Chapter 34
As the aunties waited anxiously, the young man finally came out of the bathroom feeling relieved, but two pieces of his clothes were missing.
But this is not the point. The point is that they are afraid that he will go in again because of nervousness. A group of people will immediately rush forward chattering. He should have been their spiritual pillar, but instead he needs their support. In this situation, they don’t care about being nervous at all.
The tall one has to bend over, so the short one has to hold him up and encourage him to stand up straight.
Lu Qin looked left and right. Surrounded by a group of women, he couldn't escape even if he turned into a fly. In his ears, he could hear someone nagging him to calm down. From a distance, he gave Comrade Qin and Comrade Wu a triumphant look.
Wu Ming and Qin Shi finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The performance took place in the courtyard of the Women's Federation, and the tables, chairs and benches were all brought by the people from their homes.
Hearing the sound of tables, chairs and benches colliding gradually, as well as the sound of the leader speaking, it means it is almost time to go on stage.
I don't know who started it, "Comrade Xiao Lu, don't be nervous, we're here to support you!"
"Yeah, don't be nervous. Look, we're not nervous at all."
Lu Qin showed a grateful expression, "Then I'll be relying on you aunts for a while!"
The aunts, who had been saying one thing and thinking another, were still trembling with fear, but upon hearing this, they straightened their backs instantly and said, "Comrade Xiao Lu, don't worry!"
Lu Qin turned sideways and said, "Comrade Qin, what time is it?"
Qin Shi pushed aside her sleeves and glanced at her watch. "It's five minutes to nine."
Suddenly a cool breeze blew, and she couldn't help asking, "Comrade Lu, aren't you cold wearing so little?"
Lu Qin tugged at his collar and stood back, his eyes filled with doubt. "It's not cold, Comrade Qin, you are cold."
Qin Shi shook her head, really suspecting that she and Comrade Lu were not in the same season.
Wu Ming, who was facing the wind because of his sudden change of position, glanced at him dimly.
The performance stage was temporarily put together. There was no high platform, so the Women's Federation could only borrow tables of roughly the same height from nearby factories and piece them together to form a table that was seven and a half meters long and three and a half meters wide. The stage was only open to the protagonists, and the extras had to take turns standing on benches.
After the leader finished speaking, they were already in their seats. They did not ask for any special treatment and simply moved the small stools from the cafeteria over, with two people sitting on each stool.
The people below were still chattering in low voices. Although the leader was there, it was no longer surprising after a while. After all, they didn't see or get involved with him on a normal day.
Just as the people sitting in the back were discussing some trivial matters at home, the air suddenly became quiet.
Everyone looked up and their eyes were dazzled.
"Wow, this guy is so handsome!"
One of the women exclaimed loudly, causing the room to burst into laughter. Indeed, the young man, wearing a white shirt and army green trousers, had a high nose bridge, red lips, white teeth, and a fair complexion. He looked like a handsome and energetic young man.
They have already realized that it is not a pure propaganda speech. Just based on his appearance, no matter what kind of play it is, they are happy to watch it just because of his face.
Noticing the glances, Lu Qin tried hard to keep a smile on his face and stood where he should be.
Click, click, click. The reporter pressed the shutter button several times with his camera.
Director Zhang couldn't help but praise him when he saw him: "Comrade Lu looks quite energetic today."
Kong Yue glanced at the sun today. It wasn't very bright. It was just the beginning of spring and the wind was still cold in the morning. The person who was sitting on the back of the bicycle wrapped in a gray cotton coat in the morning and was still complaining about the cold and howling at him to block the wind seemed to have become a different person. He was now as strong as iron.
Reporters not far away were still snapping photos, mainly because the gay men looked photogenic from every angle.
While I was thinking, the performance above had already started and everything suddenly became quiet.
It was as if the rehearsals of the past few days had formed muscle memory.
The young, handsome young man and the pretty lesbian watched the plot unfold and chatted with each other. At first, the audience was happy and found the plot interesting. After all, not everyone knows the script. And when a script close to life is put on stage, it always resonates with people.
Isn't it just 'the masses trying to reconcile a couple' and 'the masses are eager to help others'? They often do this. If there is a quarrel between a mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law, or a conflict between a couple, they go up and try to persuade them to reconcile.
Seeing this familiar scene, if possible, they might even go on stage and shout along.
It was not until they saw the lesbian being pulled away by the gay man and the young gay man's smile that they realized this was a "human trafficker awareness campaign."
It suddenly changed from a "theater of human warmth" to a "theater of horror".
Everyone gasped, their eyes widened, and they gasped. Oh my god, it's still possible to do this. Helping someone can be wrong.
I have to say that after watching it again, Director Zhang and others still found it interesting, and it served as more of a warning.
As it turned out, there were three such shocks in a row.
Some pretended to ask for directions, some pretended to ask for help... They were dazzled by all the different things and felt like their brains were not enough.
In the end, Lu Qin even sublimated the theme.
Because human traffickers need to be vigilant, but vigilance should not make them so great that they become afraid or even cold-hearted and refuse to help those in need.
Because some people who ask for directions or help may really be ordinary people, so you need to identify them carefully.
If there are many adults around, and a tall and strong man insists on asking a young and ignorant person like you for directions, and even insists that you lead the way after asking, then you need to be vigilant.
Director Zhang and others had not seen the latter, but it is undeniable that the performance on the field was a big surprise.
After the performance, there was a burst of applause and the sound of discussion lingered for a long time.
Director Zhang stood up first, followed by Chairman Yang, Qin Gongan and others.
Director Zhang gestured, and the audience immediately quieted down. He applauded, "Thank you all for your hard work in promoting this event. This performance was a great success, and I hope it will serve as a better warning to everyone..."
The people below said: It is more than just a warning. Everyone is recalling whether they have ever done such a stupid thing and become the driving force behind human traffickers.
So much so that for a long time afterwards, some aunts would habitually step forward and say something like, "A mother-in-law should take care of her daughter-in-law, and it's justified to beat and scold her," when they saw other mothers-in-law scolding their daughters-in-law. However, when they thought of the scene they had seen today, they immediately shut up.
As for the gay men present, they will think more about distinguishing right from wrong before showing their fists in the future.
Of course, these were things that would happen later. When they returned today, they would spread the news of what they had heard and seen everywhere. They would even remember this outstanding young man.
After the crowd dispersed, the scene became a group of actors led by Lu Qin facing off with the leaders.
Director Zhang expressed his recognition by shaking their hands. "Thank you for your hard work, everyone. You performed very well! This publicity campaign has achieved great results."
Lu Qin had been pushed to the center without him noticing. He shook hands with the handshake, a bright smile on his face. "Thank you for the compliment, leader. Serving the people is the result of everyone's hard work."
The camera captured this scene: a handsome young man and a simple and amiable leader.
Director Zhang laughed twice and glanced at the three of them. "I'll have to trouble you all again."
The communes and brigades under the county town are where the population is most concentrated, and Hongqi Commune was the first commune to try out performances.
"No trouble, no trouble."
Changing the subject, he said, "If you have any difficulties in life or work, you can mention it to Chairman Yang and Public Security Qin."
Lu Qin's radar moved, "Thank you for your concern, leader."
By the afternoon, I was free.
Lu Qin was about to leave the Women's Federation to go to the Public Security Bureau to look for his brother-in-law when Qin Shi suddenly stopped him and said that Director Sun wanted to see him.
Qin Shi always talked about Director Sun outside, and he almost didn't react.
"Thank you, Comrade Qin. I'll go right away."
Since Sun Juan has become the director, she naturally has her own office.
Lu Qin raised his hand and knocked on the door, then pushed it open and walked in. "Director Sun!"
Sun Juan looked up from her work and said, "Comrade Lu is here. Come sit down."
To be honest, she recommended Comrade Lu in the beginning purely because she had a good impression of him. She didn't expect that he would be so successful. Just because of this incident, she could move up a level before she retires.
Lu Qin's attitude was completely in line with the other party's. He smiled and greeted, "Auntie."
Sun Juan's smile brightened. "Director Zhang mentioned to us that he would give you a reward. Our Women's Federation and the Public Security Bureau will naturally express their gratitude. If you need anything, you can tell me when the time comes."
It's impossible for the higher-ups to let people work so hard without any reward. After all, they still have to go to the communes and various brigades to perform, and this alone may take up Lu Qin and others' personal time.
Without waiting for his answer, she continued, "Of course, the most important thing is that I have something personal to tell you. I remember that the food factory here, where you graduated from junior high school, will be hiring around the 20th. This news is only known to insiders, so you can give it a try. The main reason is that after tomorrow you will go directly to the commune and the team below, and I don't know when you will have free time. That's why I'm so anxious to call you over now so that you don't miss this opportunity."
She asked Qin Minghai to inquire about the news for a long time before she got to know it. She also specifically asked about the educational requirements, which were at least junior high school or above, unless they were temporary odd jobs.
Working in a factory was something everyone envied in that era. Unlike the workers of later generations, Lu Qin was deeply moved by his aunt's kindness alone. Adults in that era were very simple.
In fact, after saving her daughter, she did many things to repay him, and the favor was completely offset, but she still remembered it.
He accepted the kindness for the time being and said, "Thank you for letting me know, Auntie."
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