave birth to your mother, so what's wrong with giving me some good things?"
"You can't take it away." Zhao Meiyan also went to help. She snatched the white wine from the old lady and stuffed it into Ma Daquan's hand. "Is there any mother like this? You come here to grab things? This is our family. What's wrong with me being your child? Our old Ma is not your child. What right do you have to come here to grab things?"
Chen Hongxing was furious: "If it was your sister, she would have offered these things to me without me even asking!"
This is true. In Xia Qingtang's memory, Zhao Meizhen has always been willing to send gifts to her parents' home. But she doesn't know if Zhao Meizhen is still willing to give to her parents' home like this after the food poisoning last year.
Zhao Meiyan was so angry that her face turned red: "Then go find my eldest sister, what are you doing at my house? You just came to my house for lunch last Sunday, and you came again this week. There are three children in our family, and there is not enough food every time. You are a grandmother and an uncle, do you have the nerve to do this? Others will bring gifts and their own rations when they go to their relatives' houses for dinner, but you are so good that you didn't even buy a piece of candy for my children. You actually have the nerve to come here to eat and drink for free, and even snatch the gift that Qingtang gave us! I tell you, I'm not your eldest daughter, don't try to trick me! There are five people in our family, and you are only two. If you have the guts, fight. If you can beat our whole family, you can take whatever you want!"
After hearing this, Chen Hongxing became even angrier than Zhao Meiyan. She screamed, suddenly bent down, and bumped into Zhao Meiyan. Fortunately, Zhao Meiyan was flexible enough to avoid it.
But the old lady used too much force and instead of hitting anyone, she rushed forward and hit the wall. Fortunately, her hands were stretched out in front of her, so her head did not hit the wall. However, she still hit the wall, and then her body slipped and she sat on the ground.
Then the old lady pretended to be unconscious, covering her head and screaming in a low voice, muttering: "What an injustice! My children are unfilial! They want me to die..."
Zhao Zhiqiang said in a fuss: "Zhao Meiyan, do you want Mom to bang her head against the wall and kill herself? How can you be so cruel? Isn't it just a few cigarettes and liquor? Even if you give it to Mom, what will happen? You are such a stubborn and unfilial son!"
"I'm not filial. You can say whatever you want. Please don't always come to our house to eat and drink for free." Zhao Meiyan said: "You didn't come to our house so often before. What's wrong with you this year? You come over every now and then!"
Xia Qingtang suddenly asked, "Is it because Zhao Meizhen didn't send food coupons and money to her parents' home?"
Zhao Zhiqiang's face changed, obviously he was right.
Zhao Meiyan immediately said, "Since my elder sister won't send you anything, you want to take advantage of me? Dream on! We have so many children in our family, it's hard to even get a meal, and you dare to come to my house and ask for money! I don't care who you are, both of you, get out!"
After saying that, Zhao Meiyan ran to the wall and tried to pull up the old lady, but because the old lady was very strong, she couldn't move her after pulling for a while.
Ma Chuntao immediately ran over to help her mother, and the two of them pulled together, and the old lady was lifted up, and then dragged out.
Now she couldn't play dead anymore, so she struggled hard: "What are you doing? If you dare to hit me, I will go to your company and find your boss and tell him that you are unfilial and you beat and scolded me!"
"Go ahead. I'll go with you now! Bring your eldest son with you, and let our leaders judge who is wrong!" Zhao Meiyan said, "Your eldest son and his wife are also working and have salary coupons. You also have your retirement salary. Is it your family that is in trouble or ours? Let's go and ask the leaders to judge now!"
Zhao Meiyan is not afraid. She works diligently at the paper mill and was named an advanced worker two years ago. She gets along well with her neighbors and everyone knows that she is a good person. If she really goes to see the leader, the leader will stand on her side.
Seeing that this trick didn't work, Chen Hongxing quickly said, "Can you really kick me out? I'm your mother, and you're reluctant to let me come over for lunch at lunch time?"
"I can't bear to let you go. You can go back home and eat. I didn't cook for you." Zhao Meiyan would not give her any chance. She and Ma Chuntao directly took the old lady out of the door, and then dragged her out of the yard in one breath.
When Chen Hongxing got outside, he screamed like a pig being slaughtered, attracting the neighbors to come out and watch the fun.
Inside the house, Zhao Zhiqiang looked at Ma Daquan with a dark face: "Brother-in-law, my mother is your mother-in-law. After so many years, we came to your house and you are not even willing to give us a meal?"
Ma Daquan's expression was actually a little embarrassed, but he still blushed and whispered, "I listen to Meiyan, what she said makes sense. Besides, you can't always do this, brother. You come to our house for dinner every Sunday, and our children don't have enough to eat. Don't you feel ashamed to do this? Our children are crying with hunger, but your children can eat more. Brother, everyone's children are children, you love your own children, but you can't let my children not have enough to eat."
A normal person would feel embarrassed to hear this, but Zhao Zhiqiang was obviously not an ordinary person. He did not change his expression or heartbeat, but said calmly: "What are you saying? When did I steal your children's food? Your children are not full, you should give them your meal, and then give the guests a portion. This is the way of life. If you don't even want to entertain your mother-in-law and brother-in-law, don't keep saying that your children are not full. People who don't know would think that we had eaten something delicious at your house before!"
Although Ma Daquan was an honest man, he was a little unhappy after hearing this. He whispered, "Since we don't have anything good to give you, brother, why are you still staying here? Just go wherever is good. The state-owned restaurant has braised pork, why don't you go and eat it?"
Xia Qingtang immediately applauded him, "My uncle is right. The state-owned restaurant has all kinds of food. You should take grandma there to eat. You always talk about filial piety. You are such a filial person, you will definitely treat your mother to a meal of braised pork."
This time, Zhao Zhiqiang had nothing to refute, but he didn't blush at all. Instead, he snorted coldly, looked at Xie Jinxuan again, then turned around and walked out.
Xia Qingtang followed her cousin and younger cousin out, only to see that the screaming old lady had been dragged out of the yard by Zhao Meiyan and her daughter. The neighbors standing outside kept asking what had happened.
Zhao Meiyan said: "My mother brought my eldest brother here to beg for food. I have three children, and only two of them work and get paid. You all know how we live on weekdays. They have food at home but don't eat it. They come to our house every Sunday to steal my children's food. Just now they also tried to steal the cigarettes and liquor that my nephew's son-in-law gave us. Tell me, how can I live like this?"
The neighbor immediately said, "Oh, that's really wrong, but your mother is old, please talk to her nicely and don't use violence."
"I didn't want to get violent with her, but she just came up to grab it and even hit our Chuntao. I really had no choice." Zhao Meiyan said: "I had to do this. She is a mother and I am also a mother. As a mother, she doesn't think about me, but as a mother, I have to think about my child."
The old lady was actually a little tired after such a commotion. After being dragged out of the yard, she simply sat down on the ground, holding her chest and lying down, shouting: "Ouch, ouch, I can't stand it anymore..."
Zhao Meiyan looked back and saw Zhao Zhiqiang coming out. She said, "Zhao Zhiqiang, your mother is feeling uncomfortable in her chest. Hurry up and carry her to the hospital. If she is delayed, it is your problem and has nothing to do with us."
Zhao Zhiqiang said, "Little sister, don't be so heartless. As your family, we have helped you a lot over the years. Are you going to break up with us now?"
"I never said that. I just really don't have any food for you. If you want to come next time, fine, bring your own rice or noodles. I promise to make hot soup and hot rice for you. You can even feed you if you want me to. But there's just one thing. If you don't bring food to our house, you'll have to wait until next year. And next year you'll only have two chances. If you bring more than that, I won't be able to feed you."
Zhao Zhiqiang was amused by her: "You are really good at calculating. Your own mother only has two meals a year?"
"If you think it's too little, you don't have to come to eat." Zhao Meiyan said, "I have supported you for so many years. I have taken back so many food coupons and cotton cloth from your family. You have taken advantage of me enough, right? Now I won't give you any benefits. Don't count on me. I have three children at home. If you let my children starve, I will fight you to the death!"
Zhao Zhiqiang snorted coldly: "That's enough, selfishness is selfishness, it's just a meal, do you think we can't afford it?"
After that, he walked up to the old lady and said loudly, "Mom, stop yelling. The daughters you raised are all bad. The older one doesn't care about you, and the younger one doesn't care about you either. She even complains about you eating a meal and wants to starve her children to death. It's not like we don't have food to eat at home. Why are you talking to her here? Let's go home!"
The old lady was stunned for a moment, then looked up at her eldest son. Seeing that Zhao Zhiqiang was indeed signaling her to leave with his eyes, she whispered, "Leaving now? I haven't even had breakfast yet, and if you leave like this, I'll have to walk back hungry, and I won't be able to walk anymore."
Zhao Zhiqiang said: "I'll take you to the state-owned restaurant to eat steamed buns."
The old lady's face twitched: "That's so expensive."
"It's okay, let's eat it in front of them to show them that we can afford good food ourselves. Do you think we need their porridge so much?" After saying that, Zhao Zhiqiang pulled his mother.
The old lady really stood up along with her eldest son, then spat at Zhao Meiyan and strode forward.
This made the neighbors speechless. Zhao Meiyan waited until they were really far away, and then apologized to the neighbors: "I made everyone worry. Now everything is fine, everything is fine."
A neighbor said, "I'm glad you're alright. You should be more careful. Your mother and your elder brother are not easy to deal with. They might come back later."
"Don't worry, I have a way to deal with them." As he said that, Zhao Meiyan pulled Ma Chuntao and Xia Qingtang into the yard, and then directly locked the gate of the yard, for fear that Chen Hongxing and Zhao Zhiqiang would come back again.
Back in the house, Ma Daquan was apologizing to Xie Jinxuan. Xie Jinxuan said, "It's okay. I know what kind of person Qingtang's grandmother is. It's not surprising that she would do such a thing. It's good that my aunt did this. This way, she can protect the whole family."
Zhao Meiyan heard this as soon as she entered the room and immediately laughed: "Xiao Xie, you are such a good young man. The fact that you can understand me shows that you are clear in your mind. Qingtang has finally found the right person."
Ma Daquan said: "Yes, Xiao Xie is obviously a well-educated and well-mannered person. That's the word, well-educated and well-mannered."
"That's right, he is well-educated and well-mannered. I also think my cousin's husband looks very cultured." Ma Chuntao said, "Cousin, how did you meet your cousin's husband?"
Xia Qingtang said: "We went to the same high school, and he was my senior."
"Wow, so that's it! So you knew each other before! Have you been dating since middle school?" At this age, Ma Chuntao is just beginning to be curious about relationships between men and women, so she quickly put the matter of Chen Hongxing behind her and was eager to know Xia Qingtang's love story.
Xia Qingtang said, "How is that possible? I hardly interacted with male classmates in middle school, so why would I date someone?"
"So it was after you graduated that your cousin's husband wrote to you?"
Xie Jinxuan said, "Your cousin didn't recognize me when she was in school. We met at a movie at the steel plant last summer. A few days later, she asked her elders to introduce her to someone. I heard that I met those requirements, so I recommended myself. I didn't expect that your cousin really liked me, and we got together like this, and soon after, we registered for marriage."
"So, cousin, did you fall in love with your cousin's husband at first sight?"
"Almost. It can be considered love at first sight. The main reason is that he looks very reliable. When looking for a partner, you have to find someone reliable, right?" Xia Qingtang said with a smile.
After hearing this, Zhao Meiyan nodded and said, "Qingtang is right. When looking for a partner, you should look for someone reliable. If you find someone like your uncle, it will be terrible."
Ma Chuntao was a little curious: "My uncle is not good to my sisters, so is he not good to my aunt?"
"He looks down on women, and with my mother's help, the mother and son teamed up to bully your aunt. Over the years, your aunt hasn't had a good life, but she is soft-hearted and can endure it. Anyway, I can't do that. If the man eats well and I starve, I will pack up and leave. Even if I have to divorce and live alone, I will not indulge his bad habits!"
Ma Chuntao nodded repeatedly after hearing this: "I'll remember this. I will definitely not look for someone like my uncle in the future. I will definitely not look for a mother-in-law like my grandmother either. She looks too scary and she even wants to steal our egg cakes!"
Ma Chunxing whispered, "Sister, you are just thinking about that box of egg cakes, right?"
Everyone laughed at this, and Xia Qingtang said, "Why don't you open it and eat some now? There are ten of them inside, enough for you to eat for two days."
Ma Chuntao ran to the box of cakes and asked Zhao Meiyan, "Mom, can we have one now to taste it?"
"Eat it. Since I bought it for you, of course you can eat it." Zhao Meiyan said, "Share one among the three of you, and give two to my cousin and the others."
Xia Qingtang immediately refused: "We don't need to eat. We had breakfast this morning and we're not hungry. Besides, I still have room for the sweet potato dumplings made by my aunt."
Zhao Meiyan smiled and said, "I've already made them and put them there. Wait, I'll go fry some sweet potato balls for you now."
Zhao Meiyan went to the kitchen to cook, and Ma Daquan went over to help. Ma Chuntao actually took out an egg cake and shared one with her younger brother and sister, looking like they were enjoying it very much.
Xia Qingtang said: "Eat another one, there are more."
Ma Chuntao smiled and shook her head: "The three of us will eat five, and we can eat the rest tomorrow. We can eat them slowly and they can last for several days."
After she finished speaking, she saw that Xie Jinxuan's teacup was empty, so she quickly brought the thermos over to add hot water to him.
Seeing that she was young but very perceptive, Xia Qingtang immediately realized the difference between herself and this cousin.
No wonder Ma Chuntao was able to expand the store with her husband later. Someone like her who is good at observing people's words and expressions can indeed entertain all kinds of guests.
Just like just now, she was able to find the opportunity to take the initiative to help her mother. If it were Xia Qingtang in her previous life, she would just stand there stupidly and not move.
"Thank you, cousin Chuntao." Xie Jinxuan took a sip of the tea, and Ma Chuntao continued to ask about Xia Qingtang and the others.
Xia Qingtang said everything he could say, and Ma Chuntao had almost asked everything she wanted to ask, when she heard Zhao Meiyan shouting from the kitchen: "The meal is ready, Chuntao, come and serve the dishes!"
"Coming!" Ma Chuntao ran out immediately.
Xie Jinxuan and Xia Qingtang also went over to help, but Zhao Meiyan simply refused to let them enter the kitchen: "You two are guests, go back and sit down, sit down."
So Xia Qingtang sat in the living room waiting for dinner. To entertain them today, Zhao Meiyan not only made Xia Qingtang's favorite sweet potato balls, but also steamed a plate of salted fish, cooked a large bowl of tofu, fried bean curd sheets with leeks, and two other vegetarian dishes, a total of six dishes, which looked very rich.
The rice is cooked with potatoes and rice. Their own bowls are almost all filled with potatoes, while the bowls for the guests are filled with white rice.
"Qingtang, eat this dumpling quickly and see if my cooking skills have become rusty." Zhao Meiyan said with a smile.
Xia Qingtang picked up a sweet potato dumpling and took a bite, then immediately laughed: "It tastes better than before, fragrant and sweet."
Zhao Meiyan said: "The sweet potatoes we stockpiled last year were especially sweet. We made them several times during the Chinese New Year and they were sold out every time. I also left a large bowl there for you to take back when you go back. It's not a good thing, but I'm pretty good at making it. I'll take it back for Xiao Xie's family to try."
The sweet potato balls made by Zhao Meiyan were of just the right proportions and fried to perfection, so they tasted crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Xia Qingtang couldn't help but eat half a bowl of them the first time she ate them. She was worried about being scolded, but fortunately her aunt and uncle-in-law both allowed her to eat more, and Zhao Meizhen also felt that sweet potatoes were not a good thing, so it was a false alarm.
They ate and chatted, and no one seemed to remember the previous quarrel.
Having so many children in the family does indeed make food more scarce. The children are all in their teens and are big eaters. So in the end, even the rice crusts in the big pot of potatoes were eaten up clean. Ma Chuntao was still not satisfied, so she went to get some rice soup and drank another big bowl of it by herself.
The kitchen at the paper mill uses the kind of earthen stove you would find in the countryside, so it's a big pot and stove. When cooking, there will definitely be rice soup and rice crust. Add a little bit of salt to the rice soup, and it tastes very comfortable to drink. Xie Jinxuan couldn't help but drink two bowls.
Zhao Meiyan looked at him with a smile: "Xiao Xie, do you rarely eat food cooked in this big stove?"
"Yes, I rarely eat these." Xie Jinxuan told the truth.
"You are truly a city kid. I guess your relatives all live in the city. If you want to drink rice soup, come over with Qingtang. I will make sweet potato dumplings for you."
Xia Qingtang said: "Then next time we come, we will bring our own rice."
"You don't need to." Zhao Meiyan said, "The gifts you brought are so expensive, I can still afford to treat you to a few meals. I am not a person who doesn't know what's going on. I know you are not the kind of people who take advantage of others, unlike your grandmother and uncle. You said you finally invited you to have a meal, but in the end you encountered these two people making trouble. Xiao Xie, you laughed at me. But don't worry, Qingtang is married, it doesn't matter if you don't go to your grandmother's house for three to five years. It won't affect your life."
Xie Jinxuan said: "Qingtang told me about grandma. If they bully Qingtang, I will not let them go."
Zhao Meiyan laughed and said, "You must keep your word."
Before Xie Jinxuan finished speaking, Xia Qingtang said, "I won't give them the chance to bully me. I will be like my aunt and won't let grandma and the others take advantage of me."
Zhao Meiyan said: "I also made a lot of trouble. I seldom went back to my parents' home. When I went back, I complained about being poor. They couldn't do anything to me. But now I think about it, it's not that they couldn't do anything to me before. It's because my eldest sister always subsidized them, so they looked down on me. Now that my eldest sister doesn't subsidize them anymore, maybe they will come to my house again next Sunday."
Ma Daquan said slowly: "Why did my elder sister suddenly change her temper? I remember that even in the most difficult times, my elder sister would send food to her parents' home every month. Now Qinghai has returned to the city, and they don't have children, so their life should be better. Why did she suddenly stop giving them money?"
"It should be that Xia Qinghai doesn't allow her to support her parents. I heard that now all the money and food coupons have to be given to Xia Qinghai. She loves her son the most, and what her son says must be his word. From now on, grandma and uncle will not be able to take advantage of them." Xia Qingtang said.
"Then why didn't Zhao Zhiqiang go to Xia Qinghai to make trouble, but instead came to us to beg for food? He really thinks we are easy to bully." Zhao Meiyan said: "Are you still in contact with your brother? How is he now? I went there during the Chinese New Year and heard that he just broke up with a girl. I don't know how he is doing now."
"I'm not sure either. I don't usually talk to him." Xia Qingtang said, "I just go to see my dad occasionally, that's all."
"You, kid, are quite like me. With someone like you, you will definitely live a prosperous life in the future." Zhao Meiyan smiled, "It's your mother who is unlucky. You deserve it."
They chatted for a while, then Xia Qingtang and Xie Jinxuan said goodbye and went back.
The paper mill was indeed far away, so Zhao Meiyan did not try to keep them. Instead, she and Ma Daquan took them to the nearest bus stop outside the factory and waited for the bus with them.
"Come and play again when you have time, and you can tell us if you have anything." Zhao Meiyan said, "Don't listen to what your mother says about you having no family, you still have your father, and if things get worse, you still have me and your uncle. Although we don't have any skills, we can still help if you need to do some physical work."
"Thank you, auntie. Jinxuan and I are getting along fine. Don't worry, no one will bully me. Even if they treat me badly, I won't let them bully me." Xia Qingtang said with a smile.
"Okay, that's good." Zhao Meiyan watched them get on the bus, and waited for the bus to drive away before going back with Ma Daquan to clean up and wash the dishes.
This is almost the starting point of the bus, so there are many empty seats on the bus. Xie Jinxuan and Xia Qingtang found a seat and sat down, chatting while looking at the scenery outside the window.
Although Xia Qingtang had a fight with Chen Hongxing and her son today, she was still in a very happy mood. Riding the bus side by side with Xie Jinxuan and enjoying the scenery felt like being on vacation.
They got off the bus halfway and took another one. This time, there were suddenly more passengers on the bus. They squeezed into the bus with many people and then barely found a place to stand in the middle of the bus.
Xie Jinxuan held Xia Qingtang in his arms. After a while, he suddenly lowered his head and whispered in her ear, "Your uncle is also in this car."
Xia Qingtang was a little drowsy at first, but woke up suddenly after hearing this: "When did he get on the bus?"
"The stop where we changed buses."
"Are you trying to follow us?" Xia Qingtang sneered, "You could just wait for us at the center road instead of going through so much trouble to follow us."
"Does he want to follow us to where we live?"
"It should be."
"So what now? I can shake him off easily."
"It doesn't matter, just let him follow and see what he can do later." Xia Qingtang whispered, "I don't want to hide it any longer. Anyway, even if he knows who your grandfather is, he can't enter the compound. Besides, this matter can't be kept secret forever, so let them do whatever they want."
"Okay, I get it." Xie Jinxuan said with a smile, "You were quite sleepy before, are you not sleepy now?"
"Yes, I almost fell asleep standing up. Did you say that on purpose to wake me up?"
"Not really. The main thing is that if you get off at the next few stops, you can use the terrain to get rid of him. I have to inform you in advance. If you need to get off, the best option is within three stops."
Xia Qingtang burst out laughing: "You are really amazing, you know everything."
“This is the basics, and everyone needs to learn it.”
After driving for another six or seven stops, they arrived at Central Road. Xia Qingtang and Xie Jinxuan pretended to know nothing and got off the bus among the crowd.
Zhao Zhiqiang, who was at the back, was the last one to get off the car, and then followed them at a certain distance.
Xia Qingtang and Xie Jinxuan walked forward as usual. When they passed a grocery store, they went in and bought half a pound of egg cake. Then they continued walking forward while talking and laughing.
Arriving at the gate of the family compound, Xie Jinxuan and Xia Qingtang walked in arm in arm, and chatted familiarly with the two older brothers at the gate.
After the two of them went in, Zhao Zhiqiang quickly ran to the door, and the people at the door immediately stopped him: "Who are you looking for?"
"I'm looking for Xie Jinxuan. I'm his relative." Zhao Zhiqiang said quickly, "I have my work ID with me. I can register."
"Looking for Xiao Xie? You can't just go in. Their family has already informed us. No matter who is coming to visit, they must be notified and allowed in after their family members agree. How about this, you wait here for a while, I'll go over and call them for you. Xiao Xie just went over there, so now is a good time to run over."
Zhao Zhiqiang was startled and said quickly, "No, no, I suddenly remembered that I have something to do, so I won't go today. I'll go back now."
After saying that, he turned and left.
The two guards looked at each other and thought this man was suspicious. One of them thought for a moment and said, "I still have to go tell Xiao Xie. What if he is a bad guy? That would be terrible."
"Okay, go ahead."
Zhao Zhiqiang ran away in panic and after a while he ran to the gate of the provincial government.
Although today is Sunday, there are usually people working inside, so there is also someone guarding the door.
Zhao Zhiqiang had learned his lesson this time. He didn't say anything, but walked over there and said, "Hello, comrade. I'm from the countryside. I'm here to look for a relative, but I don't know how to find him."
The guard asked, "Do you know what your relative's name is and what department he works in?"
"My relative's name is Xie Jinxuan. I don't know what department she works in. I'm from the countryside and don't understand these things."
The guard looked at his clothes and said, "He doesn't look like a country boy."
"But my relative Xiao Xie does work there."
"Secretary Xie is working inside, but why are you here to see him on Sunday? He is not at work today. Why don't you go to the front and look for him in the family compound? Secretary Xie lives there."
"Family compound? Which way do I go? I'm not sure if you have multiple doors here. I can't find it."
"It's easy to find. The main gate is just go straight from this side, and the side door is just around the corner. You'll be there." The guard also pointed in the direction of the side door.
Zhao Zhiqiang thanked him and walked towards the side door.
The side door is closer to the basketball court. It is a day off today, so many teenagers and children ran out from here and played on a small dirt slope nearby.
Zhao Zhiqiang mingled among several parents, sitting there watching the children play, and chatting with them from time to time.
After chatting for a while, they became familiar with each other, and Zhao Zhiqiang said, "Hey, have you heard about the rumor about the Xie family?"
The middle-aged man who was chatting immediately changed his expression and said, "What's wrong with you? The higher-ups have repeatedly warned us not to spread rumors, and you're still saying these things now. Are you afraid that the higher-ups won't be able to find out about you?"
Another middle-aged woman said, "That's right. Why do you have to talk about this when you can talk about something else? If Mr. Xie finds out, you can forget about going to work and stay at home. A punishment would be the least of my worries."
Zhao Zhiqiang was horrified when he heard this. He actually had no idea what they were talking about. The so-called rumors about the Xie family were also made up by him.
Because he thought, if he asked this, others would not know which Xie family he was talking about. Besides, which family doesn't have some rumors these days? Even quarrels and fights are considered rumors, so if he asked this, he might be able to find out something.
But based on what these two people said, it was obvious that there were real rumors about the Xie family, and there was important information in their words: the Xie family had a big leader, and the woman called him Mr. Xie.
Zhao Zhiqiang's heart was beating very hard. He calmed down a little and said with a smile, "Oh, I was careless. I won't say anything more."
"I shouldn't have said that in the first place. Rumors are just rumors. We decent people shouldn't spread rumors." The middle-aged woman looked Zhao Zhiqiang up and down. "This comrade looks a little unfamiliar. I don't think I've seen you before. Which area of the family quarters do you live in?"
Zhao Zhiqiang smiled and said, "I live in a bungalow."
Anyway, there are bungalows in the family quarters of every unit, so it is definitely correct to say that you live in a bungalow.
Unexpectedly, the middle-aged woman said, "I live in a bungalow. Which row and which house do you live in?"
Zhao Zhiqiang was panicking, but he still pretended to be calm and said, "I live in the third row. I just moved here. It's normal that you don't recognize me."
Then, without waiting for the other party to reply, he stood up and said, "I will go pick up my wife by then, so I won't say any more."
After saying that, he turned and walked away.
After he walked away, Xie Jinxuan, who was standing in the corner of the side door, also came out and went straight home.
"How is it?" Xia Qingtang, who was sitting in the yard basking in the sun, asked immediately.
Xie Jinxuan said: "He really went to the side door and chatted with Lao Huang and the others for a while. I guess he heard some useful information, so he went back. I saw him go back, so I came back too."
"What was his expression when he left?"
"He looked a little absent-minded, with a flustered look in his eyes."
Xia Qingtang laughed: "Then I have to be prepared too. Maybe he will come to the cotton mill to find me next week."
By the next week, Xia Qingtang stopped letting Xie Jinxuan send her to work. The extra time allowed him to read more books.
March arrived and the cotton mill began to increase its production. All workshops and departments were bustling with activity. The trade union also became busy. It not only had to arrange welfare benefits for the employees, but also had to post articles on the bulletin board to boost the morale of all employees.
Chairman Qin held a small meeting with Xia Qingtang and Feng Xinhui to discuss what kind of articles should be posted on the bulletin board in the new year.
Xia Qingtang said: "Why not interview a few hardworking workers every week, both young and old, to see their different ideas, and then write them down, so that they can be called the voice of the workers. Don't you all dislike being in the newspaper? The big-character posters on our propaganda column are also newspapers, and it is glorious to be there, which should increase everyone's work enthusiasm."
Chairman Qin thought about it for a while and said, "This is a good idea. Our big-character posters are indeed a kind of newspaper. It's just that we only posted some news on them before, and we didn't think about interviewing employees. Xiaoxia, you know a lot, and you also know about interviews."
"I just heard a little more news." Xia Qingtang quickly said modestly: "I haven't actually done it, so I don't know if I can do it well."
"You can definitely do it well, so the interviews are left to you. Go to the workshop and ask the director and ask them to provide the first interview list." Chairman Qin said, "Then give the list to Xiao Feng and ask her to review it for you. She has worked there for a long time and knows the employees better. You won't make any mistakes if you ask her more questions."
"Yes, I will."
"Also, after you finish writing the article, please give it to Xiao Feng to check before handing it over to me. It's not that I don't believe in your ability, but Xiao Feng is more experienced. Having her take a look at it can be considered as helping you." Chairman Qin said with a smile.
Xia Qingtang immediately said, "I am very grateful to Secretary Feng for helping me. I have only been working here for a short time, so there are many things I don't understand."
Feng Xinhui also smiled and said, "If there is anything you don't understand, you can ask me at any time. I will definitely tell you everything I know."
After the meeting, Xia Qingtang walked out of the small office with Feng Xinhui, holding her notebook. She said, "Today is already Wednesday. Our big-character posters have to be posted on Monday, so we may not be able to finish them in time."
"It's okay. We don't have any experience with the first phase. Chairman Qin also said that we can just post the first phase on Arbor Day. You don't have to rush. We should seek stability rather than speed." Feng Xinhui said with a smile.
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