Chapter 103: I

"Does Sister Li have anything to do every day? I've secured a job for her in the County; can she go?" An Yinan asked.

As a result, the two people who were just drinking tea dregs spat them out at the same time, and then a series of coughs formed a symphony in this quiet Daduibu?

Those tea dregs were already stuck in their throats, but they were reluctant to stop drinking; and so, the two of them had been brewing tea dregs here, never expecting such a person to arrive.

"Say that again?" The Captain frowned and looked at An Yinan.

An Yinan waved her hand and looked at the curious Accountant, "I've reserved a job position for Sister at the Textile Factory; she starts tomorrow."

"You girl have connections, huh? Nowadays, these iron rice bowls are all passed down within families; did you buy it?" The Accountant was also very curious, having seen people in the village bring radishes, cabbage, or even some grain when a family was truly out of food.

Hearing about someone giving away a job was a first.

"Well, don't ask about the connections; in any case, it's not illegal and I didn't buy it." An Yinan shrugged her shoulders.

The Captain thought for a moment, "Since there's a job in the City, you should go yourself. I can write you a referral letter, and I can talk to the Educated Youth Station as well."

An Yinan widened her eyes, looking extremely innocent, and with those large eyes still bloodshot, she asked, "Are you chasing me away?"

That trembling, small voice made the Accountant nudge the Captain.

Look at how scared the child is.

The Captain closed his eyes, "Speak properly."

An Yinan wrinkled her nose, "I can't speak properly at all!"

"Speak like a human," the Captain bluffed.

An Yinan also put away her playful act; she couldn't get by with acting up, "Can I speak to you alone?"

The Accountant understood and quickly stood up, "I'm going for a stroll; it's snowing in the village, I'll go see if everyone's roofs are still sturdy."

As he spoke, he patted his cotton hat on, put it on, and pushed the door open to leave.

The Captain wasn't as easy to talk to this time; a job was no small matter. Although this child could work and had great strength, she wasn't a child of the village, and the village couldn't keep her; it might not be a bad thing for her to go out early.

"My identity is more suited to being in the village; if I were outside, the confidentiality would be too poor." An Yinan took out several small-denomination pay stubs, two foreign-language books, and a work ID from her military-green satchel.

The Captain flipped through the English books, looked at An Yinan with an unfathomable gaze, and then, after taking out the pay stubs, saw the seal of the Compilation Bureau on the bottom of each one, and that amount...

On average, once a week, two or three hundred yuan each time; that was over a thousand yuan a month.

Is this little girl a devil?

Others would be burning incense in gratitude for thirty-some yuan a month, but this girl—it's good for her, getting a thousand yuan at once; one week's salary is worth a whole year's salary for others; she couldn't finish eating meat every day even if she tried.

Finally, he picked up the work ID; below the photo, it read: Name: An Yinan, Position: Senior Translator, Unit: National Compilation Bureau.

And stamped over these three lines was a bright red seal.

"Put this thing away; don't let others see it," the Captain looked at An Yinan with a serious expression.

He had always known she was a young girl with her own ideas, but he never expected she could reach this point.

The National Compilation Bureau—although he didn't know much about it, he understood the significance of a Senior Translator.

"Keep these foreign books well yourself; try not to let others see them. Although it's the nature of your work and there's no problem, this society is the way it is, and it would still be quite troublesome."

"And your salary is too eye-catching."

"I only now know why you insisted on moving out." The Captain pondered, and just as he was about to pick up his tea mug, he remembered the coughing from earlier; his throat still felt a bit itchy, so he silently put it back down.

"In the village, except during the spring rush and the harvest, you don't have to report for work; you can come directly to me to talk, no need to go through the Scorekeeper. Our Quanshui Village isn't absolutely safe either; protect yourself well," the Captain said very solemnly.

If An Yinan were just an ordinary Educated Youth, going to the County would be best; it would improve her standard of living, and he wouldn't be failing the trust of her teammates.

But she is not an ordinary child; she is not only a martyr's orphan, but she is also relying on her own abilities to walk step by step along a different path.

All roads lead to the same destination; in the end, they are all working for the country.

If she stays in Quanshui Village, he can still look after her a bit, and many things can be helped with; if she goes to the County, he would be beyond his reach.

"About the job, what exactly is going on? Don't try to fool me with your initial words," the Captain looked at An Yinan.

An Yinan felt a bit helpless; how could she not be able to give away a favor? Instead, she seemed like someone who had committed a crime? Being interrogated, she felt a bit wronged!

"The patterns in our County's Textile Factory are too backward; whether compared to the City or other counties, they are a step behind. The cloth produced is even harder to sell, and the efficiency is getting worse and worse."

"Times are changing now; if this continues, no one knows if this factory will still exist. The director of the Textile Factory found me, and I taught them a weaving technique for patterns in exchange for two job positions—one for a Textile Factory Worker in the workshop, and one for an Office Clerk. I saw that Sister Li's stitches were fine, dense, and neat, and she is a skilled hand, so I wanted to give the workshop position to Sister Li." An Yinan didn't hide it this time; fooling others was fine, but the Captain was almost a master of craftiness; she couldn't fool this old fox.

The young can't fool the old.

The Captain sighed, "I know you want to take care of my family, but this job matter is too big."

An Yinan quickly waved her hands, "When I came to Quanshui Village, Aunt Li always took care of me. I had many things I didn't know or understand, and it was all Aunt Li guiding me step by step. For me, Quanshui Village is not just a village for the countryside, but another home."

"To tell you the truth, you are also helping me. The Textile Factory director said that if I didn't arrange for someone to go over, I would have to fill the spot myself, but I really don't have the time."

An Yinan looked helpless, but the Captain didn't believe this little liar. Nowadays, a job quota could be sold for at least two hundred yuan, and it was the Textile Factory, where one could also buy discounted cloth internally.

This look of being in a difficult position—who is she trying to fool?

"Alright, stop pretending. I'll thank you on behalf of the couple first. In the future, if there's anything, just say the word; heavy work or delicate work, our family can do it all." The Captain tapped his Tobacco Pouch, not wanting to waste the girl's good intentions.

An Yinan nodded, "I just really like the yellow bean paste Aunt Li makes; when can you help me make some more?"

The Captain looked at the girl who was pushing her luck, "You're the only one who dares to be cheeky in front of me."

An Yinan wrinkled her nose, "Even a tiger doesn't eat its cubs; I'm still a child."