Chapter 503 Promotion
Nan Zhiyi went back to her bedroom to find Gu Xiao.
He had changed out of his suit and back into his everyday military trousers and shirt.
Seeing his wife approach, he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek: "I have to go back to my department; I have some things to take care of."
Nan Zhiyi reached out and carefully straightened his shirt. "Okay, I understand. Thank you for your hard work, Vice Minister Gu."
She looked up at him and uttered this new, more weighty title.
The order was officially issued last month.
Gu Xiao was appointed as the deputy director of the Operations Department of the General Staff, with a rank of deputy military officer, and was promoted to the rank of major general in accordance with regulations.
From the chief of operations of a major military region to the deputy head of a core operations department at headquarters, this means that he has truly entered the central level of the military's operational command, and will be involved in planning strategic issues that concern the overall situation. The responsibilities and pressures are incomparable to those of the past.
In the small drawer at home where important documents and receipts are kept, the latest military officer's ID has been properly replaced.
Last month, when the new payslip, detailed allowances and subsidies, and corresponding special goods requisition certificates were issued, she carefully checked them. Gu Xiao's monthly basic salary, position allowance, military service allowance, rank subsidy, and other miscellaneous items added up to a net amount of over five hundred yuan.
There are also additional subsidies for various non-staple foods, transportation and communication allowances, book and newspaper fees, and nanny fees.
In terms of special supplies, in addition to the rations of high-quality rice, flour, oil, meat, eggs, and sugar, there are also a small quota of special necessities reserved for high-ranking officials.
Overall, the family of three lived a more comfortable life.
This comfort and stability were earned through countless sleepless nights and unimaginable pressure.
Upon hearing this new title, Gu Xiao's eyebrows twitched slightly.
He raised his hand and pinched Nan Zhiyi's chin: "Hmm. From now on, you may have to bring more of your worries home. Mrs. Gu, please bear with me."
"Um."
While her son was away, Nan Zhiyi tiptoed, wrapped her arms around his neck, and offered him a lingering kiss, carefully tracing the shape of his lips.
Gu Xiao's body stiffened slightly, then he immediately tightened his arms, deepening the kiss and seizing the initiative.
After a long while, he finally stepped back: "...If you keep kissing me, my mind will wander. I really have to go, the meeting is about to start."
Nan Zhiyi, with a triumphant, gentle smile in her eyes, nudged him: "Go on, Vice Minister Gu."
Gu Xiao hugged her tightly again, took a deep breath, and said, "You'll be back late tonight, don't wait for me."
She followed him downstairs.
Outside the courtyard, Xiao Wang stood straight beside the car and immediately opened the back door when he saw Gu Xiao.
The former bodyguard, Xiao Liu, was recommended to study at a military academy because of his outstanding performance. This was also a path paved for him by Gu Xiao.
Gu Xiao waved to Nan Zhiyi without saying anything more, then lowered his head and got into the car.
Xiao Wang neatly closed the car door, nodded politely to Nan Zhiyi, and then returned to the driver's seat.
The car quickly disappeared into the tree-lined intersection.
Nan Zhiyi stood there for a moment, then turned and went back into the courtyard.
The afternoon sun was shining brightly in spring. Instead of rushing inside, she walked to the swing under the grape trellis, sat down, and began to sway gently.
Looking up, I saw tender yellow-green new leaves sprouting on the grape trellis, fuzzy and almost transparent, full of vitality.
The roses beside the trellis have climbed halfway up the wall, and red buds are already swelling among the dark green leaves, ready to bloom.
Everything was brimming with the vitality of spring, just like her mood at that moment.
“Madam,” Sister Zhang’s voice came from inside the house, “you’re here.”
Nan Zhiyi swung on the swing and laughed, "Sister Zhang, I've told you so many times, just call me Zhiyi, or you can call me sister-in-law like before. All this 'madam' stuff sounds so awkward."
Sister Zhang walked over wearing an apron and holding a rag in her hand. "That won't do. Now that the leader's position is higher, everyone in and around the compound calls him that. If I still call him 'sister-in-law,' it would seem like I don't know any manners."
Seeing that Nan Zhiyi was about to say something, she quickly added, "Madam, when you were not home this afternoon, Editor-in-Chief Lin from the publishing house called and said he had something urgent to discuss with you and asked you to call him back as soon as you returned."
"Okay, I understand."
Just as Nan Zhiyi was about to go inside, she instructed Sister Zhang, "Sister Zhang, we have important guests coming to our house the day after tomorrow afternoon. It's my cousin's family of three, who are coming back from Singapore to visit relatives. They're coming over for a visit. We must make sure to treat them well. Make sure to prepare fresh and good quality ingredients, and also tidy up the house a bit to make it look neater and brighter."
Upon hearing that it was a close relative of the lady from overseas, Sister Zhang began to make a serious plan: "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. The house is already clean, and tomorrow, Monday, I'll wipe every nook and cranny again. I'll change the curtains and tablecloths to the light beige ones that have been washed and ironed; they look so refreshing. I'll also trim the flowers and plants in the yard."
Speaking of ingredients, "I'll go to the farmers' market early the day after tomorrow for fresh vegetables and live fish. Also, our logistics department's special supply quota for this month hasn't been touched yet; I'll go and get it—it's all the best cuts. Oh, and among the New Year's gifts, there are quite a few high-quality sea cucumbers, dried scallops, and hams that were stored in the warehouse. We can use some to make soup and enhance the flavor. Paired with some seasonal vegetables, it'll be presentable without being overly extravagant."
Nan Zhiyi felt more at ease hearing that she had made such a well-organized arrangement: "Okay, I'll do whatever you say. It'll just be hard on you again."
"It's not hard work at all!" Sister Zhang waved her hand.
The Gu family is small and easygoing; the wife is easy to talk to, and Xiaoman is sensible. Although the leader is busy, he is never picky and is satisfied as long as he comes home to a hot meal. There isn't much to do at home, and she does a little bit each day, keeping things relaxed and easy.
She genuinely felt that working for the Gu family was a blessing; the family was kind and the environment was pleasant, better than many other families.
Nan Zhiyi didn't stand on ceremony any longer. "Alright, then I'll leave everything to Sister Zhang. I'll go call Editor Lin back now."
She turned and walked into the house, but in her heart she was still thinking that she might go to the food counter of the store tomorrow afternoon to see if there were any suitable snacks or canned fruits that would go well with tea.
She went to the living room and dialed the publisher's number.
The call was quickly connected, and Editor-in-Chief Lin's enthusiastic voice came through the receiver: "Comrade Zhiyi! I've been waiting for your call! Great news, wonderful news!"
Nan Zhiyi smiled and said, "Editor-in-Chief Lin, please speak slowly."
“An overseas publisher wants the overseas traditional Chinese rights to your first two works. They want to release them as a trial. If the response is good, they will discuss cooperation on the entire series or even other works later! As for royalties, they have proposed to calculate it at 10% of the sales volume, which is quite sincere for an overseas publisher cooperating with you for the first time.”
Nan Zhiyi listened quietly, her heart also stirred. For her book to be seen by more readers was naturally every writer's dream.
She said gently, "This is great news. Thank you for your hard work in facilitating this, Editor-in-Chief Lin and my colleagues. I don't know much about the specifics, so I'll leave everything to the editorial staff and you. Please let me know if you need my assistance with anything."
Editor-in-Chief Lin liked her straightforwardness and trustworthiness.
“I knew you were reasonable. There are two things I need your cooperation on right now. First, a detailed author biography and a statement about the creative process; second, to write a short preface for the overseas edition, talking about the author’s initial motivation. These are standard procedures.”
Nan Zhiyi: "I will prepare the materials you mentioned as soon as possible. As for the contract, I trust the company will take care of it."
"Alright! I'm relieved to hear that." Editor-in-Chief Lin's tone was cheerful. "Then let's split up and prepare. There's no rush with the materials; take your time writing them and give them to me when you're done. This is an important step for our publishing house to expand its copyright reach!"
"Thank you for your hard work. I'll wait for your message."
After hanging up the phone, Nan Zhiyi went straight back to her study, spread out her manuscript paper, and began to complete the task assigned by Editor-in-Chief Lin.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com