Chapter 308 How can we tell if someone has a "grandfather-uncle" vibe?
Military wives showing concern for their hard-working husbands, mothers caring for their sons stationed on the frontier... these scenes are always heartwarming stories in the military.
Last night, Li Jianzhi felt something was off. His wife, Qin Xiangxiang, didn't seem like she was coming to deliver late-night snacks; he figured it was just a coincidence.
"If you turn on the lights at home late at night, people will assume you're making a midnight snack to bring to your husband... It seems everyone thinks this kind of scenario is perfectly normal."
Qin Xiangxiang said awkwardly, "...I'm not exactly a considerate wife either."
Qin Xiangxiang lay on the bed with her eyes closed, feeling a little awkward. Her mother, Zhou Aodong, had a strong personality, a sharp tongue but a soft heart, and rarely expressed concern verbally or showed love through actions.
At least she won't be like the loving mothers on stage, always thinking about her children and devoting herself entirely to them.
Qin Xiangxiang wasn't very good at expressing these emotions, or like all the reserved and introverted Chinese people at this time, she wasn't very good at, or was unwilling to, express her concern for her family, friends, and lovers directly, feeling that it was all just empty politeness and hypocrisy.
Performances on stage are different; lovers express their feelings for each other directly, and a mother expresses her deep love for her children…
Just like Qin Xiang might feel a moment of concern and worry when she learns that her husband is practicing late at night, and she might worry that he is hungry if she knows that he hasn't eaten, but she thinks that if she goes to bring him food, it will bring more trouble, so she lets it go.
“Expressing concern can make people feel a little embarrassed… Everyone wants to be a spectator and watch others act out these stories.” Qin Xiangxiang changed her perspective and said that if she were just an observer, she would probably be happy to see this kind of thing.
The premise is that she is not the "protagonist".
Li Jianzhi smiled and said, "It's quite interesting to do this once in a while."
"Wife, you're going to become a model of military propaganda again."
Qin Xiangxiang's breath hitched: "..."
"Your propaganda is always the same; when are you going to change it up?"
Li Jianzhi crossed his arms behind his head and said, "Probably in about thirty years."
The prevailing trend in domestic propaganda is to praise hardship, sacrifice, and selfless dedication. In the military propaganda department, there is an even greater fondness for praising the sacrifices and dedication of military wives, with each case becoming more extreme than the last. Many years later, some officers and soldiers expressed their concerns, saying that it was really affecting their ability to find wives because the propaganda about the hardships and sacrifices of military wives was being promoted.
"Let me tell you about Sister Wang, hehe—let's talk about something happy." Qin Xiangxiang excitedly shared her good news from yesterday with her deadbeat husband, "Have you noticed that your wife is really good at slacking off?"
Qin Xiangxiang felt secretly delighted.
"And I also skipped work and school. I didn't go to work or school. I just lay there comfortably."
Li Jianzhi chuckled: "But in other people's eyes, it just means that you, Factory Director Qin, are conscientious and responsible, and actively and enthusiastically help military spouses solve their employment problems."
Qin Xiangxiang: "...They don't know the truth."
"How do you know that what you have is the truth? The material world is objective, while human cognition and interpretation are subjective. The difference lies in the perspective from which you interpret it."
"It's like this fable: The old woman who sold shoes and umbrellas had two daughters, one who sold umbrellas and the other who sold shoes. On rainy days, she felt extremely worried because she was afraid that her daughter who sold shoes wouldn't be able to sell any shoes; and on sunny days, she was still extremely worried because she was afraid that her daughter who sold umbrellas wouldn't be able to sell any umbrellas."
"So she was worried and anxious all day long, whether it was sunny or rainy."
“Until someone told her, ‘Grandma, on rainy days you should think more about your daughter who sells umbrellas, because she can sell a lot of umbrellas on rainy days; on sunny days you should think more about your daughter who sells shoes, because she can sell a lot of shoes on sunny days… Wouldn’t you be happy every day then?’”
"The old lady followed this method and found that she was indeed very happy every day."
Li Jianzhi: "You're just like this old lady. You feel like you're slacking off, so you're overjoyed. But what about the real issue? Has the employment problem for military spouses been solved? Yes, it has."
Qin Xiangxiang pointed at herself: "You think I'm indulging in Ah Q mentality?!?!"
"I didn't say that. I just think that whether you're happy or unhappy, you'll still have to live through the day. Why can't we interpret our daily lives from a happier 'perspective'?"
“I admire this trait of yours, my wife. When we’re living our lives, we should focus more on the things that make us happy.”
Although I did get the work done, I managed to slack off a little and avoid taking any blame... I was secretly delighted.
Isn't that good too?
"It's because of seeing how lively you are, my wife, over the past ten years or so that I don't have that old man vibe."
Li Jianzhi: "I hate myself for becoming the kind of person who thinks he sees through everything, speaks in a pedantic way, and always preaches."
"Always be enthusiastic about life, and—" Li Jianzhi smiled as he stroked the woman's soft face beside him, "like you, very curious, always touching things around."
"Only someone like you, my wife, would actually barge into the operations command center yesterday. You're actually quite curious about it, aren't you?"
Qin Xiangxiang's face was expressionless. She said with disdain, "The way you talk now sounds like a stinky old man."
"It smells like an old zombie."
Do you think you've seen through everything?
That makes sense.
Qin Xiangxiang: "I'm just a little curious."
“You’re different when you’re working than at home. You’re especially charming when you’re focused.” Qin Xiangxiang rested her chin on her hand as she looked at the man beside her, tracing his eyebrows and eyes with her hand. Look, he’s turned into the deadbeat man she knew so well again.
It was as if I had met a complete stranger in the command center at night.
"Thank you for the compliment, my wife."
In the afternoon, Li Jianzhi went to a meeting. In the evening, the couple went out to eat at a small restaurant. Without their four children acting as third wheels, they enjoyed a rare and warm time together as a couple.
Enjoying the sea breeze, the couple strolled around and ended up at the night market, where Qin Xiangxiang prepared to choose a stall.
"That's fine. That spot is good, and there's no one around. We can put our textile factory's clothes here, and our food factory's stuff there. We need to keep them far apart so the clothes don't get greasy."
Li Jianzhi: "This is a good location, my wife, you have excellent taste."
"This morning you were saying how serious and charming you are, but all you do in front of your wife is keep praising her."
...
As Qin Xiangxiang walked, she suddenly noticed a silent old man in a corner of the night market. Perhaps it was because Li Jianzhi had said that he "didn't have the air of an old man" that morning that she had unconsciously started to pay attention to the old man (X).
This old man set up a stall at a small night market near the military camp, selling handmade wooden toys, including small warships and tanks. All of these handmade toys were exquisitely crafted and used mortise and tenon joints.
The mortise and tenon joint is the method used by ancient craftsmen to make wooden furniture. When making furniture, or even building houses, the mortise and tenon joint can be used without using a single nail.
These things in front of the old man were all beautifully made, but no one paid any attention to them.
It's probably because there are so many of these things near the military camp, and it's nighttime, so they can't see them very clearly. Compared to wooden ones, people prefer tanks and warships made of bullet heads, thinking they are more imposing and can better intimidate outsiders.
"Grandpa, this is really well made." Qin Xiangxiang picked up a wooden warship and examined it closely. She found it to be very cleverly made, far superior to the dull models produced on toy production lines.
Li Jianzhi also picked one up and commented, "It's at the 'top' level."
"Shall we buy one for the child as a toy?"
Qin Xiangxiang nodded: "Okay."
The old man gave Li Jianzhi a strange look. "Young man, you look familiar..."
Li Jianzhi chuckled and said, "Old man, you look somewhat familiar."
There are many shipyards in Shanghai, and they are even more common near the base. The old man selling toys in front of me is actually a retired military engineer from the base. His surname is Ouyang and his name is Ouyang Zheng.
"Is this your lover? He's a lucky man."
Li Jianzhi humbly replied, "Actually, I have four more children, all of whom are my wife's and my children."
Old Master Ouyang said with a dark face, "I didn't ask you any of that."
Several years ago, Li Jianzhi had met this old man once. The old man said that he looked cold and hard-hearted, and that he must be like him, unable to win the affection of his wife and children.
Li Jianzhi replied, "I am different from you."
The old man held a grudge about this.
"What? Mr. Ouyang, you're a retired military engineer, and you're selling toys here?"
Old Master Ouyang couldn't save face: "It was all just something I did for fun."
Nobody's interested, how embarrassing...
Qin Xiangxiang: "You're really overusing my talents."
"How about you become a technical consultant at our textile factory, Grandpa?" A sudden inspiration flashed through Qin Xiangxiang's mind; she really wanted to be a naval version of Fat Swallow.
Holding a small wooden warship in your hand would be incredibly cute.
"A textile factory?" Old Master Ouyang almost choked on his own saliva. He was just retired and had nothing to do, but that didn't mean he was going to work on a sewing machine.
Qin Xiangxiang said, "Our textile factory also has a toy manufacturing department. We want to make a navy version of Little Swallow dolls. If we combine them with the model warships you guided us in making, they will definitely be very popular."
Old Master Ouyang: "..."
How can we tell?
No one is buying anything from his stall! Old Master Ouyang felt a bit frustrated.
"Ahem—'Factory Director Qin,' right? Are you sure? If these don't sell, where will you put your face, Factory Director Qin?"
Qin Xiangxiang felt like vomiting blood. How come there were people who had watched the TV series "Director Qin" everywhere she went?
They didn't even spare a retired old man.
"I don't care about these empty titles." Actually, Qin Xiang wanted to have a navy version of Fat Swallow. Well, she missed Li Jianzhi a little bit.
When that deadbeat man wasn't around, he'd put this chubby navy girl on the big bed and let her sleep with him.
Old Master Ouyang said with a mixture of reserve and eagerness, "Alright then—when will I take office?"
He can't wait to usher in the second spring of his career.
The man in front of me is none other than the famous "Factory Director Qin." Could it be that he'll be appearing in a TV series someday?
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