Chapter 50

The weather during the plum rain season is like a child's face, changing at any time.

When she felt raindrops falling on her head, she experiencedly changed direction and went back to school first.

Otherwise, considering the distance of the camp, if she rushed over, she would be soaked like a drowned chicken.

Facts indeed proved what Li Ting had guessed. As soon as she entered the office, the dripping water drops outside turned into a continuous rain curtain, and it looked like it would get worse.

"Are you caught in the rain? Come and wipe yourself off. You can't use medicine now, so don't catch a cold... What kind of horrible weather is this? The sun hasn't even been out for half an hour. It's so annoying. When will it end?" Seeing her friend caught in the rain, Gu Fang urged her to come and wipe herself off while complaining.

Ruting was wiping the rain off her body. She frowned when she heard this: "I don't know how Huo Xiao and the others are doing now..."

Gu Fang also sighed: "I'm afraid he's working in the rain. Your Huo Xiao is better off, after all he's young. My brother Rong Xuan is old, I'm afraid his body can't handle it."

Age or something... She is obviously only in her thirties. The corners of Ruting's mouth twitched, and the worry that had just risen in her heart was instantly washed away.

She spread the towel flat on the chair arm and said, "I'm going to the principal's office."

Gu Fang asked subconsciously: "What are you doing?"

Ruting: "I'll tell you when I'm sure."

Gu Fang nodded, and then seemed to remember something, and came over and whispered, "Principal Huang might talk to you about letting you be a music teacher as well, so don't be foolish enough to agree to it."

Hearing this, Ruting paused and glanced at Liu Wenyan's desk.

Ever since Captain Cao's transfer order came down, he hasn't come to the school again. It is said that he didn't even ask for leave. Principal Huang was very angry about this and even visited him in person.

I don't know exactly what happened, but from that day on, Principal Huang said he would choose a new music teacher.

The reason why Li Ting didn't want to take the job of a music teacher was not because she was afraid of being tired. After all, there were three classes and only three lessons in total a week.

But her singing is really average, just barely staying in tune.

As for talents, I was born in a rural area. Apart from learning the vertical flute and ink painting in primary school, I knew nothing else.

By the way, I can only play "Little Swallow" on the vertical flute. It is better not to mislead other students with my level.

Principal Huang has a separate office.

It just doesn’t look grand at all, the tables and chairs are very old, not even as good as the ones the teachers use.

When Ruting came over, he was bent over his desk, writing something.

When he saw her, he put down his pen and asked, "Teacher Xiaojue, what's the matter?"

Li Ting nodded: "Principal, I have something I want to ask you."

The rain sobered up her feverish brain a little. After she regained her sanity, she realized that it was not appropriate to go directly to the brigade commander for help.

After all, she is a teacher in the school, and Principal Huang is above her.

Moreover, since the decision has been made to be transparent, the matter of part-time translation must at least gain the support of the direct leadership.

Of course, she was willing to tell the truth because she believed in Principal Huang.

Sure enough, after hearing what Teacher Xiaozhen said, Principal Huang said happily, "What's wrong with that? This is a good thing. I don't object. Those machines are important assets of our country. When we have the ability, we should lend a helping hand. Go ahead and do it."

Ruting was ashamed and reflected. Although she felt it was a pity that the machines broke down, she still made friends with them mostly for the translation fee.

But after all her reflections, she still wants to make the money she deserves, but maybe there is a way to have the best of both worlds...

Thinking of this, Li Ting's brain started to work quickly, and in just a moment, an idea came to her mind: "Principal, I think there are other possibilities."

Then, she expressed her previous idea of ​​putting the advertisement in the newspaper: "...Since we are doing something meaningful, we should not be afraid to expose it to the public. This will not only prevent some people from having dirty thoughts, but also promote the close cooperation between the military and the working class, and..."

"Anything else?" Principal Huang, who was listening with excitement in his eyes, looked at the young teacher who was talking eloquently, as if he was looking at some new continent.

Ruting felt a little embarrassed being stared at, but still nodded: "I was thinking that we can still develop for a long time."

Principal Huang was very interested: "Please elaborate on this."

Although I was a bit hesitant about my English skills, I still said frankly: "I believe that the factory needs English for more than just machine maintenance. If my translation can really help solve the problem this time, and we can put an advertisement in the newspaper to eliminate their worries, then future cooperation is inevitable... More than half of the military wives in the family compound are unemployed, and several of them are having a hard time. I thought that I might be able to help them get jobs, even if it's just one. Of course, this is just my humble opinion."

No, that's not a humble opinion, nor is it superficial at all.

At this moment, Principal Huang felt both relieved and complicated.

Fortunately, Teacher Xiao Rui is thinking about the troops and the military families who are working under difficult conditions.

What's complicated is Teacher Xiao Rui's starting point... With his experience, he can naturally see that the other party's series of arrangements are all for the purpose of reducing the risk of translating for others to zero. After all, she has the entire division supporting her from behind.

But she did bring a good reputation to the army and even fought for the interests of her family.

Even if she can only find jobs for one or two family members in the future, no one will care about her making extra money by translating.

It's like...killing three birds with one stone.

Thinking of this, Principal Huang thought of Huo Xiao again.

This young team leader is simply a winner in life. Not only is he outstanding, but his wife, Luting, is also capable.

If today's incident gets to the point of being published in the newspaper, it will be of great help to Huo Xiao in the future when he competes for the political status of the brigade-level review.

"Principal?" Seeing that the leader began to daydream, Li Ting couldn't help but remind him.

Principal Huang came back to his senses and gave a positive answer: "When the rain stops, I will accompany you to the camp."

The rain comes and goes quickly.

About an hour later, Li Ting and Principal Huang appeared in the office of Brigade Commander Wei.

When the natural disaster of flood struck, the brigade commander of the guards who was in charge of the mobilization in the rear had a hard time. After more than half a month, he lost a lot of weight.

However, he still looked energetic when looking at people, without any airs at all, and even poured tea for the two of them personally.

Knowing that the brigade commander was pressed for time, and Principal Huang was not one who liked small talk, he went straight to the point.

Brigade Commander Wei was indeed very optimistic about this matter. After Principal Huang finished speaking, he asked Li Ting in detail and finally said, "The division commander is not here during the day. He went to the disaster area. I have to go there later and will convey this matter to him in person. You can come again at 7 o'clock in the evening."

This is really... a thunderous and powerful move!

Ruiting said gratefully: "Thank you, Brigade Commander."

Wei Lu waved his hands: "Don't thank me. If it's done right, it will be good for everyone. I should be the one thanking you." He also said with emotion: "You young people are really quick-witted. Comrade Xiao Lu is very suitable for politics."

Ruting didn't dare to respond to this, so she said a few humble words and expressed her gratitude again before leaving.

She was truly grateful to the brigade commander. Apart from anything else, she should have reported this matter to Political Commissar Liu.

But Li Ting really disliked Political Commissar Liu and was worried that she would fail in her dual duties and end up being framed.

Now that the Wei Brigade is willing to take over, it couldn't be better for her.

Before school was over, Ting went to the communications room again.

But this time it was a call from my second brother.

The call time was limited, so Lin Ting kept her stories short.

I didn't expect that just as I started, my second brother on the other end of the phone surprised me: "...Are you also looking for a job for my eldest sister?"

Wei said helplessly, "Yes, no matter how you look at it, it's more appropriate for my eldest sister and the three children to stay in Tianjing. But except for the first few days since we arrived, it has been raining almost every day recently, so we have no time to go out and run around."

The three siblings surprisingly had the same opinion. Tingting was delighted: "I may have some ideas, but I'm not sure yet. It will take a few days. When can you take a break, second brother? Let's talk in person?" No matter whether it was about buying a house for the eldest sister, the house that the family had already bought, or the translation, there was no time to discuss it in detail on the phone.

Wei Wei smiled: "My Tingting is pretty amazing... The soldiers have been working hard to drain the floodwaters recently. As usual, the cultural troupe will have a consolation performance. I will go with them. We should be able to meet within half a month."

Ruting's eyes lit up: "Second brother, are you going to perform a show?"

Lu Wei: "It depends on the program arrangement. If there is a drama performance, your brother should be able to get a role with one or two lines."

That's pretty impressive, after all, my second brother has only been in the army for a month.

My second brother was a special recruit and had no background. To put it bluntly, he got in entirely because of his good looks, so he was inevitably squeezed out by those with real talents.

The fact that he has been able to stand firm so quickly not only shows that he has put in a lot of effort, but he is also probably gifted.

Thinking of this, I wanted to ask a few more questions, such as whether the food was good, whether I was used to the living environment, and how my colleagues got along with each other.

Unfortunately, time was limited, so the two chatted for a few more sentences before the operator urged them to hang up the phone.

However, even though there were many things she hadn't had the time to say, she couldn't help but feel excited.

It's great that everyone is working towards the better end...

"...Is that so? I think so too."

"If you ask me, she may look ugly, but her thoughts are beautiful. Doesn't Liu Wenyan look in the mirror? How dare she pester Captain Cao?"

"Even the key figure, Captain Cao, doesn't think highly of her. She's just occupying the toilet without doing anything. It's really annoying."

"It's all over now. Captain Cao is going to be transferred. I'm so sad. I wanted to introduce my niece to Captain Cao."

"It's like everyone knows Captain Cao's conditions are good. Who said he has a good father? Who dares to snatch him?"

"Hey! Feiyan, isn't that right? I've noticed that you've been getting close to the eldest daughter of Political Commissar Liu recently. It's not appropriate for you to say that."

Ding Feiyan wiped her tears and said, "Who said my man is just a deputy chief of staff and has no ability? He took the initiative to find me, how dare I ignore him?"

No one believed this, but after all, we were neighbors, and there was no need to confront each other over such a small matter.

And after dinner, Ruiting calculated the time and set out for the camp with her mother-in-law. At the place in the family compound where there were usually the least people, she overheard the conversation of three or five military wives.

She and her mother-in-law looked at each other and saw speechlessness in each other's eyes.

Compared to Ruting who seldom moves around in the family compound, Hu Xiu's good popularity has already covered the entire family compound.

She immediately recognized who they were and sneaked up to her daughter-in-law to share their names.

The corners of Ruting's mouth twitched, but it was because of the excitement in her mother-in-law's tone.

However, she didn't want to get involved in this matter, so she pulled her mother-in-law away, who had a regretful look on her face and obviously wanted to continue eavesdropping.

However, I have also heard a little about Ding Feiyan's recent craziness in clinging to Liu Wenyan and Wenhui's sisters-in-law.

To be honest, she didn't really hate this behavior, after all, it was all for survival.

Liu Wenyan and sister-in-law Wenhui are not easy to get along with. In order to prevent her husband from changing his career, Ding Feiyan took the initiative to step forward, almost letting them trample on her self-esteem. This is not something that most people can do, at least she can't.

But calling your mother in front of others and cursing her behind their backs is really an ugly way of eating.

But then again, neither side is a pushover and neither deserves sympathy.

Just as she was curling her lips inwardly, she saw a familiar figure in the darkness: "Principal Huang!"

Principal Huang, who was coming over from the single dormitory, heard the sound and shone his flashlight on the ground.

Then the two sides joined together and went to the brigade commander's office.

The brigade commander had just returned, covered in mud.

He didn't care about his image. When he saw the three people coming, he asked them to sit down while he quickly finished the steamed bun in his hand.

After drinking half a cup of tea and the noise in the Wuzang Temple had died down, he started chatting with a few people.

Ruiting and Hu Xiu felt sad that the guard brigade was so careless. He didn't look like a brigade commander at all. He even ate worse than them.

Moreover, the military uniform was so dirty that it was almost unrecognizable. I guess he did a lot of personal work in the disaster area in the afternoon.

Then they thought of their husbands and sons who were still supporting the crowd, and they felt even more upset.

"Why don't you go home to eat? No matter how busy you are, you have to take care of your health." Principal Huang and Wei Brigade are also old colleagues. Seeing him like this, they understood that he was short of time and that was why he ate so roughly. However, they still couldn't help but complain a few words. After all, they all had some stomach problems to some extent.

Wei Lv waved his hand nonchalantly, "It's nothing. Grassroots people have eaten it before." He was obviously unwilling to waste time on such trivial matters. He looked at the few people and said directly, "This matter has been handled. You don't need to contact the factory with your classmate. The division commander has already informed the leaders of several large factories in the city. You can go there as a troop dispatch. Is there any objection? Of course, the income from the translation belongs entirely to you personally."

Of course I have no objection, it couldn’t be better!

Li Ting's heart was literally bubbling with joy; this was much better than she had originally expected.

When we went to the factory as representatives of the division, they would at least be polite, even if they didn't say they were providing for us.

The most important thing is that if someone really criticizes this matter in the future, the division headquarters will also back down. After all, in name only she was assigned, rather than applying for it on her own initiative. The difference here is huge.

The more she thought about it, the happier she became. She hurriedly asked, "When is the right time for me to go?" She was a little impatient. If someone else got there first, she might cry.

The brigade commander smiled and said, "We will go tomorrow morning. The troops will drive you there. By the way, you are not alone. The newspapers in Tianjing have sent reporters to follow the whole process. Comrades from the Propaganda Department of the division will also be there. Comrade Xiaolue, are you okay?"

"Of course no problem!" Although the speed was a little beyond Li Ting's expectations, the food was already in her mouth, so what could be a problem?

The brigade commander liked such hardworking young people, and generously gave him an extra date: "When you come back from the factory, reporters will stop by the disaster area to take photos and interview people. You can bring some food for Xiao Huo."

Ruiting was moved: "Will it have a bad impact?"

The brigade commander waved his hand and said, "There's nothing wrong with that. The local people will also send food to the soldiers. You are not a big deal. Just don't stay too long."

Ruiting was overjoyed: "Thank you, Brigade Commander!"

Because I can meet Huo Xiao on the way.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law started rummaging through the drawers as soon as they got home.

If you really want to bring food, you can't just bring food for Huo Xiao.

But it is even more unrealistic to give it to the whole group.

When the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were worrying about what to prepare, Lu Sheng suggested: "Why not fry some fruit? It's not big, but it's juicy. Each soldier can get one or two. Even if they can't fill their stomachs, they can still satisfy their appetite."

It's a good idea indeed, but it's a bit fuel-intensive.

But we should also spend some time to express our condolences to the soldiers fighting on the front lines.

Finally, in order to ensure that each fighter could get more, they not only used up all the flour and oil in their home, but also borrowed a lot from several familiar neighbors.

Thus, the aroma of fried fruits lingered until the second half of the night before it completely disappeared.

And Ruiting only helped for two hours before her mother-in-law and eldest sister took her back to the house to rest.

There are two reasons.

First, pregnant women should not stay up late.

Secondly, she has to go to the factory to do translation tomorrow, and maybe even report it. This is a matter of honor for the family, so she must get enough sleep so that she can show her best side.

So, with the fragrance of the fruit and the anticipation for tomorrow, she fell asleep.

7am the next day.

Having already asked for leave from school, Ruiting took two large packages of fried fruits and got on the jeep from the division headquarters, amid the admiring and painful expressions of others.

The reporter from the Propaganda Department of the division headquarters who interviewed us this time was a beautiful young female comrade named Ning Yu.

He seemed cold and indifferent and didn't talk much, but when he learned from Wei Lu that Ruting was a pregnant woman, he took the initiative to give up the co-pilot's position.

The other soldier carrying the camera was not allowed to smoke with the driver.

"Thank you, Comrade Ning." Although Ruting felt embarrassed, she did not refuse. After all, the back was much bumpier than the front.

Maybe she was just aloof by nature, after hearing the thanks, Ning Yu just nodded and opened her notebook to write and draw.

Seeing this, Ruting turned his gaze to the outside of the car window.

At this time, she was so focused on making extra money and seeing her husband that she had no idea that something would happen an hour after she left.

A shrill scream rang out in the family yard:

"Help! Help! Liu Wenyan was pushed into the well by Ding Feiyan!"