Chapter 165 Path and Connection
Wang Haiquan and Yan Fang went home, so Song Lubai and Yan Fang didn't need to come.
The couple wanted to invite the two of them to stay for dinner, but Song Lubai and her husband declined, saying that the food in the cafeteria was delicious and they could eat their fill.
On the way, Feng Ying said, "Director Wang's family has welcomed a new member, let's send some nourishing things to his wife."
Song Lubai glanced at her and asked directly, "Trying to pull some strings?"
Feng Ying blushed.
“You’re more familiar with Director Wang than we are, so he’ll definitely help you get a good position. But I can’t do that. I have to find a way. Comrade Song, you have to help me.”
Song Lubai nodded, "I hope we can both stay here, but Director Wang isn't from the personnel department, so gifts might not be helpful..."
Feng Ying: "Since he's an official who has influence, sending him some gifts is definitely better than doing nothing."
"So what do you want to give as a gift?"
Feng Ying thought for a moment and said, "Brown sugar, I guess. Director Wang's wife needs some nourishment right now, and we can't get anything else good. Getting brown sugar isn't too bad. I'll go ask Wu Xiulian and the others to see if we can exchange it for brown sugar coupons."
The sky had been overcast for several days, but it finally cleared up on the day the holiday started.
Half of the study time has already passed, and more and more rumors are spreading.
Song Lubai heard that the department was going to establish a new disciplinary inspection department, and that her group of new recruits had a chance to get in.
Feng Ying exchanged her brown sugar coupons for a department store, and Song Lubai washed her sweater and underpants while she was away.
She hasn't taken a bath in ages. There are no public bathhouses here, and washing herself in a basin in the dormitory doesn't feel clean enough. She needs to find a way to get bath tickets from other factories so she can take a bath before the New Year.
While Song Lubai was washing clothes in the washroom, Sun Hong came in carrying the clothes.
Song Lubai looked at the men's pants lying in her basin and remembered what Wang Qun had said that day.
Sun Hong noticed her gaze and waited for Song Lubai to ask, but she didn't hear it for a long time.
Sun Hong didn't care what others said about her, but she had stolen from Song Lubai, and Song Lubai had taken care of her in the hospital. She didn't want Song Lubai to look down on her.
Sun Hong couldn't hold back and said, "It costs one cent to wash a piece of clothing, and two cents for a thick coat."
There were only the two of them in the washroom at the moment. Song Lubai was stunned for a moment before she realized that she was being spoken to.
She said "Oh" and didn't say anything more.
Sun Hong felt inexplicably embarrassed by this response.
She felt that Song Lubai still looked down on her, so she lowered her head and stopped talking.
After a while, Song Lubai asked, "Did you wash it for Section Chief Lu?"
Sun Hong nodded, then, realizing that Sun Hong couldn't see, she said, "It's him. He has difficulty walking and is a very particular person." After a pause, she added, "I didn't know he was a section chief when he asked me to do his laundry."
Seeing that he had difficulty walking that day, she simply helped him pick up some coal and delivered it to his dormitory. Two days later, he contacted her, offering to wash a piece of clothing for one cent and asking if she would be willing to do it.
For Sun Hong, washing clothes and exchanging them for money was a good thing. She didn't know if he had noticed how poor she was and how desperately she needed money, which was why he approached her. But she didn't care what he thought, as long as he gave her money.
The money she received was earned through normal labor.
After interacting with him a few times, she found that Lu Xingye lived a rather particular life; his dormitory was neatly arranged and kept clean and tidy.
His clean socks were neatly arranged on the wooden rack, his clothes looked more tidy than those of the other men, his muddy shoes were cleaned thoroughly, and his hair was combed meticulously every day without a single stray hair.
The impression this Section Chief Lu gave her was that he came from a respectable family, which made her, a woman, feel ashamed of herself.
Song Lubai said in a low voice, "Now that we have this relationship, let's try to get closer to it. Our classmates are all thinking of ways to get closer to it."
Sun Hong was taken aback, then shook her head and said, "I don't care where I'm assigned. It's a good job for me anyway. Besides, I think he's not easy to approach. I feel like he can see right through me when he looks at me."
Under the gaze of one of his eyes, she always felt a sense of guilt and shortness of breath.
She would wash his clothes until they were spotless, afraid that he wouldn't be satisfied.
Sun Hong couldn't quite describe the feeling, but she felt that although Lu Xingye was disabled, he was from a completely different world from her.
She didn't care where she was assigned; no matter where she went, she would probably continue to be disliked by everyone.
It doesn't matter how it is, there's nothing to argue about.
Since that person's ambitions lie elsewhere, Song Lubai didn't say anything more.
Feng Ying quickly returned with the brown sugar, and Song Lubai's white clothes were washed. The two of them went to Wang Hai's house together.
Yan Fang was lying in bed, while Director Wang was squatting in front of the stove washing diapers. When he saw the two of them arrive, he quickly moved the basin aside.
Feng Ying, who was worried about not having a chance to show off, quickly said, "Director, put the basin down, I'll wash it for you. Why is a grown man washing diapers!"
Song Lubai thought to herself: Why can't a grown man wash diapers? It's only natural to wash your own child's diapers.
Wang Haiquan wiped his hands and said, "You're here, why bring anything?"
Feng Ying said, "My sister-in-law is in a weak state right now. She needs to be properly nourished during her postpartum period. We can't get any other good stuff, so we just bought half a pound of brown sugar."
Yan Fang got off the bed with the child in her arms and greeted them, "You two don't need to leave at noon today. I'll have Lao Wang go and catch a chicken from someone else's house."
Fearing the two girls might feel embarrassed to stay for dinner, Yan Fang added, "Stir-fry half of it and save the other half for me to make chicken soup. Don't be shy with us."
Feng Ying forcefully snatched the basin away, saying, "We won't stand on ceremony with you, and you shouldn't stand on ceremony with us either. I often take care of my younger siblings at home, so I'm good at washing clothes."
Wang Haiquan didn't mince words; he said he was going to catch a chicken and spent 1.5 yuan to catch a big rooster from his neighbor's house.
Feng Ying squatted down to wash diapers, and Song Lubai, feeling embarrassed to sit awkwardly to the side, simply squatted down by the basin and started washing as well.
Yan Fang said to the two of them, "I heard from Lao Wang that there's a social gathering before the New Year, and all the men are from the military. You two are getting on in years, so you should go and check it out."
Song Lubai said, "Going to see them won't do any good. Our jobs haven't been decided yet, and we might be assigned somewhere. There's no rush to find a partner."
Yan Fang disagreed, saying, "It's better to find someone in the military. They have high salaries, and even if they leave the military, their income won't be bad. Generally speaking, people who have served in the military are very responsible. We can go and see them first, and maybe they'll stay. If there's a suitable person, the military will also make arrangements."
Yan Fang deliberately lowered her voice for the last sentence.
Wang Haiquan brought the slaughtered chicken back and scalded it with boiling water to remove its feathers.
He heard Yan Fang's words outside the door and agreed, saying, "You should all go and see when the time comes. If they stay, they'll have something to rely on in the future."
Wang Haiquan gave Song Lubai a special look, "Little Song, go too. It can't hurt to see more."
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