Chapter 27
When Wu Zhengrong walked into the venue, he easily found Ye Manzhi.
A plain white dress stands out among the floral dresses everywhere.
Whether it was the pure white soft skirt, the long black curly hair, or the yellow handkerchief tied with the long hair, they all matched the gentleness and cuteness when they first met.
However, the girl's next actions were not very clever.
She actually took the initiative to ask a young Soviet man to dance...
Lesbians can take the initiative to invite others to dance; this is their right and freedom.
But the dance partners for Soviet experts were usually arranged in advance by the factory.
Looking around the whole audience, there was hardly any female comrade who would take the initiative to invite the Soviet experts to dance.
Except Ye Manzhi, um, to correct, except Ye Manzhi's friend.
Wu Zhengrong withdrew his gaze and no longer paid attention to the Soviet man.
Compared with her friends, Ye Manzhi is obviously a beginner, and her feet have many common problems of beginners, but this does not prevent her from flying around the field like a little butterfly.
Now, after changing three dance partners, it flew to him again.
"Do you really want to ask me to dance?" Wu Zhengrong lowered his eyes to confirm with her.
"Yeah." Ye Manyi forced herself to remain calm, her clear eyes full of anticipation.
Wu Zhengrong pondered for a long time.
He should have reminded the girl that the fact that the two of them went to a Western restaurant alone had already spread within a certain range. If they danced together in public, then all the rumors about them would basically be confirmed.
However, thinking of the report submitted during this trip to Beijing, Wu Zhengrong swallowed the reminder.
Seeing that he had not replied for a long time, the smile on Ye Manzhi's face gradually faded, and she looked a little helpless.
She felt a little embarrassed, but she rarely looked for problems in herself. If there were any problems, they would definitely be someone else's.
Considering that Wu Zhengrong had been standing alone on the sidelines for a long time, she felt that the fundamental reason why the other party didn't dance with her was that he didn't know how to dance.
"Captain Wu, don't you know how to ballroom dance?"
Wu Zhengrong glanced at her without saying a word. After a few seconds, he took her slender wrist and walked onto the dance floor.
…
Okay, Ye Manzhi takes back that disrespectful remark just now.
Wu Zhengrong is quite capable.
The gay man plays a guiding role when dancing and needs to give prompt and accurate hints to his female partner.
Her previous dance partners were all novices, and would occasionally hesitate about their footwork, causing her to always be nervous and waiting for cues while dancing, and she could never relax.
Compared with others, Wu Zhengrong's guiding movements are always decisive, allowing her to easily find the rhythm.
The song played on the spot was "Tales from the Vienna Woods". Ye Manzhi felt like a little elf in the forest, being carried away by Wu Zhengrong.
"Captain Wu, have you ever learned ballroom dancing?"
"When I was in Beijing, I studied for a while because of work needs." Wu Zhengrong patted her on the back and reminded her, "Your waist is too weak."
"ah?"
The steady heartbeat suddenly became disordered. Ye Manyzhi was stunned for a moment and his face turned red.
Wu Zhengrong paused, ignoring her suddenly flushed cheeks, and explained, "If your back and abdomen aren't strong enough, you won't be able to maintain an upright upper body. So your waist can't be too soft, and your abdomen must follow suit. Otherwise, your posture and movements will easily become distorted."
"Oh, I'll pay attention then."
Ye Manzhi came to her senses and pretended to be calm and looked away, but she always felt that the palms of their hands were warm.
However, the benefits of having a good partner are obvious. After dancing only two songs, Ye Manyzhi could feel his own progress.
Without having to constantly watch her feet for fear of following the wrong steps, she can focus more on her upper body posture and her partner opposite her.
The two of them were very close, and the chandelier in the dome was very bright. The light poured down from above, and Wu Zhengrong's long eyelashes covered his eyes, leaving two light shadows on his lower eyelids.
Ye Manzhi stared at the two petals for a moment, admiring them. She said sincerely, "Captain Wu, you have beautiful eyes! And your eyelashes are so long!"
“…”
Wu Zhengrong lowered his eyes and looked at her. After confirming that she was not joking, he said "hmm" in an ambiguous tone.
He had a clear understanding of his appearance, but before this, no member of the opposite sex had ever explicitly complimented a part of his body in front of him.
Ye Manzhi's eyes were clear and his expression was frank, as if the praise was just praise and had no other meaning.
He was unsure of the other person's intentions for a moment, and after staring at each other for a moment, he replied politely, "Your eyes are beautiful too."
This is different from Maxim's reaction, Ye Manzhi thought.
She would like to attribute it to the Oriental reservedness.
However, judging from the way Wu Zhengrong raised the corners of his lips, he should also appreciate this kind of praise.
The third song on the speakers changed to "Carnival Dance". The two changed their dance steps. After Ye Manzhi did a few beautiful spins, she looked at him and continued to praise him: "Captain Wu, your nose is also very beautiful, especially straight!"
“…”
Wu Zhengrong lowered his head and looked at her seriously, his eyes from top to bottom, taking in her delicate and beautiful facial features, his expression somewhat intriguing and complex.
What's wrong with this girl today? Do you know what you are talking about?
"The branches are full of leaves."
It’s not Comrade Ye Manzhi, it’s not Comrade Xiaoye, and it’s not Xiaoye.
Wu Zhengrong called her name for the first time.
"Don't you have anything else to say to me?"
"No, no," Ye Manzhi couldn't help but laugh and tell the truth, "Just now, when Qingmei was dancing with Maxim, she kept praising him for his good looks. Maxim was so happy that he danced with her for three songs in one breath!"
"The cultural differences between the East and the West will result in completely different effects from this kind of compliment. Easterners are relatively reserved and reserved." Wu Zhengrong looked at her intently and asked, "After praising the eyes and nose, what else do you want to praise next? The mouth?"
Ye Manzhi curled his eyes and said nothing.
That's exactly what was planned.
The dance floor was too crowded, so Wu Zhengrong took her to a relatively quiet corner.
The dance continued, but a subtle silence fell between the two.
"The branches are full of leaves."
Wu Zhengrong called her name again.
"Um."
"If you compliment my eyes and nose and then compliment my mouth, in this situation," Wu Zhengrong said to her seriously, a rare hint of aggression between his brows, "I'll mistakenly think you're inviting me to kiss you..."
“!!!”
Ye Manzhi's head buzzed, and he opened his lips, but he didn't know what to say.
She felt the blood in her body flowing very quickly, rushing to her knuckles and brain, as if being passed through by electric current, causing numbness.
“I, I…”
Her eyes were dazed, her mouth was open, and she instinctively wanted to retreat.
Wu Zhengrong's right hand was still on her back, too close to her chest, and she was afraid that he would feel her increasingly turbulent heartbeat.
Ye Manzhi's brain was not working at its normal speed. After thinking for a while, he could only think of one sentence: "I, I haven't praised your lips yet..."
Wu Zhengrong applied a little pressure to her palm, not giving her a chance to evade. He continued in that serious tone, as if discussing an academic issue, "So, I haven't kissed you yet."
I didn't expect that praising would bring such consequences. Ye Manzhi's breath gradually weakened, and his cheeks were hot from the ambiguous atmosphere.
She didn't know how this would end.
"The branches are full of leaves."
Wu Zhengrong stopped and called her name again.
"Um."
The sound coming out of his throat was a little sticky. After Ye Manyzhi noticed it, he dared not open his mouth again.
They were still holding hands, but before Wu Zhengrong could say anything, a fierce shout of "Leaves are all over the branches" pulled her out of her drunken state.
After Lin Qingmei spotted their position, she rushed over with murderous intent.
"Why are you still dancing here?" Lin Qingmei said anxiously, pointing to the watch on her wrist. "What time is it? Uncle Ye will be worried if you don't go home soon!"
Although feeling a little dizzy, Ye Manzhi's brain was still working diligently.
The dance party starts in the afternoon, and it’s evening at the latest now. Why should Old Ye be in such a hurry?
She wanted to quibble, but Lin Qingmei glared at her fiercely, not allowing her to speak again.
Lin Qingmei looked at Wu Zhengrong, who had no expression on his face. Knowing that she had interrupted someone's good time, she could only force a fake smile and said, "Captain Wu, Manzhi has something to do at home and must go home now. I'll take her away first. You can find another comrade to dance with..."
He made up a bunch of nonsense excuses and ran away without caring about the other party's reaction.
Wu Zhengrong, who was left alone, said: "..."
*
Ye Manzhi was pulled out of the dance hall by Qingmei.
Dancing had already consumed her energy, and now she was running until she was out of breath. She leaned against the wall and asked, "Qingmei, why are you running like crazy with me?"
"Nonsense! If I don't pull you away, you two are going to kiss!"
"Nothing..." Ye Manzhi said stubbornly with a red face.
Lin Qingmei was furious with her and pulled her to the large mirror in the dressing room. "Eyes full of autumn water, face full of peach blossoms, that's what I'm talking about! Look at your face, it's as red as two longevity peaches!"
Ye Manzhi looked at herself in the mirror, covered her face with her hands, and could not say anything in rebuttal.
"There are so many people at the party, everyone must have seen you two doing this!" Lin Qingmei tapped her forehead in frustration, "Are you stupid?"
"We only exchanged a few words, nothing serious happened!" Ye Manzhi argued vigorously, "Besides, when you pulled me away, we were at the edge of the dance floor, and there weren't many people there."
"I told you you're stupid, but you still refuse to admit it! There were so many people at the ball, practically rubbing shoulders together, how could such a large space be left empty for no reason? People must have noticed something was wrong between you two, so they deliberately avoided you!"
“…”
Lin Qingmei stopped using the honorific "Captain Wu" and addressed him by name, "That Wu Zhengrong! He came to the party and never danced. No one paid any attention to him, but you foolishly approached. One dance wasn't enough, you actually danced four or five in a row! Now, the news that he only danced with you, and even danced four or five songs in a row, will spread throughout the entire compound tonight, not tomorrow!"
Wu Zhengrong is well-known for his good reputation and is also a well-known golden bachelor in the entire factory.
It would be fine if he could have a happy ending with Ye Manzhi, but if they broke up halfway like Zhou Mu, Ye Manzhi's reputation in the compound would basically be ruined.
"What will you do if Wu Zhengrong just walks away? Can you go with him? Sister, wake up! Don't be blinded by lust! Think about your parents, wake up!"
When talking about her parents, Ye Manzhi finally broke free from the beauty. Her face was not red and she was not out of breath. She was completely sober.
She sat on the steps, holding her face and asked, "What should I do next?"
"How should I know!" Lin Qingmei sat down beside her and said dissatisfiedly, "When Uncle Ye rejected your blind date, he said that he didn't want you to marry far away. That Wu Zhengrong knows everything and dares to seduce an ignorant girl!"
Hearing this, Ye Manzhi blushed again and pushed her arm, "Keep your voice down! He didn't seduce me, and I'm not some ignorant girl. Besides, things have developed to this point because of you and Maxim!"
Lin Qingmei was shocked. "He seduced you. What does that have to do with Maxim?"
Ye Manzhi mumbled back the words she had used to praise Wu Zhengrong.
"You're stupid! Maxim is a foreigner, his way of thinking is different from ours. Besides," Lin Qingmei couldn't help but tell the truth, "his silly smile might have something to do with my poor Russian."
Ye Manzhi: “…”
"Wu Zhengrong doesn't think you're seducing him, does he?" Lin Qingmei laughed for a moment, then turned serious and said, "But he kissed you without giving me a clear answer. How shameless!"
Ye Manzhi wanted to cover her mouth and corrected her in a low voice: "We didn't kiss!"
"If I hadn't pulled you away, you two would have kissed right now! In public..." Lin Qingmei cursed again, "Wu Zhengrong is shameless!"
“…”
Ye Manzhi returned home with mixed feelings and spent several days thinking about what happened at the dance.
It was true that she was taken away by Qingmei, but Wu Zhengrong did not try to contact her again in the two days that followed.
It was as if after the dance everyone went back to their own place and pretended that what happened before never happened.
Well, to be exact, nothing really happened between them.
It's just a dance. Wu Zhengrong must have danced it many times when he was in Beijing. If dancing with people could create a story, then his kids would be able to do it by now.
Ye Manzhi cursed Wu Zhengrong in her heart for being shameless and forced herself to put this person out of her mind.
Her most important task now is to do her job well and get a formal position in the street office. Everything else will come second!
Director Mu arranged a two-month probation period for the four new employees.
There are only a few days left until the second paycheck.
Ye Manzhi estimated that the final trial results might be announced within the next two days.
Yesterday, Director Mu asked each of them to submit a work summary. Ye Manyi reviewed her work in the past two months from the beginning, listing the main tasks and additional tasks one by one.
Then, after each major item, we expand on it in every detail.
She wrote down all the work achievements she could think of.
It took a full 15 pages of manuscript paper to contain all of her rich work achievements.
When Liu Jinbao saw her work summary, he was shocked and speechless.
"Comrade Ye Manzhi, we joined the unit at the same time, right? How come you're doing so much work?"
Compared with the other person's thick summary, his three-page achievement seemed particularly insignificant.
He took back the work summary that had already been submitted, and planned to expand it based on Ye Manzhi's version.
Out of revolutionary friendship between colleagues, Ye Manzhi did not stop him from referring to his own work summary.
Just like Lao Ye said, the effort is put in on a daily basis. Who each person will vote for is basically a foregone conclusion and has little to do with this work summary.
Ye Manzhi wrote 15 pages of paper, just to sort out the context of his first job and give himself an explanation.
After the four people submitted their work summaries, Director Mu said nothing but asked everyone to continue to stick to their posts and do their respective jobs well.
On Saturday afternoon, after arranging field work for the four new recruits, Mulan organized a discussion meeting on personnel issues within the street office.
"While the four young people are away, let's finalize the selection. According to my original plan, Lao Zhang and I would just pick two candidates. However, Lao Zhang suggested that the four existing comrades in our neighborhood committee participate in the vote and conduct a collective vote. I think this is also feasible. After all, we've been mentoring the newcomers for the past two months, and everyone has a good judgement on whether they've performed well or not."
Wei Zhen shook her head and sighed, "All four of these kids are actually pretty good. It's so frustrating that we have to eliminate two of them!"
"It's normal to have both superiors and inferiors. Our subdistrict office needs the best and brightest, and we want to keep the best performers," Zhang Qinjian said seriously. "I want to emphasize that our voting must be fair and impartial! Good is good, bad is bad. We can't vote out of personal preference just to save face. The four of us here will each cast two votes. Please write them down on slips of paper and vote anonymously."
Mulan waved her hand and interrupted, "There are only four of us. We are all familiar with each other's handwriting, so there is no need for anonymous voting. Let's write our names together and then show them together."
She first showed her note and stated her voting results.
"Zhuang Ting has been working with me for the past two months. She's completed her work very well and has been able to cooperate with other comrades. I have no complaints. Therefore, my first vote will be for Comrade Zhuang Ting."
"As for my second vote, I'm going to vote for Comrade Ye Manzhi. This girl is very motivated and is the most proactive among the four of us. She has made outstanding achievements in several important tasks. Most importantly, Ye Manzhi also published a clothing book while working in our neighborhood office. To be fair, Xiao Ye deserves this vote."
Guangming Subdistrict Office has been established for several years, but Ye Manzhi is the first comrade to have the opportunity to publish a book.
Although there is some element of luck involved, luck is also a form of strength.
It is a special honor for the subdistrict office that the comrades of our unit can publish a book.
Aunt Feng also took the opportunity to show her own note, "Ye Manzhi and Liu Jinbao."
So, currently Ye Manzhi has 2 votes, Liu Jinbao has 1 vote, and Zhuang Ting has 1 vote.
Mulan looked at Wei Zhen and asked, "Who are you going to vote for with those two votes?"
"Liu Jinbao and Zhuang Ting." Liu Jinbao was her teacher, so there was no need to explain too much about the others.
Following the lead from the front, Zhang Qinjian followed suit and said concisely, "Liu Jinbao, Zhuang Ting."
Mulan wrote down the voting results of each of the four people in his notebook.
Liu Jinbao received 3 votes.
Zhuang Ting 3 votes.
2 votes for Ye Manzhi.
Chen Caixia 0 votes.
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