Chapter 100 Reflection
The next morning, Zhao Yaqin took leave, exchanged a glance with Nan Zhiyi at the entrance of the publicity department, nodded, and turned to head home.
Zhao Yaqin returned to the military family compound in a neighboring province.
When my mother came home from get off work, I took her into the room.
She closed the door tightly and recounted in detail how Xu Nannan deliberately approached her, gave her suggestive instructions, provided a "safe place," and took the initiative to "keep watch," as well as the whistleblower trap that almost caused a major disaster last night.
The details of her previous rendezvous with Li Weidong in the warehouse were omitted, and she only emphasized that she "almost fell for it".
Upon hearing this, Zhao's mother's expression quickly shifted from gloomy to furious.
She suddenly stood up and raised her hand, ready to slap her "stupid" daughter!
He raised his hand halfway up the air, looked at his daughter's pale and terrified face, and forced himself to hold back.
She was so angry her teeth itched, and she pointed her finger hard at Zhao Yaqin's forehead:
"You! You really are... a complete idiot! Someone dug a pit for you, and you jumped in with your eyes closed! You have no sense at all! You got taken advantage of to the bone! I'm ashamed for you for suffering this loss!"
The thought that her daughter was almost ruined by the cruelest knife—"mortality"—made Zhao's mother feel a chill run down her spine.
She suppressed her anger, forcing out the words through clenched teeth: "Tell Mom the truth, did you... really... really do that with that Li boy?"
That's the most fatal thing.
Zhao Yaqin's face flushed red, and she shook her head vigorously: "No...no! Really no! It's just...it's just that I almost fell for a scam..."
Upon hearing this, Zhao's mother relaxed and slumped back into her chair.
Thank goodness! We were just one step away!
This daughter was truly schemed against so thoroughly that not even a trace of her remained!
"Well... well, Xu Nannan! And the people behind her! How dare they plot against my daughter!"
She slammed her hand on the table.
"From today onwards, you're staying home obediently! You're not allowed to go anywhere! As for work, I'll talk to your dad and ask for a long leave first!"
"Mom!" Zhao Yaqin cried out anxiously, "What about my job..."
"Is your job more important or your life? There are people out there trying to ruin you! Do you still want to go back and become a target? Stay home! We'll talk after we've investigated this matter!"
Seeing that her mother, though extremely angry, did not immediately punish her but instead adopted a protective stance, Zhao Yaqin felt somewhat relieved and stammered, "Mom... then... then Li Weidong, he..."
"Li Weidong?!"
The anger that Zhao's mother had just suppressed flared up again. "You're still bringing him up?! Zhao Yaqin, have you lost your mind?!"
Zhao Yaqin trembled at the shout.
"A man! A man with stars on his shoulders, wearing a military uniform! When faced with difficulties, instead of thinking about resolving them honestly and taking responsibility, he lets a young woman like you act recklessly and tries to force him into a position using such despicable means as 'making the rice stale'?!"
"What is this? This is cowardice! This is incompetence! This is irresponsibility! And it is the greatest insult to you, to the Li family, and to our Zhao family!"
"If he had even a shred of backbone, if he genuinely cared about you, he would know that once this is exposed, your reputation will be drowned in spittle! Can Li Weidong bear that responsibility? No, he can't! He's putting you on the hot seat, pushing you to the brink of despair! What do you call that? That's extreme selfishness!"
Zhao's mother grew increasingly agitated as she spoke, her chest heaving violently.
"A man like that, and you still want to be with him? What do you want from him? Does he cower in the face of trouble? Does he drag you into this mess? Does he ruin your reputation?! Zhao Yaqin, tell me, does a man like that deserve you? Does he deserve the honor of the Zhao family?!"
Zhao's mother's words were like knives, shattering Zhao Yaqin's heart.
She recalled Li Weidong's grim expression when he was stopped by the young soldier outside the warehouse, and his unwavering departure... she remembered his tacit approval and even cooperation with her plan to "force the issue"... she remembered the punishment he would face and the devastating blow she would suffer if they were caught...
Her face was deathly pale, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes tightly, and she couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.
Seeing her daughter's distraught state, Zhao's mother's anger subsided slightly: "Give up on that idea! Stay home and think it over! I'll investigate this thoroughly! Anyone who dares to scheme against my daughter will regret it! I'll talk to your father!"
After she finished speaking, she stopped looking at Zhao Yaqin and turned to stride away to find Zhao's father.
Zhao Yaqin was left alone in the room.
She leaned back in her chair, examining for the first time the man she had once thought she could entrust her life to, and reflecting on her own ridiculous "plan" that had been like a moth drawn to a flame.
A thin layer of frost covered the windows of the propaganda department, and a chill seeped in.
Nan Zhiyi wrapped her cotton-padded coat tighter, her pen moving swiftly across the manuscript paper as she sketched out a draft for the New Year's Day bulletin board.
The theme of this issue is "Unity and Progress to Welcome the New Year," which should reflect the festive atmosphere without being overly extravagant.
She made a few strokes, then crossed them out, feeling that they weren't strong enough.
Suddenly, the door opened, and a gust of cold wind carrying snowflakes blew in.
Section Chief Li Mei led in a girl with two braids. The girl was about eighteen or nineteen years old, her face was slightly red from the cold, and her eyes were timid.
"Everyone, stop for a moment," Section Chief Li clapped his hands, his voice crisp. "Let me introduce our new comrade, Chen Xiaoyun. She graduated from high school and is coming to our section as a temporary worker. From now on, she will mainly be responsible for drawing bulletin boards and copying text. Xiaoyun, these are Officer Wu, Officer Sun, Officer Lin Xiangyang, and this is Comrade Nan Zhiyi."
Chen Xiaoyun greeted them one by one in a soft voice: "Hello, Officer Wu, Officer Sun, Officer Lin, and Comrade Nan Zhiyi."
When it was Nan Zhiyi's turn, she glanced at her a few more times, with a hint of curiosity.
"Zhiyi," Section Chief Li turned to Nan Zhiyi, "you'll take the lead on the New Year's Day themed bulletin board. You'll be responsible for the initial design, while Xiaoyun and Lin Xiangyang will handle the actual drawing. You have more experience, so guide her. It's inevitable that she'll be nervous since it's her first time creating a bulletin board."
Nan Zhiyi put down her pen and nodded: "Okay, Section Chief Li."
She looked at Chen Xiaoyun and said gently, "Don't be nervous. First, sort out what you need to write, and we can discuss the layout later."
Chen Xiaoyun nodded quickly, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers.
In the days that followed, Nan Zhiyi and Chen Xiaoyun carefully planned out each sketch.
As she drew a rough layout, she explained to Chen Xiaoyun the key points of font size, spacing, and color matching.
Chen Xiaoyun studied diligently, constantly taking notes in her notebook.
"Sister Nan, should we use Song typeface or Heiti for this title?" Chen Xiaoyun asked in a low voice.
“The Song typeface is more formal,” Nan Zhiyi said, pointing to the sketch. “The bold typeface will be used in the subtitle below to make it stand out.”
"Okay, I understand."
After submitting the draft to Section Chief Li for review and approval, it was time to prepare the bulletin board.
The first thing to do was to draw the large propaganda board in front of the regimental headquarters office building.
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