What a narrow road for enemies to meet.
Good—she could settle both old and new grudges at once.
Wen Qingfeng had taken the blame for the poisoning alone, but that mother and daughter were still out there living freely.
She didn’t believe someone like Lin Zhenzhen would truly change and stop harming her.
“It was made very clear at the time—the factory would recruit a new broadcaster. She was only filling in temporarily. Now that we’ve found one, she naturally returns to her previous position,” Director Liu said.
Of course Director Liu remembered Lin Zhenzhen—Zhao Yan’s daughter.
The only reason he had agreed to let Lin Zhenzhen enter the cotton mill was for Wanwan’s sake.
He thought that if Lin Zhenzhen got into the factory, she wouldn’t compete with Wanwan for the worker-peasant-soldier university spot.
A few days ago, Zhao Yan had shamelessly come to him, asking to let Lin Zhenzhen try being a broadcaster.
He had only agreed to let her fill in until a new broadcaster was transferred in—he had never promised her the position.
Now that Wanwan was returning to work at the cotton mill, the position would naturally go to her.
“Lin Zhenzhen has done quite well during this time. If we suddenly replace her, won’t the workers have objections?” Director Chen said with a faint smile, casting a meaningful glance at Wen Wan.
Liu Tianyou’s sharp gaze turned toward Chen Weimin. “Director Chen, don’t think I don’t know what you’re planning. Nothing’s settled yet between Lin Zhenzhen and your son—don’t get ahead of yourself.”
Wen Wan frowned slightly. Director Chen?
She remembered that in the book, after Uncle Liu got into trouble, a Director Chen had risen to become factory director.
His son, Chen Yong, was Lin Zhenzhen’s number one admirer—always following her, spending money and effort on her. During that time, Lin Zhenzhen practically ruled the textile factory, and Zhao Yan even got promoted to team leader.
But Director Chen became arrogant after gaining power. Less than a year after taking office, he was reported for accepting bribes.
After the Chen family fell, Lin Zhenzhen, posing as a righteous figure, persuaded Chen Yong to cut ties with his father and go to the countryside as an educated youth to start over.
It seemed like she was thinking of Chen Yong, but in truth, she just wanted him to stop pestering her.
Chen Weimin quickly said, “Director Liu, that’s not what I meant. I’m just worried the workers might misunderstand, which could affect our factory.”
Liu Tianyou slammed the table. “Wen Wan hasn’t even started yet—how do you already know she won’t do well? If her mother hadn’t rushed into the fire back then, there wouldn’t be this cotton mill today. Failing to treat a martyr’s child properly—that’s what would truly chill the workers’ hearts!”
“You’re right—it was my oversight. I’ll go make the arrangements now,” Chen Weimin said with a forced smile as he left the office.
The moment he stepped out, the smile vanished, and he gritted his teeth in frustration.
Liu Tianyou was younger than him yet had always suppressed him. This time, instead of attending the provincial meeting himself, he gave the opportunity to that young upstart Song Lin.
His son was determined to marry Lin Zhenzhen, circling around her all day. Though he wasn’t entirely satisfied, he couldn’t oppose his son’s wishes.
He had comforted himself that being a broadcaster was respectable and easy—bringing her into the family wouldn’t be bad. Who would have thought even that couldn’t be secured?
“Uncle Liu, I’ll definitely do a good job. I won’t let you down,” Wen Wan said.
Uncle Liu had gone out of his way for her—she couldn’t give others any reason to criticize him.
At the age of five, her mother had already sent her to various talent classes. She had learned hosting to train her eloquence and confidence.
Later, she had hosted many school events and even sang in live streams with tens of thousands of viewers. She was fully capable of handling a broadcasting job.
Still, she needed to understand the workflow at the station to avoid mistakes.
The cotton mill’s broadcasting station had three staff members. One man, Feng Tang, handled the equipment and maintenance. Two broadcasters were responsible for announcements.
The other broadcaster, Pan Lingling, was a bit older than Wen Wan and currently pregnant, mainly assisting the main broadcaster.
So when the previous broadcaster transferred to the county station, the factory had urgently needed a replacement.
“Brother Tang, Sister Ling, my name is Wen Wan. It’s my first day at work—I’ll need your guidance,” Wen Wan introduced herself openly.
To build good relationships, she had brought pastries and milk candies, sharing them with her coworkers.
“What a sweet girl—and so pretty, like a little fairy,” Pan Lingling said, holding Wen Wan’s hand with a maternal smile.
She was pregnant and loved looking at beautiful people—hoping her child would be good-looking too.
This Wen Wan was truly eye-catching—she had never seen such a beautiful girl.
Feng Tang, being a man, wasn’t as direct, but he also thought she looked like someone straight out of a movie.
“Our work is actually very simple—mainly relaying news from the Central People’s Broadcasting Station,” he explained.
“Sometimes we play fifteen-minute cultural programs or read newspapers. The rest of the time is usually for factory notices.”
One hour in the morning, one in the afternoon. Although they had to stay in case of urgent announcements, it was much easier than working in the workshop.
Though the equipment was a bit outdated, it was easy to learn. Wen Wan understood quickly after their explanation.
Pan Lingling glanced at the clock. “There are ten minutes before the news relay. Since it’s your first broadcast, you can introduce yourself, maybe read a newspaper—let everyone get familiar with you.”
“Can I sing a song for everyone?” Wen Wan asked. It was her first broadcast—she wanted to make a good impression.
If she was going to do it, she would do it professionally—do it best.
Pan Lingling’s eyes lit up. “That would be great! Workers love listening to songs.”
Feng Tang turned on the equipment and gave her a signal once everything was ready.
Wen Wan was prepared. Facing the microphone, she said:
“Hello, fellow workers. I’m Wanwan. Starting today, I’ll be your broadcaster. I hope my voice brings you a good mood and helps you work hard together to build our nation.”
“Before the news, I’ll sing a song for everyone—‘Returning from Target Practice.’ I hope you enjoy it.”
“The sun sets behind the western hills, red clouds fill the sky; the soldiers return from target practice, returning to camp. Red flowers on their chests reflect the rosy glow, joyful songs fill the air… The songs fly all the way to Beijing, Chairman Mao hears them and feels delighted…”
Wen Wan’s voice was soft and sweet, yet when singing revolutionary songs, it was full of strength and energy.
She had trained in vocal techniques and could adjust her tone for different songs. The familiar tune sounded especially lively and uplifting in her voice, making people hum along unconsciously.
“That concludes the song. Now we will relay news from the Central People’s Broadcasting Station.”
As soon as Lin Zhenzhen arrived at the factory that day, Director Fan informed her that a new broadcaster had already taken the position, and she would return to workshop work starting today.
Just as she was about to ask who it was, Wen Wan’s voice came through the broadcast.
Wen Wan.
Her again.
Why did she always take everything from her?
Lin Zhenzhen gritted her teeth, her fingers digging into her palm.
Last night, she had remembered everything—this was the novel she had written, the world she had created.
Even if the storyline had deviated now, it would eventually return to the path she designed.
She wouldn’t let Wen Wan have a good ending.
Biting her lip, Lin Zhenzhen’s eyes reddened with grievance. “Director, I haven’t made any mistakes in broadcasting these past few days. Why replace me so suddenly?”
“Zhenzhen, I tried to speak for you, but Director Liu didn’t agree. There’s nothing I can do. Wen Wan is your sister—you really don’t know what’s going on?” Director Chen said.
The incident at the steel factory hadn’t reached the textile factory yet, so Lin Zhenzhen naturally didn’t bring it up. Tears welled up in her eyes as she quickly wiped them away, looking pitiful.
“If my sister wanted to be a broadcaster, she could’ve told me at home. I wouldn’t have competed with her. Director Liu has always favored her anyway… Why did it have to be like this… Never mind. I’ll just go back to the workshop. Thank you for informing me, Director.”
Her voice wasn’t quiet. Many workers passing by heard her.
No wonder the broadcaster had been changed again—so it was someone pulling strings and taking her sister’s job.
The cotton mill was big, but news like this spread the fastest.
By the end of the day, all kinds of gossip had surfaced.
The next day at work, Wen Wan was stopped in her tracks.
“You’re Wen Wan?”