Chapter 1 Guesthouse
After the meal, Xie Wei took Lin Qingqing to the guesthouse.
In fact, Yutian Commune wasn't very big, with only one main street. Although the original owner of this body had never been to the commune before, Lin Qingqing figured she could easily find out where the guesthouse was by asking around, so she planned to go by herself. Chen Xuemei, on the other hand, felt that settling Lin Qingqing in was the Women's Federation's job, so she wanted to arrange for an officer to take Lin Qingqing to the guesthouse.
Just as the two were discussing it, Secretary Zhou spoke up, nodding at Xie Wei and saying, "If you're going to help someone, help them to the end. I think you should let Xie handle this." He then asked him if he had anything else to do.
Xie Wei was on vacation back in his hometown, so he was naturally free of any worries. He said, "I'll take Comrade Lin with me."
Chen Xuemei didn't quite understand what Secretary Zhou meant, but seeing that neither of the parties involved objected, she nodded in agreement. She led Lin Qingqing to the Women's Federation office to get her luggage and introduced a staff member to Lin Qingqing, saying that they would coordinate things together in the future.
After taking her things, Lin Qingqing went out to find Xie Wei.
Xie Wei didn't go into the office; he just stood in the corridor looking outside. Hearing the sound, he turned around, walked over, took the bundle from her hand, and said, "Let's go."
Lin Qingqing nodded and followed Xie Wei out the door.
After walking for about five or six minutes, we arrived at the guesthouse. The guesthouse entrance wasn't large, but the red wooden door looked quite festive, and a sign hung above the entrance with the five large characters "Yutian Guesthouse".
Entering through the wooden door, one finds a lobby. A long bench sits against the wall near the door, and directly opposite is a tall wooden counter. Behind the counter, on the wall, are the words "Serve the People" written in red on a white background. However, the receptionist isn't very welcoming. Hearing someone arrive, she doesn't stand up from behind the counter until Xie Wei walks up to it, at which point she indifferently asks, "Do you have a letter of introduction?"
Xie Wei handed over the note written by Secretary Zhou. The receptionist was a young girl who had been indifferent when she asked the question, but after reading the note, she smiled and said, "So you are Secretary Zhou's guest. Which one of you is Comrade Lin Qingqing?"
“Yes, that’s me,” Lin Qingqing said.
The receptionist guessed it was her and glanced at Xie Wei before asking, "And who is this?"
"Secretary Zhou arranged for me to bring her here," Xie Wei said.
The receptionist, assuming Xie Wei was a commune official, nodded with a smile and then asked, "Comrade Lin, have you been eating at the guesthouse canteen with us lately?"
Xie Wei nodded and said, "That's right, all expenses are recorded in the commune's account."
"Alright." The receptionist flipped through the notebook in front of her and said, "Our guesthouse has three floors, and there are vacant rooms on every floor. Which floor would Comrade Lin like to stay on?"
"I'm fine with anything." Having slept in the original owner's dilapidated house, Lin Qingqing now has very low material desires; as long as she has a place to sleep and food to eat, she's content.
But Xie Wei said, "Let's go to the second floor. Are there any rooms with good sunlight?"
The receptionist searched around for a bit and then said, "There is one." She then pulled out a key from a drawer and said, "Shall I take you upstairs to see it?"
Xie Wei nodded, and Lin Qingqing had no objections either. They were led upstairs by the receptionist.
When she went upstairs, Lin Qingqing asked the receptionist for his name. Although she felt that the case of Old Lady Lin would not be heard for more than a few days and she would not stay at the guesthouse for long, she would still be staying here for a few days and eating with the guesthouse staff. It would not hurt to make some connections.
The receptionist was initially a bit indifferent, but knowing that Lin Qingqing was someone Secretary Zhou was hosting, she assumed Lin Qingqing was also a cadre from some commune and didn't dare to look down on her. She said politely, "My name is He Xiaoli. I came here to take over my mother's position and have been working at the guesthouse for two years. And you? Where are you from?"
“I’m from the Linjiazui Brigade,” Lin Qingqing said.
He Xiaoli was a little puzzled. She had met the brigade cadres before, but few of them had the face to have Secretary Zhou arrange accommodation for them. That's why she thought Lin Qingqing was from another commune. She asked suspiciously, "Were you assigned to another commune after graduation?"
"I've never been to school," Lin Qingqing said honestly. Yutian Commune is such a small place, and things can't always be kept secret forever, so she didn't intend to hide it.
He Xiaoli became even more curious after hearing this. She wasn't from any other commune and had never been to school, so why would Secretary Zhou write a special note to arrange a place for her? But before she could ask, Xie Wei asked, "Which room?"
"Oh, this one." He Xiaoli came to her senses and took out her key to open the door of a room on the right.
Inside was a single room with a bed and a wardrobe. A wire was strung outside the window for drying clothes. It was two o'clock in the afternoon, and the sun had already turned, with sunlight streaming in from the window and spreading across the area below it.
He Xiaoli said, "Today there are toilets, showers, and a water room in the corridor. For meals, it's on the first floor in the backyard."
"What do you think?" Xie Wei asked Lin Qingqing.
Lin Qingqing nodded and said, "I think it's great."
"Then let's take this room."
He Xiaoli handed the key to Lin Qingqing and told her when the rooms were cleaned. She also told her that if she didn't need the rooms cleaned, she could let her know and she would register it at the front desk.
Lin Qingqing nodded to each of them and went downstairs with He Xiaoli to check in.
After checking in, Xie Wei was about to leave. Lin Qingqing saw him off and said before parting, "Comrade Xie, this matter was made possible by your help."
Lin Qingqing wanted to say that she would always remember his kindness and that she would repay him someday, but when she thought about her current situation, she realized that she was not only penniless, but she couldn't even afford to treat Xie Wei to a meal to express her gratitude, let alone repay his kindness. Her words sounded more like empty boasting.
"Thanks."
In the end, Lin Qingqing only uttered these two words.
Although it was only two words, Xie Wei sensed Lin Qingqing's seriousness. He stopped and solemnly replied, "Living a good life is the best way to thank me."
This is a very simple yet weighty sentence.
Lin Qingqing never considered herself a very sentimental person, but at this moment, she couldn't help but tear up. However, she couldn't help but smile brightly and nod in agreement, "Yes! I will definitely try my best to live this life well."
Xie Wei looked down at her. Although it had only been a day, the girl's face was still the same, but he felt she was different. When she walked out of the Lin family home, the hostility on her body subsided, and the repression was replaced by hope.
"Keep it up," Xie Wei said, bidding farewell to Lin Qingqing once again.
Lin Qingqing smiled as she watched him walk away and said, "Goodbye."
...
Back at the guesthouse, Lin Qingqing noticed that He Xiaoli wasn't sitting as usual, and looked uncomfortable when she saw her. Lin Qingqing smiled and asked, "What's wrong?"
"N-nothing," He Xiaoli shook her head, but then asked curiously, "Who was that man just now? Was he new to the commune? I've never seen him before?"
"He... is not a commune cadre."
He Xiaoli frowned. "Then who is he? And why is he holding Secretary Zhou's note?"
"His name is Xie Wei, from the Xingfeng Brigade..."
Before Lin Qingqing could finish speaking, she saw He Xiaoli's eyes light up. "Is it Xie Wei? The one who's been in the army for ten years and is already a regimental commander?"
"You know him?" Lin Qingqing asked in surprise.
“Who in our commune doesn’t know him?” He Xiaoli, who is only eighteen years old this year, still has the mind of a little girl. She said excitedly, “His deeds have spread far and wide. Whenever someone in our courtyard scolds their child, they will bring it up, saying, ‘I don’t expect you to be as successful as Xie Wei. Can’t you be a decent human being?’ It’s hilarious.”
Lin Qingqing couldn't help but laugh when she imagined that scene.
"But why did Secretary Zhou have Xie Wei bring you to the guesthouse?" He Xiaoli asked curiously.
Lin Qingqing thought for a moment, then, without mentioning that she and Xie Wei knew each other before, recounted what had happened that morning.
Although He Xiaoli mistakenly thought Lin Qingqing was only being polite to her because she was a distinguished guest, she didn't look down on Lin Qingqing after they got to know each other. Instead, she felt very sorry for Lin Qingqing's plight and said angrily, "They are too cruel! It's a good thing you didn't agree!"
"I was lucky to run into Secretary Zhou and his team when they went to the countryside; otherwise, I really can't imagine what would have happened," Lin Qingqing said, lowering her eyes.
He Xiaoli imagined it for a moment, then shuddered and said, "This shows that evil can never triumph over justice! Otherwise, how could Secretary Zhou have happened to run into your adoptive mother forcing you? They would definitely have received their due punishment!"
Lin Qingqing smiled and said, "Thank you," after hearing her words of comfort.
He Xiaoli looked surprised and said, "You can stay at the guesthouse for now. If you have any difficulties, just tell me."
Lin Qingqing readily agreed, and after learning from He Xiaoli what time dinner would be served, she went back to her room.
After entering the room, Lin Qingqing lay on the bed for a while. She had never slept on a bed with cotton quilts since she transmigrated. The original owner's bed was made of straw and covered with a tattered sheet. Straw would often come out of the hole while she was sleeping, and it was hard to lie on.
Cotton wadding is more comfortable and warmer.
Lin Qingqing fell asleep without realizing it. She had only gone to bed in the early hours of yesterday morning and had been running around all day, leaving her physically and mentally exhausted. She slept for two hours, and when she opened her eyes, the sun had already set.
After waking up, Lin Qingqing folded the quilt and pulled up the sheets again, then opened the bundle she had brought and took out the clothes inside.
These clothes were all old and had many patches. Before she transmigrated, Lin Qingqing would never have even looked at such clothes, but after transmigrating, she still had to wash them clean, fold them neatly, and put them in the wardrobe.
Poverty makes people lose their ambition!
...
After packing her things, Lin Qingqing didn't stay in the room any longer and went downstairs to find He Xiaoli.
He Xiaoli was sitting behind the counter in a daze as usual. When she saw her come down, she asked in surprise, "Why are you down now? It's not lunchtime yet."
"I can't stay idle, so I wanted to come down and see if there's anything I can help with," Lin Qingqing said with a smile.
"What can you do?" He Xiaoli asked, frowning, unable to imagine what Lin Qingqing could do.
To be honest, Lin Qingqing felt there was nothing she couldn't do at the guesthouse. In her past life, she was an orphan and had done all sorts of part-time jobs to go to school. She could handle everything from cleaning guest rooms and checking people in at the front desk to handling cash and making change. But Lin Qingqing also knew that jobs in this era were highly competitive, and if she rashly said she could work at the front desk, even He Xiaoli, with her good temper, would get angry.
Moreover, the original owner of this body had never been to school, and although Lin Qingqing did not intend to continue with the illiterate persona, she could only proceed step by step.
So when Lin Qingqing said, "I know how to farm," it was a lie. Although she was an orphan in her previous life, she had always lived in the city and had never had the chance to touch a hoe except for Arbor Day. However, Lin Qingqing showed no sign of guilt when she said this, since there was no land in the guesthouse for her to farm.
After thinking for a moment, she said, "I can cook, but I can only make simple dishes. Hmm... I'll definitely be able to help out, and I can also help with cleaning."
The commune guesthouse was not large, with only three floors and thirty guest rooms. Therefore, there were not many staff members: two receptionists working in shifts, two cleaners in charge of guest rooms, and a chef in charge of the canteen.
He Xiaoli thought for a moment and said, "There is work, but it's in the cafeteria, which might be quite tiring."
"I'm not afraid of being tired!" Lin Qingqing said honestly. "I feel a little uneasy staying in the guesthouse for free. I don't mind if the work is a little tiring or heavy. I feel at ease when I have something to do."
Seeing that Lin Qingqing's attitude was really sincere, He Xiaoli said, "Then I'll ask Aunt Wang."
Lin Qingqing immediately grabbed He Xiaoli's hand excitedly and said, "Thank you, Comrade He. Don't worry, I will definitely work hard."
He Xiaoli felt a little embarrassed upon hearing this. Actually, Lin Qingqing wasn't staying for free, and Aunt Wang might not necessarily agree. So she said, "I have to ask Aunt Wang first."
After saying that, He Xiaoli went to the canteen in the backyard.
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