Chapter 47: Interview with the resident reporter and family members...
Chapter 47
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Of course, the main concern was with Commander He and the old regimental commander. They were both worried that Commander Fang and Commander Cao would continue to quarrel.
However, they hadn't completely breathed a sigh of relief yet.
Commander Fang cut to the chase: "Cao Defang, can you tell me why you're spending so much money, even at a disadvantage, to get Shen Qiuyue and your team into the joint performance competition of the three northeastern provinces?"
Commander Cao was surprised that Commander Fang would ask so directly, since those in positions of power usually kept their questions to themselves.
He speaks only half the sentence and leaves the rest unsaid, maintaining the dignity of a leader.
Commander Fang's words completely shattered everyone's dignity.
Commander Cao's face darkened. "No comment."
Commander Fang looked at her for a moment, "I don't care whether you've filed a complaint or not, I'm just warning you one thing: if you dare to cause any more trouble at the joint performance competition of the three northeastern provinces, then..."
"I'd rather give up my position as battalion commander than not kill you."
How could someone who has risen to the position of regimental commander be a coward?
If she were truly a coward, she wouldn't have been able to become the group leader.
Upon hearing this, Commander Cao's expression darkened further. "The one surnamed Fang."
Commander Fang ignored her and went straight out, completely disregarding her. Commander Cao's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.
She turned to Director He and said, "Look at her, look at her! How can they still be considered colleagues?"
"Could this be an enemy?"
Director He put on sunglasses, a half-smile playing on his lips. "If you tell her your true purpose, she won't act this way anymore."
"In the end, it's all because you, Commander Cao, kept things hidden that you angered Commander Fang, who then turned around and came after you."
Commander Cao, "..."
If it weren't for the fact that the Jishi Cultural Troupe was going to participate in the joint performance of the three northeastern provinces, she really wouldn't have been able to stand these people for even a minute.
Outside.
As soon as Commander Fang came out, Meng Yingying and the others went to greet him.
Commander Fang said, "This is not the place to talk. Let's go back and talk."
Meng Yingying and the others exchanged a glance before nodding, and then returned to the Harbin-based cultural troupe.
Group Leader Fang summoned all of them to the dance studio.
"I know you're curious as to why Shen Qiuyue and the others were given substitute positions."
Meng Yingying hummed in agreement, her large eyes shining brightly. "Boss, what I'm more curious about is what you gave in exchange for this condition?"
Commander Fang was somewhat surprised, "You guessed it?"
Meng Yingying pursed her lips, revealing two dimples when she smiled, looking incredibly sweet. "I guessed part of it, but not all of it."
Commander Fang was somewhat surprised by Meng Yingying's intelligence and keenness. She praised her, "How did you guess that?"
Meng Yingying thought for a moment, then dipped her finger in water and wrote the character "利" (profit) on the table. "At any time, everything comes down to the word 'profit'."
"Although I am not very familiar with Director He, I do know her personality to some extent. For her to agree to let Shen Qiuyue be the substitute, there must be something to gain."
"As for the old regimental commander, he may have a title, but he can't actually make decisions."
Where does the chief reside?
Seeing Meng Yingying's keen insight and clear understanding of interpersonal relationships, Commander Fang even had a misconception.
If Meng Yingying can continue to serve as the head of the cultural troupe, it is not impossible for her to take over her position in the future.
Commander Fang thought that perhaps there was no one more suitable than Meng Yingying.
However, this was just a fleeting thought, which she quickly dismissed.
"You're pretty close to the truth."
Commander Fang quickly recounted the story: "Commander Cao made significant concessions to get Shen Qiuyue and the others in."
Meng Yingying made a gesture of listening attentively. Director Fang continued, "Our Harbin Art Troupe and Federation of Literary and Art Circles are both short of funds. When you go to the joint performance of the three northeastern provinces, you will have limited funds for travel expenses, meals, and dance costumes. Director Cao has proposed to sponsor 7,300 yuan as a special fund for your participation in the competition."
"Since Director He prioritizes personal gain, she naturally couldn't refuse this offer."
"I didn't agree at first, but later, after Commander Cao agreed to a series of harsh conditions, I finally agreed."
Meng Yingying opened her eyes wide with curiosity, "What conditions?"
When Commander Fang met those clear, innocent eyes, he couldn't bring himself to point out her wicked scheme.
He only vaguely said, "You'll know when you set off."
"Anyway, our cultural troupe is the main team. Just remember that when we go to the competition, our food, clothing, accommodation and transportation will be better than the reserve team's."
From small things, one can see the big picture.
Meng Yingying immediately understood. She tentatively asked, "Could Commander Cao agree to such harsh conditions?"
"I agreed."
“That means they’re secretly planning something bad,” Meng Yingying said. “Or maybe they’ll gain more from the competition than they put in the effort.”
Commander Fang nodded, "That's what I guessed too, and I even asked him about it, but unfortunately, Commander Cao is very tight-lipped and didn't reveal a word."
Meng Yingying didn't expect her boss to be so direct and ask so bluntly. She was both amused and exasperated. "Commander Cao definitely won't tell you that it's a secret."
"Alright, that's basically the situation. You've all worked hard these past few days, so go back and get some rest."
Everyone from top to bottom has been on edge during these past few days of competition.
However, before Meng Yingying could agree, the clerk Xu couldn't help but interrupt, "I'm afraid it's not feasible yet."
Now everyone turned to look.
"What's wrong?"
Officer Xu coughed lightly, "The news of Yingying leading the team to victory has also reached the resident team. The resident team just wanted to take this opportunity to do some publicity, so they sent a reporter from the resident team to interview Yingying."
"They arrived at noon and have been waiting ever since." Officer Xu glanced at his wrist. "It's already past four o'clock."
Meng Yingying, "An interview?"
Officer Xu nodded. "It's very simple, just a few questions. He'll ask them and that'll be fine."
"Yingying, could you help out a bit? You know, our performing arts troupe has been at the bottom for so many years. To be honest, many people don't even know that we suddenly won the championship."
"My leader and I also wanted to take this opportunity to promote our cultural troupe in Harbin and within the stationed area, so as to improve our reputation in Harbin."
Meng Yingying was still hesitating when Ye Yingtao urged her, "What are you hesitating about?"
"They seize every opportunity to gain exposure in the performing arts troupe."
"Yingying, cherish it."
Meng Yingying originally wanted to refuse, but a thought suddenly flashed through her mind: what if she was featured in the newspaper and announced that she had won the championship?
She will leave a copy of the newspaper so that she can burn it at her father's grave when she gets home.
Will her dad receive it too?
Meng Yingying, who was about to refuse, agreed because of this thought.
"good."
"I agree. When is the interview?"
"If you have time, we can do the interview now. It should only take half an hour to an hour."
"Since you just got back from the competition today, there won't be any morning exercises or training for now. After your interview, go straight back to your dorm to rest."
Meng Yingying hummed in agreement before going to the dressing room to compose herself and wash her face to fully wake herself up.
She turned and went to the small dance studio where reporter Hu was waiting for her. When she arrived, reporter Hu was already sitting inside, fiddling with her camera while curiously looking at herself in the mirror on the wall of the dance studio.
Apart from the large mirror on the wall of the dance troupe's rehearsal room, there was nowhere else in the entire garrison.
When Meng Yingying saw reporter Hu looking in the mirror, she didn't go in and disturb her. Instead, she stood at the door and knocked.
Upon hearing the knock on the door, Reporter Hu immediately stopped looking in the mirror, composed herself, and then looked towards the doorway.
When they saw Meng Yingying standing at the door, with her hair tied in a high ponytail, revealing her smooth forehead, and her beauty and radiance beyond compare.
He was momentarily dazed; before accepting the assignment, he hadn't heard anyone say that the interviewee was so beautiful.
As a journalist, Hu believed he had met at least eight thousand, if not ten thousand, people, but he had never met anyone as stunning as Meng Yingying.
She stood gracefully before me, bathed in the hazy light, giving me a dizzying, almost surreal feeling of being surrounded by dazzling beauty.
"Reporter Hu?"
Seeing that he didn't speak, Meng Yingying waved her hand, and reporter Hu finally came to his senses, "Comrade Meng Yingying, is that you?"
Meng Yingying nodded, "It's me."
She stepped over the threshold and came in, followed by Secretary Xu and the others.
This was the first time that reporter Hu had dealt with a young, beautiful, bright, energetic, and well-behaved woman like her.
He was a little shy, but that was quickly replaced by his professionalism.
"Comrade Meng, my name is Hu Xiaolin. I have received orders from my superiors to interview you and take your picture. The photo will not only be published in the garrison newspaper, but also in the Harbin newspaper, so that you can represent the garrison's cultural troupe in publicity."
Reporter Hu is not old, looking to be in his mid-twenties. He is tall and thin, and when he smiles, he reveals two small tiger teeth. He looks amiable, but he is very quick-witted.
Meng Yingying smiled, her skin porcelain white, her eyebrows curving, "It's my honor."
That smile left reporter Hu feeling dazed; how could there be such a beautiful and radiant person in the world?
As a result, the words that followed were unconsciously softened.
"Shall we find a place to sit down and have a chat?"
Meng Yingying hummed in agreement, pulled out a chair and sat down. There were peanuts and melon seeds on the small round table, clearly a preparation made in advance for the interview.
After taking their seats.
Reporter Hu then began the formal interview, "I heard that our team always came in last place in previous competitions, but this year you won two championships right after you arrived. How does that feel?"
Meng Yingying had just washed her face before arriving, so her temples were still damp, appearing softly glowed under the light. Clutching the enamel mug, she chuckled to herself upon hearing the question, "It feels like a dream, or rather, two dreams stacked together, bang, waking me up."
"Well, now we're back to reality. What's the point of winning a championship? In reality, I'm still just an ordinary student in the performing arts troupe."
The female soldiers who were peering out the door, curious about their interview, all laughed when they heard Meng Yingying's analogy.
Reporter Hu also laughed, saying he found Meng Yingying to be very interesting and amusing.
He lowered his head and scribbled on his notebook, writing as he looked up and asked, "Could you be more specific? In the team competition, you led your team to a comeback and a tie for first place. In the individual competition, you danced 'The Red Detachment of Women' and won the championship. So much so that the audience was calling you 'Little Detachment of Women.' Did you think you would win first place beforehand?"
"I haven't thought about it."
Meng Yingying shook her head, her fair face full of composure. "I was just thinking about not leading everyone astray. During rehearsals, I kept failing, failing so many times that I wanted to give up. How could I have time to think about whether I could win the championship?"
Even on the morning of the competition, she was still thinking about how to find a way to perform the Red Detachment of Women dance again in its entirety.
Who would have thought that after dozens of rehearsals, the Red Detachment of Women never managed to perform the dance successfully?
As a result, when he went to the competition, he performed exceptionally well and successfully jumped the jump.
It can only be said that something unexpected happened.
"Did you keep failing during your training?"
Reporter Hu was somewhat shocked.
Meng Yingying nodded and pointed outside the door, "Yes, if you don't believe me, go ask them. I never succeeded in dancing the Red Detachment of Women. I even wanted to give up. But my coach told me, 'It's okay. Failure a hundred times offstage is all to lay the foundation for that one success onstage.'"
Who would have thought that Coach Zhao's prediction would actually come true?
Reporter Hu quickly jotted this down in his notebook. After finishing, he looked up and asked, "So when did you feel the championship was in the bag?"
Meng Yingying thought for a moment, "When I heard the score announced as 9.9, my mind went blank for a second. Then Cherry next to me yelled and picked me up. I realized that we were finally not at the bottom."
"There's no need to tarnish the reputation of the performing arts troupe anymore."
The crowd laughed again. Ye Yingtao, hiding in the crowd outside the door, peeked out and added insult to injury, "Her legs were shaking like a leaf when she stepped off the stage, but she pretended to be calm!"
Meng Yingying was embarrassed and annoyed, "I was just tired."
After the Red Detachment of Women's main character erupted and jumped around, she was so exhausted that she could barely stand. She only survived thanks to milk candy.
Seeing her lively and cheerful demeanor, reporter Hu couldn't help but laugh along. After laughing, he became serious and asked, "I heard there was a little incident before the competition. Someone put laxatives in your soy milk, and someone almost put a needle in your dance shoes. Were you scared at the time?"
The lively atmosphere suddenly quieted down.
No one outside was laughing anymore.
Meng Yingying lowered her eyes and rubbed the jar in her hand. Her voice was unhurried. "At first, I wasn't afraid of the soy milk incident. I just felt that Jia Xiaoli usually disliked me. She shouldn't have come to bring me soy milk so early in the morning without even sleeping. I suspected her at the time, so I confronted her on the spot."
"So I'm not afraid of the soy milk thing, because I know my own people and I know about her schemes. But I was really scared when I found out about the needle in the dance shoes later."
"First, I'm afraid that the needle will ruin my dancing career and I'll never be able to dance again. Second, I'm afraid that if I can't dance, I'll also drag down the twenty or so sisters in the troupe who have been practicing for the past two months."
Then I thought, being afraid is useless; messing up the jump is more embarrassing than failing, so I just went for it! Anyway, I didn't know anything at the time; I guess it's just ignorance is bliss.
A few simple words brought tears to the eyes of the women standing at the door.
Reporter Hu stopped laughing and sighed, "Indeed, every industry has its difficulties."
After expressing his feelings, he lowered his head and wrote several lines carefully, then asked, "So what do you want to say most now?"
Meng Yingying looked up and smiled slightly at the camera, "I just wanted to tell my dad that his daughter didn't let him down. Before you left, weren't you most worried about whether I would be able to make a living in the future? Look at me now, I'm doing quite well. I have a decent formal job, and I even won a championship in a competition."
After today's interview, once the newspaper publishes the article, please leave me a copy. I'll take it with me when I go home and burn it for my father during the Qingming Festival.
After he finished speaking, the room became so quiet that the cicadas could be heard chirping outside the window.
Reporter Hu closed his notebook, took a deep breath, and said, "Okay, I'll definitely write the first paragraph for you."
Secretary Xu quietly wiped the corner of his eye and waved to signal the end of the event.
A crowd swarmed around them, chattering amongst themselves.
"Yingying, save me a copy of the newspaper when it comes out tomorrow. I'll send it home to my mother!"
"Give me one too, I'll stick it on my bedside table and touch it when I can't sleep!"
Meng Yingying staggered from the shaking, but she smiled and said, "Then I want to thank everyone for coming."
The other girls all laughed along.
On the way back after the interview.
Ye Yingtao and Lin Qiu walked on either side of Meng Yingying. When they were almost downstairs, Ye Yingtao suddenly asked, "Yingying, do you miss your dad?"
She never imagined that Meng Yingying would bring up her deceased father again in public.
Meng Yingying paused for a moment, then shook her head, "I don't want to."
Saying one thing and meaning another.
That's not actually the case.
She dared not think about it; just thinking about that old man made her heart ache, so much so that she couldn't do anything.
She could only force herself not to think about it.
Ye Yingtao stepped forward and hugged Meng Yingying without saying anything.
Lin Qiu also hugged her from the left, the two of them sandwiching Meng Yingying in the middle like a sandwich filling.
Meng Yingying was taken aback for a moment, but then she immediately understood that she was starting to like the feelings between girls.
Only a girl could be this soft.
Only then can one truly understand the other person's sadness and heartbreak.
Once she arrived at the dormitory, Meng Yingying lay down on the bunk bed, and only then did she feel completely relaxed.
When people have free time, they tend to overthink, and she started to miss Yue Ru.
She also missed her father a little.
If only her dad were here, she could share the good news of her winning the competition with him.
Meng Yingying couldn't sleep, so she knocked on the bed next to hers. Ye Yingtao was still awake; she was vain and was applying cucumber slices to her face.
She's used cucumbers, loofahs, and winter melons—whatever's available, she'll apply it.
"What's wrong?"
"What time do they close at the call center?"
Ye Yingtao sat up. "Are you going to make a phone call?"
"Hmm." Meng Yingying poked her head out from under the covers, her hair a little messy, her face bare of makeup, and she looked a little shy. "I want to call my family and tell them some good news."
Ye Yingtao immediately felt envious. She checked the time and said, "It's only seven o'clock now. Some of them have the night shift. You can still make a call if you go now."
Meng Yingying said "Yes," jumped out of bed, changed her clothes, and went to the call center in a neat and efficient manner.
It was a little past seven o'clock, during the shift change in the call center. A dim yellow light bulb was shining through the window, the door was ajar, and a faint smell of paper and ink wafted out.
Clearly, the call center not only had telephones, but also telegraph machines.
With so many people sending telegrams, the smell of paper and ink became particularly noticeable.
Meng Yingying tiptoed into the door. The telephone operator on duty was hunched over the table copying down the phone numbers. When she saw Meng Yingying, she jumped up with a start, "Comrade Meng, why did you come in person?"
Judging from their tone, they were extremely respectful.
Clearly, after Meng Yingying led the performing arts troupe to victory, her reputation throughout the entire station changed completely.
Who is Meng Yingying?
That's the man who led the resident cultural troupe to wash away three years of humiliation.
Meng Yingying was embarrassed by her attitude. She smiled and pursed her lips, "Comrade, can I borrow your phone?"
She shoved the fruit candies she'd brought from her pocket into his hand, saying, "Three minutes, just three minutes."
"I'll be done quickly, so I won't cause you any trouble."
The operator, having been given candy and then treated so kindly, blushed furiously. He dashed out and closed the door behind him, saying, "Go ahead and call, call all you want, I'll stand guard for you!"
Meng Yingying couldn't help but laugh before walking over to the telephone.
The telephone handle is cranked three times, the switchboard transfers the call, and there's a "click" sound in the receiver.
A voice came from the other end, "Hello, this is Officer Chen from the Mengjiatun Brigade Headquarters. Who are you looking for?"
Meng Yingying was somewhat relieved that there was still someone in the brigade office at this time. "I am Meng Yingying. I want to find Zhao Yueru from Mengjiatun. If she is not here, you can call my third uncle for me."
"Yingying?"
Clearly, the people at the brigade headquarters recognized her. "Then call back in ten minutes. I'll go get help for you now."
Meng Yingying hummed in agreement and thanked her.
She stood by the phone, waiting anxiously for ten minutes—no, less than ten minutes, about six or seven minutes.
The phone suddenly rang, startling Meng Yingying. She then realized what was happening and went to answer it.
The phone had just been connected and placed to my ear.
Then a familiar voice rang out from the other end.
"Meng Yingying, you haven't contacted me for half a month. Have you forgotten about me, Zhao Yueru?"
Just by hearing the sound, Meng Yingying could imagine Zhao Yueru's fierce expression on the other end.
She pursed her lips and couldn't help but smile, a genuine, hearty laugh. "It's me, Yue Ru."
How could I possibly forget you?
Her soft voice, tinged with a hint of obedience and dependence, instantly calmed Zhao Yueru, who had been in a fit of anger, as soon as she spoke.
"Yingying, are you doing well over there?"
Even across the phone line, thousands of kilometers apart, Meng Yingying could hear the worry in Zhao Yueru's voice.
Meng Yingying sniffed. "Not bad. I called you this time to tell you some good news."
"I won!"
"In the arts and culture performance competition, the group won a tie for first place, and I won first place individually with a score of 9.9, the highest score of the entire event. Even the selection form from the provincial song and dance troupe was handed to me!"
"However, I declined."
"Yueru, am I amazing?"
Only in front of her own people did Meng Yingying show a bit more of her childlike side.
The next instant, Zhao Yueru roared like a shrew over the phone, "You won the championship! The provincial song and dance troupe gave you a transfer offer, but you rejected it?"
"Meng Yingying, are you stupid? Why did you turn down such a good opportunity?"
Meng Yingying wasn't surprised by her reaction. She pursed her lips, her eyes curving into crescents. "Yueru, the performing arts troupe took me in during my most difficult time and gave me a chance. Now that I've won the championship, can I just abandon the troupe and go to a better place?"
Zhao Yueru, who was about to speak, changed her mind and said, "That won't work."
"However, Yingying, this opportunity is too good to pass up."
She taught her, "While it's important to be kind, we can't do such foolish things again. It's such a good opportunity, such a good opportunity."
The provincial song and dance troupe.
Why was it rejected?
This was repeated several times in a row.
Meng Yingying was playing with the telephone cord, like she was playing with instant noodles, and she was having a great time. "I will have better opportunities in the future, Yue Ru, believe me."
Her confidence in herself has never been limited to the present moment.
Zhao Yueru then fell silent.
They were both silent for a while, neither of them saying a word, but neither of them felt awkward.
Just hearing the other person's voice through the phone receiver is enough to make me feel good.
"Yueru, are you alright?"
After a long while, Meng Yingying asked in a low voice.
She was too far away from her to see or take care of her, even though she had arranged for Zhao Yueru to stay in her hometown.
But she got married and no longer lived in her house, which always made Meng Yingying more anxious.
She worried that Zhou Jingsong would treat her badly and that she wouldn't be happy in her in-laws' home.
Mentioning this, Zhao Yueru blushed slightly. "Yingying, I also have something important to tell you."
"What?"
"I am pregnant."
Upon hearing this, Meng Yingying froze for a moment, then her voice quickened, "You're pregnant? When did you get pregnant?"
She counted on her fingers, "It's only been a little over a month since I last went back to see you get married, how come you're pregnant so quickly?"
Even the usually outspoken Zhao Yueru lowered her voice a few decibels, "On the wedding day."
"I got pregnant that one time."
She never expected that she would get pregnant in just one month.
She was planning to play for another six months before having a child, but she never expected it to happen so soon.
Now, Meng Yingying didn't know what to say. She was still thinking like someone from the future as she rolled up the telephone cord. "So, are you having a bad reaction right now? The doctors in Mengjiatun aren't good enough. Remember to have Zhou Jingsong accompany you to Xiangyi Hospital for a check-up every month."
Pregnancy requires regular prenatal checkups; even if she's never eaten pork, she's seen pigs run.
Zhao Yueru hesitated for a moment, "Isn't it necessary? I think it's enough to just go to the hospital to give birth."
Being able to give birth in a hospital is already the best privilege we have in this era.
Meng Yingying frowned, her fair face showing a hint of disapproval. "Don't be lazy, and don't worry about the cost of the checkup. If you don't have enough money, I have some here."
"Yueru," she said, her voice more serious, "you must remember to go to the hospital for a check-up every month, and go see Dr. Ning."
She remembered that Dr. Ning had a very impressive resume; he could treat both difficult and complicated cases as well as obstetrics and gynecology.
Zhao Yueru said, "Yingying, don't be afraid. I saw that the women in the village who were pregnant didn't go to the hospital. They only went when they encountered problems during childbirth."
"Moonlight".
Meng Yingying raised her voice a few decibels, "Listen to me, go every month."
"Go at least once every two months."
"Don't worry about the money. I have a salary now, 42 yuan a month. I'll send you half of it every month. You can keep it for check-ups and for when you have a baby."
She knew that prenatal checkups and childbirth all cost money.
Only spending money can make people feel better.
Zhao Yueru fell silent instantly, her eyes red and her nose stinging. "I don't want to, I have—"
The word "money" was never spoken.
Because there were other people at the brigade headquarters, she was worried that they might hear her.
Meng Yingying pursed her lips, "You have to accept it whether you want it or not. Anyway, I'll send it to you on time, just remember to receive it."
"Otherwise, how will you use it?"
This sentence has a double meaning.
She knew that Zhao's mother had left Zhao Yueru some small yellow croaker and money, but Zhao Yueru was still burdened with the identity of a capitalist's daughter.
If you go to the hospital for prenatal checkups or to give birth, you'll be watched by people in the village who have something on their mind.
If someone reports her, she won't be able to explain herself.
“No need. I’ll send you my salary every month, and you can spread the word.”
After experiencing her father's ordeal, Meng Yingying developed the ability to think three steps ahead for every step she took.
Zhao Yueru understood what Meng Yingying meant, but her throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and she couldn't speak.
"Yingying".
I can't say thank you.
They couldn't say thank you to each other.
Meng Yingying has started to worry like a housekeeper, saying, "You're pregnant, you need to eat more, otherwise you and the baby won't be able to keep up. I know you don't need the food coupons."
Because grain was distributed in the countryside.
"The coupons for meat, eggs, milk, and malted milk powder... wait until I receive my allowance, I'll put them in my salary and send them over together, then you can count them together."
These days, it's easy for things to get lost when you send them, because they travel too far and take too long to arrive.
"I don't want to."
Zhao Yueru said defiantly, "Keep it for yourself."
She was pregnant, and her emotions were prone to ups and downs. Meng Yingying didn't want to argue with her about such things, so she changed the subject, "Yueru, is Zhou Jingsong good to you?"
That's what she really wanted to ask.
Mentioning this, Zhao Yueru's face instantly turned red. "Okay."
She lowered her voice, "Anyway, ever since I got pregnant, he hasn't let me do any work. Of course, he didn't let me do any work before I got pregnant either."
Meng Yingying nodded to herself, thinking that Zhou Jingsong was not bad.
Where are his eyes?
When the topic turned to his eyes, Zhao Yueru looked worried. "His surgery was quite successful, but I don't know if it was because he removed the bandages and sunglasses too early and was exposed to light, but his eyes didn't recover well."
"After Dr. Qiu examined us, he prescribed medicine and told him to keep wearing the gauze, saying that it couldn't be exposed to light and that he had to stick to it for at least three months."
Upon hearing this, Meng Yingying frowned. "Then what about you?"
Zhou Jingsong can't see it from here.
Zhao Yueru is pregnant again.
Zhao Yueru said nonchalantly, "Yingying, I'm fine. I'm just pregnant, not disabled. You didn't see that I'm still walking briskly all the time."
Now, Meng Yingying didn't know what to say. "Anyway, just take good care of yourself."
"I've calculated that my salary will be paid soon. Once I get it, I'll send it to you along with the ticket."
Zhao Yueru wanted to say she didn't want it.
Meng Yingying said in a low voice, "Yueru, when I came to Harbin completely clueless, you gave me what I needed, didn't you?"
Two hundred yuan in cash, and three small yellow croakers.
These things can almost guarantee that Meng Yingying will not suffer much hardship for the next two or three years.
Meng Yingying will remember this kindness for the rest of her life.
At that time, her father had passed away, and she had become accustomed to the coldness and warmth of human relationships. It was Zhao Yueru and her mother who were kind to her and cared about her during this time.
Meng Yingying was truly grateful for the rest of her life.
After hanging up the phone, Meng Yingying stood there and asked the operator outside to calculate the time for her.
The operator was sweating profusely with anxiety.
"Comrade Meng."
"You've exceeded the permitted time limit for making phone calls." He wanted to remind him several times while he was outside, but seeing that Comrade Meng was talking so enthusiastically, he couldn't bring himself to say it.
Meng Yingying exclaimed in surprise, as she genuinely knew nothing about this.
"Is there anything I can do now?"
That's the crux of the problem. Hearing this, the operator, Zhang, breathed a sigh of relief. "Normally, calls made from our call center are free, because they're generally internal work communications. But this is a personal call. Three to five minutes is usually fine, but this—"
The operator raised her hand to check the time on the phone before saying, "If you've been on the phone for fifteen minutes, it will require special approval from your superiors."
Meng Yingying immediately understood, "You want me to go find Commander Fang, right?"
Operator Zhang nodded, "Yes, this is the application form from the call center. After you get it signed by Director Fang, I can process the reimbursement for this call."
Meng Yingying nodded, "I will apply to Commander Fang as soon as possible, but," she said somewhat embarrassedly, a blush rising on her cheeks, "I'm new to the performing arts troupe and don't quite understand the rules here yet, so I'm sorry to have troubled you this time."
She bowed.
The operator, Zhang, was startled. He quickly dodged, his thin body trembling. "It's alright, it's alright. It's my fault for not explaining it to you beforehand."
"What's wrong?"
After finishing his night training, Qi Donghan was wearing a white shirt, which was covered in sweat and clung to his skin, revealing his taut muscles.
You can even see the raised red dots on the chest.
As soon as he entered, Meng Yingying saw him in the light of the call center. She instinctively closed her eyes, thinking, "Don't look at what's improper."
Find something wrong with it.
Go look at the red dot on Qi Donghan's chest.
Qi Donghan was still a little confused. He looked down and noticed that the fabric of his white shirt was sticking to his chest.
The protrusion is quite noticeable.
The tips of his ears turned red instantly.
She reached out and naturally pulled up the clothes that were clinging to her skin, revealing the red mark through the cutouts.
"Why are you in the call center so late at night?"
If someone hadn't told him after his training that Meng Yingying had come to the call center, he wouldn't have believed it.
Even if Qi Donghan came over, it was only with a somewhat tentative mindset.
Meng Yingying didn't hide it. She smiled and said, "I won the championship, so I wanted to share it with my family."
At this point, she said with some annoyance, "I just didn't expect that making personal calls from the call center would require approval from superiors if it exceeded the time limit."
Qi Donghan looked down at the form in her hand. "Let me see?"
Meng Yingying raised her hand and handed it over.
As Qi Donghan continued applying for the form, his calloused fingertips brushed against Meng Yingying's soft palm.
The extremely soft touch made Qi Donghan pause slightly, but he finished reading the list without changing his expression.
Immediately, he took a pen from the front pocket of his shirt and signed his name on the form.
Meng Yingying was stunned for a moment, "You can sign this kind of contract?"
Qi Donghan grunted in agreement, put away the pen, put the cap back on, and then placed the pen back in its original spot.
He then slowly handed the approval form to the operator, Zhang, and explained to Meng Yingying, "Regiment-level officers all have this approval authority."
"I've granted you fifteen minutes of call time today. You can ask Commander Fang for it back another day."
Just like with funding, generally speaking, they will borrow from whoever has extra funds.
We can return it when the next supply arrives.
This was something Meng Yingying was unaware of, and she felt a little envious, thinking, "It must be great to be a leader."
She even has to calculate the time before making a phone call, afraid that if she exceeds the time limit, she will have to go to her supervisor for approval.
When you get to Qi Donghan, you can just sign your name and the problem is solved.
Qi Donghan looked at her sour little face and couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile. "It is very good, but..."
He then changed the subject, saying, "They also bear a lot of responsibility. Right now, I'm guessing that your team leader, Qi, is absolutely arguing with the leadership, trying to use this award to fight for more things."
Meng Yingying fell silent instantly.
She sighed, "Rights and obligations are equal; it's impossible to accept rights without bearing obligations."
She was being too one-sided in her thinking.
Qi Donghan hummed in agreement and left the call center with her. Outside the call center were two rows of neat poplar trees. It was early July, and the poplars were lush and towering into the clouds.
The light completely enveloped the call center, and even the moonlight could only filter through the dappled leaves to fall on the two of them.
Qi Donghan and Meng Yingying walked side by side. He was tall, and his shadow fell obliquely on the ground. Meng Yingying walked slowly, taking a couple of steps slower.
Her shadow was enveloped by Qi Donghan's shadow, intertwined in an ambiguous way, and if you only looked at the shadows, it looked a bit like the two of them were embracing.
It looks rather ambiguous.
Meng Yingying paused, then quickened her pace slightly, just as her shadow broke through Qi Donghan's shadow.
Finally, it's no longer a hugging gesture.
This gave her a slight sense of relief.
Qi Donghan saw her actions but didn't expose her. He simply strolled along the path and asked, "Are you calling your family?"
The conversation was very natural.
Meng Yingying nodded without any guard up, "I told her the good news that I won the championship, but I didn't expect her to be pregnant."
It's inappropriate to say anything more now; that's her own business.
"Um?"
Qi Donghan also sensed the hidden meaning in her words, so he took the opportunity to ask, "And then?"
Meng Yingying looked up, her eyes sparkling like stars, dark and bright, "Then, I wanted to get some meat, eggs, milk, and malted milk powder coupons for her, and send some back with my salary."
She didn't hide it from anyone.
“When my family was going through a crisis and I had to come to Harbin to find my childhood sweetheart, I was truly alone and helpless. She gave me all her money so I could take it with me on the way.”
At this point, Meng Yingying paused, her eyes seemingly getting a little moist. "She was also worried that my childhood sweetheart would treat me badly, so she left me some extra money so I could have the travel expenses to go home again."
Upon hearing this, Qi Donghan had a sudden flash of inspiration, trying to grasp at something, but he missed his chance.
"You came from western Hunan to seek refuge with your childhood betrothal?!"
-----------------------
Author's note: Someone said: "It feels somewhat familiar."
There will be an extra chapter with nutrient solution this afternoon, and I'm frantically typing away. Babies, give me your nutrient solution! Comments are fine, and even landmines are okay, haha, but please don't spend too much!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
