Chapter 93
There was still an hour before the speech, so the group was not in a hurry and instead strolled around the campus leisurely.
Now the first and second year high school students have not started school yet, and only the third year high school students are studying hard in school.
I didn't expect to see Jie Zong, who had already graduated, here. You should know that the student housing complex for Experimental Middle School is to the west of the school, not inside.
Director Xie smiled with satisfaction and said, "I guess he came to the library to read."
This made Qin Xiang envious. "That's great! Our Qingshui No. 1 Middle School doesn't even have a decent library. It's just one room with only a few books. Our principal treats it like a treasure."
However, it did serve as a reminder to Qin Xiang that although she did not have the ability to build a library for the time being, she could donate some books that students could use to the school every year to repay Principal Cao and Teacher Ning for their help.
Just as he was thinking, Jie Zong came closer on his bike. He glanced at Qin Xiang in confusion, then at his father. "You..."
Zhao Wenbo smiled and said, "The school has invited Qin Xiang to give a speech to the senior students. Would you like to come and listen?"
Jie Zong wasn't surprised. Almost every year, the school would invite the top science student to give a speech. He thought about it and nodded, "Okay."
Qin Xiang was a little surprised that he agreed. She could see that Jie Zong was a very proud man, and she didn't expect him to go to listen to her speech.
The few of them walked around the school again before being led by the teacher to the school auditorium.
At this time, the auditorium was already full of senior high school students, and the teachers of each class had also come over.
Seeing Qin Xiang and the others come in, the host went up to maintain order. Qin Xiang followed the teacher backstage. Zhao Wenbo said, "Today is our school's mobilization meeting for the senior year. After the principal finishes speaking, it will be your turn to go up."
It wouldn't matter if she waited a little longer, so she nodded, "Okay."
Jie Zong asked from the side, "When are you going to the capital?"
"Jie Zong wants to go to school with Qin Xiang? That's good too. After all, you two are in the same school. Although you are not studying the same major, you came from the same place, so you should always take care of each other." Zhao Wenbo said happily.
Qin Xiang thought for a moment and said, "It will probably take another four or five days. I have to arrange everything here and go back to my alma mater to visit my teachers. I'll leave as soon as I come back."
She looked at Jie Zong and said politely, "If you're in a hurry, you can leave first."
Jie Zong opened his mouth but before he could say anything, Director Jie smiled and said, "What could possibly happen to him? He can go with you when the time comes. You'll have someone to look after him on the way."
Qin Xiang no longer refused. What surprised her was Jie Zong. Did he really plan to go to the capital with her?
After the principal finished speaking, the host said Qin Xiang's name, and there was warm applause from outside.
Qin Xiang stood up and said, "Then I'll go up first."
"Go ahead." Zhao Wenbo watched the girl calmly and confidently walk onto the stage, then turned to Director Jie and said, "Who would have thought that a simple favor would produce a top scorer in science, surpassing all of his own students?"
Jie Zong, standing next to him, glanced at him without saying anything, but Director Jie couldn't help but laugh, "This is a good opportunity to let him know that there is always someone better than you."
Before he could finish his words, Jie Zong had already gone to the front to listen to the speech, and the two teachers also went to the front to listen.
Qin Xiang's speech was not fancy, nor did she talk about how difficult her school experience was, but she taught everyone her own learning methods.
After she finished her speech, it was time for questions. A student asked, "Senior Qin Xiang, our school's top student has an amazing brain. He seems to learn things faster than us. Is your brain also quick, or is it just like you said?"
Qin Xiang looked at the puzzled girl and said, "Some people are born with natural abilities when it comes to studying, and they master everything instantly. But I'm not like that. You may have read in the newspapers that I took the college entrance examination two years ago. Although my grades were good then, it wasn't because of my intelligence or my natural talent for learning. It was because I was down-to-earth and willing to learn, taking one step at a time, believing that diligence can make up for lack of talent. Later, as you all know, I was married for a year, and only started studying again after my divorce. During this time, I never gave up studying, and even when I went out of town, I always brought my textbooks with me."
She blinked and smiled, "So the reason I was able to get the top score in science is because I worked harder than others, not because I am smarter than you who got the top score."
The students in the audience burst into laughter.
This smile was kind. No one asked her why she got divorced, which made Qin Xiang feel the kindness of the students in this school.
The students then asked many more questions, and Qin Xiang answered them one by one. A girl mustered up the courage to stand up and ask a question that had nothing to do with studying. "Senior Qin Xiang, how did you bravely take that step?"
There was silence at the scene, and everyone understood that the question was about Qin Xiang's divorce.
Qin Xiang met the man's uneasy and tangled eyes and said, "There's nothing to think about. If you meet a man like that, how can you keep him for the New Year without divorcing him? A man like that would only be honest if he were hanging on the wall. Although I'm a woman, I can go further on my own. Why should I fixate on one man? This is a new society, not the old society of foot binding that held women back."
They are all boys and girls of seventeen or eighteen years old, not children anymore. They understand the principles they should understand. Qin Xiang does not shy away from talking about such things.
The girl smiled and said, "Senior, you are so brave. I see the power of role models in you. I will follow your example."
Qin Xiang encouraged with a smile, "You can definitely do it, too."
After the questions were asked, Qin Xiang followed Zhao Wenbo and the others backstage. Zhao Wenbo smiled and said, "Children nowadays think differently than before."
Qin Xiang joked, "I thought the school would stop me from saying this."
"There's nothing wrong with this," Director Xie explained. "The school held a meeting to discuss this before inviting you, so this is within our expectations. They only have one year left of high school. After graduation, some will be able to get into college, while others will go straight into the workforce. It's better for them to know this in advance than to run into scumbags and actually get scammed later."
Looking at Director Jie, Qin Xiang felt the love these teachers had for their students. If you love them, you should take care of them, and even think about what will happen after graduation.
She suddenly understood why the school invited her to give a speech. Such a school has no shortage of good learning methods. Not to mention others, a Jie Zong can organize political materials and other examination materials. Her experience in this regard is not necessarily better than Jie Zong's.
But Jie Zong's life was too smooth, far less than her ups and downs, which can bring different ideas to students.
Seeing that it was getting late, Qin Xiang said goodbye to the two elders. Director Jie had to go to a meeting, so Zhao Wenbo didn't try to persuade her to stay. "Come to my house for dinner when you have time. I'll ask Teacher Jiang to make you something delicious."
Qin Xiang smiled and nodded, "I would go even if you didn't invite me."
As she turned to leave the school, she heard the sound of a bicycle bell. Qin Xiang turned her head and met Jie Zong's clear eyes. "I'll take you there?"
Qin Xiang glanced at the back seat of his bicycle, and Jie Zong frowned slightly, "I just happened to be going this way."
Qin Xiang shook her head, "No, I'll just walk by myself."
"Oh." Jie Zong didn't feel disappointed. Instead, he added, "Remember to tell me when you leave. The train isn't very safe right now."
Now that things have come to this, Qin Xiang no longer refuses, so let's go together.
When they returned to the store, Qin Yang happened to arrive as well. Qin Xiang asked about the situation back home, but Qin Yang was reluctant to say more. "It's just like that, nothing much to say."
Looking at his expression, Qin Xiang knew something was wrong. "Is Mom causing trouble or is Qin Jun causing trouble?"
"Qin Jun." Qin Yang knew he couldn't hide it from Qin Xiang, so he didn't hide it. "He stopped me and my second brother as soon as we entered the village. He said something rude and I beat him up. Later, he was scared by the secretary and stopped making trouble. It's a good thing you didn't go back."
Qin Xiang said indifferently, "If I go back, there will be an even bigger commotion. So let it be. I can't kill them, so let them do what they want. Out of sight, out of mind."
Qin Yang laughed, "I know you don't care. By the way, Dad said he would come to see you when he's free in the next few days. He cares about you very much."
"I know." Although Qin Xiang had previously taken her father's anger out on her over the incident with Tanaka Mei, she also understood that he had his own opinions. From the video recorded by the provincial radio station, Qin Xiang knew that her father loved her just as much. But if he hadn't called her back then, who knows how the villagers would frame him.
Qin Yang patted her shoulder and comforted her, "Don't think too much. School is about to start, and you have to prepare well. You still have to tell me what to do with the store after you leave."
Qin Xiang breathed a sigh of relief, "That's right."
In the evening, she reconvened the meeting and made personnel arrangements. "Tan Xiu, you, Mi Hongjun, and Hongxia will look after the store in the university town from now on. Mi Hongjun will temporarily take over the position of store manager, Tan Xiu will assist, Xiaofeng and Liping will look after the store here, and Third Brother will be in charge of everything."
As soon as she finished speaking, Miao Xiaofeng glanced at Qin Yang, who showed a delighted look on his face. Then Qin Xiang continued, "He Liping is still attending night school. Xiaofeng needs to keep an eye on her at night. Also, put up a job posting tomorrow to hire another person. He Liping will temporarily take over the position of store manager while Third Brother is away."
Miao Xiaofeng's face turned pale instantly.
She was a little confused. She was the first one to arrive, so why was He Liping allowed to take over as the store manager temporarily?
He Liping was naturally happy to be entrusted with such an important task, not only because the store manager's basic salary would increase by ten yuan per month, but also because of the trust placed in her. She quickly stood up and said, "Boss, I will definitely do my best."
Qin Xiang just glanced at Miao Xiaofeng and said nothing more.
Miao Xiaofeng is capable, but she also has a lot of thoughts. However, these thoughts are only focused on internal affairs. She is far worse than He Liping in handling customer issues.
Qin Xiang didn't mention any names, but simply said, "This is your position for now. I will definitely open other branches in the future. As long as you do a good job, I will definitely promote you to store manager. If you don't work hard and focus on other things, causing internal conflicts, I will not care about your ability and will just let you go."
Seeing that no one spoke, Qin Xiang was very satisfied and continued, "You all know about what happened before. This is a private company. There is no such thing as a permanent job. Do you understand?"
Everyone replied, "I understand."
Li Hongxia was an honest, hardworking woman, and although Tan Xiu wasn't the store manager, she was happy too. Only Miao Xiaofeng felt resentful, thinking Qin Xiang was partial to He Liping.
When they returned from the meeting, Miao Xiaofeng complained to Tan Xiu, "Mi Hongjun is fine, he's been with the boss from the beginning, but what right did He Liping have? It's fine that she enrolled in night school before us, but now she's been directly promoted to store manager."
Miao Xiaofeng was already somewhat self-conscious, and she had thought that if she could become a store manager, she would at least be able to hold her head high when standing next to Qin Yang. However, everything was ruined by He Liping.
Hearing the jealousy in her words, Tan Xiu couldn't help but frown. "You should handle the job according to your ability. I'm also a shop assistant. Our boss is very capable and will definitely open more stores in the future. The reason we can't get the job this time is that we are not capable enough. We just need to work harder and learn more, and it will be our turn next time. Why complain about it here? What's the difference between you and those people in the factory who rely on their seniority to make demands? He Liping may be younger than us, but she is very capable."
Seeing that Miao Xiaofeng still looked unhappy, Tan Xiu was too lazy to persuade her. "I will come here less often in the future. You can take care of yourself."
Tan Xiu had a premonition that Miao Xiaofeng would be killed by her own thoughts sooner or later. Fortunately, she was assigned to the university town, which was good because it was far away from here. Moreover, she lived there now and didn't have to run back and forth.
After Tan Xiu left, Miao Xiaofeng couldn't help squatting there and crying.
As for Qin Xiang, she was probably worried about running into Miao Xiaofeng again and crying, so she simply stopped crying.
To say that Miao Xiaofeng did anything wrong, she didn't, but her abilities were just average. If she worked hard and improved her abilities, she would be able to become a store manager sooner or later. But if she wasn't focused on that and only thought about competing with others, then she didn't want to indulge her.
She closed the door and said to Qin Yang, "Third brother, someone likes you."
Qin Yang asked, "Who is it?"
Qin Xiang laughed, "You don't know?"
"have no idea."
Qin Xiang said, "Then you can find out for yourself, so that I won't be embarrassed if I tell you."
After saying that, she went upstairs. It was almost eleven o'clock now, and Qin Xiang was indeed tired.
After lying down and sleeping until dawn, Qin Xiang was still busy with the affairs of the two stores.
As the school was about to start, some students returned to school one after another, and then they found that a row of storefronts had been built on the other side of the school. They appeared like mushrooms overnight after a rain. There were not only snack bars, but also a beautifully decorated clothing store.
Many students with nothing to do just stroll along this side.
Qin Xiang's storefront has already been rented out, and even Qin Juan's storefront near the west has been opened.
It's just that she was too busy and was thinking about finding someone to help her all day long.
Qin Yang and Qin Xiang remembered this when they came to the university town, so they asked Qin Juan, "What do you think of Qin Mian and Qin Zhen from Second Aunt's family?"
Qin Juan was stunned. She didn't have much impression of these two cousins. "They are very young, right?"
"They're not young anymore. One is seventeen and the other is nineteen. They don't go to school anymore." Qin Xiang had seen the two cousins during the Chinese New Year. They had similar personalities to her second aunt and were both nice. When Qin Yang mentioned it, she understood, "Do they want to work outside?"
Qin Yang nodded and looked at Qin Juan. "They are both honest people, so I was thinking that it would be difficult for you to recruit people here. Why not let them try? One can look after the store and the other can look after the night market stall. That way you can have some time to spend with Nian Nian."
After she started this business, she was very busy. Not only did she have to prepare the oden dishes for dinner, but she also had to braise meat and pig offal to ensure that the store was not out of stock. She worked around the clock and has lost a lot of weight recently.
Qin Xiang also advised, "You have saved some money now, don't work so hard, take care of your health, and think more about Nian Nian."
Qin Juan hesitated for a moment and said, "Okay, then I'll find time to call back and talk to Second Aunt. At least we need to sort out the salary and follow-up issues before they arrive. Let them stay on the second floor when they arrive. It's more convenient."
Listening to Qin Juan's words, Qin Xiang no longer had anything to worry about.
Qin Juan was probably the person who had changed the most since she was reborn.
Before, she was timid and soft-tempered, and was manipulated by others. But it has only been less than a month since her divorce, and she has completely changed, her spirit and energy are different.
Qin Xiang nodded. "Of course I should. We have to explain it to them clearly. Even if they are cousins, they are here as boss and employee. If they don't perform well, they will still be sent back."
Qin Juan smiled and said, "I understand. That's what I said."
Through her divorce, she realized that no relationship is absolute. She didn't expect her two cousins to work hard for her, just like everyone else.
After this was said, Qin Xiang and Qin Yang came here to help Qin Juan clean up the vegetables, but were chased away by Qin Juan. "It's useless for you to help me even once or twice. Aunt Liu from the compound will come over to help me soon. I can finish the work."
It’s said that the house they bought at that time was good. Most of the people in the beer family compound are kind people. They know that it is not easy for Qin Juan to raise a child alone. Now Nian Nian is almost always at Aunt Liu’s house during the day. Qin Juan doesn’t let her work for free. She gives her one dollar a day and cooks some meals for her. Sometimes she also brings Nian Nian to the store to help her.
Seeing that her sister insisted, Qin Xiang stopped talking and went to her own shop for another round before going back.
At the door of the small building over there, Uncle Ge was sitting alone under a tree, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan and drinking tea. When he saw her come back, he asked, "When are you going to the capital?"
Qin Xiang laughed, "School starts on September 1st, so I have to get there at least two days in advance. The journey will take a day and a night, so I have to leave on the 28th." She joked, "So, Mr. Ge is planning to personally take me to school in the capital?"
"You wish." Uncle Ge snorted, stood up, and went back to the house with his stool. "I'll take you to the capital, and you can take me back?"
Qin Xiang couldn't help laughing.
Uncle Ge had already reached the door and stuck his head out again. "But maybe I can offer you a ride."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
