Chapter 42
There was emotion and regret in his tone. Some people are born with the ability to speak convincingly.
It sounds like a compliment, but, "Comrade Lu, what does photogenic mean?"
Lu Qin almost forgot that the word "photogenic" wasn't popular back then. It was mainly because some people, even young people, didn't take photos. So he explained, "In other words, you all look very suitable for photos. You all have very distinctive and good-looking features."
He also emphasized, "Don't disbelieve me! I'm not lying."
As soon as these words fell, several people subconsciously checked their clothes. As they looked, they suddenly felt a sense of confidence from the inside out. It turned out that this was how Comrade Lu saw them.
Originally they blamed Lu Qin for not informing them about the stage performance, so what is he blaming them for now?
Li Xiang slowly folded up the newspaper, a smile instantly appearing on her face. "Comrade Lu, you're really good at talking. But next time if you need our help, just come directly. We won't refuse."
They haven't even been in the newspapers yet. Li Xiang immediately expressed everyone's thoughts.
Lu Qin raised his hand to tidy up his hair, and casually fixed it a few times. His reserved eyes raised and he agreed straightforwardly.
Zhang Xia silently brought out a stool, "Comrade Lu, please sit down."
"Thank you, Comrade Zhang Xia." He called out the name accurately.
"Comrade Lu, you're welcome." Zhang Xia saw someone coming to the door, so she hurried to the counter to take a look.
Zhu Hong tried to interrupt several times but failed, and suddenly felt a little angry.
Lu Qin's gaze followed, then he turned around and suddenly looked at his old friend. He couldn't forget his old friend, right? "Comrade Zhu, it's working hours now. Am I disturbing you?"
Hearing her name, especially meeting his sincere eyes as always, Zhu Hong felt as if she had never been replaced. She felt comfortable all over. "What's the problem? We've been very idle recently. You're just overthinking it."
The excitement before the New Year has long since dissipated.
The tone suddenly became high, and Lu Qin tilted his head back, not understanding why Comrade Zhu's mood suddenly became better.
"You've come just in time. It's almost time for dinner. I'll go get some dishes and we can get together in the courtyard, okay?"
Zhu Hong glanced down at her watch and took the lead again. "Zhang Xia, Li Xiang, Wu Ju, what do you think?"
This was something they had discussed before, and no one had any objections.
When facing people they admire, they can be very enthusiastic even if they are lesbians.
To be honest, Lu Qin hadn't really thought about eating for free today. He really came here purely to visit them.
But since he was invited, he didn't hesitate.
The gathering place was still the same courtyard as before. Lu Qin occupied a long bench by himself, picked up his bowl and spoke first, "You ladies are all young and have jobs. When I find a job, I will treat you to a meal."
Li Xiang moved the food towards him. She had never been so attentive to her own brother. "Then we hope you can find a job soon!"
It will be more face-saving to tell others about it in the future, and it will also be easier to contact them.
Lu Qin raised the boiled water in front of him and toasted them. "Whether it's about dressing or not, if you ladies have any other requests, I can also help."
"Okay!" Li Xiang's heart moved, but she didn't say it out loud. The other three people looked at her.
This meal instantly brought the people closer together.
When the five people came out of the house after eating and drinking, Lu Qin led the way, followed by several female comrades walking side by side. They were still at a distance from each other, chatting about family matters.
Lu Qin was still babble-ing, "Comrade Zhang Xia, so your family lives near the Municipal Council slaughterhouse. You must eat meat often, right?"
He felt that he didn't know several of his friends well enough.
Zhang Xia was bewildered by his envious tone. "It's not like I eat meat all the time, I just get to enjoy a little more than others."
"That's also amazing. Ordinary people like us don't often get meat, don't you think, Comrade Zhu Hong?" He felt that he had to take care of his old friend's feelings.
Although she was friends with the others, Zhu Hong was Lu Qin's best friend in her heart. She felt proud when Lu Qin mentioned her name for the second time. But she didn't go along with him. "I eat meat every day at home. If you want meat, come to my house. We'll treat you to braised pork. My mom wanted to invite you to dinner before the New Year."
Lu Qin put his hands in his pockets, stopped, turned around and started talking to Zhu Hong again.
Zhang Xia suddenly glanced at her.
But Lu Qin seemed to have noticed it and continued with her original words, determined not to let anyone feel left out.
So he acted as the "tea server" all the way, and even talked to Wu Ju, who hadn't spoken much.
When they arrived at the door of the supply and marketing cooperative, someone with a watch looked down at it and said, "It's almost time to go to work, let's hurry up."
Comrade Lu was really good at chatting, and he almost made them miss the time, but it was really enjoyable chatting.
"Comrade Lu, come over when you're free."
"That's right, we'll treat you to braised pork when you have time!" Zhu Hong was afraid that he wouldn't come, so she used this to tease him.
Lu Qin: His image as someone who loves braised pork has become deeply rooted in people’s minds.
He waved his hand, "See you later!"
Several people hurriedly turned around and prepared to leave.
Zhang Xia was the last one to walk in. When she turned to go in, Lu Qin's eyes passed over her and he smiled politely.
Zhang Xia suddenly called out to him hesitantly, "Um, Comrade Lu."
Lu Qin stopped, surprised to be stopped by him, but he expressed his willingness to listen. "Comrade Zhang Xia, go ahead."
Zhang Xia hesitated and said what she was thinking, "This is what I mean. Comrade Lu, if you want to eat meat and have meat coupons or something, you can come to me. Although I can't help you get it every day, at least two or three times a month is fine."
An ordinary family only eats meat two or three times a year, but she can help prepare meat two or three times a month, which is already very impressive.
Lu Qin didn't expect this surprise. "Thank you, Comrade Zhang!"
He was already in trouble, and his friends were all richer than him. He had previously been communicating more with Zhu Hong and Li Xiang, and he had never expected Zhang Xia to jump out now.
So his tone of gratitude was several shades deeper than usual.
Zhang Xia did hold back on some of her words, but after receiving his thanks, she even wanted to say more, but she held it back and would say more slowly later.
Following the principle of reciprocity, Lu Qin smiled and said, "Comrade Zhang, if you have any difficulties in the future, even though I may not be able to help you much, you should still tell me that we are friends!"
Zhang Xia watched him leave and was about to turn around and go in, but when she turned around, she saw Zhu Hong staring at her, with Li Xiang and Wu Ju standing next to her.
The smile on her face faded, and Zhu Hong opposite her had already asked, "What are you talking about?"
They were about to go in, but the key to the back warehouse was still in Zhang Xia's hands.
Zhang Xia shook her head. "I didn't say anything. I just wanted to ask Comrade Lu for a small favor. It's almost time to go to work, so let's go in first."
Zhu Hong frowned, and Li Xiang pulled her aside, "Zhu Hong, let me ask you something."
Since someone has opened the warehouse, there is no need for them to slow down a bit.
"What's the matter?" Zhu Hong was still not used to being pulled by others.
Li Xiang glanced around and saw people coming and going. She pulled her to a quieter place. Facing her puzzled look, she stroked her thick black braid and said, "It's like this. I'm old enough to find a partner."
Zhu Hong looked at her quickly, and Lu Qin's face flashed through her mind, "Comrade Lu is our friend!" You still want to monopolize her?
Li Xiang was afraid that she would get angry, so she quickly lowered her voice and said, "Didn't Comrade Lu say that he was the one I needed help with? I have a blind date coming up soon. Do you think I could ask him to check it out for me? After all, he's gay, so he must know a lot about gay men."
When it comes to dating, Li Xiang is not as shy as others, but she is still a little embarrassed when it comes to asking Lu Qin for help, so she wants to ask Zhu Hong's opinion first. After all, she knew Comrade Lu first, so she must know Comrade Lu better than she does.
Zhu Hong was shocked. How could this be possible?
Lu Qin, who was riding his bike halfway, turned his head and sneezed. He didn't know that someone was paying attention to him. After all, eating meat still has a price to pay.
Kong Yue smelled the smell of meat on him again after the last time.
Li Li came in with documents and just passed by him. He sniffed carefully and blurted out, "Comrade Lu, you went to the state-owned restaurant?"
Lu Qin was not able to react for a moment when he heard his sudden question.
Li Li sniffed, "This is the smell of braised pork from a state-owned restaurant. Chef Zhang's cooking is truly exceptional!"
He gave a thumbs-up as he finished speaking, "Master Zhang came here in the second half of last year. I ate there once when I had some free time before the New Year, and I still remember the taste."
Lu Qin didn't know whether to praise him for his sharp nose or what.
"Public Security Officer Li," he gave a thumbs-up, "You're very suitable to be a public security officer!"
Li Li chuckled and stroked his short hair with his backhand. He looked at Qin Mingzhi and Kong Yue who were working, "You guys go ahead and get busy. I'm leaving first."
As soon as he left, Qin Mingzhi, who was sitting by the door, called out to him and waved, "Lu Qin, come here!"
Before Lu Qin could finish his conversation with his brother-in-law, he was interrupted by a second person.
And this voice, even though it happened a long time ago, still left him a little traumatized.
When Lu Qin came over, Qin Mingzhi immediately took out an enamel basin from under the table, which contained a series of enamel cups, a kettle, a banner, a towel, and a bar of soap.
"Take these back later. This is a reward from our Public Security Bureau and the Women's Federation."
When this scene came out, and there was a big peony on the enamel cup, Lu Qin was dazzled. This kind of reward was really real. He thought that what his Aunt Sun applied for him was already a reward.
Seeing that he didn't take it, Qin Mingzhi raised his eyebrows and said, "Do you think our reward is too simple?"
Of course Lu Qin didn't dislike it, it was just the first time he saw something so honest.
"I just think the award Director Sun applied for me is enough!"
Kong Yue looked over here, then lowered his head again.
Qin Mingzhi didn't know whether to believe it or not. "What's above is above, and what's ours is ours. And although our things are not as good as bicycles, they were put together by the police and the Women's Federation, so it's useless for you to dislike them."
Their Public Security Bureau was at a lower level, so their resources were limited, as was the Women's Federation. But the County Revolutionary Committee was different; resources first reached them before being distributed to lower levels.
He then followed up with a further explanation, the main purpose of which was to prevent him from being disgusted.
Lu Qin: Does he really look like someone who 'hates the poor and loves the rich'?
In order to avoid being misunderstood, Lu Qin picked up the basin and said, "Thank you, Public Security Qin."
Qin Mingzhi sat forward and uncapped his pen. "You're welcome!"
Before writing, he added, "Actually, Li Gongan is right." I don't know how he managed to eat a meal and still smell like meat.
Lu Qin was a little slow to react, and after realizing the meaning of his words, he said, "Then Public Security Officer Qin, you really made the right choice to be a public security officer!"
Qin Gongan paused his pen, raised his head, and looked at him with those sharp eyes.
Lu Qin was afraid that if he was stared at for too long, he would start to doubt himself, so he stretched out his hand and silently pointed in the direction of his brother-in-law.
Two minutes later, with a clang, Lu Qin placed the extra reward on his brother-in-law's desk.
Kong Yue raised his head, stepped back, and just looked at him.
Lu Qin wisely raised his hand and said, "I didn't mean to bother you, brother-in-law. I wanted to tell you when I came in that I was going to leave first. Oh, and here's your bike. Oh, and the newest one in the yard is mine."
He just said it in a few words.
In this day and age, bicycles are treasures. Although Kong Yue was not surprised that he would ride for himself, he still felt very relieved. "Then how are you going to get back?"
"I'll take the ox cart." Could it be that he should be asked to walk back?
Kong Yue agreed, "Then put these things aside for now, I'll take them back later."
I don’t know why his brother-in-law’s tone suddenly improved.
After he left, Kong Yue went out to the yard, pushed the brand new bicycle under the big tree to the corner, and reached out to wipe the dust off it.
Qin Mingzhi stood at the door and watched, "Such a new car, your kid is really generous!"
Kong Yue put down the bicycle kickstand and looked back at him. "This kid has always been very generous."
But apart from holding a grudge, he is very generous in other aspects.
If someone gave him oranges or other candies, he would first share them with a few family members and then give them to himself. Sometimes he would not say anything even if he had none left.
After saying this, Qin Mingzhi crossed his arms and said, "Actually, I think I should apologize to this guy for arresting the wrong person before if I have the chance."
After dinner, Kong Yue was teaching his son to recognize words. He held his son's hand with his big hand and said, "This is the number ten. Let's write it slowly."
Lu Qin leaned his head out to watch the fun.
Lu Chunnong took out his newly made pants at this moment. Tomorrow is the 19th, and the day after tomorrow is the 20th, when the factory will be recruiting workers.
She swung her pants aside and compared them to her legs. "Lu Qin, come here and try these pants. Are they too long? I'll shorten them a bit. Oh, and the shirt."
Sun Laimei was just mending a button when she lowered her head to bite off the thread and shook it. In the dim light, a look of satisfaction appeared in her eyes. "It's here with me."
This outfit is the work of two people.
Originally, Lu Chunnong only wanted to make a shirt, but was later seen by Sun Laimei. She remembered that she had a piece of cloth that had been kept for several years. The cloth was originally intended for Kong Yue's wedding, but it was never used, so she simply made him a pair of pants.
New Year, new atmosphere. Maybe you can find a good job by wearing new clothes.
He held the new trousers in his left hand and the shirt in his right hand. These were not clothes, but battle robes.
Lu Chunnong urged him softly, "Go ahead and try it. If it doesn't suit you, you can always change it."
Although she thinks Lu Qin looks good in whatever he wears.
"Then I'll try it." Lu Qin took a step forward.
Sun Laimei waved her hand. "Go ahead! It's just that the button is a little tight. If it breaks, I'll sew it back for you later."
Lu Qin entered the house and closed the door, admiring the clothes in the light. To be honest, his aunt and sister's craftsmanship was quite good. The stitches were as dense and neat as if they were sewn by a machine.
Outside, Lu Chunnong walked behind the father and son. Kong Yue had already let go of his hand. Now it was Kong Dongdong's time to practice calligraphy on his own.
The child may not have enough strength in his hands, so he clenched his fist and wrote the number crookedly, mumbling "5" to himself.
"Well, next one!" Kong Yue lowered his voice and was very patient.
With a creaking sound, Lu Qin came out at this moment.
The night has fallen, but the moon is quite bright tonight, emitting a silver light.
Three adults and a little kid turned their heads at the same time, only to see the slender figure of a young man standing at the door. "How is it?"
The young man had messy hair on his forehead, and he wore a white shirt with black pants. His sleeves were rolled up a little, revealing his fair skin and bright eyes.
Clean, refreshing, and giving a feeling between a young man and a mature man.
Lu Chunnong stepped forward to observe and asked, "Is the waist a little tight?"
Lu Qin stood up straight and said, "It's okay. I don't feel tight."
He just ate too much meat recently and gained weight.
As for the buttons his aunt reminded him of, they weren't too tight.
Lu Qin gave a thumbs up and said, "Sister, your cooking skills are really good!"
He looked past her sister and towards his aunt, "Aunt, thank you."
His aunt specially took out cloth to make clothes for him, and he was really touched.
"What are you thanking me for? We're family." Seeing that he was dressed nicely, Sun Laimei was also happy.
Lu Qin reached out and unbuttoned a button on his collar, and saw the father and son in the distance looking at him. His nephew's eyes were as wide as small black beans peeled in June, and his mouth was slightly open.
Lu Qin raised his eyebrows and said, "Kong Dongdong, you have to study hard!"
Kong Yue looked down at his son and stroked his soft black hair. "Your uncle has said it, so continue."
Kong Dongdong rubbed his eyes and pointed in the direction of his uncle, "Sleepy!"
Kong Yue: How long have you been learning this?
Whatever that brat does can distract his son's attention.
He looked at the crooked words on the paper and said, "Study for a while longer."
As he said this, he carefully held Kong Dongdong's hand and kneaded it gently to prevent him from getting tired.
******
The next day, Lu Qin stayed at home and didn't go anywhere. His clean new battle robe was hanging on a tree branch, swaying back and forth.
On the 20th, he put on his new battle uniform and rode his bicycle to the place his Aunt Sun told him.
The food factory is located in the opposite direction of the Laiyang County Public Security Bureau, at the junction of Laiyang County and the neighboring county. It is under the joint jurisdiction of the two counties, which means that people from both counties are recruited, which shows fairness.
As soon as you step into this street, the people and scenery on the road have changed. Most of the people on the road are wearing work clothes and riding bicycles, and there are low bungalows on both sides.
The bike creaked to a stop. Lu Qin tugged at his collar and adjusted his hair, looking too relaxed to be on the job. "Brother-in-law, go get some work done first. Don't be late."
Kong Yue kicked the foot brace off and said, "I'll take you in first."
Entering into work and entering into study are different.
Seeing that his profile was tense, Lu Qin accepted his kindness.
On the left and right sides of the food factory gate are two pillars painted with white grease, on which the name of the Life Food Factory is engraved. Standing at the gate and looking, the bungalows and brick houses on both sides are almost symmetrical with the gate as the folding line.
Apart from this, there was no other notice at the door. Apart from the worker in work clothes who entered alone, no one else could be seen, which made people wonder whether the recruitment information was fake.
For a moment, both of them were a little unresponsive.
Kong Yue reminded him, "I'll go ask first."
Lu Qin saw him walk towards the gatekeeper on the left side of the gate, pull out a cigarette from his pocket and hand it to him, "Hello, uncle!"
The old man squinted his eyes and looked over. He saw that the man in front of him had an upright posture, a straight shoulder line, a clear face, and a firm gaze. He had met soldiers before and they were like this. He subconsciously took the cigarette and said, "Hey, hello!"
Kong Yue's expression softened. "Excuse me, sir. Is the food factory hiring this morning? Why is there no one outside?"
Only then did Mr. Huang notice the young man behind him. Lu Qin stepped forward and greeted him, "Hello, Mr. Huang!"
Mr. Huang squinted his eyes and looked at him for a long time, then his gaze slid back to Kong Yue, "Are you participating in the job recruitment or..."
Kong Yue answered him: "It's my brother."
"Oh! Then you're a little late. They've all gone in. See? It's the second house on the left. You're from Laiyang County, right? How could you be so late? If you're any later, you won't be able to make it!"
Kong Yue and Lu Qin looked at each other.
Lu Qin: "Brother-in-law, I'll go in first."
Kong Yue, "Hmm," he wanted to wait a little longer and ask if there was any useful information.
Lu Qin agreed, turned around and ran inside.
Kong Yue turned his gaze back and said, "Uncle, let me ask again, why is there no notice for this job opening? We thought we were in the wrong place."
He was worried that the boy would have made a wasted trip because they only recruited family members of internal employees.
"You mean that? I don't know which brat tore it up a long time ago. If it was torn up earlier, fewer people would know about it, and there would be fewer competitors. That's the situation in the city. By the way, you are not from the county town."
Kong Yue hummed, "Can I come in this way?"
Mr. Huang waved his hand and said, "Family members are not allowed to enter here."
After saying this, he remembered something, "Oops, I forgot to check your brother's name before letting him in."
Just as he was about to go in to find the boy, he stopped again, took out the registration book, and asked, "What's his name?"
"Lu Qin."
"You're from the Dongyang Brigade. You signed up quite early." He could not hide his surprise in his tone.
As he spoke, he became confused again, because the registration time was limited, only on the day the notice was posted, but someone tore up the notice in the afternoon. This kid named Lu Qin had registered in the morning.
Lu Qin had already sneaked into the factory by now, and the air was filled with the aroma of food.
He turned a corner and instantly found the place the gatekeeper mentioned.
There were forty or fifty people crowded at the door. There was a row of tables, and two middle-aged men in army blue clothes and army blue hats were sitting there, and a middle-aged woman with short hair on the far right.
Just as he was about to step forward, a young man ran past him. He stopped and ran up to the man in the middle, saying humbly, "Hello, Chief. I'm a high school graduate."
The middle-aged man was writing something on a piece of paper. When he heard the voice, he looked up at him and then lowered his head again. "Get in line."
The author has something to say:
More, go to bed early! Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated nutrient solution between 2022-03-10 01:07:14 and 2022-03-16 22:46:07~
Thanks to the little angels who irrigated the nutrient solution: Gongshu Bai 70 bottles; Rashomon 1942 30 bottles; Tang Gao 27 bottles; Lucky 21 bottles; Xia An 617 20 bottles; Lemon Boy 18 bottles; Su Wanya, Zhao Zhao SOSO, Qiu Tui, Ying, Song Guoer~, Lin Jiji, AL 10 bottles; Cheng Hui 9 bottles; Gui Pu, Cha Mi Hua Kai 7 bottles; Mei Ni 6 bottles; Sunny, Call Me Queen, La La La, Mu Tong Mio, Lazy! 5 bottles; Babynap 4 bottles; I Love Reading, I Dance I Watch, Road Walker, Shui Shui Shui, Fu Sheng Guo, Ran Ran 3 bottles; Ying, Zhou Zhou, *Ming Nuo Qing - Creek*, Senior Diver, Jin Jin Jin 2 bottles; Shan Jun, Qiu Xin, Li Zi, Ji Yi Le, Miao Le Ge Mi, Mi Che, Fruit Salad, 36846835, Stupid Kid 1 bottle;
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