Chapter 97
Yang Dachuan smiled softly: "Well, you are right, this Xiao Xia is indeed extraordinary, and I am the first one to discover this talent."
He said this very deliberately, obviously intending to cause the other party to misunderstand.
"As expected of Secretary Yang, you can discover such an outstanding talent. I admire you." Secretary Li gave him a look that everyone understood, and toasted Secretary Yang with a glass of wine.
The others also toasted Yang Dachuan with knowing smiles. One of the deputy mayor's followers whispered, "As expected of Secretary Yang, he has a good eye. Such a good talent is really rare. I have never seen such a person in the art troupe."
Yang Dachuan said with a little pride: "How can the people in the art troupe compare with Secretary Xia? Secretary Xia is a person with real skills. Not only can she speak foreign languages, she can also write good articles. She has published many articles in our city's workers' newspaper. Do you think she got here by relying on her looks? That's too naive."
"Oh, I really can't believe it. This person is both talented and good-looking. Only our Secretary Yang can match such a good person." Secretary Li said with a smile, "Secretary Yang, I'll toast you another glass."
Xia Qingtang didn't know that she had been misunderstood by the people at the same table. Everyone knew who Yang Dachuan was, and many people were also aware of some of his habits. When Xia Qingtang sat back at the table, she found that the secretary and attendant at the same table looked at her in a strange way.
Although Xia Qingtang didn't know what had happened, she was not a fool. She knew at a glance that Yang Dachuan did it on purpose.
But she didn't say anything, just sat there with a serious face and continued to eat.
Such a table full of chicken, duck, fish and meat is even more sumptuous than the Xie family’s New Year’s Eve dinner. She would be letting her stomach down if she didn’t enjoy it properly.
But Xia Qingtang, who can speak English, left a very deep impression on several foreign guests. During the visit to the pharmaceutical factory in the afternoon, Ms. Susan directly asked to walk with Xia Qingtang, so Chairman Wu specifically asked Xia Qingtang to accompany her.
Xia Qingtang suddenly entered into an English speaking environment. Although she couldn't adapt well yet, Ms. Susan was a very good person. If Xia Qingtang didn't understand something, she would speak very slowly and use gestures to express herself so that the other person could understand what she meant.
After this afternoon, Xia Qingtang became bolder. Although she often used incorrect grammar and said the wrong things, she learned a lot of new vocabulary from Ms. Susan, so she was very happy.
After finishing the day's tour, the deputy mayor stood up and said that he had arranged a banquet and would invite the guests to go to the Provincial Capital Hotel to enjoy a more sumptuous and professional dinner.
Chairman Wu walked up to Xia Qingtang and whispered, "Xiao Xia, Ms. Susan likes you so much and gets along well with you, why don't you come with us to dinner tonight. I think Ms. Susan will be happier with you here."
Xia Qingtang said: "But, Chairman Wu, I have a family. If I don't go home without telling them, my family will be worried."
She actually didn't want to go to that kind of dinner. She had to obey her boss's orders during working hours, but that didn't mean she had to obey them after work.
Besides, she didn't want to be promoted, so she had no worries.
"Is that so..." Chairman Wu was hesitating, but Yang Dachuan said, "How about this, we will send a colleague to your home and tell Xie Xuezhe that you will be entertaining foreign guests tonight and ask Xie Xuezhe to wait for you. He is a college student and should be very open-minded. He should understand that female comrades should also develop their careers outside."
Chairman Wu laughed and said, "Hey, Xiao Yang, do you know Secretary Xia's lover?"
Yang Dachuan said, "I do know him. Secretary Xia's lover is actually my junior. We were very close when we were in school, and we are still very familiar with each other now. Sometimes when we meet, we will sit together and chat for half a day. Please rest assured, Chairman Wu, my junior is a very sensible person. I think my proposal is feasible. Find someone to go to Secretary Xia's home to inform him, and then Junior Xie will not worry. Secretary Xia, what do you think, is my arrangement appropriate?"
Xia Qingtang said calmly: "It's quite appropriate, but I still don't really want to go."
In fact, in this era, there are many employees like Xia Qingtang who speak their minds directly to their leaders. After all, everyone has a stable job. Even if the leader hates you, he can only make things difficult for you, but he can't fire you. Therefore, most employees have no concept of pleasing their leaders.
After hearing what Xia Qingtang said, Chairman Wu couldn't help laughing again. He said, "Xiao Xia is still young, why don't you want to go? Don't you like accompanying the leaders to such a dinner? But you can eat delicious food like in the past, so you won't suffer any loss."
In those days of material scarcity, it was worth a trip just for a plate of pork.
Xia Qingtang pretended to be young and ignorant and said, "I am also greedy, but I have never experienced such a thing, so I am not used to it. I can't interrupt the leaders when they talk, and I can't understand many things. If I say something wrong, it will affect the guests' mood. So, I think it's better for me not to go."
Xia Qingtang had been visiting and communicating with foreign guests all day today, and was actually quite tired. Not physically, but mostly mentally.
Because she had been thinking seriously about how to communicate with Ms. Susan in English the whole afternoon, so she had used a lot of brain cells. If she was a little distracted at this moment, she would be distracted. If she went to dinner with her in the evening, it would be easy for her to say the wrong thing.
Chairman Wu said, "I understand your concerns. It doesn't matter if you have no experience. We all start from scratch. Besides, there is no important conversation tonight. The main purpose is to invite a few guests to have a good meal and experience some of our special local cultural arts, such as local opera. So, I think the overall atmosphere should be lively and casual. Besides, tomorrow is Sunday, and it's a day for rest. It doesn't matter if you go home late tonight. Have a good rest at home tomorrow. You see, Ms. Susan likes you so much, you can have dinner with her and have fun. This is an important guest from a foreign country. You are the host, how can you not do your best to be a good host? Otherwise, after dinner tonight, I will arrange a car to take you home first. I will also ask someone to tell your lover that I will definitely take you home safely. What do you think of this arrangement?"
Chairman Wu obviously still hoped that Xia Qingtang would chat with Ms. Susan again in the evening. And not only did Ms. Susan like to talk to Xia Qingtang, Chairman Wu discovered that the other two male guests also wanted to communicate with Xia Qingtang. If she went home, everyone would be very disappointed.
The big boss has said so much. Even if Xia Qingtang doesn't plan to get promoted or work for the Municipal Federation of Trade Unions in the future, he now knows that he can no longer lose face.
So she had no choice but to say, "Well, I'll listen to Chairman Wu. Please ask someone to go to the provincial party committee compound and tell my wife. Secretary Yang knows where I live, so let Secretary Yang do it. Be sure to tell Xie Jinxuan that I will be safely taken home by car at night, otherwise he will definitely worry."
Chairman Wu casually asked, "Xiao Xia, do you live in the provincial party committee compound? Does your wife work in the provincial party committee?"
Anyway, this matter was known to everyone in the cotton mill. Moreover, after she talked about it, those people who looked at her with strange eyes at noon would also be able to clear up their misunderstandings. So Xia Qingtang didn't bother to hide it. She said, "Yes, my husband works in the provincial party committee, and his family all work there."
Chairman Wu said, "Your whole family works for the provincial party committee? What's your wife's name? Maybe we know her."
Xia Qingtang said: "My wife's surname is Xie, and her name is Xie Jinxuan."
Chairman Wu was still thinking about the man with the surname Xie, so Yang Dachuan deliberately said, "Chairman Wu, you may not know that Secretary Xia's lover is the eldest grandson of Mr. Xie Qiming."
Chairman Wu was slightly stunned: "What? Xiao Xia's lover is... Oh, Xiao Xia, look, such an important thing, why didn't you tell me before? I didn't know before, I didn't expect that you are the daughter-in-law of the Xie family. Well, this matter is easy to handle. The province has always paid attention to the work here. You will have dinner with Ms. Susan tonight. I think Mr. Xie will agree. This is a very important project in our city. If it is done, you, Xiao Xia, will also be one of the heroes. I think your family will be happy for you."
Chairman Wu's tone did not change much, but Xia Qingtang could see that his eyes had become more serious, so he nodded and said, "Chairman Wu is right. I will talk to Ms. Susan again tonight."
Yang Dachuan immediately asked someone to go to the provincial party committee compound to inform Xie Jinxuan, and then this large group of people went to the provincial capital hotel.
Coming here again, Xia Qingtang still felt that the Provincial Capital Hotel was like two different worlds from the outside world. It was decorated magnificently, and imported fashionable water and some candies and snacks were still sold at the door.
Ms. Susan held Xia Qingtang's arm and watched for a while, then said, "This chocolate is not very delicious. The chocolate from my mother's hometown is delicious. If there is a chance for cooperation, I will bring you some chocolate to try next time I come here."
Xia Qingtang immediately said, "Thank you, Susan. I'm looking forward to it. Have you tried our local dim sum? I think some of the special dim sum made by traditional craftsmen are also delicious."
Ms. Susan said, "I have tried several of your desserts. They taste very good, but not sweet enough. You don't know, when we make desserts at home, we like to eat very sweet ones, especially my mother, she will make very sweet desserts, and they taste very good."
Xia Qingtang had long realized that foreigners like to eat sweets.
Once, the teacher neighbor in the community went on a trip abroad. When he came back, he brought everyone some snacks he bought abroad. Xia Qingtang also got one. She opened one of the packages, took out a small snack and took a bite. It was instantly so sweet that it hurt her teeth.
The teacher also said that the cakes she had eaten abroad were sweeter, and when she took a bite she didn't know whether she was eating sugar or cake.
After hearing what Ms. Susan said, Xia Qingtang thought of this memory and said, "Ms. Susan likes to eat very sweet snacks. Have you ever tried our glutinous rice balls?"
"I've never eaten it before. What kind of food is this?"
"It's a very sweet dessert, soaked in water. If you think it's not sweet enough, you can add more sugar to the water. This way you can get a sweetness that satisfies you." Xia Qingtang said, "Maybe we can eat it tonight."
Sure enough, when the banquet entered the second half, the waiter brought each person a bowl of very delicate black sesame dumplings, all served in white porcelain bowls. There were only four in each person's bowl, which meant everything would go well.
At the same time, the four dumplings are also different colors, including white, light pink, beige and light purple. I don’t know what the chef used to dye them, but they look pretty good and very appetizing.
Xia Qingtang immediately said, "Ms. Susan, this is the kind of dessert I just told you about. You can try it. If you think it's not sweet enough, you can add some sugar to the water."
Ms. Susan tasted one immediately and said, "This is very sweet and has a unique taste. It's something I've never tasted before. Oh, I like this. What's it called?"
The female translator immediately said, "This is called Tangyuan."
After being taught several times, Ms. Susan remembered it and kept saying that she liked eating dumplings.
Seeing that Ms. Susan liked the dumplings, the deputy mayor quickly sent someone to ask the kitchen to make some more for the guests.
The host and guests enjoyed the meal very much. Several foreign guests tried dishes they had never had before. Xia Qingtang also felt the luxury that did not belong to this era.
After three rounds of drinks, the deputy mayor specially arranged for several artists who could sing local opera to come to the big box to perform for the guests. They sang several well-known ditties and Xia Qingtang listened with great interest.
Foreigners are very interested in these things. Ms. Susan even took Xia Qingtang over to study the traditional opera costumes worn by several artists and took photos with them. She also said that she would like to try wearing such clothes if she had the chance because she thinks they are very beautiful and unique.
But Xia Qingtang knew that these artists had only started training again this year. In the years before that, no one knew where they were farming. These clothes looked very old, and they must have been preserved at great risk.
There was no nightlife in the city at the moment, and it would take at least a few more years to have a nightlife, so after dinner, the deputy mayor sent someone to take the foreign friends back to the hotel where they were staying.
Several people were drinking happily. Before getting on the car, Mr. Smith gave several senior leaders a big hug and looked extremely happy.
After the distinguished guests left, the deputy mayor said to Chairman Wu, "I think this should be successful. Mr. Smith is very happy and has been telling me to speed up the process and build a factory in our city."
Chairman Wu was also very happy. He said, "If this is accomplished, it will be a great achievement. Congratulations to you."
"Let's be happy. If this is done, it won't be my credit alone, nor will it be my happy event alone. We all have a share. You are tired today, so go back and have a rest. We still have to take them hiking tomorrow. Oh, by the way, the girl you brought here today is very special. She looks very generous and can speak foreign languages. You are a tight-lipped person. I didn't expect you to have such a capable subordinate. You should have brought her here from the beginning and she should have been with the guests all the time."
Chairman Wu smiled and said, "Hi, our Xiao Xia knows only a little English. She is not very capable, but she is bold. She is likable in what she says and does. If you need someone who can speak English, you should find a professional from a university to do the job. Our Xiao Xia cannot take on this responsibility."
"We have a professional translator here, but translation is translation, that's another matter. Let me tell you, let the little girl go with us to travel the mountains and rivers tomorrow."
Tomorrow is Sunday, and Xia Qingtang needs to rest. Moreover, when Chairman Wu asked her to come to the dinner, he specifically mentioned that she could rest tomorrow, Sunday.
Upon hearing this, Xia Qingtang became a little unhappy, but everyone here was a big boss, and she was thinking about how to reject this proposal when she saw a familiar jeep driving over and slowly stopping on the side of the road.
Xia Qingtang's eyes lit up, and he saw Xie Jinxuan sticking her head out of the back seat window, waving at him, and saying, "Qingtang, I'm here to pick you up. Can we go home now?"
Everyone stared at the jeep. The license plate number looked familiar. The secretary behind the deputy mayor immediately reminded him, and the deputy mayor quickly said, "This is Mr. Xie's car. Is this young comrade a family member of his?"
Xie Jinxuan opened the car door and got out. She walked in front of everyone and said, "Hello, Deputy Mayor Lin. I'm Xie Jinxuan. I'm borrowing grandpa's car to pick up the family members."
Upon hearing this, Deputy Mayor Lin said, "Hello, hello. I know you. You are Xiao Xie. Oh, seeing is believing. I heard that you were admitted to the university. Congratulations. Are you here to pick up your family? Who here is your family member?"
"This is my family member." Xie Jinxuan pointed at Xia Qingtang and said, "In the evening, Secretary Yang sent someone to my house to inform me that my family member would have to work overtime with the leaders tonight. I was worried that there were too many of you and the car couldn't pick her up. There were no buses at the moment, so I used grandpa's car to drive over to take her home. It's so late, and the leaders have worked hard."
Deputy Mayor Lin immediately said, "We should work hard. I didn't expect that this is your lover. I was just telling Lao Wu that Xiao Xia is very popular with the guests. There was a female comrade among them. Xiao Xia hit it off right away, so we asked her to come over for dinner. But don't worry, our atmosphere is very good tonight. There is no persuasion to drink or play finger-guessing games. Lao Wu also took good care of Xiao Xia throughout the whole process and definitely didn't let her suffer any grievances. Tonight, we are focusing on relaxation and happiness. The guests are happy, and we are happy too, so we can reach a cooperation agreement sooner."
After knowing that Xia Qingtang was Xie Qiming's granddaughter-in-law, the secretaries and attendants who had misunderstandings at noon all changed their expressions, and some of them were even trying to recall whether they had said any disrespectful words to Xia Qingtang during the day.
Seeing Deputy Mayor Lin looking at him, Xia Qingtang said, "Yes, the distinguished guests are all very happy. I believe we will be able to reach a cooperation agreement soon."
Chairman Wu also shook hands with Xie Jinxuan, and then said, "Xiao Xia has worked really hard today. She has no experience in this area before, let alone receiving such an important guest, but she performed very well today. It's getting late, Comrade Xie, take Xiao Xia home to rest quickly. Tomorrow is Sunday, let her rest at home, thank you for your hard work."
Because Xie Jinxuan came in person to pick them up, neither Chairman Wu nor the deputy mayor dared to bring up the topic that had just been interrupted, and no one dared to ask Xia Qingtang to accompany the guests to travel tomorrow.
After Xie Jinxuan shook hands with the two leaders and talked to them, she took the initiative to look at Yang Dachuan, who had been silent, and said, "Senior Yang, I haven't seen you for a long time. Thank you for taking care of my wife."
Yang Dachuan smiled brightly: "Of course it is, of course it is. Xiao Xia is very capable. It's not us who take care of her, but she who takes care of us."
"Thank you for the compliment, senior. It's getting late, let's go back and rest." Xie Jinxuan also smiled very officially.
Yang Dachuan stepped forward and said, "Walk slowly and be careful on the road."
Xia Qingtang said goodbye to several leaders and everyone easily, then happily followed Xie Jinxuan to the jeep and sat down.
After the car drove away, Deputy Mayor Lin said, "Hey, Old Wu, why didn't you tell me earlier that Xiao Xia was so influential? You almost made me make a mistake."
Chairman Wu said, "Before I could say anything, her husband came to pick her up. But Xiao Xia is a very straightforward young woman. If she didn't want to go hiking with me, she would have said so directly. She didn't plan to come to dinner today. It was our Secretary Yang who was very familiar with Xiao Xia's husband, so she was able to persuade her."
"Of course she can just say it directly. If I had her background, I would definitely be lawless at her age." Deputy Mayor Lin said, "What a pity. Ms. Susan likes Xiao Xia so much. If she doesn't see her tomorrow, she might be disappointed."
Chairman Wu smiled and said, "It's okay. Tomorrow morning, find a female student from the university who can speak English to accompany you. Just find someone who is cheerful and lively and likes to talk. Anyway, tomorrow's schedule is just to go out and have fun, and it's nothing serious. As long as she is an active young person, it will be fine."
"Okay, then I'll have someone go to the provincial capital university to ask. Then let's go home and get some rest early."
Afterwards, they all went back home.
Xia Qingtang sat in the jeep, smiling and hugging Xie Jinxuan's arm and leaning on his shoulder, then whispered: "Why did you come to pick me up specially? Didn't Secretary Yang send someone to tell you that I would take Chairman Wu's car home?"
"That person said that, and also said that after dinner, Chairman Wu will have the car take you home first. But after thinking about it, I'm still a little worried. You're having dinner in a place like this tonight, and drinking doesn't count, but it's so late. What if Chairman Wu gets drunk? The driver will definitely not be the first to take you home. Wouldn't you have to wait until the last minute? Normally, you would be so sleepy that you can't even open your eyes at this time, so I would definitely come out to pick you up. Besides, if the car takes Chairman Wu first, and then it's just you and Yang Dachuan left, who knows what he will do or say? By then, you'll be tired and in a bad mood, and I'll feel bad." Xie Jinxuan said seriously.
Xia Qingtang kissed his handsome face with a smack, "Xie Jinxuan, you are so nice! Also, you know me too well. I started to feel sleepy when I was sitting inside just now, but I couldn't leave first. From now on, I don't want to eat with them as guests anymore, no matter how sumptuous the meal is!"
Xie Jinxuan laughed: "Did you really have a sumptuous meal? What did you eat?"
"Wow, that's amazing. We had braised prawns, deep-fried pork ribs, dry-pot chicken, sweet and sour carp, roasted lamb, and a big jar of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall tonight. It was so delicious. I have never seen such amazing dishes in my life!" Xia Qingtang was not exaggerating at all. The dishes tonight were indeed not something that could be arranged in this era.
"These are indeed dishes written in books. I didn't expect that someone in our city could make Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. It seems that this is a really expensive dish." Xie Jinxuan said: "Did you enjoy the meal?"
Xia Qingtang said: "Of course I enjoyed the meal very much. There were so many dishes I had never seen before, each of which was very delicate and had strange names. In the middle of the meal, there were opera singers. Sitting there, I always felt that this was like what was written in a novel, the way people had big meals and performed in the Republic of China. It was completely different from the outside world. I was in a trance and didn't even know where I was sitting."
This was her most intuitive feeling tonight. If this happened twenty years later, it would be normal.
Xie Jinxuan said: "These foreign guests are the most important people in the city at present. These entertainment expenses are allocated separately. I know that the instructions are to make sure they have good food, drink and fun. Once the order is finalized, these entertainment expenses will not be a big deal. It can be said that we are making a small investment for a big gain."
Xia Qingtang said, "I understand, I understand. You can't catch a wolf without sacrificing a lamb. Anyway, I followed him to take advantage of him. By the way, how did you tell grandpa that you wanted to borrow a car tonight?"
Grandpa Xie is a rather strict old man. If it weren't for special circumstances, he wouldn't allow Xie Jinxuan to borrow his car to pick people up on such an ordinary day.
"To be honest, you are going to work today. Since the leader has called you, you must be useful. Grandpa and the others also know that the city is now paying great attention to this matter. If the factory can really implement it, it will be a great achievement. It can solve the employment problems of many people and boost economic growth. As soon as I said that you were asked by the leader to accompany foreign guests, grandpa immediately agreed to let me borrow the car to take you home. However, looking at the lineup just now, they are either the leader's secretaries or important entourages. How did the foreign VIP take a fancy to you?"
Xia Qingtang said: "Chairman Wu knows that I can speak English, so he brought me over today to make up the numbers. Who knew that at noon, because the female translator couldn't leave, I accompanied Ms. Susan to the bathroom, and after that, she liked talking to me very much. I don't understand why she likes talking to me so much. My English is obviously very average, and I often have to use gestures to understand what both parties mean, but she just likes talking to me. Of course, I am also very happy today. Ms. Susan is very friendly. She also taught me a lot of new vocabulary, which I wrote down. Teacher Chenxiang is right. Learning a foreign language is to speak it out. The more you speak, the more interesting it is."
Xie Jinxuan rubbed her head and said with a smile: "I feel relieved to see you so happy. I was always worried when I was at home. I know you don't like to participate in this kind of reception activities."
"I really don't like receptions, but I like chatting with Ms. Susan, and I also like the food tonight. It's really delicious." Xia Qingtang showed an expression of wanting more, and then said: "But luckily you came to pick me up. You didn't know that just two seconds before you arrived, the deputy mayor was still instigating Chairman Wu to let me accompany Ms. Susan and others to go hiking tomorrow. I finally have a day off, I want to rest well, who wants to accompany them to travel around the mountains and rivers!"
Xie Jinxuan quickly rubbed her head: "I will accompany you at home tomorrow to have a good rest. You have been really hard during this period of time."
Xia Qingtang happily chatted with Xie Jinxuan for a while, but finally she couldn't resist her sleepiness and fell asleep before the car even reached her doorstep.
It was Xie Jinxuan who carried her into the bedroom, took off her clothes and shoes, and let her continue to sleep peacefully.
Xia Qingtang slept soundly and comfortably, but woke up very early the next morning.
At this moment, Xie Jinxuan was still doing morning exercises outside. Xia Qingtang simply took a hot bath, and when Xie Jinxuan came back, he took her to his grandmother's house to have breakfast.
It just so happened that Grandpa Xie was also having a day off today, and when he saw Xia Qingtang he asked about the foreign guests.
Xia Qingtang recalled carefully and said some of what he saw and understood. Grandpa Xie nodded repeatedly and said, "It seems that setting up a factory is still a stable thing."
On Monday, Mr. Smith signed a contract with the city. Afterwards, the city selected a piece of land and planned to build a new electrical appliance factory there once the funds were in place.
However, in order to protect the city's electrical appliance factories, the electrical appliances they produce are slightly different. For example, the city's electrical appliance factories mainly produce washing machines, while Mr. Smith's electrical appliance factory will mainly produce refrigerators and televisions.
Although refrigerators and televisions are not affordable for ordinary people nowadays, the products produced by this factory are not only sold to this province, but also sold all over the country.
What's more, with the development of the economy, the number of households using refrigerators will gradually increase in the next few years, so the prospects for this electrical appliance factory are still very good.
Xia Qingtang was also very happy when she heard the news. She was born and raised in this city, and of course she also hoped that this city would become a better place.
Now that the contract there has been finalized, Chairman Wu no longer participates in accompanying guests, but returns to his original job. Xia Qingtang is also back on track and continues to assist Zhang Ke every day.
After work that day, Xia Qingtang saw that it was still early, so he rode his bike to Xie Xiaoshuang's bungalow to take a look. Seeing that she was in good condition and getting along well with her neighbors, he felt relieved.
Xie Xiaoshuang said, "You don't have to worry about me. I've been doing well recently. No one bullies me. Everyone is polite to me. I'm just worried about Yanni. She hasn't received her admission letter yet. It's already this late. Will there be any problems?"
It is almost the end of September, and those who took the exam in this compound have received their admission letters one after another. Those who have not received them are basically spending every day in anxiety, because school will officially start in October. Those who have not received their admission letters yet have a high probability of failing the exam.
Xia Qingtang said: "Maybe he has received it today? Or, I can ride my bike to the steel plant now."
"You haven't had dinner yet, so why don't you have dinner first? There's no need to rush for an hour." Xie Xiaoshuang said.
"Okay, I'll go home for dinner first, and then I'll go to Yanni's house. You can stay up late and wait for my news."
After saying that, Xia Qingtang rode her bike back to the small courtyard, made a simple pot of vegetable noodles, and hurriedly finished her own portion. Then she rode her bike to the steel plant’s staff quarters.
Coincidentally, before I reached the gate of the steel plant’s staff quarters, I saw Hu Yanni and Gu Xing’an on the side of the road.
The two of them hid behind a tree. Gu Xing'an held Hu Yanni's hand with one hand and whispered something. Both of them looked unhappy.
However, Gu Xing'an has changed a lot. His skin has gradually become whiter. He stayed at home during the summer vacation and rarely went out, so his skin has become even whiter. Combined with his gentle looks, he looks quite presentable.
"Yanni, what are you doing here? On a date?" Xia Qingtang stopped his bike and went up to say hello.
Hu Yanni was startled and quickly let go of her hand and said, "What date? It's not a date, not a date! He just worried about me, so he came to see me."
Gu Xingan was also a little shy. He blushed slightly as he greeted Xia Qingtang and said, "I see most people have received their admission letters. I'm a little worried about Yanni, so I came to see her again."
"I'm worried, and so is Xiaoshuang, so I came here right after dinner." Xia Qingtang said, "It's not a good idea to just wait like this, otherwise, we can ask someone to go to the Normal College to ask. Since your score is high enough, you should have received an admission letter by now."
Hu Yanni sighed, looking very depressed: "What if I don't pass the exam and get a transfer?"
"If you want to adjust, you will have to wait for a while," said Gu Xing'an.
Xia Qingtang said: "Whether it is a transfer or not, we can't just worry at home. I still think we should go to the Normal College to ask someone. If you really are not admitted, then it is a transfer. If you know it is a transfer, you won't be as worried as you are now."
After listening to this, Gu Xing'an thought for a few seconds and expressed his agreement.
Although he was a little embarrassed when he first met Xia Qingtang, Gu Xing'an was familiar with Xia Qingtang, so he quickly regained his composure.
He said, "I agree with what Xia said. Let's do this. I know someone who is studying at the Normal College. I will go to him tomorrow morning and ask him to go to the school to ask and check. As long as your score is high enough, it should be there if we check the file. If it's not bad, then we will wait patiently for the adjustment."
Hu Yanni hesitated for a long time before saying, "Okay, then please go over and help me check it out."
Xia Qingtang said: "Don't worry too much, maybe you will see your name when you check."
Hu Yanni still sighed slightly. Gu Xingan was a perceptive person. He knew that Hu Yanni would tell Xia Qingtang some secrets, so he said, "Yanni, I'm going back first. I will definitely go to the Normal College to ask tomorrow morning. I will wait for you outside your unit at noon... Or we can just meet here. Come out for a while. I will tell you whatever the news is."
"Okay, then you should go back to school quickly and be careful on the road." Hu Yanni watched her boyfriend slowly walking away, her eyes still filled with worry.
Xia Qingtang said, "You two have been dating since the college entrance examination. It has been a while now. How is it going? Is he nice to you? Are you two having a sweet relationship?"
Hu Yanni was a little shy about this. She said, "Well, isn't that how things are between him and me? There's no such thing as a sweet or not relationship. Anyway, he treats me very well and I think he's very reliable. I'm now worried about the admission. If I'm not admitted to a university, the gap between him and me is still too big, and then there might be no future for me."
"Don't worry so much. Even if you can't get into a teachers' college, at worst you can go to a junior college. There's not much difference between you and him. Besides, does it mean he's a superior person just because he went to college? You have a good family, a good personality, and you're beautiful. If he's not a college student, he's not worthy of you! Our Xie Jinxuan is already a college student and will go to class next month. According to your logic, if I can't get into college, I'm not worthy of him, so don't we have to break up?" Xia Qingtang said deliberately.
"How are they the same? Comrade Xie treats you differently." Hu Yanni said.
"Why is it different?"
"It's just different. Comrade Xie has liked you for many years, and his feelings for you are different. Gu Xing'an and I are not like that. I can't really say. Although I have never been in a relationship, I can see that Gu Xing'an doesn't particularly like me, and the same goes for me towards him. We just get along well and are a good match. My mother also said that there are not so many passionate loves and vows in this world. As long as ordinary people are harmonious and suitable, and work together, they can form a beautiful family, just like my parents." Hu Yanni said seriously: "So, if I hadn't been admitted, I don't think Gu Xing'an would have cared so much about me."
This makes sense, but it also sounds a little sad.
Xia Qingtang sighed and said, "Why are you so stubborn? Since you feel that Gu Xingan doesn't like you that much, you are still young, you should go out and meet a few more people, and then choose. Of course I know that ordinary people don't have so much affection, but liking... is still very important."
Hu Yanni said, "You don't have to worry about me. I don't care much about dating. If it works out, it's fine. If it doesn't, it's okay. I'm only worried about my admission letter. If I don't receive it... My dad used to brag about my scores to all relatives, saying that I would definitely go to university... Now my dad doesn't dare to say anything, for fear that I won't even get the supplementary admission."
Xia Qingtang patted her shoulder vigorously: "Don't talk nonsense, your score is not low, how come you didn't even get a make-up admission?"
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