Chapter 263 added
After getting off work, Sister Zhang returned to the vicinity of her apartment building. Instead of going home, she went to see two aunties and an older woman she knew well and who had mentioned wanting to find work.
When she told them about the candidates and the wages, they were initially quite interested, but when they heard that it was in the General Staff compound, they all waved their hands and said, "Oh, that's too far away. We can't afford the trouble of traveling back and forth."
Sister Zhang tried to persuade her: "How far is it? If you buy groceries here in the morning and take a car there, it will only take about ten minutes longer."
Seeing that they still looked troubled, Sister Zhang knew she couldn't force them, so she didn't waste any more words, said a few polite words, and left.
On the way back, I happened to run into Sister Zhao, who used to work as a maid in the army compound.
Sister Zhao was carrying a cloth bag, looking like she had just gotten off work. She was quite surprised to see Sister Zhang: "You got off work quite late today? You're usually home by now."
Sister Zhang sighed and briefly explained how she had helped Comrade Zhou Anping find a maid.
Upon hearing this, Sister Zhao's eyes lit up, and she grabbed Sister Zhang's arm: "What do you think of me?"
Sister Zhang was a little surprised: "You? Didn't you find a street cleaning job and you were doing just fine?"
She knew Zhao Jie's personality; she was diligent and efficient, but she couldn't stand the employer's suspicious and petty nature.
Sister Zhao pursed her lips and lowered her voice: "What's so good about it? If I hadn't been unable to find a suitable job, I would have quit long ago! That place is messy, pays little, and the person in charge is always finding fault."
Knowing Zhao's character, Sister Zhang nodded upon hearing her words: "If you really want to do it, I'll talk to my wife and take you to see it first. But don't rush to resign. Wait until Comrade Zhou approves that you're wanted before you resign."
Sister Zhao readily agreed: "Okay, okay! That makes sense! As long as the host benefits, what's a little distance? I'd rather take a few more stops for peace of mind!"
The two exchanged a few more words, and when Sister Zhao learned that she was General Meng's granddaughter-in-law, she became even more interested.
The next day at work, Sister Zhang told Nan Zhiyi about Sister Zhao's situation.
Nan Zhiyi said, "Then Sister Zhang, please take the trouble to find some time to take Sister Zhao to Anping first, let them talk it over, and whether it works out or not depends on their own fate."
Things are going very smoothly.
Sister Zhao went to Zhou Anping's house. As soon as they met, Zhou Anping thought Sister Zhao was straightforward, and Sister Zhao thought Zhou Anping was unpretentious and had a simple environment. They decided to get married on the spot.
A few days later, Zhou Anping called Nan Zhiyi, "Zhiyi, thank you so much! Sister Zhao is such a kind and hardworking person! I'm at work during the day, and she even brings me my lunch at the regiment. She also waits for me to finish dinner and tidy up before leaving. The house has been so much cleaner and more comfortable these past few days! She even said she'd help me cut some diapers since she's free anyway!"
Nan Zhiyi listened and was happy for her: "That's good. I can feel more at ease knowing you have a reliable person by your side to help you."
Zhou Anping added, "And those blankets and little clothes that Xiaoman used last time that you asked Sister Zhang to bring over, I've seen them all. There are so many, so complete! They're all washed clean and dried and smell so nice. I feel like I don't need to buy anything new. At most, I'll just need to add a few more little clothes for my skin."
"That's for the best, save money wherever possible. Qingshan is away on a business trip, and even though you have Sister Zhao with you, you must be careful on your way to and from get off work. Take good care of yourself, and call me immediately if anything happens."
Zhou Anping obediently agreed: "I know, don't worry, you've told me eight hundred times! Our troupe leaders are also taking care of me, they'll let me take maternity leave in September, then I can stay home and prepare for childbirth."
Hearing that Zhou Anping had even planned out his maternity leave and arranged his work and life in an orderly manner, Nan Zhiyi finally breathed a sigh of relief.
She said to Sister Zhang, who was busy in the kitchen, "Sister Zhang, Anping really owes a lot to your help with this matter."
Sister Zhang smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, you're too kind. It's just a matter of a word. I'm happy to be of any help."
Nan Zhiyi shook her head: "Finding a suitable and trustworthy person isn't easy. Without your help in making the connection, we would have had to inquire at the service agency ourselves, or ask others, which would have been more troublesome, and we might not have been able to find someone we liked. You've been a great help."
A little embarrassed by what she said, Sister Zhang quickly changed the subject: "I'm glad you don't mind me being nosy. I cooked mung bean soup early this morning and kept it in cold water. It should be completely cooled down by now. Have some to cool off at noon."
"OK."
Nan Zhiyi nodded in agreement and then returned to her study.
In the study, Xiaoman was sitting quietly next to her pile of books, her little hands carefully turning the pages of a picture book, her little brows slightly furrowed, as if she was trying hard to understand the story in the pictures.
Nan Zhiyi's heart melted as she looked at her son's focused expression.
The book says that when a child is focused on doing something, adults should not disturb them, as this is beneficial for cultivating their attention span.
She felt that her son's seriousness was just like Gu Xiao's expression when he was thinking, and that he would definitely be a smart and capable child in the future.
Nan Zhiyi remained silent, walked to her small table, sat down, picked up her pen, and continued signing autographs.
She figured the books were almost all signed, and she planned to finish them all before Gu Xiao returned from his business trip. Then she could focus on spending time with him.
Unexpectedly, Lin Yuan called around 2 or 3 p.m.
His voice sounded both excited and a little embarrassed: "Comrade Zhiyi, I'm sorry to bother you. There's something I'd like to discuss with you. It's about these autographed books; I wonder if it would be convenient for you to sign a few more?"
Lin Yuan explained earnestly, "The original plan was for 5,000 copies, but who would have thought that the first batch of over 2,000 copies sold out almost instantly! We think it might be related to our advertising in magazines and newspapers about 'author-signed copies and custom bookmarks.' Readers' enthusiasm far exceeded our expectations. It's good that the book is selling so fast, but the critical shortage of inventory is really worrying..."
Nan Zhiyi smiled as she listened to Editor Lin's tone on the other end of the phone, which was both happy and troubled.
She was naturally happy that the readers liked it.
"Editor Lin, it's alright. I'm almost done signing this batch, so you can come and pick it up tomorrow. Signing a few more is fine too, as long as the readers like it."
Editor Lin repeatedly expressed his gratitude on the other end of the phone, "Oh, Comrade Zhiyi, you've really gone to so much trouble! We had originally agreed on 5,000 copies, but this last-minute increase... well, it's just a special situation, thank you so much for your understanding!"
"Please don't be so polite, it's all for work. Then please send over some more new books tomorrow, and we can discuss the specific quantity in detail."
"Okay, okay, see you tomorrow!" Lin Yuan then hung up the phone with relief.
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