Xu Qinghe understood Zhang Xiaocui's concern, but she didn't want to dwell on the matter between her and Wang Song, so she consoled him, "Don't worry, he wouldn't dare do anything rash. If he does do anything shady, I have plenty of ways to prevent him from returning to the city."
In that era, it was easy to prevent an educated youth from returning to the city. The city was already overcrowded and job opportunities were scarce. Once one's reputation was damaged or one did something unpopular, it would be wishful thinking to want to return to the city.
Wang Song was eager to return to the city, and he knew that some of his secrets were in Xu Qinghe's hands, so he naturally did not dare to do anything unfavorable to her.
Seeing Xu Qinghe so confident, Zhang Xiaocui finally felt relieved: "As long as you know what to do, you must tell me if you encounter any difficulties. Even if I can't help, my father and brother will do their best to assist, understand?"
Xu Qinghe looked at Zhang Xiaocui's worried face, feeling touched. He gently pinched her cheek and said with a smile, "Don't worry, I know what's going on!"
After Zhang Xiaocui left, Zhu Yunxiu asked if anything had happened. Xu Qinghe waved her hand and said lightly, "It's nothing serious, just a misunderstanding. Grandma, take today's incident as a warning. When I'm not home, if someone comes to your house with a gift and asks for a favor, you must never accept it. They might want my help to transfer to the workshop, but I can't help with that kind of thing. Accepting a gift will easily cause trouble."
Zhu Yunxiu nodded repeatedly and agreed: "I understand, don't worry."
The next morning, Xu Qinghe set off for the city with the carefully prepared design drawings and a letter to Yin Yunjie.
She first put the letter into the mailbox, and then walked leisurely towards the garment factory.
The old security guard at the factory gate was immediately attracted by Xu Qinghe's unfamiliar and handsome face.
When she approached, the old security guard quickly stepped forward and asked curiously, "Little girl, are you here to look for someone, or is there something wrong?"
Xu Qinghe smiled and politely replied, "Hello, sir. My last name is Jian. I've come to see Director Li. We've already made an appointment, and there are some things we need to discuss in person."
After hearing her sincere words, the old security guard nodded and prepared to verify the situation first.
After all, leaders are very busy and cannot meet guests without an appointment. They cannot let her in based on Xu Qinghe's one-sided statement.
"How did you find yourself here?"
The old security guard was confused and couldn't help asking again.
Just as the old man's fingers were about to touch the old telephone, a not-so-pleasant female voice suddenly filled the air, like the sudden chirping of cicadas in a summer afternoon, breaking the surrounding tranquility.
To Xu Qinghe, this voice seemed like a string of codes that had not been completely deciphered. It had a sense of strangeness at first sight, yet also vaguely outlined a sense of familiarity.
Her heart moved slightly, and she turned around quickly. Hey, as expected, it was Shao Shuangshuang, wearing the iconic factory uniform. The dark blue fabric looked particularly calm in the sunlight, revealing the fact that she worked here.
Xu Qinghe's thoughts couldn't help but drift away. Shao Shuangshuang in the original novel, her past seemed to be blank. All we knew was her later intersection with Yin Yunjie. Now, when they met unexpectedly in this inconspicuous garment factory, they felt a subtle embarrassment, as if the fate of the two people had inadvertently intertwined.
The only intersection between them was as shallow as morning mist, and they had almost never had any in-depth conversations. Strictly speaking, they were just passers-by on the road of life, and should have missed each other silently like two parallel lines.
However, Shao Shuangshuang not only took the initiative to break the silence, but also used a method that was difficult to ignore, making Xu Qinghe seem so powerless even if he wanted to pretend to turn a blind eye.
So, Xu Qinghe pursed her lips, trying to force out a polite yet distant smile, and asked with just the right amount of doubt in her voice, "Are you... have we known each other before?"
She decided to retreat in order to advance, using forgetting as the most gentle shield.
Shao Shuangshuang had thought that a girl from the countryside like Xu Qinghe would be nervous, self-deprecating, and even flustered when they met again, but she had never expected that Xu Qinghe would have completely forgotten her! Looking at Xu Qinghe's outfit today, she wore a white shirt embellished with an exquisite bow, a fresh and refined floral skirt, and a pair of spotless white leather shoes. She exuded an urban fashion sense, and was completely different from the rustic girl standing at the brick factory gate in her memory.
If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, Shao Shuangshuang would never have believed that the woman in front of her with outstanding temperament was the country girl who had left a deep impression in her heart.
"You! I'm Shao Shuangshuang!"
Shao Shuangshuang practically called out her own name, and at the end, she added, "That time at the brick factory gate, you should remember it, right?"
Xu Qinghe pretended to think, and after a moment, a gentle smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Oh, yes, you are Brother Liang's cousin. What a coincidence to meet you here. So you work here, you are really capable!"
She knew very well that it was not advisable to hit a smiling person, and she gave him a compliment more skillfully. After hearing these words, Shao Shuangshuang's originally tense face softened unconsciously, the corners of her mouth slightly raised, and her tone was full of pride: "Well, I do work here.
So what are you doing here? Are you here to secretly meet your lover while Brother Yin is away?
There was a scrutiny in Shao Shuangshuang's eyes, as if she was evaluating the changes in Xu Qinghe. She found that not only had her appearance become more fashionable, but her figure had also become fuller and less thin. Standing there, she actually looked more like an urban woman than herself.
Thinking of the care that Brother Yin might have for Xu Qinghe, Shao Shuangshuang felt a little sad.
Before Xu Qinghe could respond, the security guard beside him interrupted the delicate conversation: "Don't talk nonsense, this comrade is here to see Director Li, and I'm just checking the situation!"
The old man started making a phone call while talking. After a while, only Shao Shuangshuang and Xu Qinghe were left standing facing each other at the door.
When Shao Shuangshuang heard that they were looking for Director Li, she immediately had a new guess in her mind: "You're not trying to use Brother Yin's connections to get yourself a job here, are you? Well, country folk like you can only rely on such a network of connections."
Her words were mixed with contempt, sarcasm, and a subtle hint of jealousy.
Although Xu Qinghe was unhappy, she had come today to discuss cooperation with Director Li, and she didn't want this to ruin her mood. So she suppressed her anger and didn't argue with Shao Shuangshuang too much: "I'm not here to discuss cooperation. Sister Li and I are friends. I just came to have fun with her."
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