Vоlume 1 Chарtеr 5: Gоing tо the Countrуsidе
Shu Miaо returned tо thе оffiсе аnd slumpеd dirесtlу into her сhair.
Jiang Qing lookеd аt her сuriоuslу. “Хiаo Shu, whаt did thе dirеctor wаnt with уou uрstairs?”
Leaning bаck in hеr chair, Shu Miаo rеpliеd in а somewhаt listless tone, “Аssigning wоrk.”
Jiаng Qing lеt out an “оh,” thеn immеdiаtely рressеd for detаils about whаt kind of work.
Shu Мiao sighed аnd ехplаinеd the situation.
Jiаng Qing’s eуеs widened in shоck. “You’rе going оn аn insрeсtion tour with thе countу mаgistrаte!”
She then exclaimed, “Хiаo Shu, your future is bоundlеss!”
After saуing thаt, she gave Shu Miao a thumbs-up.
“Going out with the party secretary and county magistrate has always been the news department’s task.”
“You’ve only just started working, and you’re in the administrative department, yet you actually have the chance to go out and work alongside the county magistrate. Not bad, not bad.”
Shu Miao, however, didn’t see it that way and was somewhat worried. “Ah, Sister Jiang, that’s the county magistrate we’re talking about. You saw it last time—how comfortable can I possibly be on this trip?”
“This isn’t a good assignment.”
Jiang Qing then tried to comfort her. “It’s fine, you won’t be riding in the same car as the county magistrate.”
“When you get to the location, there will be a whole crowd of people. You just need to follow along and see what work needs help. Be quick on your feet.”
“It’s not just the two of you, so don’t be nervous.”
Shu Miao thought about it and realized that was true. She was just being transferred to help out, probably as a backup person.
Jiang Qing fell silent for a moment, a thoughtful expression on her face. “Xiao Shu, going out on this inspection tour with the county magistrate is actually an opportunity.”
Shu Miao looked at her in confusion.
Jiang Qing immediately broke it down for her. “Think about it—if you work alongside the county magistrate, and you perform actively and take initiative, the county magistrate might remember you. You could get your face recognized.”
“If there are any opportunities in the future, who knows?”
“Even if you can’t become an immortal right away, it’s good to get a little immortal aura in advance!”
Shu Miao smiled helplessly, not quite agreeing in her heart. “I just hope I don’t make any mistakes, otherwise the director will…”
She finished by making a throat-slitting gesture.
Jiang Qing laughed at her. “It’s not that exaggerated. Just treat it as normal work and don’t be so nervous.”
Shu Miao also thought that made sense and nodded.
In the evening, Pei Ran came to stay at Shu Miao’s place. The houses their families had bought for the two girlfriends weren’t too close, so they occasionally stayed at each other’s homes.
Shu Miao sat at her dressing table applying body lotion.
Pei Ran lay on the bed with a face mask on. “Miaomiao, you’re going out to work with the county magistrate tomorrow. Are you nervous?”
Shu Miao spread the body lotion on her arm, completely indifferent. “Why would I be nervous? I’ve already made up my mind. Tomorrow, I’ll hide at the very back, stay far away from the county magistrate, and be invisible.”
Pei Ran was exasperated by her lack of ambition. “You’re so silly. What a great opportunity! You should make yourself seen more, get your face recognized.”
Shu Miao wore a look of refusal. “I don’t want to. I don’t want to stand out like that.”
“If I perform well, it’s fine, but what if I make a mistake? It could affect the fate of our entire broadcasting center.”
“I can’t take that responsibility, and our director wouldn’t let me off the hook either.”
Pei Ran rolled her eyes in frustration, her face mask wrinkling with annoyance.
“Why do you always think of the worst? Think of the good possibilities.”
“For example, what if you do something that catches the county magistrate’s eye, and from then on, you rise step by step, with a bright and promising future?”Shu Miao felt Pei Ran was getting more and more exaggerated: “Teacher Pei, you really live up to being a Chinese teacher, your imagination is truly rich.”
Pei Ran paid no mind to her teasing and changed the subject: “Miaomiao, tell me, is this new county magistrate married or not?”
Shu Miao finished applying body lotion and walked to the bedside. Pei Ran immediately made room for her.
Shu Miao leaned against the headboard: “I don’t know, probably married, isn’t he almost 30?”
Pei Ran nodded in agreement: “I think so too.”
“And someone with his background and status, even if not married, surely has a fiancée arranged through a family alliance.”
Shu Miao nodded faintly, not particularly interested in the topic.
Right now, she just wanted to get through tomorrow safely.
The two chatted until they fell asleep, a night without dreams.
The next day, Shu Miao arrived ten minutes earlier than usual, just in case the car came ahead of schedule.
At 8:30, the car arrived downstairs. Three people from their unit were going.
Cheng Tao was responsible for photography, and Lin Xiaomin was in charge of writing the article.
Both looked fully prepared and ready to go. Shu Miao felt completely redundant.
Unable to do anything, she’d just be an extra mouth to feed for the boxed lunch.
Muttering to herself, she still followed them into the car.
Cheng Tao sat in the passenger seat, while Shu Miao and Lin Xiaomin sat in the back.
Lin Xiaomin had entered the unit at the same time as Shu Miao, majoring in Chinese language. She was a gentle, soft-spoken girl.
Cheng Tao had joined three years earlier than them and was considered their senior.
The driver took the car to the entrance of the county government building. They would follow behind Meng Yuchuan’s car later.
A black official vehicle was already parked at the entrance of the government building. The driver pulled up behind it.
Cheng Tao turned around and called out to Shu Miao and the others: “Xiao Shu, Xiao Lin, let’s get out first. We’ll greet the county magistrate when he comes out.”
Shu Miao and Lin Xiaomin nodded, though both felt nervous at the same time.
Exchanging a glance, they followed Cheng Tao out of the car.
The three waited outside for about ten minutes before Meng Yuchuan strode out of the building with steady steps.
Behind him was a formally dressed young man carrying a briefcase and wearing glasses—likely Meng Yuchuan’s secretary.
Shu Miao glanced at Meng Yuchuan. He was still wearing a black jacket today, looking particularly energetic.
As Meng Yuchuan descended the steps, Shu Miao and the other two stepped forward and greeted him respectfully.
Meng Yuchuan smiled faintly: “I’ll be troubling you all today.”
The three were flattered. How could they dare say it was trouble to work for the county magistrate? It was an honor.
Cheng Tao, as the more experienced one who had seen more of the world, responded to Meng Yuchuan respectfully and appropriately.
Shu Miao and Lin Xiaomin stood silently behind him.
Meng Yuchuan glanced at Shu Miao. Today, she wore a white long-sleeved shirt with a stand-up collar, blue jeans, and white sneakers. Her hair was tied up high, simple and neat. The corners of his lips unconsciously lifted slightly.
After a brief exchange, everyone got into the cars and set off.
The township they were visiting today was about an hour’s drive away. In recent years, the government had invested in road construction, making the roads wide and smooth, so the ride was relatively steady.
A little over an hour later, the car arrived at the township government building. The town mayor and party secretary were waiting at the entrance.
When Meng Yuchuan stepped out of the car, they warmly approached him, extending their hands and greeting him with smiles.
Meng Yuchuan nodded faintly and smiled before returning to his serious demeanor.The group entered the conference room. Cheng Tao took out his camera to take photos, while Lin Xiaomin stood nearby, jotting down the content of the leaders’ discussions.
Shu Miao, on the other hand, had nothing to do and felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles.
Fortunately, she had brought a notebook and pen, allowing her to pretend to take notes.
The meeting lasted over an hour, focusing primarily on the development issues facing the township in the coming period. Key development projects, potential technical challenges, funding shortages, and possible solutions were discussed.