Chapter 47: Our Backing Is Stronger!

Inside the cafeteria.

"Come, Miaomiao, try this—our factory cafeteria's Beijing-style shredded pork in soy sauce is absolutely superb!"

"Come, this stewed pork with vermicelli is also very good!"

Chu Miaomiao looked at the rapidly growing little mountain in her bowl, feeling somewhat helpless: "Aunt Liu, Aunt Wang, Aunt Zhang, you eat yourselves, don't worry about me—I won't go hungry."

"That won't do—you came all the way from Ha Cheng to see San Shui; we must entertain you properly. Alas, this child San Shui has had a hard life, losing his mother since childhood..."

"Ah-choo!"

Someone outside sneezed.

"Qin Miao lost his mother from a young age?"

"Exactly, his mother suffered severe bleeding during a difficult labor when giving birth to him; this child has had a tough life, depending on his father since childhood. We aunties often help out. Now San Shui has made something of himself—he not only went to university, but also has such a beautiful wife."

"Ladies, we are classmates, classmates."

"Hmph, what classmates? If we were merely classmates, could we have come all this way just to see San Shui?"

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about—San Shui is a college student, and all the young women in the factory workers' families are eyeing him!"

Chu Miaomiao didn't know how to respond.

"Old Qin, since we're dining at your place, we can't just eat and drink for free—each of us should hand over two yuan worth of grain coupons and two yuan for the meal. Come, I'll go first..."

"No, no, that wouldn't do—two yuan is too much..."

"If you don't accept it, we won't eat."

This voice—how does it sound somewhat familiar?

Chu Miaomiao raised her head and saw a familiar face.

Instantly, their eyes met.

"Miaomiao, how are you?"

"Dad, I saw you were busy, so I took a solitary stroll around the factory."

Dad!

That form of address left everyone stunned.

Qin Miao widened his eyes and looked toward Chu Miaomiao.

"Your surname is Chu, while this leader from the capital surnamed Zhang—what's the nature of your father-daughter relationship?"

The three aunties who had been eating with Chu Miaomiao were also stunned; they had heard that a big leader from the capital had come to the factory, and seeing Factory Director Qin accompanying him, they assumed it was him—but they never expected it to be this girl's father.

"With so many dishes, it looks abundant—let's sit here and eat! Old Qin, we agreed: don't add any more dishes for us!"

"Huh?"

"Ladies, you don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not—welcome, leader; we'll make way right away."

"No, let's eat together—tell us, what do you think of the factory now?"

"Great, wonderful—since Factory Director Qin took over, we've been living well! Look at these dishes—all meat! A month ago, we couldn't afford to eat like this; back then the factory couldn't even pay wages..."

"Come, don't just stand there—sit down!"

Qin Miao sat down, his mind in a daze. Seeing this situation, today's suppression of Zhao Guoqing wasn't carried out by those market officials, but by Chu Miaomiao's father—and he... had actually incurred a favor from Chu Miaomiao? No matter when, such a favor is the hardest to repay.

"Come, Qin Miao classmate, sit here!" Chu Miaomiao greeted him enthusiastically, then... she transferred the heaping mound from her own bowl into Qin Miao's bowl.

Zhang Wanhe glanced once, and his heart inexplicably tightened—his daughter's cabbage had been rooted up by Qin Miao, this pig? This kid...

Although he had already known during the meeting that Qin Miao's background was extraordinary, now... Zhang Wanhe still felt an urge to discipline Qin Miao. His daughter couldn't be given too easily to this kid!

Thinking this, Zhang Wanhe's eyes gained a hint of killing intent.

Qin Miao inexplicably shuddered.

After the meal, it was already seven or eight in the evening. Qin Miao hadn't spoken a word the whole time, just kept his head down eating. Now a large crowd was seeing Zhang Wanhe and company off to their car, yet Qin Miao still kept dodging to the back.

The car door opened; Chu Miaomiao was about to get in, then she turned her head to look at Qin Miao: "San Shui brother, come pick me up the day after tomorrow, and we'll go back to school together."

"San Shui brother? Who is that?"

Behind Qin Miao, Aunt Liu poked him.

"Oh oh."

Chu Miaomiao flashed a sweet smile and slipped into the car.

Qin Miao felt somewhat mixed emotions; today had truly been draining. He staggered homeward when he heard a voice nearby.

"Hmph, what's Zhao Guoqing's uncle? Our San Shui's wife is the daughter of a leader from the capital!"

"Exactly—from now on, let's see who dares to bully us!"

Qin Miao nearly tripped into the flowerbed—these Aunt Liu and company are indeed warm-hearted, but also absolute blabbermouths! In just a few hours, the news had spread throughout the entire factory? If it reached Director Zhang's ears...

"I still have to go pick up Chu Miaomiao the day after tomorrow... Oh my, at that point I won't be able to escape a stern talking-to from Director Zhang!"

Qin Miao's thoughts were in disarray; he didn't even know how he had gotten home. When he used his key to open the door, he momentarily wondered if he'd taken a wrong turn.

The house looked completely renewed, as if it had just been cleaned—it's too clean!

This household has always been just two men living together; although it could be somewhat tidy, it definitely wouldn't be as spotless as it is now.

Qin Miao instinctively stepped back, but upon checking the door number, he realized—no mistake, it was his own home.

"I reported work to Director Zhang for half a day, went to the cafeteria, and the result was that Chu Miaomiao only just ate—after all that fuss, I ended up cleaning my own home!"

Qin Miao walked back to his room, which was also spotless.

Wait a moment!

Qin Miao suddenly thought of something, flipped open the mattress at the head of the bed— that hard-plastic-covered notebook was indeed still there, but... the score slip inside had vanished completely.

Inside, there was now an additional sentence.

"Qin Miao classmate, you didn't lie to me—you got into Ha Gong Da with over three hundred points, you're the first! I took the score slip; consider it my payment for cleaning your place. Sleep well!"

Sleep a hammer!

On the other side.

In the Red Flag car.

"Do you like that bastard?"

"Hmm."

"Damn it, driver, turn around, watch me not go back..."

"Dad, whether I like him is my business; he never said he likes me, we're still just classmates."

"No, then we have to go back even more; the person my daughter likes is actually arrogant, looks down on my daughter! Driver, turn around and go back!"

"Dad, you're how old, still so childish! Mom's waiting for us to go home and eat; if you keep delaying..."

Ahead, the driver, for the first time, didn't listen to Zhang Wanhe, continuing to drive toward the urban area of the capital.

At the gate of the compound, Zhang Wanhe took a deep breath, then strode toward home. Chu Miaomiao followed behind him, her face full of pride.

Whoosh! From the guardroom at the gate, a person jumped out.

"Old Zhang! I heard you went to Qingshan Machinery Factory? Is there someone named Qin Miao there?"